|
Edited on Wed Dec-01-04 01:09 AM by Radio_Lady
Fascinating, captivating and informative -- that’s the new film “Kinsey” about the life of Alfred Kinsey, the noted researcher on sexual behavior. It was Kinsey’s tenacious – some would say – outlandish research that provided the world with a better understanding of human sexual behavior. Liam Neeson as Kinsey dominates this film. His stellar performance is one of the best of the year. Laura Linney is equally splendid in a supporting role as Clara McMillen, Kinsey’s wife. Peter Sarsgaard, Chris O’Donnell and Timothy Hutton are also notable playing Kinsey’s team of interviewers. John Lithgow is excellent in the more limited but heart-rending role of Kinsey’s father. The rest of the supporting cast is uniformly first-rate.
Kinsey’s first book on the subject was "Sexual Behavior in the Human Male,” released in the late 1940’s. The book was an unexpected blockbuster. It was intended as a scholarly presentation of the results of a scientific study. However, the book almost immediately entered the mainstream as copies were snapped up everywhere. His follow-up volume, "Sexual Behavior in the Human Female", created an out-and-out firestorm by challenging the prevailing common beliefs of the period. Kinsey never gave up on this important research even in the face of losing his funding due to the extreme controversy that his books produced.
Today, especially for those of us who were not alive in the time of Kinsey’s work, it is astonishing to think that hardly more than fifty years ago, so little was know about human sexual behavior. False ideas were believed and promoted even to the extent of establishing punishment under the law for what was then considered to be unacceptable conduct. Kinsey himself somehow survived a father who preached the evils of what was later understood to be normal behavior. Perhaps he was able to overcome this due in part to the open and loving relationship he found with his wife, Clara. An established and published entomologist and professor, he found himself being sought out by confused students who were groping for guidance on appropriate sexual conduct.
Kinsey saw the information vacuum and heroically stepped in and filled it. He probably was never appreciated enough in his own lifetime for what he accomplished. “Kinsey”, the movie, celebrates this man in a way that is appropriate to his achievements. “Kinsey” is remarkable. Special kudos to writer/director Bill Condon. See it as soon as you can! I rate it an A-plus on Ellen’s Entertainment Report Card.
|