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IMDbPro

Professor Marston & the Wonder Women

Original title: Professor Marston and the Wonder Women
  • 20172017
  • RR
  • 1h 48m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
26K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,229
2,426
Bella Heathcote in Professor Marston & the Wonder Women (2017)
The story of psychologist William Moulton Marston, the polyamorous relationship between his wife and his mistress, the creation of his beloved comic book character Wonder Woman, and the controversy the comic generated.
Play trailer2:33
9 Videos
57 Photos
  • Biography
  • Drama
  • History
The story of psychologist William Moulton Marston, and his polyamorous relationship with his wife and their mistress who would inspire his creation of the superheroine, Wonder Woman.The story of psychologist William Moulton Marston, and his polyamorous relationship with his wife and their mistress who would inspire his creation of the superheroine, Wonder Woman.The story of psychologist William Moulton Marston, and his polyamorous relationship with his wife and their mistress who would inspire his creation of the superheroine, Wonder Woman.
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
26K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,229
2,426
  • Director
    • Angela Robinson
  • Writer
    • Angela Robinson
  • Stars
    • Luke Evans
    • Rebecca Hall
    • Bella Heathcote
Top credits
  • Director
    • Angela Robinson
  • Writer
    • Angela Robinson
  • Stars
    • Luke Evans
    • Rebecca Hall
    • Bella Heathcote
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 142User reviews
    • 145Critic reviews
    • 68Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 8 nominations

    Videos9

    New York Comic Con Trailer
    Trailer 2:33
    New York Comic Con Trailer
    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:17
    Official Trailer
    Ever Wonder?
    Trailer 0:23
    Ever Wonder?
    Clip
    Clip 0:30
    Clip
    Clip
    Clip 0:30
    Clip
    Pull No One Will Publish This
    Clip 0:58
    Pull No One Will Publish This
    Cam A
    Interview 1:17
    Cam A
    'Professor Marston and the Wonder Women' Trailer With Director's Commentary
    Video 2:26
    'Professor Marston and the Wonder Women' Trailer With Director's Commentary
    'Professor Marston' Director Reveals Wonder Woman Origin Story
    Video 7:42
    'Professor Marston' Director Reveals Wonder Woman Origin Story

    Photos57

    Bella Heathcote in Professor Marston & the Wonder Women (2017)
    Rebecca Hall and Bella Heathcote in Professor Marston & the Wonder Women (2017)
    Rebecca Hall, Angela Robinson, and Bella Heathcote in Professor Marston & the Wonder Women (2017)
    Bella Heathcote in Professor Marston & the Wonder Women (2017)
    Oliver Platt and Maggie Castle in Professor Marston & the Wonder Women (2017)
    Rebecca Hall in Professor Marston & the Wonder Women (2017)
    Rebecca Hall, Luke Evans, and Bella Heathcote in Professor Marston & the Wonder Women (2017)
    Connie Britton in Professor Marston & the Wonder Women (2017)
    Luke Evans in Professor Marston & the Wonder Women (2017)
    Luke Evans in Professor Marston & the Wonder Women (2017)
    Connie Britton in Professor Marston & the Wonder Women (2017)
    Bella Heathcote in Professor Marston & the Wonder Women (2017)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Luke Evans
    Luke Evans
    • William Moulton Marston
    Rebecca Hall
    Rebecca Hall
    • Elizabeth Marston
    Bella Heathcote
    Bella Heathcote
    • Olive Byrne
    Connie Britton
    Connie Britton
    • Josette Frank
    Monica Giordano
    Monica Giordano
    • Mary
    JJ Feild
    JJ Feild
    • Charles Guyette
    Chris Conroy
    Chris Conroy
    • Brant Gregory
    Oliver Platt
    Oliver Platt
    • M.C. Gaines
    Maggie Castle
    Maggie Castle
    • Dorothy Roubicek
    Alexa Havins
    Alexa Havins
    • Molly Stewart
    Sharon Kubo
    • Kate
    Allie Gallerani
    Allie Gallerani
    • Sara
    Christopher Jon Gombos
    Christopher Jon Gombos
    • Fred Stewart
    • (as Chris Gombos)
    Forry Buckingham
    • Doctor
    Stacy Fischer
    • Linda
    Gabriella Nail
    Gabriella Nail
    • Student
    • (as Gabrielle Nail)
    Frank Ridley
    Frank Ridley
    • Manager
    Ken Cheeseman
    Ken Cheeseman
    • Dean Liddy
    • Director
      • Angela Robinson
    • Writer
      • Angela Robinson
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      A very close friend of the Marston family is Lynda Carter, the star of Wonder Woman (1975).
    • Goofs
      In a scene set in the 1920's, Prof. Marston says that he was "in the OSS" during World War I. But the OSS didn't exist until 1942. In the twenties, "in the OSS" would have been meaningless. During 1917-1919 each branch of the military and several executive departments had their own intelligence units. Marston might have been affiliated with U.S. Army intelligence in some capacity.
    • Quotes

      William Moulton Marston: She is beautiful, guileless, kind, and pure of heart. You are brilliant, ferocious, hilarious, and a grade A bitch. Together, you are the perfect woman.

    • Crazy credits
      Photos of real-life William Marston, his wife Elizabeth, and Olive Byrne are shown at the end of the movie.
    • Connections
      Referenced in Midnight Screenings: Professor Marston and the Wonder Women (2017)
    • Soundtracks
      The Speakeasy
      Written by Tom Howe

      Performed by Jill Barber & Tom Howe

      Courtesy of Feature Production Music Ltd

    User reviews142

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Rebecca Hall is a Revelation
    With some exception, Hollywood pretty much makes two distinct kinds of biopics. The first kind are the ones that almost seem obligatory – your Gandhi's (1982), your Lincoln's (2012) and the upcoming Darkest Hour (2017); movies about historical giants who did truly incredible things with their lives, incredible things that should be projected (and even embellished) on the silver screen for the world to see. Then there are the ones about the others – your oddballs, your misfits – the characters that history books often ignore but are nevertheless important in the way our world is shaped.

    Professor Marston is certainly one of the latter folk. Outside of DC comic devotees and the odd discredited crime scene investigator swearing by the validity of the lie detector, William Moulton Marston is not a name people know. But believe me when I say that after watching this movie, you'll want to read up on him and his equally fascinating partners Elizabeth Marston and Olive Byrne. For not only is he the originator of Wonder Woman, the most famous female comic-book hero ever, he's quietly the most fascinating academics to steer the sexual proclivities of modern society since Albert Kinsey.

    He, Elizabeth and Olive I should say. The film starts with the three of them bouncing around the psychology department of Tuft University working on research and fine-tuning William's (Evans) latest invention. Olive (Heathcote), the Marston's graduate assistant becomes enamored with the two of them, binding the three in a love triangle that turns into a healthy polyamorous relationship. It being the puritanical state of Massachusetts in the 1920's however, the three couldn't be insulated by the academic bubble for too long before The Marstons are quickly forced out and move to New York City. From there, they hide their double lives with Olive assuming the role of homemaker and "widow" while William and Elizabeth (Hall) find work where they can as "the couple".

    As the narrative slowly ebbs towards the inevitable formation of the first Wonder Woman comic-book, the film occasionally diverts from its primary story and uses a red-baiting comic-book committee as connective tissue to William's complicated past. We've seen this kind of framing before. In fact, apart from the decade's long love story involving three people in a committed and loving relationship, we've seen all of this before…which may be the point. Instead of treating the subject matter as salacious or radically divergent, it treats it as another day in dramatic romance-land. Even when the trio develops an interest in the virtually criminalized BDSM subculture, there's a normalcy there that could potentially bore the one couple in the movie theater looking for their unicorn.

    What makes Professor Marston ultimately work is director/writer Angela Robinson decision to make the tension largely external. It's never a question of whether all their goings-on will work but if the world will openly allow it. That concern is personified in Rebecca Hall's inner struggle that has the duel burden of her trying to be a smart, capable, 20th century working girl while also being madly in love with two people. One of whom is a woman.

    As the brash, irascible Elizabeth, actress Rebecca Hall is an absolute revelation. She bursts onto the screen, all but announces she's smarter than everyone else in the room and easily proves it with her wit and pragmatism. While Heathcote displays the mirage of idyllic feminine beauty, it is Elizabeth's radical feminism that makes the punchy title worth the watch. Seriously though, if Hall doesn't get an Oscar nom by years' end I may have to boycott (#hall&Oscars).

    Less successful is Luke Evans who, while certainly displaying the outward charm of a 1920's lad-about-town just has a knack for putting too fine a point on things. Every time we return to Connie Britton and her committee of comic-book hating cronies, Evans lectures like he's explaining particle physics to a freshman undergrad. Perhaps, given Marston's private life, Robinson may have figured the only way out of being questioned by a HUAC analog would be to be so soporific that they'd just move on to Superman or something.

    All in all, Professor Marston and the Wonder Women may not be reverential enough to induce comic-book fans to check it out. The film spans decades ultimately treating the creation of Wonder Woman as an afterthought. Yet for those looking for a decently paced, boiler-plate great biopic it may just be the right ticket for you. Additionally because it smuggles in a few liberalizing tidbits about love and modern feminism (Luke Evans's goofy grin notwithstanding), Professor Marston may even be worth a detour to a theater ballsy enough to play it.
    helpful•48
    34
    • bkrauser-81-311064
    • Oct 15, 2017

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 13, 2017 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • French
    • Also known as
      • Professor Marston and the Wonder Women
    • Filming locations
      • Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
    • Production companies
      • Strongman
      • Opposite Field Pictures
      • Boxspring Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,584,759
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $736,883
      • Oct 15, 2017
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,899,615
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 48 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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