My Brilliant Career

1979, Drama, 1h 41m

20 Reviews 250+ Ratings

You might also like

Tom, Dick and Harry
Our Town
Lydia
This Could Be the Night
Mandela

Where to watch

Rate And Review

User image

Verified

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Rate this movie

    Oof, that was Rotten.

    Meh, it passed the time.

    It’s good – I’d recommend it.

    Awesome!

    So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

    What did you think of the movie? (optional)

  • You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Step 2 of 2

    How did you buy your ticket?

    Let's get your review verified.

    • Fandango

    • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

    • Cinemark Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Regal Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Theater box office or somewhere else

    By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

    You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Rate this movie

    Oof, that was Rotten.

    Meh, it passed the time.

    It’s good – I’d recommend it.

    Awesome!

    So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

    What did you think of the movie? (optional)

  • How did you buy your ticket?

    • Fandango

    • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

    • Cinemark Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Regal Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Theater box office or somewhere else

    By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

My Brilliant Career Photos

View All Photos (15)

Movie Info

Growing up in the Australian outback, creative and headstrong Sybylla Melvyn (Judy Davis) dreams of becoming a famous writer despite long odds and the objections of her family. Forced by money problems to move in with her rich grandmother (Aileen Britton), she soon makes the acquaintance of a handsome landowner, Harry (Sam Neill), and wins him over despite their class differences. When Harry proposes, Sybylla must choose between romantic love an the brilliant career she craves.
  • Rating:
    G
  • Genre:
    Drama
  • Original Language:
    English
  • Director:
    Gillian Armstrong
  • Producer:
    Margaret Fink
  • Release Date (Theaters):
     limited
  • Release Date (Streaming):
  • Runtime:
  • Distributor:
    Analysis Film Releasing Corporation
  • Sound Mix:
    Stereo

Cast & Crew

Judy Davis
Sybylla Melvyn
Sam Neill
Harry Beecham
Wendy Hughes
Aunt Helen
Robert Grubb
Frank Hawdon
Max Cullen
Mr. McSwatt
Patricia Kennedy
Aunt Gussie
Aileen Britton
Grandma Bossier
Peter Whitford
Uncle Julius
Carole Skinner
Mrs. McSwatt
Alan Hopgood
Father
Julia Blake
Mother
Gillian Armstrong
Director
Margaret Fink
Producer
Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for My Brilliant Career

All Critics (20) | Top Critics (6) | Fresh (17) | Rotten (3)

View All Critic Reviews (20)

Audience Reviews for My Brilliant Career

  • Jul 19, 2012
    A woman with literary aspirations falls for an upper class man who tempts her toward marriage, away from her work. The film sets up a familiar dichotomy: Sybylla finds that she must either pursue her career ambitions or settle down to the expectations of Victorian society and marry. Obviously, this is a familiar construct, one replayed to perfection in Henry James's <i>Portrait of a Lady</i>, but what I found lacking in <i>My Brilliant Career</i> was an exploration of who Sybylla is as an artist. After all, whether or not her book is good and should be written is significant. Instead, what becomes clear is how she doesn't fit in with Victorian, upper-class society and seems even more out of place with lower class society. Her only connection is with Harry Beecham, whom she rejects to pursue her work. Overall, because one side of the conflict is never fully explored, I found most of <i>My Brilliant Career</i> lacking.
    Jim H Super Reviewer
  • Sep 07, 2009
    Slow moving enlightenment drama with Judy Davis giving an excellent performance as usual. The characters are just to remote to really engage you leaving you feeling little for their stuggles.
    jay n Super Reviewer
  • Jul 03, 2009
    Sybylla Melvyn is a girl with a spark. She's also a girl who refuses to let 19th century sensibilities extinguish it. Set in Australia in the late 1800's, <i>My Brilliant Career</i> chronicles the story of a woman years ahead of her time. Whoever cast Judy Davis as 'plain and ugly' ought to have their eyesight examined. Even without makeup she's absolutely radiant. Otherwise, she is perfectly suited for this engrossing, subtly romantic docudrama. Highly recommended.
    Randy T Super Reviewer
See all Audience reviews

Quotes

There are no approved quotes yet for this movie.

Movie & TV guides