Bigger Than Life
1956 · Movie · NR · 95 min · ★ 7.2 · 85% critics
A well-liked suburban teacher and devoted family man is diagnosed with a serious illness and begins taking a new prescription drug that seems to help. As his reliance on the medication grows, his mood and behavior shift in frightening ways, putting his home life, work, and sense of self under intense strain.
Also known as One in a Million
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Details
- Years
- 1956
- Release date
- 1956-11-20
- Language
- English
- Rated
- NR
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Critic score
- 85/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.2/10 (184 votes)
- Budget
- $1,000,000
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a tense, provocative 1950s family drama about prescription dependence and social pressure; Not for you if you avoid distressing domestic conflict or stories involving a child in danger, like In a Lonely Place.
Pros: gripping cautionary premise; intense family tension; strong lead performance | Cons: heavy melodrama; uneven character writing; bleak, upsetting moments
Themes
- husband wife relationship
- paranoia
- drug addiction
- hallucination
- family relationships
- hospital
- drugs
- mental illness
- schoolteacher
- cortisone
- verbal abuse
- family life
- +3 more
Cast & crew
James Mason
as Ed Avery
Barbara Rush
as Lou Avery
Walter Matthau
as Wally Gibbs
Robert F. Simon
as Dr. Norton
Christopher Olsen
as Richie Avery
Roland Winters
as Dr. Ruric
Rusty Lane
as Bob LaPorte
Rachel Stephens
as Nurse
Kipp Hamilton
as Pat Wade
- BC
Betty Caulfield
as Mrs. LaPorte (uncredited)
Directed by Nicholas Ray