Bigger Than Life

Bigger Than Life

195695 min
7.2/10
Drama

Plot Summary

A friendly, successful suburban teacher and father grows dangerously addicted to cortisone, resulting in his transformation into a household despot.

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Official trailer from TMDB

👥Cast (28)

James Mason

James Mason

Ed Avery

Barbara Rush

Barbara Rush

Lou Avery

Walter Matthau

Walter Matthau

Wally Gibbs

Robert F. Simon

Robert F. Simon

Dr. Norton

Christopher Olsen

Christopher Olsen

Richie Avery

Roland Winters

Roland Winters

Dr. Ruric

Rusty Lane

Rusty Lane

Bob LaPorte

Rachel Stephens

Rachel Stephens

Nurse

Kipp Hamilton

Kipp Hamilton

Pat Wade

No Image

Betty Caulfield

Mrs. LaPorte (uncredited)

Virginia Carroll

Virginia Carroll

Mrs. Jones (uncredited)

Renny McEvoy

Renny McEvoy

Mr. Jones (uncredited)

🎬Crew

Director

Nicholas Ray

Writers

Richard Maibaum, Richard Maibaum, Cyril Hume

Producers

James Mason

🖼️Gallery (13 images)

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🏷️Keywords

husband wife relationshipparanoiadrug addictionhallucinationfamily relationshipshospitaldrugsmental illnessschoolteachercortisoneverbal abusefamily lifefather son relationshippersonality changemood swing

💬Reviews (1)

G

Godaray

12/21/2012

The movie deals with serious topics pertaining to life and drug abuse. Ed Avery (James Mason) has a serious condition which can only be controlled with cortisone, a still experimental drug leaving consequences in the human psyche. In the movie, Ed is describes as an intelligent, vibrant and happy man. He lives a mediocre, but happy life, he has financial problems just like any other man, and in the start of the movie we can see how much he loves his family, and would do anything for his wifes and sons safety. Then, he becomes addicted to cortisone, and almost everything changes, it leaves a scar which changes their quality of life. As any other addictive prescription drug, he becomes obsessed with having to take it. He even impersonates a doctor in order to get it, his son and wife are deeply affected by his actions, and his son, who has almost gone out of his mind looking at his father grow more and more depressed and vulnerable tries to steal his pills, Ed catches him in the act and leaves his child in the room so that he could contemplate about the level of his punishment, he is then affected with the Bible, exactly , the passage with Abraham and his son Isaac. He gets it into his head that, to make things right he needs to murdor his son, and than his wife and himself, of course, he is stopped in the act and the movie ends happily with him getting back to normal and his happy family life.

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Production Companies

20th Century Fox