Wit (2001): Cast & Plot

Vivian Bearing is a distinguished professor of English literature, celebrated for her deep knowledge of metaphysical poetry, especially John Donne’s Holy Sonnets. Her world shifts dramatically when she is diagnosed with metastatic Stage IV ovarian cancer. The oncologist Dr Harvey Kelekian prescribes a demanding course of chemotherapy, and as she endures fever, chills, vomiting, and severe abdominal pain, she tries to frame the experience in a larger, more meaningful context. The film gracefully alternates between present struggle and the memories that shaped her—childhood moments, her graduate studies, and the arc of a storied career—while she frequently breaks the fourth wall, directly addressing the audience with candid, intimate reflections.