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Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life (1998)
Starring: Sharon Gless (Narrator)
Director: Michael Paxton

Perhaps the most widely read philosopher of the 20th century, Ayn Rand has delighted and infuriated people of all ideologies and, like it or not, has helped to create the political realities we deal with every day. With Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life you can follow her life story, from her childhood in the turbulent years of revolution in her native Rus... (See the whole review)

(Added by Orion Reasoner on 10/15/2004, 10:23pm)

Discuss this Movie (27 messages)

Post 20

Thursday, October 28, 2004 - 3:42pm

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Michelle, you wrote: "I recall that Peikoff admitted to the affair as early as 1986, when the Passion biography came out. He said he had been looking through Rand's papers since her death in 1982, and found some journal notes indicating that there was an affair between her and Nathaniel Branden."

No, I believe that Peikoff's discovery that there was an affair was later than 1986. When "The Passion of Ayn Rand" was published, Peikoff and Schwartz angrily denounced me for all kinds of evil for daring to say that there could possibly have been an affair between Rand and Nathaniel.

Peikoff finally admitted that there had been an affair when he was asked a question about it at the Ford Hall Forum. He said that his then-wife had been going through some of Rand's papers, and had found entries making it clear there had been an affair lasting many years.

Strange, Peikoff's letter of apology to me must have been lost in the mail; I never received it.

Barbara

Post 21

Thursday, October 28, 2004 - 7:10pm

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The more I hear about this Peikoff fellow, the less I like him.

Post 22

Friday, October 29, 2004 - 5:34am

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Barbara,

I was in the audience at the Ford Hall Forum when Peikoff admitted that Cynthia looked through Rand's papers and found her journal notes about the affair. The year was 1987, not 1986 as I thought, but still earlier than 1997, when the SOL movie came out, which was what Marcus thought.

Post 23

Saturday, October 30, 2004 - 4:53am

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Peikoff's letter of apology to me must have been lost in the mail; I never received it.

In my opinion, Branden's portrayal of you in "Judgment Day" is a far greater offense.

Post 24

Saturday, October 30, 2004 - 7:31am

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Michelle: "In my opinion, Branden's portrayal of you in 'Judgment Day' is a far greater offense."

It's not news that I considered it wildly inaccurate, which I made loudly and publicly clear. He did, however, present a somewhat more reasonable picture in "My Years with Ayn Rand."

I thank you for objecting to the portrayal in "Judgment Day."

Barbara

Post 25

Tuesday, January 18, 2005 - 8:39am

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I watched the movie again over Christmas.

Actually Nathaniel Branden is mentioned even more than I remembered.

Peikoff is highly complimentary of him, saying that he was very intelligent and articulate and would charm anybody.

He didn't portray him as a heretic or evildoer at all.

Of course Barbara is definitely not mentioned. However, I believe she is in fact indirectly mentioned when Peikoff talks about how many of "us" were introduced to Ayn through friends and relatives.

From memory, did not Barbara introduce her cousin Leonard Peikoff to Ayn Rand?

It's a bit weird that he doesn't seem to want to talk about Barbara directly though.

I still thought that it was a very well-made documentary and does portray her sense of life, even with all it�s omissions.

Post 26

Monday, March 13, 2006 - 2:24pm

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I was looking to purchase "Ayn Rand: A sense of life," and was wondering what is the difference between the original and the director's cut version?