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Tommy (1975)

PG  |   |  Musical  |  26 March 1975 (UK)
6.6
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Ratings: 6.6/10 from 14,514 users  
Reviews: 186 user | 45 critic

A psychosomatically deaf, dumb and blind boy becomes a master pinball player and the object of a religious cult because of that.

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(screenplay), (rock opera), 2 more credits »
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Title: Tommy (1975)

Tommy (1975) on IMDb 6.6/10

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Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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...
...
...
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The Preacher
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John Entwistle
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...
...
...
...
Pete Townshend
...
Arthur Brown ...
The Priest
Victoria Russell ...
Sally Simpson
Ben Aris ...
Reverend Simpson
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Storyline

Nora Walker is told that her British fighter pilot husband is missing in action and presumed killed in World War II. On V.E. Day, Nora gives birth to their son, who she names Tommy. While Tommy is an adolescent, Nora marries Frank, a shifty camp counselor. Shortly thereafter, Tommy suffers an emotionally traumatic experience associated with his father and step-father, which, based on things told to him at that time, results in him becoming deaf, dumb and blind, a situation which several people exploit for their own pleasure. As Nora tries several things to bring Tommy out of his psychosomatic disabilities, Tommy, now a young man, happens upon pinball as a stimulus. Playing by intuition, Tommy becomes a pinball master, which in turn makes him, and by association Nora and Frank, rich and famous. Nora literally shatters Tommy to his awakening, which ultimately leads to both the family's rise and downfall as people initially try to emulate Tommy's path then rebel against it. Written by Huggo

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

Your senses will never be the same

Genres:

Musical

Certificate:

PG | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

26 March 1975 (UK)  »

Also Known As:

Tommy by 'The Who'  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

SEK 1,152,866 (Sweden)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(5 channel Stereo)|

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The stage adaption of "The Who's Tommy" opened at the St. James Theater in New York on April 22, 1993, ran for 899 performances and was nominated for the 1993 Tony Awards for the Best Musical, Book and won for Best Score. See more »

Goofs

The camera and camera operator are reflected in Tommy's pinball cane when Tommy and Nora are driving in the car. See more »

Quotes

Nora Walker Hobbs: Tommy, can you see me? Can I help to cheer you? Tommy, can you hear me? Can you feel me near you?
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Brows Held High: The Devils (2012) See more »

Soundtracks

Tommy Can You Hear Me
Written by Pete Townshend
Performed by Alan Ross, Chris Stainton, Ann-Margret
See more »

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User Reviews

 
It helps to have an appreciation for Ken Russell, not Pete Townsend
29 June 2001 | by (las vegas, nv) – See all my reviews

This is a Ken Russell movie, make no mistake. It is relentlessly twisted, ugly, savage (for a sometimes humorous effect) and trippy. Russell may be the oldest flower child of all time. Surreal plot concerns a deaf-dumb-and-blind boy becoming the new Messiah to a pinball-crazed population, and the film has been accused of being too literal to The Who's rock opera source material. In this age of lavish music videos, it has also been tagged as archaic. Though nobody seems to care anymore how a film was perceived in its time, I would say the picture still succeeds in doing what was originally intended: shake an audience up with freaky visuals and propulsive music (nicely arranged). It also does something else: creates actual characters from the music, a plus due in part to the fine acting of Ann-Margret as Tommy's glamorous mother, Roger Daltrey as Tommy, Oliver Reed as Tommy's stepfather (Reed is hammy but quite game, while the role is designed as both a villain and a hero), and Tina Turner, an extremely scary presence as the Acid Queen. "Tommy" has some bummer scenes, and Russell's love for degradation occasionally made me wince, but it is a real cinematic experience. Whether it involves or alienates the viewer depends on their appreciation for the English director's constant penchant for the bizarre. **1/2 from ****


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Message Boards

Recent Posts
Resolution/Ending Question jmiller1918
Tommy: Best album made into worst movie. brinsonmh
I wonder whatever happened to barry Winch... alisotom
ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE MUSIC!!! reiswig789
There should be a new 'Tommy' film. techalex-418-622302
How many saw this on the big screen? lenono68
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