Based on true events in 1880 London, the handsome young Dr. Mortimer Granville (Hugh Dancy), a believer in modern medical theories, lands a position as the assistant to society doctor Robert Dalrymple. Dalrymple is a specialist in the female ailment "Hysteria" - a catch-all diagnosis that seems to be affecting half of England’s women! Their treatment involves a literal hands-on method, and demand becomes so great that Dalrymple and Mortimer cannot keep up with 'curing' women. To keep Mortimer working, Dalrymple promises him his business, and marriage to his beautiful, young daughter, (Felicity Jones). But when Mortimer falls for Dalrymple's older and unconventional daughter Charlotte (Maggie Gyllenhaal), his future looks doubtful. In desperation, he invents a machine that will at least solve his medical challenges - the world's first vibrator. In the delightful spirit of Calendar Girls, Hysteria takes a rather remarkable and daring true story and turns it into a gentle, warm-hearted comedy.