FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING
Mary Queen of Scots – Directed by Josie Rourke
It’s a little crazy to say Mary, Queen of Scots is the perfect role for Saoirse Ronan because I am certain that — in what is sure to be an extensive career — she will find many characters that seem perfect for her. That’s just how good she is. She’s glorious, she’s regal, she’s young, she’s vengeful, she’s all those things and so much more in theater director Josie Rourke’s first feature. “Mary Queen of Scots” feels very theatrical, a testament to Rourke, with Ronan’s Mary arriving back in Scotland from France as a young widow with a country to rule. But Mary’s ambition is not just to rule Scotland: she believes she is the rightful heir to England’s throne as well and constantly challenges her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I (Margot Robbie). It’s divine to watch two women rule with the men around trying to give them advice and keep up. Inevitably, Mary and Elizabeth are both betrayed, and one of the harshest points of the film is a reminder of how difficult leadership is and how trust at times is transactional — especially for isolated female leaders. (Melissa Silverstein)
Find screening info here.
Vox Lux
“Vox Lux”
“Vox Lux” takes us on a decade-plus journey with Celeste, a teen who survives a headline-making national tragedy but may not make it through fame. After being injured in a school shooting, Celeste (Raffey Cassidy, “The Killing of a Sacred Deer”) copes by writing music with her sister (Stacy Martin, “High-Rise”). The pair’s song becomes a huge hit, but it’s Celeste who shoots to international stardom. After chronicling Celeste’s meteoric rise, “Vox Lux” jumps to the present day. Now 31, Celeste (Natalie Portman) battles addiction, bad press, and a frail ego. She also struggles to connect with her daughter (also played by Cassidy), and seems destined to make a mess of her comeback tour. Obscene, obnoxious, and a slave to her id, Celeste is a mess, and Portman seems to revel in the opportunity to inhabit her. She also shows where Celeste shines — on stage. She sings and dances her way through a handful of songs to a stadium of adoring fans. (Laura Berger)
Find screening info here.
Dumplin’ – Directed by Anne Fletcher; Written by Kristin Hahn (Also Available on Netflix)
“Dumplin'”
Dumplin’ (Danielle Macdonald) is the plus-size, teenage daughter of a former beauty queen (Jennifer Aniston), who signs up for her mom’s pageant as a protest that escalates when other contestants follow in her footsteps, revolutionizing the pageant and their small Texas town. (Press materials)
Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Anne Fletcher.
The Party’s Just Beginning – Written and Directed by Karen Gillan (Opens in Select Theaters) (Available on VOD December 11)
“The Party’s Just Beginning”
Though it takes place at Christmastime in the straight-from-a-fairy-tale town of Inverness, Scotland, “The Party’s Just Beginning” is anything but a schmaltzy holiday film. Writer-director Karen Gillan plays Liusaidh (pronounced like “Lucy”), a 24-year-old still grieving her best friend, who committed suicide a year before. Her way of coping involves a strict routine: half-assing her way through a job at a cheese counter, spying on her happy (or at least happier) neighbors, getting drunk at the local pub, picking up strangers, bingeing on fries, and visiting the place where her friend died. “The Party’s Just Beginning” signals great things to come from Gillan as a filmmaker. She and her film are smart enough to know that bereavement has no quick fix. Liusaidh will just have to go through this pain and, hopefully, make it through to the other side. Her decidedly non-party of a journey is just beginning, and it promises to be a heartbreaking, uproarious, lovely ride. (Rachel Montpelier)
Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Karen Gillan.
Amazing Grace (Documentary) (Opens in NY)
“Amazing Grace”
Aretha Franklin may have been best known as the “Queen of Soul,” but she started her meteoric career singing gospel music as a teenager on tour and at home in Detroit, where her father was a star pastor. Her 1972 album, “Amazing Grace” — an extraordinary concert of Franklin at the peak of her powers — was her most successful record, and the best-selling live gospel album of all time. It was recorded with gospel legend Rev. James Cleveland at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts, Los Angeles by a team supervised by producer Jerry Wexler and in front of an audience filled with admirers, including Mick Jagger and Charlie Watts. (Press materials)
Bird Box – Directed by Susanne Bier (Opens December 13) (Available on Netflix December 21)
When a mysterious force decimates the world’s population, only one thing is certain: if you see it, you take your life. Facing the unknown, Malorie (Sandra Bullock) finds love, hope, and a new beginning only for it to unravel. Now she must flee with her two children down a treacherous river to the one place left that may offer sanctuary. But to survive, they’ll have to undertake the perilous two-day journey blindfolded. (Press materials)
Nona
“Nona” tells the story of a girl from Honduras (Sulem Calderon) who meets a charming boy who promises to get her safely to America to reunite with her mother. Instead, Nona faces a perilous journey when he doesn’t deliver on that promise. Nona — short for No Name — will deliver a message to change the way the world is dealing with sex trafficking. (Press materials)
Hospitality (Also Available on VOD)
Former prostitute Donna (Emmanuelle Chriqui) turned her brothel into a legitimate bed and breakfast, following the birth of her son, Jimmy (Conner McVicker). Trouble comes knocking when ex-con Cam (Sam Trammell) arrives to collect what he’s been hiding there for the past two decades. As it turns out, he’s not the only one looking for it. In a brutal fight for survival, Donna must protect Jimmy and her home from a crooked cop (JR Bourne) and a thug (Jim Beaver). (Press materials)
Find screening info here.
Maine (Opens December 13) (Available on VOD December 14)
A married Spanish woman named Bluebird (Laia Costa) attempts to hike the entire Appalachian Trail solo in order to find clarity, but her solitude is interrupted by a young American hiker (Thomas Mann). The pair develop an emotional and romantic connection while traveling together, but Bluebird ultimately must face the trail and her own feelings alone. (Press materials)
FILMS MADE BY WOMEN OPENING
Divide and Conquer: The Story of Roger Ailes (Documentary) – Directed by Alexis Bloom (Also Available on VOD)
“Divide and Conquer: The Story of Roger Ailes” sheds light on the current moment in American political life by following the arc of Roger Ailes, long-time Republican svengali and controversial founder of Fox News. By coaching an unrivaled stable of politicians over the course of 50 years, Ailes heavily influenced Republican politics, steering the conservative movement from Nixon to the Tea Party to Trump. Under his tutelage, anger and fear became the coin of the realm, both on the ballot and on national television. Diagnosed with hemophilia at an early age, it took someone intimate with fear to skillfully manipulate the fear of others. Short skirts and low necklines mesmerized his audience and, as long as Fox made money, there was little oversight of his fiefdom. But the carnival house mirror Ailes put up to America reflected his own distorted personal life. This is a story of serial cruelty, both on the public stage and in private life. (Press materials)
Find screening info here.
Out of Many, One (Short Documentary) – Directed by Nanfu Wang and John Hoffman (Available on Netflix)
The United States has long offered a promise of opportunity and safety to arriving immigrants — The American Dream. However, currently facing a time of deep political, social, and cultural divide, immigration itself has become a divisive issue. “Out of Many, One,” illustrates how a common understanding of our shared history and U.S. democracy is essential to constructive debate, informed civic participation, and shaping a new class of American citizens to be eager stewards of our democracy, and how one organization has used their mission to help pave the way, with a little help from Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. (Press materials)
Back Roads – Written by Tawni O’Dell (Also Available on VOD)
After his mother (Juliette Lewis) goes to jail for shooting and killing his abusive father, Harley Altmyer (Alex Pettyfer) is left to care for his three younger sisters in a rural Pennsylvania town. The uneducated Harley works two dead-end jobs to preserve what’s left of his family, including the rebellious, sexual 16-year-old Amber (Nicola Peltz). Angered and traumatized by his painful past, Harley finally begins to feel hope when he connects with an older, married woman (Jennifer Morrison), and they embark on an affair. When shocking family secrets emerge, Harley’s life begins to spiral downward, leading to a devastating conclusion that impacts the entire community. (Press materials)
Bernie the Dolphin – Written by Terri Emerson and Marty Poole
Kevin (Logan Allen) and Holly (Lola Sultan) love splashing and playing with their dolphin friend Bernie and his family. But when Bernie goes missing, the kids go looking for him. While searching, they discover a real-estate development plan that threatens the baby sea turtles on their favorite beach. Can the brave duo stop the developers while racing to reunite Bernie with his loved ones? (Press materials)
TV PREMIERES
“Letters from Baghdad”
The Hookup Plan (Premieres December 7 on Netflix)
Set in modern day Paris, the eight-episode romantic comedy series follows a group of friends who rally around their perpetually single girlfriend Elsa (Zita Hanrot), who can’t seem to figure out why she is so unlucky in love. In a misguided attempt to build back Elsa’s confidence, Charlotte (Sabrina Ouazani) and Emilie (Joséphine Draï) hire a male escort to renew Elsa’s faith in dating, relationships, and finding love. (Press materials)
Pine Gap – Created by Felicity Packard and Greg Haddrick (Premieres December 7 on Netflix)
At top-secret U.S.-Australian joint defense facility Pine Gap, fissures appear in the critical alliance as spies work with, and against, each other. (Press materials)
Letters from Baghdad (Documentary) – Directed by Sabine Krayenbühl and Zeva Oelbaum (Premieres December 11 on PBS)
“Letters from Baghdad” tells the story of Gertrude Bell, who left the confines of Edwardian England to seek freedom and independence in the Arabian desert and became the most powerful woman of her day in the British Empire. In the aftermath of WWI, Bell helped to draw the borders of modern Iraq, was instrumental in installing its first king, and founded the Iraq Museum that was infamously ransacked in 2003. The first feature-length documentary on Gertrude Bell, the film explores the choices that trailblazing women make, and how decisions made by Bell and her colleagues continue to influence current events in the Middle East and the world today. (Press materials)
Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Sabine Krayenbühl and Zeva Oelbaum.
VOD/STREAMING RELEASES
“A Simple Favor”
The Marriage – Directed by Blerta Zeqiri; Written by Blerta Zeqiri and Kreshnik Keka Berisha (VOD, December 7)
Mountain Rest – Written and Directed by Alex O Eaton (VOD, December 7)
Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle – Written by Callie Kloves (Netflix, December 7)
The Rainbow Experiment – Written and Directed by Christina Kallas (VOD, December 7)
When Jeff Tried to Save the World – Directed by Kendall Goldberg; Written by Kendall Goldberg and Rachel Borgo (VOD, December 7)
The Birdwatcher – Directed by Siobhan Devine; Written by Roslyn Muir (VOD, December 11)
Colette – Written by Rebecca Lenkiewicz, Wash Westmoreland, and Richard Glatzer (VOD, December 11)
Galveston – Directed by Mélanie Laurent (VOD, December 11)
Lizzie (VOD, December 11)
Peppermint (VOD, December 11)
A Simple Favor – Written by Jessica Sharzer (VOD, December 11)
Smallfoot – Written by Clare Sera and Karey Kirkpatrick (VOD, December 11)
A Boy. A Girl. A Dream. – Written by Samantha Tanner and Qasim Basir (VOD, December 12)
WOMEN AND HOLLYWOOD IN THE NEWS
Once again, all of the Golden Globe nominees for best director are men (The Washington Post)
PICKS OF THE WEEK FROM WOMEN AND HOLLYWOOD
Shondaland star and director Chandra Wilson
Golden Globes Nominate Zero Women Directors. Again.
Female Blockbuster Scribes Team Up to Launch Production Company to “Open Doors”
Guest Post: Why the History of Women’s Filmmaking Is Important Now
Sundance 2019: Over 50% of Shorts, Episodic Content, & Special Events Are Women Directed or Created
“Capernaum” Director Nadine Labaki Discusses the Film’s Chaos and Empathy
December 2018 Film Preview
Debra Granik on “Leave No Trace” and How “The Script Interrogates You”
“The Favourite” Nabs Record 10 BIFA Awards, Continues to Reign Over the Box Office
Turin Film Festival Commits to Gender Parity Pledge
Apply Now: Shondaland and SeriesFest Women Directing Mentorship
Under the Radar: Aube Giroux’s “Modified” Is a Personal, Political Exploration of Food Policy
Follow Women and Hollywood on Twitter @WomenaHollywood and Melissa Silverstein @melsil.
To contact Women and Hollywood, email melissa@womenandhollywood.com.
