Shirley (2020 film)

Shirley is a 2020 American biographical drama film, directed by Josephine Decker, from a screenplay by Sarah Gubbins, based upon the novel of the same name by Susan Scarf Merrell. It stars Elisabeth Moss as novelist Shirley Jackson. It also stars Michael Stuhlbarg, Odessa Young and Logan Lerman. Martin Scorsese serves as an executive producer.

Shirley
Official release poster
Directed byJosephine Decker
Produced by
Screenplay bySarah Gubbins
Based onShirley
by Susan Scarf Merrell
Starring
Music byTamar-kali
CinematographySturla Brandth Grøvlen[1]
Edited byDavid Barker
Production
company
Distributed byNeon
Release date
  • January 25, 2020 (2020-01-25) (Sundance)
  • June 5, 2020 (2020-06-05) (United States)
Running time
107 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2020 where Decker won a U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Auteur Filmmaking. It was released on June 5, 2020, by Neon. It received positive reviews, with praise for the performances (particularly that of Moss and Young), Decker's direction, themes, messages, and production value.

Plot

Young couple Fred and Rosie Nemser move in with Stanley Hyman and Shirley Jackson as Fred begins his job at Bennington College, where Stanley is also a professor. No sooner do they arrive than Stanley asks the pregnant Rosie to take over the household chores, as Shirley has become incapacitated by mental illness and writer's block. Shirley is obsessed by story of a young woman who recently disappeared from Bennington's campus and wants to tell her story as a novel. Unbeknownst to the Nemsers, Shirley and Stanley have a perverse arrangement to psychologically break down the Nemsers by causing strains in their marriage, sabotaging Fred's attempts at academic tenure, and to try to instigate affairs with them (which Shirley briefly does with Rosie). As the Nemsers slowly crack under the pressure of Stanley's manipulation and Shirley's abuse, Shirley gains increasing clarity and resolve to finish her novel. By the time that Rosie is on the verge of suicide and Stanley has ensured that Fred is never going to get hired at Bennington, Shirley completes her novel and Stanley declares it a masterpiece. Shirley has some brief regret for ruining the Nemsers' family but she quickly forgets that and dances joyously with Stanley.

Cast

Production

On May 16, 2018, it was announced that Josephine Decker was set to direct an adaptation of Susan Scarf Merrell's novel Shirley, based on a screenplay by Sarah Gubbins. Producers were set to include Jeffrey Soros, Simon Horsman, Christine Vachon, David Hinojosa, Elisabeth Moss, Sue Naegle, and Gubbins. Production companies involved with the film were slated to consist of Los Angeles Media Fund and Killer Films.[3] Martin Scorsese serves as an executive producer.[4]

Alongside the initial production announcement, it was confirmed that Elisabeth Moss and Michael Stuhlbarg had been cast as Shirley Jackson and Stanley Hyman, respectively.[3] On September 6, 2018, it was announced that Odessa Young and Logan Lerman had joined the cast of the film.[5]

Principal photography for the film began in late July 2018 in Jefferson Heights, New York.[6][7] Scenes were also filmed at Vassar College, which stood in for Bennington College.[8]

Release

It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2020.[9] Decker won a U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Auteur Filmmaking.[10] Shortly after, Neon acquired distribution rights to the film.[11] It was released on June 5, 2020.[12]

Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 88% based on 188 reviews, with an average rating of 7.49/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Elevated by outstanding work from Elisabeth Moss, Shirley pays tribute to its subject's pioneering legacy with a biopic that ignores the commonly accepted boundaries of the form."[13] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 76 out of 100, based on 39 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[14]

Laurence Jackson Hyman, Jackson's son, criticized the movie's portrayal of his parents, noting that “If someone comes to the movie not knowing anything about my parents, they will certainly leave thinking that my mother was a crazy alcoholic and my father was a mean critic.” He also expressed that, in his opinion, the movie failed to portray Jackson's sense of humor.[15]

Accolades
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Sundance Film Festival February 1, 2020 U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award: Auteur Filmmaking Josephine Decker Won [16]
U.S. Dramatic Competition Grand Jury Prize Nominated

References
  1. "About". Sturla Brandth Grøvlen, DFF. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  2. McCarthy, Todd (January 25, 2020). "'Shirley': Film Review | Sundance 2020". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  3. Fleming Jr, Mike (May 16, 2018). "Elisabeth Moss And Michael Stuhlbarg To Star In Feature Thriller 'Shirley'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  4. "Shirley". Sundance Film Festival. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  5. Kit, Borys (September 6, 2018). "Odessa Young, Logan Lerman Join Elisabeth Moss in 'Shirley' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
  6. Welch, Rebecca (July 11, 2018). "Elisabeth Moss to Get Spooked in 'Shirley'". Backstage. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  7. Zuckerman, Daniel (July 26, 2018). "Movie set to film in Jefferson Heights | Hudson Valley 360". Hudson Valley 360. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  8. Wiseman, Andreas (February 1, 2019). "Elisabeth Moss Drama 'Shirley' Scores Sales Deal With Cornerstone Films, First Look — EFM". Deadline. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  9. Siegel, Tatiana (December 4, 2019). "Sundance Unveils Female-Powered Lineup Featuring Taylor Swift, Gloria Steinem, Abortion Road Trip Drama". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  10. Debruge, Peter; Debruge, Peter (February 2, 2020). "Sundance Winners: 'Minari' and 'Boys State' Take Top Honors". Variety. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  11. Fleming Jr, Mike (February 10, 2020). "Neon Strikes Again: Sundance Deal For Elisabeth Moss-Michael Stuhlbarg Starrer 'Shirley'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
  12. "Elisabeth Moss is Shirley Jackson. Everywhere June 5th". Twitter. May 8, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  13. "Shirley (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  14. "Shirley Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  15. Schulman, Michael. "Shirley Jackson's Son Talks to His Fictional Mom, Elisabeth Moss". The New Yorker. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  16. Hipes, Patrick (February 1, 2020). "Sundance Film Festival Awards: 'Minari' Scores Double Top Honors – The Complete Winners List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
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