| Hard Truths | |
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 U.S. theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Mike Leigh |
| Written by | Mike Leigh |
| Produced by | Georgina Lowe |
| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Dick Pope |
| Edited by | Tania Reddin |
| Music by | Gary Yershon |
| Production companies |
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| Distributed by |
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| Release dates |
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| Running time | 97 minutes |
| Countries |
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| Language | English |
| Box office | $193,425 |
Hard Truths is a 2024 drama film written and directed by Mike Leigh, starring Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Michele Austin, and David Webber.
The film premiered at the 49th Toronto International Film Festival on 6 September 2024, and was met with widespread critical acclaim for its screenplay, direction and Jean-Baptiste's performance. It was released theatrically in the United States on 6 December 2024 by Bleecker Street, and it will be released in the United Kingdom on 31 January 2025 and in Spain on 28 February 2025. It was named one of the top 10 independent films of 2024 by the National Board of Review, while at the 30th Critics' Choice Awards Jean-Baptiste received a Best Actress nomination.
Plot
Pansy Deacon is a depressed and anxious woman who lives with her meek plumber husband Curtley and her layabout adult son Moses, the latter of whom she constantly chastises for his lack of aspirations. Her short temper causes her to argue with and criticize everyone she meets, whether they be her family or strangers, and her anxiety is so severe that she loathes going outside and is disgusted by animals and flowers. Her sister Chantelle, a single hairdresser with two adult daughters, continually presses her to come to their mother Pearl's grave on Mother's Day for the fifth anniversary of her death, which she hesitates to do.
After spending the days leading up to the anniversary getting into fights with strangers, Pansy goes with Chantelle to the grave, where she insists that Pearl gave Chantelle preferential treatment and put undeserved pressure on her after their father left them. As Chantelle denies the former claim, Pansy admits her fear that her family hates her, and Chantelle comforts her, promising that she loves her despite her issues.
The sisters go to Chantelle's apartment for a Mother's Day celebration with their families, where Pansy, convinced that her fears about her family are true, is morose and silent. Chantelle pulls her aside and she admits that she married Curtley out of desperation but is unable to bring herself to divorce him, leaving her isolated and lonely. Returning to the party, she learns that Moses bought her flowers as a gift, contradicting her earlier belief that he would do nothing for Mother's Day.
When the Deacons return home, Pansy anxiously puts the flowers in a vase and leaves the patio door open, but after she leaves, Curtley throws them outside and shuts the door. The next day, he injures his back on the job and sends his coworker to wake Pansy, who becomes so anxious when he enters her bedroom that she cannot go downstairs. As a young woman approaches Moses while he is out on a walk and he expresses happiness for the first time in the film, Curtley silently weeps downstairs while Pansy remains in her bedroom.
Cast
- Marianne Jean-Baptiste as Pansy Deacon
- Michele Austin as Chantelle
- David Webber as Curtley Deacon
- Tuwaine Barrett as Moses Deacon
- Ani Nelson as Kayla
- Sophia Brown as Aleisha
- Jonathan Livingstone as Virgil
- Samantha Spiro as Nicole
Production
In February 2020, it was reported that Mike Leigh would begin shooting his latest film in the summer. After a delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was announced in February 2023 that the film would go into production that year. In February 2024, it was reported that the film would star Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Michele Austin. Jean-Baptiste and Austin had previously collaborated with Leigh in Secrets & Lies.
Release
Hard Truths premiered in the Special Presentations section of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival on 6 September 2024. It also screened at the 72nd San Sebastián International Film Festival and the 2024 New York Film Festival. The film had its United Kingdom premiere at the London Film Festival on 14 October 2024. In the United Kingdom, StudioCanal will release the film on 31 January 2025. In Spain, BTeam Pictures will release the film on 28 February 2025. In the United States, Bleecker Street gave the film a limited theatrical release in New York on 6 December 2024 to be followed by a nationwide release on 10 January 2025. The film was rejected by Cannes and Venice, where Leigh had in previous years taken the top prize (the Palme d'Or and the Golden Lion, respectively), in addition to the Telluride Film Festival.
Reception
Box office
In the United States, the film made $171,840 from 22 theaters in its opening weekend.
Critical response
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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 95% of 103 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.5/10. The website's consensus reads: "Marianne Jean-Baptiste puts on a prickly masterclass in Hard Truths, another superb character study from writer-director Mike Leigh." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 88 out of 100, based on 32 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian rated the film four out of five stars, describing it as "a deeply sober, sombre, compassionate drama about a black British family".
Accolades
Notes
- This award does not have a single winner, but recognizes multiple films.
- Since merging gendered categories for both lead and supporting, LAFCA has awarded two winners per category. Thus, Jean-Baptiste shared her win with Mikey Madison from Anora.
- Shared with Mikey Madison from Anora
See also
References
- "Hard Truths (12A)". Irish Film Classification Office. April 2, 2024. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
- "Hard Truths". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Archived from the original on September 17, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
- ^ "Hard Truths: Mike Leigh and Marianne Jean-Baptiste reunite for 'dazzling' film". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (22 July 2024). "TIFF Galas & Special Presentations Lineup Includes World Premieres From Angelina Jolie, Mike Leigh, Gia Coppola; Starry Pics With Jennifer Lopez, Lily James, Dave Bautista; Int'l Premieres 'Conclave' & 'Piece By Piece', More". Deadline. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
- ^ Murphy, Chris (22 August 2024). ""It's a Terrifying and Freeing Way To Work": Marianne Jean-Baptiste on Making Mike Leigh's 'Hard Truths'". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
- "Official website". StudioCanal. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
- "Top 10 Independent Films Archives". National Board of Review. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
- Larson, Sarah (2024-12-08). "Mike Leigh's Love Affair with Real Life". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
- Brew, Simon (18 February 2020). "Mike Leigh's new film to shoot this summer". Film Stories.
- Ritman, Alex (15 February 2023). "Mike Leigh to Start Shooting Secretive New Project This Year (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
- Ntim, Zac (14 February 2024). "Mike Leigh Reteams With Marianne Jean-Baptiste On Latest Feature 'Hard Truths,' First Look Revealed". Deadline.
- Welk, Brian (14 February 2024). "Mike Leigh Reunites with Marianne Jean-Baptiste in First Look at Director's New Film 'Hard Truths'". IndieWire. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- Roxborough, Scott (30 July 2024). "San Sebastian Competition Sets New Films From Mike Leigh, Edward Berger, Joshua Oppenheimer". The Hollywood Reporter.
- "Hard Truths". Film at Lincoln Center. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
- "Mi única familia (Hard Truths)". BTeam Pictures. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
- Coyle, Jake (9 September 2024). "Mike Leigh on Hard Truths and his moviemaking struggles". Associated Press. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
- "Domestic 2025 Weekend 2". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
- "Hard Truths". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
- "Hard Truths". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
- Bradshaw, Peter (7 September 2024). "Hard Truths review – a Mike Leigh classic of day-to-day disillusionment and courage". The Guardian.
- Taylor, Nick. "San Sebastián Announces Their Competition Slate!". The Film Experience. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
- "Denver Film Festival 2024: New red-carpet venue, movies, and celebs for 47th year". The Denver Post. 2024-10-01. Retrieved 2024-10-30.
- "AwardsWatch - 2024 Gotham Awards: 'Anora,' 'Nickel Boys,' 'I Saw the TV Glow' Lead Nominations". AwardsWatch. 2024-10-29. Retrieved 2024-10-30.
- Frank, Jason P. (2024-12-03). "The 2024 New York Film Critics Circle Award Winners". Vulture. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
- Lattanzio, Ryan (December 4, 2024). "'Wicked' and Jon M. Chu Win Big with the National Board of Review — See the Full List". IndieWire. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- Garner, Glenn (2024-12-08). "Anora Named Best Picture At 50th Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award: Winners List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
Anora star Mikey Madison won Best Leading Performance, along with Hard Truths star Marianne Jean-Baptiste.
- Neglia, Matt (2024-12-08). "The 2024 Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
Winner was Mikey Madison for Anora.
- Szalai, Georg (2024-11-05). "British Independent Film Awards: Kneecap, Love Lies Bleeding Lead Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
- Neglia, Matt (December 6, 2024). "The 2024 San Diego Film Critics Society (SDFCS) Nominations". NextBestPicture. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
- "The 2024 Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) Nominations". Next Best Picture. 2024-12-10. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
- "The 2024 St. Louis Film Critics Association (StLFCA) Nominations". Next Best Picture. 2024-12-07. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
- "2024 San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) Nominations". AwardsWatch. 2024-12-10. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
- Vlessing, Etan (December 16, 2024). "'Nickel Boys' Named Best Picture of 2024 by Toronto Film Critics Association". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
- Josh (December 6, 2024). "Seattle Film Critics Society announce 2024 nominees". The SunBreak. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
- "The 2024 New York Film Critics Online (NYFCO) Nominations". Next Best Picture. 2024-12-09. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
- "Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association – Official site of the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association". 2024-12-18. Retrieved 2024-12-18.
- Neglia, Matt (20 December 2024). "The 2024 Florida Film Critics Circle (FFCC) Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- "AWARDS: Our 2024 Winners". Greater WNY Film Critics Association. 2024-12-29. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
- Andrés Buenahora (January 4, 2025). "National Society of Film Critics Award Winners: 'Nickel Boys' and 'A Real Pain' Among Top Honorees". Variety. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
- Neglia, Matt (December 27, 2024). "The 2024 Austin Film Critics Association (AFCA) Nominations". Next Best Picture. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
- "The 2024 EDA Award Nominees". Alliance of Women Film Journalists. 2024-12-13. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
- Lewis, Hilary (20 November 2024). "Movies for Grownups Awards: 'Conclave' Leads With 6 Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
- Evans, Greg (December 12, 2024). "Conclave And Wicked Lead Critics Choice Awards Film Nominations – Full List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
- "2024 Nominees | International Press Academy". Retrieved 2024-12-16.
- Lang, Brent; Moreau, Jordan (December 4, 2024). "Spirit Awards 2025 Nominations: 'Anora' and 'I Saw the TV Glow' Lead Film Categories, 'Shōgun' Rules TV". Variety. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
External links
- Hard Truths at IMDb
| Mike Leigh | |
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| Feature films |
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| Television |
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| Plays |
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