SherryBaby Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
No one makes it alone.
Sherry Swanson returns home to New Jersey after serving a three year prison sentence. Eager to reestablish a relationship with her young daughter, Sherry soon discovers that coming back to the world she left behind is far more difficult than she had planned.
| Maggie Gyllenhaal | Sherry Swanson |
| Michelle Hurst | Dorothy Washington |
| Sandra RodrÃguez | Desi |
| Anna Simpson | Sabrina |
| Giancarlo Esposito | Parole Officer Hernandez |
| Caroline Clay | Parole Officer Murphy |
| Rio Hackford | Andy Kelly |
| Brad William Henke | Bobby Swanson |
| Bridget Barkan | Lynette Swanson |
| Ryan Simpkins | Alexis Parks |
| Stephen Peabody | Mr. Monroe |
| Danny Trejo | Dean Walker |
| Sam Bottoms | Bob Swanson Sr. |
| Kate Burton | Marcia Swanson |
| Michael Dillon | Child at Birthday Party |
| Laurie Collyer |
6.70 out of 10 (3945 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Captivating look at a life trying to begin again.
posted on 06 Aug 2009Written and directed by Laurie Collyer, SHERRYBABY is a compelling and highly emotional glimpse into a young woman's life that has so many strikes against its recovery. Maggie Gyllenhaal is stunning as Sherry Swanson, who returns home to New Jersey after serving three years in prison for theft and drug abuse. Sherry is still on a rugged ride trying to reunite with her estranged five-year-old daughter. Adjusting to life on the outside will not be so easy to help bring any moral and emotional stability to her turmoil. My favorite scene is that of the sexual encounter in the basement. Strong sexual content aids in the authenticity of this powerful film. Gyllenhaal's raw and unabashed candor shows her brilliance and clear cut skills putting her among the best of her generation. Also of note are: Danny Trejo, Brad William Henke, Giancarlo Esposito and Bridget Barkan.
Not a bad Sherry to pop!
posted on 19 Jul 2009(Sing along to Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons hit song "Sherry")Sheeeery----- Sherry baby Sherrry--- Sherry baby Sheeeery----baby-----Sherry can Maggie Gyllenhaal who plays you come out tonight!Why don't you come out to my Oscar snub party I know you are mad, come so you can unwind You stole some many viewers hearts away, playing a drug addicted mother who was so fine Sheeeery----baby-----Sherry can Maggie Gyllenhaal who plays you come out tonight! You played a fine moma- and every scene you were in was all right Why don't come out with your red dress on Mmm ya look so fine Your character is nice & easy girl and sometimes you loose your mind Sheeeery----- Sherry baby Sherry won't you loosen up tonight Come come, come to your daughter tonight, Come to your daughter clean tonight (end of song)OK, enough! Maggie Gyllenhaal was arresting as a drug addicted mother, who in completing her prison term, struggles to stay clean in order to reconnect with her estranged daughter. Writer-Director Laurie Collyer's effort was somewhat commendable, but there is no doubt that Collyer's collaboration with Gyllenhaal was the supreme reason "SherryBaby" is a recommended film for all four seasons! In other words, it was not bad because the "Sherry" was on the top. **** Good
Great movie. Terrific performance by Maggie Gyllenhaal
posted on 11 Jun 2009Gritty, realistic story about a female parolee trying to get her life in order after three years in prison. The parolee's brother and sister-in-law have custody of her daughter and the sis-in-law has become the little girl's de facto mother. Difficult situation for the real mom. The parole officer is probably closer to reality than most people realize. Parole officers are cops and carry handcuffs. This is a story about a bad girl with a heart of gold. She makes mistakes but is devoted to her daughter and is trying very hard to overcome hard times from her past. I found the portrayal of this troubled girl utterly realistic. The writing and acting are top-notch. Great job by everyone involved. Quite a nice surprise for me.
Multi-layered performance deserves a nomination
posted on 05 Jun 2009Sherry Swanson has been doing three years for theft to feed a drug habit. After she finds a place to live, back in New Jersey, and registers with the parole officer, she tries to resolve what must have been her one obsession Inside: to re-establish contact with her little daughter Alexis (Simpkins). This is of course a major cause of unrest and grief, as Alexis has inevitably got used to treating Sherry's brother (Henke) and sister-in-law (Barkan) as Dad and Mom. Finding work as the caring but institutionally brutal parole officer (Esposito) insists, involves giving head to a fat slob to allow her the job she wants, ironically as far removed from such sordid experience as possible: running a kindergarten for pre-school children. The film throughout swings like this, between the squeaky clean suburbia and the dead-end trashcan of modern America. Maggie Gyllenhaal, as Sherry, walks the line, putting on a Happy Face but able to respond in kind when challenged by aggressive housemates, and unable to disguise her despair at finding it impossible to just pick up the threads of her life and carry on as if nothing had happened, really, in the meantime. One indisputable ray of hope comes in the form of a fellow A.A. survivor, an outsider but completely at ease with himself, Dean (Trejo); apparently descended from indigenous people, built like a champion wrestler - a low-life alpha male. The strongest sensation put over by the film is of seediness and desperation. The sparse use of incidental music works well. It's not the kind of movie that normally attracts Oscars, but Gyllenhaal's multi-layered performance deserves a nomination.
Excellent.
posted on 16 Apr 2009At first glance, Sherrybaby is about an ex-addict who has come out of prison trying to start her life over whilst staying clean and trying to rebuild her relationship with her young daughter. However, rather than verging into a slightly predictable genre, this film is deeper than it first appears. The atmosphere is bleak, the harsh realities of being on parole, meeting curfew deadlines and various other restrictions which ultimately get in the way of what Sherry wants to accomplish now that she is out of prison. The film is worth seeing for Gyllenhaal's outstanding performance as the ex-dope addict alone. Her portrayal of the attention-seeking, utterly lost Sherry truly makes you writhe in your seat. It is not until the reason she has messed up her whole life becomes clear that we feel much sympathy for her. Gyllenhaal depicts Sherry as a desperate woman, which makes for uncomfortable viewing.Sherrybaby is a fantastic indie film. However it is Gyllenhaal in what is arguably one of her finest performances that makes this well worth a watch.
Gyllenhall Can't Rescue This Movie
posted on 07 Feb 2009Sherrybaby is a movie by first-time director Laurie Collyer that is trying to find its direction. The premise, while seemingly unique, has a hackneyed feel to it. Sherry Swanson (Maggie Gyllenhaal) gets out of prison where she kicked heroin and found religion. She returns to her New Jersey home to reconnect with her daughter. But life is difficult for an ex-con and she struggles with the challenges of staying clean, finding a job, etc. I feel like I've seen this movie before, or at least something like it.Maggie Gyllenhaal turns in another outstanding performance, but it's not enough to save this movie, which drags in parts and has a generally depressing tone throughout. There are other parts and characters, but they are poorly written, shallow and underdeveloped.Maybe it's me, but I've never liked addiction movies. I know it's hard to kick anything—drugs, alcohol, gambling—and I'm very sympathetic to the tragedies that come from addictions. I just don't find reliving them very entertaining.
6th Best Performance of the year (at least)
posted on 07 Feb 2009Sherrybaby-2006, Directed by Laurie CollyerI would bet a carton of camels and a lifetime supply of lip gloss that Maggie Gyllenhaal placed sixth in this years Oscar balloting for Best Actress, she had to have. Everyone has seen far more Sherry Swanson's then any of the other characters honored in this years best actress category. She's the kind of fiery women found standing outside her favorite Saturday night watering hole smoking a cigarette or honking profusely and flipping us off for forgetting to use the turn signal. It's because her character is more familiar to us that Gyllenhaal has less room for error, and fortunately she gets this one right.Right as she steps off the bus, headed home and out of prison she gives us a double shot of her personality as she angrily trash talks an inconsiderate fellow passenger who bumps her while exiting, telegraphing the audience that she will play the role of both protagonist and spectacle. Sherry shows off her body in short skirts and low cut blouses although out the film pushing her sexuality towards every character she encounters. She draws the jealous ire of women and the ogling impulsive attention of men. Her first week in the halfway house she sleeps with the housing coordinator and nearly, fights her way back to the big house while making a phone call. Even when she's not picking a fight, her mere on-screen presence is a gigantic exclamation point which demands attention and unwittingly invites dramatics. She's irascible, won't back down and is impossible for anyone to ignore. Her brother Bobby (Brad William Henke) let's her stay with him and his wife while she gradually tries to rehabilitate her relationship with her daughter. Her Aunt and uncle have been raising her daughter Alexis(Ryan Simpkins) since Sherry's incarceration. Her sister in-law coolly interferes from a distance and instructs her daughter to call Gyllenhaal by her first name, instead of mommy. Sherry is hampered by the limited intervals of visitation as well as her own impatience. It's difficult for her to accept that she will have to gradually grow into a relationship, and a new life, and she lashes out angrily at her brother and his wife. Meanwhile she ironically uses sex with a job counselor to get employment as a teachers aid, a job she both hungers for and excels at, in place of enough time with her daughter. When the root causes of her drug abuse messily resurface, she lapses back into using. Solid supporting roles are chipped in from her stern parole officer (Giancarlo Esposito), and even more so from veteran actor Danny Trejo as Dean. Trejo who owes his own life to drug rehabilitation, plays a twelve step program manager Dean. Dean steadies her after a drug lapse and night wandering the streets. He isn't the only character who cares for her, but he is the only character emotionally unafraid of her rough edges and caustic personality. Sherry may not be the kind to ask for help, so Dean takes a role as both boyfriend, counselor and caretaker by stepping in and offering help when it will save her life. By the films end she and her daughter have begun bonding on their first outing alone. Sherry has come to realize her own fragility and the enormity of patience it takes to be a parent. Laurie Collyer's directorial debut isn't perfect, the script could be fresher. However Sherrybaby plays it's strong suit well by showcasing rough and gritty performances on it's front line.
Raw, painful character study
posted on 05 Feb 2009Maggie Gyllenhaal plays recently-paroled addict Sherry Swanson, an East Coast single mom struggling to stay clean and get to know her estranged pre-teen daughter whose been living with Sherry's brother. Gyllenhaal runs the risk of being completely unlikable playing this hard-shelled woman, one with a short fuse and no concept of how to live a straight life (to get her way, she uses her body); however, the role is a dream for a dramatic actress, and Gyllenhaal goes way out on a limb with her characterization. It is a brave, blistering acting turn, with nary a false note, and while the plot elements don't quite bloom and some sequences feel disappointingly aimless, Maggie Gyllenhaal is remarkably consistent, scary, ridiculously tough and straightforward, and so honest that her thoughts come out unedited--she's a human cliffhanger. The movie is really about dealing with your anger and your shame, and it's directed toward a very satisfying finish, but that doesn't make many painful scenes any easier to watch. When some people screw up, they tend to do it in full view of the world; this is Sherry Swanson--and while she's angry and hurt and frustrated, writer-director Laurie Collyer is careful not to alienate us from Sherry's feelings. We share in them--without sentimentality--and the returns are worthy but tough to shake off. **1/2 from ****
Gyllenhaal's Courageous Turn Illuminates an Unflinching Look at a Addict Reclaiming Her Life and Child
posted on 03 Feb 2009Maggie Gyllenhaal emerges as an undeniably powerful actress in the title role of this low-budget 2006 indie. Rather than providing her usual scene-stealing turn, she gets to convey the nuances of a full-blown character by delivering an astonishing range of emotion as a struggling ex-convict. The film reminds me quite a bit of Ulu Grosbard's overlooked 1978 "Straight Time" in which Dustin Hoffman plays a paroled ex-burglar who cannot shake his former life. Both provide incisive looks into the hardscrabble existence of people trying desperately to reform, but in doing so, the stories become so desultory and the situations start to have a by-the-numbers feeling that the dramatic momentum dissipates toward their inevitable conclusions.Directed and written by Laurie Collyer, the film takes an unflinching look at Sherry Swanson, a former heroin addict just released on parole after three years in prison for robbery. Returning home to New Jersey, she is desperate to stay clean and sober in order to reclaim her young daughter Alexis from her sympathetic brother Bobby and his conflicted wife Lynette. Without drugs, Sherry's addictive behavior manifests itself in cigarettes, alcohol and emboldened sexual acts to get what she needs. Yet, her biggest addiction is her relentless pursuit of an idealized image of herself as a mother, and it is her disconnect with reality that produces the film's most poignant moments. Otherwise, the movie gets increasingly frustrating to watch because Collyer provides only hints of what Sherry brought her to her dilemma. What we see mainly are flashes of short-tempered narcissism when we see people understandably looking to emotionally disengage from her, including her indiscriminate father.There are some surprisingly graphic scenes that show how Sherry uses her shopworn beauty as emotional armor when Collyer could have better used them to underline her melancholy mental state. In the face of these script shortcomings, Gyllenhaal displays enough dexterity to fill in a lot of the blanks, especially when she shows how Sherry starts realizing the depth of her accountability for her problems. Brad William Henke provides solid support as Bobby, as does Bridget Barkan as Lynette, Danny Trejo as a supportive fellow addict, Giancarlo Esposito as Sherry's hardened parole officer, and ebullient little Ryan Simpkins as Alexis. I have to admit I could not wait for the 96-minute movie to be over, but it is worthwhile for Gyllenhaal's courageous work as it is she who holds the film together. Sadly, the 2007 DVD does not contains any significant extras (a commentary from Gyllenhaal and Collyer would have been most welcome) other than the trailer.
Uncompromisingly realistic, beautifully realized
posted on 07 Dec 2008She is what she is. She is not able to restrain herself. She needs gratification. She can't postpone it. She succumbs to whatever it is, sex, heroin, alcohol, nicotine...love. She is impulsive and she flies off the handle easily. She doesn't know that she behaves badly. She doesn't know that is not the way to dress. Or perhaps she does. She needs to be gratified, and so probably that is why she dresses that way.She was sexually abused by her father who loved her. But who does she love? She desperately wants her daughter to love her. Do you love me? she asks. Say, "I love you, Mommie." The child does, but suddenly--and this is the denouement of the movie--Sherry realizes that there is some question about whether the child should love her. Yes, she has the stretch marks, but really does she deserve the title of "mother"? And does she love herself? Probably not, and maybe that is her biggest problem. It is said that women who are always seeking sex are really seeking a love that they cannot find. One always feels that if only they would pick the right man. But this is an illusion. There is no right man until she is the right woman.Maggie Gyllenhaal does an outstanding job of becoming this woman who is lost in this world without a compass as to how she should behave and why, who is lost to everything but her immediate feelings. She is a child emotionally and she cannot understand why it is that life is so hard for her and why the world is so cruel.This is a masterful portrait of a kind of person that is part of humanity. A good person at heart, not someone who would do others deliberate harm, but a person who is blind to who she is and to how others see her. Into what world does belong? is a question I kept asking myself. I don't know the answer.Laurie Collyer's direction is exquisite. The players and especially the little girl are wonderfully directed. Everything is like the people next door without a hint of anything phony. The contemporary Garden State setting is real and the details and the atmosphere are as genuine as the New Jersey Turnpike. And the ending surprises. It is perfect but in a way that I suspect most viewers will not be able to predict. I know it surprised me.My hat is off to Laurie Collyer and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Thank you for this modest little masterpiece and for not compromising reality or putting in any unnecessary fig leaves or giving in to any notions of political correctness. This is just a pure slice of life movie with a beginning, a middle and an end, beautifully realized. And yes it is rated R.
Sherrybaby is one of the best films of the year
posted on 03 Dec 2008I cannot recall any performance by an actress that ranks with this one for showing the truth about sex in the lives of women like her. As my wife said while watching Maggie Gyllenhall perform sex for many of the men she meets, "That's the way it is......" Her combination of intelligence, sensitivity, and determination to get her daughter back make her a true screen heroine. Anyone who is sensitive could see that the film was directed by a woman who understands the many tools used by society to keep "lost women" in their place. This film, like "Last Tango in Paris" decades before, presents the reality of humans and sex in an honest way unmatched by almost every film. Rather than preaching about the endless sexual exploitation of women in our contemporary society, it shows it for what it is. I hope that social workers and anyone who has to work with people who have been in prison will see this film and discuss it.
Rough to watch
posted on 13 Nov 2008Sherry Swanson(Maggie Gyllenhaal,washed-out and yet hopeful looking,in a performance that DOES live up to its hype)has returned from a six-year prison sentence,having served three. Her mission is painfully simple:she wants to reform her life so she can be with her now six year-old daughter Alexis(Ryan Simpkins,unforced and natural). The goal may be simple,but it's hardly easy,as she's about to learn.From her inability to stay put in the halfway house she's assigned to,to her increasing difficulty to win the confidence of her daughter,her brother(Brad William Henkle)and his wife(Bridget Balkan),Sherry unravels at a rate that is only slowed by her ever-awareness that she's oh-so-close to violating her parole and undoing all the efforts she's done to keep herself on the straight and narrow.The film, written and directed by Laurie Collyer,is a rough watch(As per my comment summary)because it is painfully unflinching:you see that Sherry was a drug-user(heroin at the very least),was a stripper and in all likelihood a prostitute,and you can see her start to slip into old habits. You also see that she is at once both a generous,charismatic,sexy woman who is good with kids,yet is capable of angry,violent outbursts and is not below using her "feminine wiles" to get what she wants. In short:a complicated woman who is probably not much(if at all)off of many very ordinary women who've screwed their lives up deeply,and spend God-only-knows how much time of their lives trying to reform,often unsuccessfully. The performances by Gyllenhaal,as well as Giancarlo Esposito(as the no-nonsense parole officer),SAm Bottoms(as Sherry's seemingly normal and loving father),Henkle,Balkan,Simpkins and Danny Trejo(as a sympathetic fellow reformed substance abuser)are all measured and intelligent. My biggest reservations with the film may've been the over-willingness of the writer/director to spell out in detail Sherry's proclivities--I understand why she does it,and I don't think it necessarily harms to movie,but it tends to have a jarring effect to those who are not ready for it--and the heaps of unanswered questions this film closes on. I won't go into details,so as to not spoil the ending. Suffice it to say that the ninety minutes or so that this film runs on didn't feel like long enough,but maybe that'll keep this open for a sequel.I was impressed with this film,but I really cannot recommend this for everyone. HOwever,a person with an understanding of human frailties and/or someone who can sit through tough,unvarnished stories will appreciate Sherrybaby.
A realistic and adult look at the struggle of an ex-convict to reintegrate with society
posted on 18 Oct 2008The rehabilitation of an ex-convict can provide juicy stories so this should be no exception, as glamorous, short-skirted jailbird Sherry Swanson (Maggie Gyllenhaal from 'The Secretary') leaves prison yearning desperately to be re-united with her young and very lovable child Alexis. The telling of the story tries hard not to follow conventions and seems to have considerable integrity, yet by building high expectations it can almost not fail to charm and disappoint in equal measure.With a beautiful background song, 'Some Kind of Heaven', we join Sherry as she starts parole and arrives at a half-way house, bible in hand, full of excitement and hope. Her character, skilfully conveyed by Gyllenhaal, alternates between that of a warm, charismatic individual and the more archetypical ex-prisoner. She has worked hard to reform herself during her incarceration, kicking drugs, studying parenting courses, developing her faith, and now has a beautiful warm smile that melts cold hearts; but just when you might worry about being subjected to an hour and a half of saccharin, she snaps when pushed, swears copiously, threatens a fellow ex-con that pushes her around and, when the employment manager looks set to consign her to waiting tables in a restaurant, tells him frankly, "I'll suck your dick if you give me the job I want." Starting a new life and getting back with her daughter proves hard as events conspire around her. Someone from Sherry's rehab programme recognises her from a strip club where she worked at age 16; her parole officer is hard on her just at the time when she her new dream job starts taking off; Alexis' foster parents are rightly cautious about having her around, and her father is a pervert. At first she uses sex as a release for her jealousies and frustrations with life, but soon progresses to alcohol and worse. Her self-confidence worn down, she realises she is only angry at herself and her inability to cope as well as she would like. Ironically, and perhaps with more humour than intended, she admits, "I'm just mad cos I suck." At one point she rejects a down to earth life-changing programme in favour of her Good Book, and sceptics might feel that leaning on religion in this way hardly does her any favours. Sherry's problem is maybe that she wants to 'reform' only to the extent she deems necessary to raise her child, but her comprehension of the task facing is like someone looking through a keyhole.Realistic fly-on-the-wall performances prevent Sherrybaby from descending into a sentimental hard luck story. Society feels sympathy for someone in her predicament, but society - and also the law - feels even more concern when a defenceless child is caught up in the midst. The task of reintegrating with the outside world may be an almost impossible one, and Sherry fights bravely (even if we disapprove of some of her methods) but the increasing worry - and one that the movie, to its credit, doesn't dodge - is for the well-being of Alexis. Even left to her own devices (which she isn't), Alexis, unable to comprehend the complexity of what's happening around her, would probably gravitate to those adults radiating the emotional stability of her foster parents rather than the gushing love coupled with violent verbal or physical outbursts of her real mother. In one scene, Sherry violently rebukes a parent who is shaking and berating her son. Whatever the moral justification, Alexis is frightened and backs away.Sherrybaby's weakness is that meanders on too long for the amount of underlying plot. Repeated family reunions add little to the story and begin to look like a TV documentary that goes on just slightly past its sell-by date. But to its credit it tackles a difficult subject with honesty, includes some gutsy performances, doesn't flinch from including very believable adult subject matter, and is quite enjoyable as long as you don't expect too much.
Bring a Razor Blade, Hold the Tape
posted on 19 Aug 2008This is brilliantly acted, at least the probably 35 minutes I could handle it. Gylenhaal is a killer actress, and nobody in the cast disappoints. Thematically tough as hell, this drama of hoping to make it out of a vicious hole the society has created for the vulnerable and addictive personalities among us, is so deadly on target that this thin-skinned great grandfather had to leave, to flee back into the sunlight, as the walk into the abyss...I assume there was an abyss, for nothing suggested otherwise...was emotionally brutalizing.Bless those who hung in there. Great acting. Wonderful filming, spare and effective script. Was there music? I don't remember, which means the music was right.
Maggie Gyllenhaal could not save this film
posted on 07 Aug 2008'SherryBaby' is quite a painful and sordid melodrama set in Jersey, the story of a young mother who is out of jail on probe after a drugs-related conviction and fights to stay clean, to find a place for herself in life and especially to win back the love of her kid daughter who is being taken care by her brother's family. The only reason the film is to be watched is Maggie Gyllenhaal, an actress at the top of her career, who fits very well in the role and carries the whole film on her shoulders. This is not enough however, as the story line is too simplistic and expected, and the emotional emphasis is put on the wrong place - I kept asking myself all over the picture whether I am supposed to be sorry about the ex and maybe future drug addicted mother as the director and script-writer wanted, or about the innocent kid who is in the middle. Even Maggie Gyllenhaal's acting could not convince me that I should not care more about the kid.
Gyllenhaal's Performance Squeaks A Positive Rating Out Of This Mundane Flick
posted on 26 Jul 2008SHERRYBABY has garnered accolades from the general public and professional critics alike. And although Maggie Gyllenhaal's (WORLD TRADE CENTER) performance as an embittered, used-up druggie just released from prison is well-rendered, the story, as a whole, wasn't completely entertaining nor cohesive.We first meet Sherry Swanson as she walks down the street after being released from jail. She journey's to a half-way house for recent parolees and rents a room. Her goal, though, is to reconnect with her estranged four-year-old daughter, Alexis (Ryan Simpkins), who lives with Sherry's brother Bobby (Brad William Henke, NORTH COUNTRY) and protective wife Lynette (Bridget Barkan). Bobby and Lynette have taken on the mantle of parents to Alexis, and although Bobby is willing to let Sherry get close to Alexis, Lynette is anything but willing. This obviously angers Sherry and conflicts with her desire to be a good, close mother.Added to this stressor is Sherry's physical desire for male companionship and the heroin she used to use. She tries to stay on the straight-and-narrow but soon falls back into her old lifestyle.Battling her motherly bond along with a history of incestuous abuse by her father, Sherry has so much on her plate that it overwhelms her, causing her to make bad choices.The culmination of these poor judgements presents itself when she tries to abscond with Alexis and crosses state lines (a huge parole violation). But can she understand what's happening to her? Can she make the connection between her own poor upbringing and that of her daughter's uncertain future? This comes to fruition in a public bathroom where Sherry loses her cool and frightens Alexis to the point of incontinence.In the end, Sherry does the right thing and returns Alexis to the safety of Bobby and Lynette's home. But at what cost to herself? What will happen to Sherry now that she's given over much of her parental and motherly duties to her brother and sister-in-law? This is where the biggest script concern lay for Sherrybaby. The resolution is too loose, only showing us Sherry driving away from Bobby and Lynette's home with no understanding as to what will happen to her and Alexis.Nothing should be taken away from Gyllenhaal's performance, though. She is the shining star in this otherwise mundane story. And it is her, and only her, that will keep you watching the film.
Terrific but needed an ending
posted on 02 Jul 2008This film was definitely absorbing--a character study of an heroin addict on parole, trying to rebuild her life, win back her daughter, stabilize. She's got a long row to hoe, which she finally acknowledges at the end of the film.Seeing Gyllenhall play a tough girl was quite a treat; she did so shockingly and convincingly. Her sluttiness was rather alarming, a weary recognition that of all the cards in her limited hand, her sex card will always trump. Of all the men she encounters, there are only 2 in this film who can't be manipulated by it--her brother (soft but firm love) and her parole officer (tough love). Everyone else is corruptible, which ends up making justice a joke. We penalize people for getting caught, not actually for doing the do.But a lot is missing in this film. Largely absent is our experience of Sherry's struggle. Sure we see her react, but we miss her growth. Because she is very manipulative, we are never certain whether she is sincere at anytime--when she's praying, when she's talking to her brother or even her daughter. The ending is simply flat. There's some awareness that she's ill equipped to take care of her daughter, but the awareness is barely recognizable. The flatness is odd.This is not Gyllenhall's fault; it's a flaw of the writing and direction. There's a dimension missing from the film that robbed it from being fantastic.Kudos to Giancarlo Esposito. His parole officer is central to this film, the tough love played against Sherry's brother soft firm love--the only 2 men incapable of being corrupted by Sherry's sexuality. I liked the way we got the information about Sherry's father. I could see from the very first scene with him that something was awry--you weren't sure he was her father until she called him that. But I think I would have liked this information to confronted more in the flick--perhaps in a scene between the parole officer and Sherry. That would have succeeded in providing her with the missing dimension.
A brilliant performance by Maggie Gyllenhaal
posted on 30 Jun 2008Finally a film that you feel does not purposely play at the collective heartstrings of humanity or jerk you for tears every chance it gets. In spite of its tragic and heartfelt content of a mother reconnecting with her 6-year-old daughter after she has been released from prison, Sherrybaby moves back into realistic mode, and feels truly engaging because of it.Undoubtedly, Maggie Gyllenhaal's performance in the film reeks of Oscar-bait for it is simply an excellent performance. Sadly I think the academy will overlook 'Sherrybaby' because the film is simply not good enough on its own and the sum of its individual components rarely, if ever, do justice to its titular actress. However, awards are not everything and rest assured that the film still has plenty to offer. In the front row for this is its realistic and unshowy core, sewn together by Maggie Gyllenhaal as ex-con and former teenage-mom-and-drug-addict Sherry. Upon returning to her old life, she finds that it is nothing like she left it. Her daughter Alexis now lives with her brother and his wife Lynette, both of whom have become strong parental figures for the young girl, much to the dismay and frustration of Sherry who wants nothing more than to re-build a bond of trust and love with her daughter, but who now finds Lynette a barrier.This frustration makes and propels 'Sherrybaby'. It stems from a variety of things that the film touches upon at several points: the seedy halfway home Sherry is sent to live at upon her release, the trouble she has readjusting herself to society and to work ("I'll suck your dick if you give me the job I want."), her abusive relationship with her father, her coping drug addiction and the fact that Lynette is discouraging Alexis from calling Sherry 'mommy'. The film is evenly peppered with these problems but luckily it never tips over into gloominess. What it does most, however, it plunge bravely into the white trash culture of America: junk-food, fat people, seedy jobs and apartments, pinning its scantily-clad centre Sherry somewhere in between.I think Gyllenhaal captures her character with effortless conviction. From the mood swings, frustration, confused maternal love to the ultimate frailty, she translates every component of her wreck of a character with perfect emotional transparency. It all translates into a very real and heartrending performance. Best of all, she never falls prey to showiness or exaggerated melodrama; she keeps it down-to-earth. Soon Sherry turns into a manifestation of the title 'Sherrybaby' as she finds herself sucked back into her teenage life of sorts: she craves attention, she is helpless, she wants to do drugs, she sleeps around. All the while she remains on the outside of things looking in because she has been absent for so many years.Certainly all performances in the film hold up pretty well. It is especially interesting to see Danny Trejo in a role in which he is actually nice for a change – a bit of a sleaze, true – but still on the side of good (as opposed to rentable bad-guy/thug). All the interactions between the characters follow the theme of the film; it is realistic. But 'Sherrybaby' is not devoid of faults. At all. One of its key shortcomings is its lack of any clear point. You get the feeling most scenes do not serve any purpose other than to give us a feel for the way things are run (wow, I feel like I'm writing about Scorsese) in the white trash culture. There is in this way no clear narrative structure. What is worse is that there is little or no humour to ease the mood, and nearly NO music score throughout the film. In fact, dissecting the film would probably reveal individual components that could not even pretend to equal the sum of it all. Thankfully, Maggie Gyllenhaal elicits so much sympathy as Sherry that it does not really matter.7 out of 10
A perfect acting....
posted on 31 May 2008Once more Maggie Gyllenhaal has done an impressive performance for SherryBaby, in fact she is the one that power the movie all the time.This film is about the life of one ex-prisoner that leaves jail with only one thing of mind, reunite with her daughther. Maggie Gyllenhaa is not a one of this ficcion-prisoner-mother, Laurie Collyer did a very good job writing the movie looking at the current situation and I think he reaches the target by showing a yound mother has been kept in jail because she was a kind of next-door-drugdealer.The film itself is a day to day after prison, and how this skinny girl try her best to get what she wants but always finding some one infront of her. She doesn't like to break the rules, but she doesn't understand why they there.The film will keep you in the seat all the time, I promise.
Not preachy, and naked Maggie Gyllenhaal!
posted on 10 Aug 2009Here's what I liked about Sherrybaby:1. Maggie Gyllenhaal gives an effective, appealing performance and gets somewhat naked. 2. The movie manages to just avoid happily-ever-after clichés. 3. There are subtle hints to the backstory rather than obvious manipulations.But it's not really enough. There are plenty of scenes in the movie that just seem to lag a bit as if something might poke through the ennui and stir things up, but not really. So color this one as a half-step above the usual woman-making-it-right-when-she's-done-so-wrong movie. But only a half-step.Sherry Swanson (Gyllenhaal) is out of prison after doing a stretch for robbery and drugs and basic slutty, scummy behavior. We first see her arrive at the halfway house at which she's to spend the rest of her sentence. Ah, she's finally out, and she's going to do the right thing this time, you'll see! You can almost see her eyes twinkle. Sherry has a daughter she hasn't seen since she was in stir, named Alexis. Alexis has been cared for lo these many years by Sherry brother Bob and his wife Lynnette. Bob picks Sherry up at the halfway house and brings her to his house for the reunion, and of course Alexis is excited to see a new person who smothers her in attention. But it's not long before young Alexis is calling her "Sherry" instead of "Mommy," which Sherry takes as a sign that Bob and Lynnette are trying to take her baby away from her. (As if they needed to try; Sherry's not gonna get custody anytime soon.)Sherry also tangles with her parole officer, played with some gusto by Giancarlo Esposito, who isn't going to cut her much slack. Which is just as well, because pretty much every other guy in the movie somehow succumbs to Sherry's charms and does what she wants. It's when she doesn't get her way that things go all pissy. See, Sherry's not really what you'd call proactive; she expects things to work out for her without her doing any of the work. So, to speed things along, she takes certain immoral shortcuts. In fact, after watching the first thirty minutes or so, I thought I'd put in a porno by mistake. I mean, I thought I'd been sent the wrong disk by Netflix. Yeah, that. Anyway, the pattern seemed to be: 1) Decide to do something. 2) Approach male who could facilitate that. 3) Have sex with male. 4) Repeat if necessary.So far, so good - Sherry isn't a completely new person when she emerges from the clink, and that at least feels realistic, because how often are ex-cons completely rehabilitated and never do anything wrong, ever again? Probably not very many. Forget recidivism, because that includes only those who got caught. At any rate, Sherry's still a slut. And prone to profanity, as she doesn't mind dropping f-bombs in front of her kid, who she's trying to win over.Then you have the eventual relapse, and visits to a support group, and new friends. But this isn't a hugs-and-kisses kind of movie - even though Sherry holds hands with everyone in the group and pledges to be free of her demons, we all know she might never, and we question her commitment to same. That's fine, because in reality it's an extremely difficult undertaking, and to me if she'd overcome everything too easily, all similarity to reality would be out the door. But director Laurie Collyer played it straight, giving the film a good boost of authenticity.Movies like this usually aren't my bag at all. If I wanted to see a movie about a bad girl making her way in the world, I'd turn on Lifetime. Oh, sure, I know there's an audience for strong, independent women, but clearly I'm not it. So I didn't expect this to be all that wonderful; I'd just heard that Gyllenhaal was good in it. And I like her. And she was. Plus, she got naked! So, for those positives, it's not too bad of a movie. A bit grim in spots, and it's very gritty - drug use, sex, language all make appearances. Still, it IS a well-made film about a strong, independent woman who doesn't have all of the answers.