Independent Spirit Awards 2007 Nominations
Best Supporting Female
Nominees:
Stephanie Daley (2006) - Amber Tamblyn
Well-made, Well-acted, well-directed and very depressing drama about a teenager (Amber Tamblyn) accused of killing her child at birth and the forensic psychologist (Tilda Swinton) assigned to examine her mental state. Brought up in a small Fundie-besotted town our anti-heroine has next to no knowledge of sex (in school they teach "Abstinence Only") and therefore is easily seduced by a sleazy charmer who tells her "I didn't come," when he finishes deflowering her. When she starts to show signs that he was lying, she takes it as a punishment from God, and goes into deep denial. She hides her pregnancy from parents, friends and most importantly herself. So at a ski weekend when she goes into labor in a public bathroom (the film is clearly inspired by the "Prom Mom" case) she falls apart.
The forensic psychologist, meanwhile, has problems of her own. She's pregnant and healthy, but the year before she carried a stillborn child to term. Never quite coming to terms with what happened to her then, she realizes she has a lot more in common with the girl than she thought -- especially as her marriage (to Tim Hutton) is going downhill fast. But the time we get to the finish we realize this is less about this particular girl than the horrors faced by
all women who become pregnant -- regardless of the circumstances.
Quite a departure for Brougher, whose debut feature was the great but sadly little seen lesbian time-travel myster
The Sticky Fingers of Time. The mode here is far more naturalistic but just as intense and specific in its efffectiveness. Tilda (who co-produced as she did for
Thumbsucker) is aces as always, and Amber Tamblyn ( of
Joan of Arcadia fame) will break your heart.