Herself (film)

Herself
Film poster
Directed by	Phyllida Lloyd
Written by	Malcolm Campbell Clare Dunne
Produced by	Rory Gilmartin Ed Guiney Sharon Horgan
Starring	Clare Dunne Harriet Walter Conleth Hill
Cinematography	Tom Comerford
Edited by	Rebecca Lloyd
Music by	Natalie Holt
Production companies	Fís Éirann/Screen Ireland BBC Films BFI Cornerstone Films Element Pictures Merman Films
Distributed by	Picturehouse Entertainment (United Kingdom)[1] Element Pictures (Ireland)[2] Amazon Studios (United States)
Release date	24 January 2020 (2020-01-24) (Sundance)
Running time	97 minutes[3]
Countries	United Kingdom Ireland
Language	English

Herself is a 2020 drama film directed by Phyllida Lloyd, from a screenplay by Malcolm Campbell and Clare Dunne. The film stars Dunne, Harriet Walter and Conleth Hill.

Herself had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on 24 January 2020 and was released in the United States in a limited release on 30 December 2020, followed by digital streaming on Amazon Prime Video on 8 January 2021 by Amazon Studios.

Premise

Single mother Sandra has been struggling to get by with her two young daughters after leaving her abusive husband. Housed in state-funded hotel accommodation, Sandra decides to build her own house with the help of a friendly community and a handful of new friends. With this new purpose, Sandra rediscovers herself: that is until her abusive former husband sues her for custody of the children.

Cast

• Clare Dunne as Sandra
• Harriet Walter as Peggy
• Conleth Hill as Aido
• Molly McCann as Molly
• Ruby Rose O'Hara as Emma
• Cathy Belton as Jo
• Rebecca O'Mara as Grainne
• Ericka Roe as Amy
• Ian Lloyd Anderson as Gary
• Seán Duggan as Ciaran Crowley
• Aaron Lockhart as Tomo
• Anita Petry as Rosa
• Dmitry Vinokurov as Dariusz

Production

In March 2019, it was announced Phyllida Lloyd would direct the film, from a screenplay by Malcolm Campbell and Clare Dunne, and that Dunne would also star in the film.[4] In April 2019, Conleth Hill and Harriet Walter joined the cast of the film.[5]

Release

It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on 24 January 2020.[6] Shortly after, Amazon Studios acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film.[7] It was released in the United States in a limited release on 30 December 2020, followed by digital streaming on Amazon Prime Video on 8 January 2021.[8]

Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 93% based on 136 reviews, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Sensitively directed by Phyllida Lloyd and brought to life by co-writer Clare Dunne's stunning performance, Herself charts one woman's journey with empathy and grace."[9] Metacritic reports a score of 71 out of 100, based on 19 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[10]

Notes

References

1. "Herself (2020)". BBFC. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
2. "Herself (2021)". Irish Film Classification Office. Archived from the original on 1 March 2023. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
3. "Herself". Sundance Film Festival. Archived from the original on 27 January 2020. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
4. Wiseman, Andreas (7 March 2019). "'The Favourite' Producer Element Teams With Sharon Horgan's Merman On Next Movie: Female-Fronted Drama 'Herself'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
5. Clarke, Stewart (25 April 2019). "Phyllida Lloyd's 'Herself' Adds Cast, Cornerstone Boards Sales (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
6. Siegel, Tatiana (4 December 2019). "Sundance Unveils Female-Powered Lineup Featuring Taylor Swift, Gloria Steinem, Abortion Road Trip Drama". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
7. Fleming, Mike Jr. (26 January 2020). "Amazon Announces 'Herself' Deal: Sundance". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
8. "Yes, Virginia, there are movies this holiday season. Here's where to find them". The Los Angeles Times. 19 November 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
9. "Herself (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
10. "Herself Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 15 March 2021.

External links

• Herself at IMDb
• Herself at Rotten Tomatoes