Sherrybaby

Not all films leave you smiling when they're over"”some just leave you feeling.

Sherrybaby, the achingly honest portrayal of a young ex-convict trying to get her life back on track after three years in prison, is one of those films. Written and directed by Laura Collyer and based on the true story of one of Collyer's childhood friends, Sherrybaby is a look at what happens when a young woman reenters society and the challenges she must face. Played with heartbreaking vulnerability by Maggie Gyllenhaal, Sherry Swanson leaves prison with a faint glimmer of hope in her eyes. This is her second chance"”a chance to stay clean and sober, a chance to secure a good job, and most importantly for Sherry, a chance to regain custody of her young daughter, Alexis, and become a good, dependable mother.

Things don't play out as smoothly for Sherry as she would have hoped. The real world hits her like a cold slap in the face, and she must confront new sets of problems as well as old demons that continue to surface in her life. She's free from prison, but mentally and emotionally she's still behind bars.

Sherrybaby's gritty realism makes for a raw, often times disturbing look at a woman's unfortunate life. It follows her on a journey of parole visits and rehab meetings, and the struggles of proving she is a responsible mother and remaining sober. Sherry is insistent and overeager to reenter her daughter's life. But her always-reliable brother Bobby (Brad William Henke) and his wife Lynn (Bridget Barkan) have been taking care of Alexis (Ryan Simpkins) since Sherry was away, and both are uneasy with Sherry's newfound involvement. Their caution is met with Sherry's hurt and confusion, and all must try to come to terms with the delicate situation.

Gyllenhaal brilliantly plays Sherry's varying emotions with unselfconscious intimacy and intensity. She abandons all pretenses and strips Sherry down to the hurt, scared young woman she really is. She immerses herself in Sherry's specific look and wardrobe, as well. The clothes come to represent Sherry's desires to have nice things in her life, but her lack of means to actually grasp them. Instead she must settle for second-rate"”clothes that are cheap-looking and not very fashionable, and outfits that she must constantly mix-and-match. The clothes mirror Sherry's life"”she strives for something better, but gets stuck with less than.

Gyllenhaal is already receiving Oscar-buzz for her performance and she could not be more deserving. She proves to be one of the most fearless and daring young actresses of her generation and her recognition by the Academy would certainly be well earned.

Sherrybaby also features Danny Trejo taking a sensitive turn as Sherry's compassionate lover, Dean. He has been healed of addiction himself, and becomes sort of Sherry's healer as the movie progresses and the two form an

unlikely connection. You get the sense that Dean could be Sherry's saving grace.

The jarringly real performances are backed up by Sherrybaby's authentically real setting. Filmed on location in New Jersey where the story is set, every street, every building and every extra contribute to the film's documentary-like truthfulness. Handheld cameras are also used to convey a sense of intimacy.

The film doesn't shy away from depicting the unpleasant occurrences that befall Sherry. We are allowed to peek into her private pain. Director Collyer does an excellent job of telling a small story and infusing it with the heavy weight of importance. As in life, bad things do happen and this film refuses to sugarcoat that sad fact. The scene with Sherry and father in which the true extent of her childhood traumas are revealed is especially uncomfortable to watch. But it also gives us further insight into the portrait of a damaged girl. In yet another realistic turn, Bobby witnesses the encounter between their father and Sherry, yet he doesn't tell Sherry what he knows. There are no weepy confessions or long conversations where everything is worked out. Instead, Bobby provides a quiet understanding and prevents the film from ending on a neat-and-tidy note.

By the end of the movie, Sherry comes to the realization that she may not be prepared to be a mother. Where she once thought she was strong enough, she soon realizes that she needs help taking care of herself before she can take care of her child. And she finds that sometimes taking that first small step can make a world of difference.

Sherrybaby is poignant and powerful, it can make you feel distressed and grateful all at once and by the end you feel as if you have walked in someone else's shoes for a brief moment. And even if it was just a few small steps, it certainly makes all the difference.

Movie Grade: B+

Synopsis:

Three years after entering prison for robbery as a 19-year-old heroin addict, Sherry Swanson (Maggie Gyllenhaal) begins her first day of freedom, clean and sober. A model prisoner who has undergone personal transformation, she immediately sets out to regain custody of her young daughter Alexis (Ryan Simpkins), who has been cared for in her absence by her brother Bobby (Brad William Henke) and his wife Lynn (Bridget Barkan).

Unprepared for the demands of the world she’s stepped back into, Sherry’s hopes of staying clean, getting a job, and becoming a responsible mother are challenged by the realities of unemployment, halfway houses, and parole restrictions. Bobby and Lynn’s concerns about Sherry’s ability to care for Alexis, and her inability to prove them wrong, threaten to destroy the already delicate relationship she has with her daughter, as well as her newfound sobriety.

Disillusioned and haunted by wounds from her childhood, Sherry is eventually confronted with life-altering questions about her own survival

and what it means to be a good mother. Ultimately she learns that as the harsh realities of life often get in the way of her best intentions, sometimes it’s best to take life one small step at a time.