Μύ Maggie Gyllenhaal earned a Golden Globe nomination for SherryBaby as an ex-con single mother and recovering drug addict trying to make good for her daughter (Ryan Simpkins). It's the "easy rapport" between them which makes up for some overly melodramatic flourishes by indie filmmaker Laurie Collyer.
Baby Blues
For those who don't mind being put through the emotional wringer, SherryBaby is worth seeing on the small screen. Gyllenhaal's performance reminds you just how few genuinely bold female characters there are on television. In an in-depth interview, the actress talks about finding a way to portray Sherry without "judging" her often selfish behaviour. She's also very frank about having "fought, really fought" with Collyer on the set, and before that, by refusing to do rehearsals. It was all in a deliberate effort to get the adrenalin pumping and pull her through some difficult scenes. They include a cold sexual encounter after Sherry is released from prison.
Growing Pains
Collyer gives her side of the story, although not in person. Her interview is text-based, and if you can be bothered to click thorough the pages, it does shed a lot of light on how the story evolved. Apparently, Sherry is based on a friend that Collyer grew up with, although she did test that friendship by suggesting her problems were sparked by a sexually abusive father. It's a controversial aspect of the plot, which doesn't feel entirely credible, but Collyer insists that 75-80% of female prisoners have experienced sexual abuse. Remarkably, the script was even grittier in its first incarnation, and Collyer says she "softened" it because of "pressures of the market."
Supporting actor Danny Trejo offers his thoughts on playing against type as recovering drug addict Dean. He admits to being "a little reluctant" about taking the role because he isn't used to playing "the nice guy". That maybe because, as he readily explains, he spent a lot of time in his youth hooked on drugs and doing porridge in San Quentin.
Needless to say, this isn't your regular chick flick, but that's all the more reason to give SherryBaby a whirl.
EXTRA FEATURES
SherryBaby DVD is released on Monday 7th January 2008.
