Prime’s prominent chart leader, Anne Hathaway’s romantic comedy The Idea of You has rekindled people’s interest in the movies exploring the topic of the romances between people with significant age differences. However, in the case of Hathaway’s movie and other similar romcoms the age-gaps are still within the bounds of law and moral.
There is a movie, brutally showing the other side of such romances. It was one of the main hits of the last year and nowadays it’s still watched by Prime Video’s viewers a lot.
Its plot revolves around an actress in the research for her upcoming role in an independent film. We learn that she is set to play Gracie, a woman, infamous for seducing a 13 year-old boy Joe when she was 36 and was imprisoned for rape of him.
The point is that Gracie and Joe are still together, 24 years after the incident,...
There is a movie, brutally showing the other side of such romances. It was one of the main hits of the last year and nowadays it’s still watched by Prime Video’s viewers a lot.
Its plot revolves around an actress in the research for her upcoming role in an independent film. We learn that she is set to play Gracie, a woman, infamous for seducing a 13 year-old boy Joe when she was 36 and was imprisoned for rape of him.
The point is that Gracie and Joe are still together, 24 years after the incident,...
- 5/13/2024
- by info@startefacts.com (Ava Raxa)
- STartefacts.com
Nominated in five categories at the 39th Film Independent Spirit Awards, the darkly humorous and ominously cringey psychological drama May December is filmmaker Todd Haynes’ tenth (!) Spirit Award nomination. A pioneer of the New Queer Cinema movement, Haynes previously won Best Director for 2002’s period romantic drama Far from Heaven (starring May December co-lead Julianne Moore), as well as the Robert Altman Award for 2007’s Bob-Dylan-inspired musical fantasia, I’m Not There.
Haynes has talked about how May December is about “the stories we tell ourselves” in order to “survive our lives.” Loosely based on the 1990s-era Irl story of Mary Kay Letourneau, the film follows 59-year-old housewife Gracie (Moore), who seems happily married with children to her 36-year-old husband, Joe Yoo, played by Charles Melton. Melton, too, is nominated for Best Supporting Performance at the 2024 Spirit Awards, streaming Live this Sunday at 2pm Pt.
The narrative tension kicks off when...
Haynes has talked about how May December is about “the stories we tell ourselves” in order to “survive our lives.” Loosely based on the 1990s-era Irl story of Mary Kay Letourneau, the film follows 59-year-old housewife Gracie (Moore), who seems happily married with children to her 36-year-old husband, Joe Yoo, played by Charles Melton. Melton, too, is nominated for Best Supporting Performance at the 2024 Spirit Awards, streaming Live this Sunday at 2pm Pt.
The narrative tension kicks off when...
- 2/21/2024
- by Su Fang Tham
- Film Independent News & More
Pop quiz: what do Alaskan halibut fishing and Hollywood awards prognostication have in common? Answer: they both require their participants to get up at freakin’ 5:30am on a Tuesday. The former, to barrel deep into the heart of the Kachemak Bay before the Arctic sun drives the delicious whitefish deeper underwater; the latter, to watch attractive Hollywood ingenues Jack Quaid and Zazie Beetz phonetically pronounce the names of film artisans off a teleprompter!
But mostly when the nominees of the 96th Academy Awards were announced on January 23, we just were thrilled once again to see just how many Oscar nominees had previously shown their work as part of our signature screening series, Film Independent Presents.
So! Please enjoy this round-up of Fi Presents filmmaker Q&As from this year’s incredible roster of freshly-anointed Oscar noms. And if you want to see what’s coming up next in the program,...
But mostly when the nominees of the 96th Academy Awards were announced on January 23, we just were thrilled once again to see just how many Oscar nominees had previously shown their work as part of our signature screening series, Film Independent Presents.
So! Please enjoy this round-up of Fi Presents filmmaker Q&As from this year’s incredible roster of freshly-anointed Oscar noms. And if you want to see what’s coming up next in the program,...
- 1/23/2024
- by Film Independent
- Film Independent News & More
This post contains spoilers for "The Iron Claw."
Of all the characters in the wrestling biopic "The Iron Claw," it's patriarch Fritz Von Erich (Holt McCallany) who comes out looking the worst. As his sons slowly but surely fall apart in their pursuit of wrestling (and their pursuit of their father's approval), Fritz is right there egging them on, pushing them further and further toward the brink.
Although the real-life Kevin Von Erich still considers his father to have been an "honorable, good man," the rest of the world considers Fritz to be a bit of a villain, holding him at least a little bit to blame for three of his sons (not just two like in the movie) dying by suicide, and a fourth dying from the stress wrestling and drugs put on his body. The movie itself follows along with this view, giving us a Fritz who pushes forth a limited,...
Of all the characters in the wrestling biopic "The Iron Claw," it's patriarch Fritz Von Erich (Holt McCallany) who comes out looking the worst. As his sons slowly but surely fall apart in their pursuit of wrestling (and their pursuit of their father's approval), Fritz is right there egging them on, pushing them further and further toward the brink.
Although the real-life Kevin Von Erich still considers his father to have been an "honorable, good man," the rest of the world considers Fritz to be a bit of a villain, holding him at least a little bit to blame for three of his sons (not just two like in the movie) dying by suicide, and a fourth dying from the stress wrestling and drugs put on his body. The movie itself follows along with this view, giving us a Fritz who pushes forth a limited,...
- 1/21/2024
- by Michael Boyle
- Slash Film
It’s what most aspiring screenwriters dream of: An Oscar-winning actress reads your spec script and convinces one of the leading indie filmmakers of the past 25 years to make it. Then, it premieres at the Cannes Film Festival and sells to Netflix, all in time for an awards season push.
For Samy Burch, the experience is still overwhelming — understandably so, as her team of collaborators on her first produced screenplay include director Todd Haynes, Oscar winning actresses Natalie Portman (who also produced) and Julianne Moore, plus former Riverdale actor Charles Melton, who has achieved acclaim and Oscar buzz for his breakout role in Netflix’s May December.
Portman plays an actress, Elizabeth, set to star in a movie about Moore’s Gracie, who had a scandalous affair with a 13-year-old boy, Joe, two decades earlier. Gracie and Joe (Melton) are now married and raising adult children of their own. The...
For Samy Burch, the experience is still overwhelming — understandably so, as her team of collaborators on her first produced screenplay include director Todd Haynes, Oscar winning actresses Natalie Portman (who also produced) and Julianne Moore, plus former Riverdale actor Charles Melton, who has achieved acclaim and Oscar buzz for his breakout role in Netflix’s May December.
Portman plays an actress, Elizabeth, set to star in a movie about Moore’s Gracie, who had a scandalous affair with a 13-year-old boy, Joe, two decades earlier. Gracie and Joe (Melton) are now married and raising adult children of their own. The...
- 1/11/2024
- by Tyler Coates
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore both responded to Vili Fualaau’s criticism of May December on Sunday, emphasizing the movie was not meant to tell the exact story of his relationship with ex Mary Kay Letourneau.
“It’s not based on them,” Portman told Entertainment Tonight from the red carpet at the 2024 Golden Globes. “Obviously their story influenced the culture that we all grew up in and influenced the idea. But it’s fictional characters that are really brought to life by Julianne Moore and Charles Melton so beautifully.”
May December tells the story of fictional actress Elizabeth Berry (Portman) sent to visit married couple Gracie (Moore) and Joe (Melton). Gracie met and victimized Joe when he was 13, doing time in prison for child rape before being released and marrying Joe. The two share three children, one of whom she gave birth to while in prison. Screenwriter Samy Burch has...
“It’s not based on them,” Portman told Entertainment Tonight from the red carpet at the 2024 Golden Globes. “Obviously their story influenced the culture that we all grew up in and influenced the idea. But it’s fictional characters that are really brought to life by Julianne Moore and Charles Melton so beautifully.”
May December tells the story of fictional actress Elizabeth Berry (Portman) sent to visit married couple Gracie (Moore) and Joe (Melton). Gracie met and victimized Joe when he was 13, doing time in prison for child rape before being released and marrying Joe. The two share three children, one of whom she gave birth to while in prison. Screenwriter Samy Burch has...
- 1/9/2024
- by Zoe G Phillips
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore are speaking out after Vili Fualaau slammed their new movie May December.
Vili, 40, recently called the new Todd Haynes-directed movie a “ripoff” of his real-life relationship with the late Mary Kay Letourneau.
In May December, Charles Melton‘s character Joe was 13 when he was seduced by Julianne‘s 36-year-old character. Vili was 12 when 34-year-old Mary Kay first victimized him in 1996. She later pleaded guilty to two counts of child rape.
Vili said that he was “offended” by the movie and slammed everyone involved for not reaching out to him for feedback.
Now, Natalie and Julianne are addressing Vili‘s criticism.
“I’m so sorry to here that. It’s not based on them,” Natalie told Entertainment Tonight at the 2024 Golden Globes. “Obviously, their story influenced the culture that we all grew up in and influenced the idea. But it’s fictional characters that are...
Vili, 40, recently called the new Todd Haynes-directed movie a “ripoff” of his real-life relationship with the late Mary Kay Letourneau.
In May December, Charles Melton‘s character Joe was 13 when he was seduced by Julianne‘s 36-year-old character. Vili was 12 when 34-year-old Mary Kay first victimized him in 1996. She later pleaded guilty to two counts of child rape.
Vili said that he was “offended” by the movie and slammed everyone involved for not reaching out to him for feedback.
Now, Natalie and Julianne are addressing Vili‘s criticism.
“I’m so sorry to here that. It’s not based on them,” Natalie told Entertainment Tonight at the 2024 Golden Globes. “Obviously, their story influenced the culture that we all grew up in and influenced the idea. But it’s fictional characters that are...
- 1/9/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Todd Haynes' "May December" is a tricky, difficult drama that tells a fictionalized version of the Mary Kay LeTourneau story. Some may recall that LeTourneau, a sixth-grade teacher, was arrested in 1997 for having targeted and statutorily assaulted 12-year-old Vili Fualaau. LeTourneau had two children with Lualaau, and when she was released from prison, the two married. They remained married for 14 years. In "May December," the LeTourneau-inspired character was renamed Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Julianna Moore), and her much younger husband, 34 at the time of the movie, was renamed Joe Yoo (Charles Melton).
Haynes' film follows a famous actor named Elizabeth Barry (Natalie Portman), who has taken a job playing Gracie in an upcoming drama. Elizabeth spends several weeks observing Gracie, imitating her mannerisms, and interviewing the people in her life. Why, Elizabeth wonders, did Gracie commit her terrible crime? How does Joe feel about it so many years later, still married to his victimizer?...
Haynes' film follows a famous actor named Elizabeth Barry (Natalie Portman), who has taken a job playing Gracie in an upcoming drama. Elizabeth spends several weeks observing Gracie, imitating her mannerisms, and interviewing the people in her life. Why, Elizabeth wonders, did Gracie commit her terrible crime? How does Joe feel about it so many years later, still married to his victimizer?...
- 1/8/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
The 2023 Netflix film “May December” is fictional, but draws heavily on the real-life story of teacher Mary Kay Letourneau and her notorious affair with her sixth-grade student Vili Fualaau. According to Fualaau, the filmmakers behind the production never reached out to him during its production, he told The Hollywood Reporter.
“If they had reached out to me, we could have worked together on a masterpiece,” Fualaau said. “Instead, they chose to do a ripoff of my original story.”
While not claiming to be a true story, the film draws heavily on the Letourneau case and the screenwriter has noted that story served as her inspiration. Dialogue in one of the film’s pivotal scenes was pulled directly from a televised interview with Letourneau and Fualaau.
“I’m offended by the entire project and the lack of respect given to me — who lived through a real story and is still living it,...
“If they had reached out to me, we could have worked together on a masterpiece,” Fualaau said. “Instead, they chose to do a ripoff of my original story.”
While not claiming to be a true story, the film draws heavily on the Letourneau case and the screenwriter has noted that story served as her inspiration. Dialogue in one of the film’s pivotal scenes was pulled directly from a televised interview with Letourneau and Fualaau.
“I’m offended by the entire project and the lack of respect given to me — who lived through a real story and is still living it,...
- 1/5/2024
- by Mike Roe
- The Wrap
The late Mary Kay Letourneau‘s former partner Vili Fualaau is reacting to May December.
In the Todd Haynes movie, Natalie Portman plays Elizabeth Berry, an actress researching a married couple with a scandalous past similar to the real-life case of the former teacher and student.
Screenwriter Samy Burch cited the case as her inspiration. However, no one involved in the production apparently reached out to Vili, who inspired Charles Melton‘s Joe Yoo.
Keep reading to find out more…
In the movie, Joe is 13 when he is seduced by Julianne Moore’s 36-year-old character. Vili was 12 when 34-year-old Mary Kay Letourneau first victimized him in 1996. She later pleaded guilty to two counts of child rape.
Vili has seen May December and came away deeply dismayed at what he believes is another example of Hollywood and the media exploiting his story and pain, via THR.
“I’m still alive and well,...
In the Todd Haynes movie, Natalie Portman plays Elizabeth Berry, an actress researching a married couple with a scandalous past similar to the real-life case of the former teacher and student.
Screenwriter Samy Burch cited the case as her inspiration. However, no one involved in the production apparently reached out to Vili, who inspired Charles Melton‘s Joe Yoo.
Keep reading to find out more…
In the movie, Joe is 13 when he is seduced by Julianne Moore’s 36-year-old character. Vili was 12 when 34-year-old Mary Kay Letourneau first victimized him in 1996. She later pleaded guilty to two counts of child rape.
Vili has seen May December and came away deeply dismayed at what he believes is another example of Hollywood and the media exploiting his story and pain, via THR.
“I’m still alive and well,...
- 1/4/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Vili Fualaau, ex-husband of Mary Kay Letourneau in statutory rape case, says he is disappointed film-makers did not approach him
Vili Fualaau, the ex-husband of Mary Kay Letourneau in a tabloid-famous statutory rape case, has spoken out against a critically acclaimed film inspired by the scandal.
May December, an awards season contender released by Netflix, tells the story of an actor, Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman), who observes the relationship between Gracie (Julianne Moore) and her husband, Joe Yoo (Charles Melton), whom she seduced when she was 36 and he was 13. The film is loosely based on the real-life events of Mary Kay Letourneau, a 34-year-old teacher who victimized her 12-year-old student, Vili Fualaau, in 1996, becoming a tabloid fixture.
Vili Fualaau, the ex-husband of Mary Kay Letourneau in a tabloid-famous statutory rape case, has spoken out against a critically acclaimed film inspired by the scandal.
May December, an awards season contender released by Netflix, tells the story of an actor, Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman), who observes the relationship between Gracie (Julianne Moore) and her husband, Joe Yoo (Charles Melton), whom she seduced when she was 36 and he was 13. The film is loosely based on the real-life events of Mary Kay Letourneau, a 34-year-old teacher who victimized her 12-year-old student, Vili Fualaau, in 1996, becoming a tabloid fixture.
- 1/4/2024
- by Adrian Horton
- The Guardian - Film News
Vili Fualaau, who married his sixth-grade teacher, Mary Kay Letourneau, says he’s upset by filmmaker Todd Haynes’ new film, May December, which drew inspiration from Fualaau and Letourneau’s story. The movie, which stars Julianne Moore as the Letourneau-esque Gracie and Charles Melton as her young husband, Joe Yoo, depicts the couple dodging media exploitation at the hands of an actress played by Natalie Portman after Gracie served time for seducing Yoo when she was 36 and he was 13. In reality, Letourneau was 34, and Fualaau was 12 when they began their sexual relationship.
- 1/4/2024
- by Kory Grow
- Rollingstone.com
“May December” inspiration Vili Fualaau is speaking out about being portrayed in Todd Haynes’ awards season powerhouse, and he’s not happy.
The film draws loose but obvious inspiration from the infamous 1990s scandal in which Mary Kay Letourneau, then 34, victimized 12-year-old Fualaau, leading to her eventually pleading guilty to two counts of child rape. A few details have been changed for the film: in real life, Letourneau was a sixth-grade teacher and Fualaau was her student, whereas in the movie Julianne Moore’s character Gracie Atherton-Yoo worked at a pet shop where she preyed on her 13-year-old colleague, Joe (Charles Melton).
But these slightly altered details aside, as well as the “May December” largely avoiding discussing the real-life scandal itself, the film very closely aligns with details of Letourneau and Fualaau’s life, down to the idyllic beach house photo shoot the real couple engaged in in 2006 to celebrate their one-year wedding anniversary.
The film draws loose but obvious inspiration from the infamous 1990s scandal in which Mary Kay Letourneau, then 34, victimized 12-year-old Fualaau, leading to her eventually pleading guilty to two counts of child rape. A few details have been changed for the film: in real life, Letourneau was a sixth-grade teacher and Fualaau was her student, whereas in the movie Julianne Moore’s character Gracie Atherton-Yoo worked at a pet shop where she preyed on her 13-year-old colleague, Joe (Charles Melton).
But these slightly altered details aside, as well as the “May December” largely avoiding discussing the real-life scandal itself, the film very closely aligns with details of Letourneau and Fualaau’s life, down to the idyllic beach house photo shoot the real couple engaged in in 2006 to celebrate their one-year wedding anniversary.
- 1/4/2024
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
In Todd Haynes’ May December, Natalie Portman plays Elizabeth Berry, an actress obsessively researching a married couple with a scandalous past.
The similarities between the couple’s story and the Mary Kay Letourneau case — which May December screenwriter Samy Burch has cited as her inspiration — are striking.
But in an ironic twist, no one involved in the Netflix-produced May December has ever reached out to Vili Fualaau, who serves as the inspiration for Charles Melton’s Golden Globe-nominated portrayal of Joe Yoo.
In the film, Joe is 13 when he is first seduced by Julianne Moore’s 36-year-old character. Fualaau was just 12 when a 34-year-old Letourneau first victimized him in 1996. Letourneau later pleaded guilty to two counts of child rape.
There are many other similarities. Both men are Asian/Pacific Islander — Joe is half-Korean, Fualaau is Samoan. Both father children born in prison. Both marry their female abusers after the...
The similarities between the couple’s story and the Mary Kay Letourneau case — which May December screenwriter Samy Burch has cited as her inspiration — are striking.
But in an ironic twist, no one involved in the Netflix-produced May December has ever reached out to Vili Fualaau, who serves as the inspiration for Charles Melton’s Golden Globe-nominated portrayal of Joe Yoo.
In the film, Joe is 13 when he is first seduced by Julianne Moore’s 36-year-old character. Fualaau was just 12 when a 34-year-old Letourneau first victimized him in 1996. Letourneau later pleaded guilty to two counts of child rape.
There are many other similarities. Both men are Asian/Pacific Islander — Joe is half-Korean, Fualaau is Samoan. Both father children born in prison. Both marry their female abusers after the...
- 1/4/2024
- by Seth Abramovitch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It says a lot about Julianne Moore’s talent that the film that won her an Oscar doesn’t even crack her a list of her top ten best.
After becoming a familiar face at the Academy Awards with four nominations between 1997 and 2002, Moore received her richly deserved Best Actress trophy for playing a woman with Alzheimer’s disease in 2014’s “Still Alice.” Moore is predictably excellent in that movie, hitting all the right notes over the course of its tearjerking 100-minute runtime. And although that prestige picture finally got her the gold at the ceremony, there’s plenty more interesting, unique, and memorable works in her filmography to celebrate.
The child of a military family and a theater student at Boston University, Moore began her career winning a Daytime Emmy for her work on the soap opera “As the World Turns” in 1988. A 1990 theater production of “Uncle Vanya” got...
After becoming a familiar face at the Academy Awards with four nominations between 1997 and 2002, Moore received her richly deserved Best Actress trophy for playing a woman with Alzheimer’s disease in 2014’s “Still Alice.” Moore is predictably excellent in that movie, hitting all the right notes over the course of its tearjerking 100-minute runtime. And although that prestige picture finally got her the gold at the ceremony, there’s plenty more interesting, unique, and memorable works in her filmography to celebrate.
The child of a military family and a theater student at Boston University, Moore began her career winning a Daytime Emmy for her work on the soap opera “As the World Turns” in 1988. A 1990 theater production of “Uncle Vanya” got...
- 1/4/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
They say that one person’s loss is another person’s gain, but cinematographer Christopher Blauvelt had mixed emotions about his recent good fortune in landing the coveted director of photography gig on “May December,” the latest film from Todd Haynes. The director is known for his Oscar-nominated collaborations with longtime colleague Ed Lachman, which include “Carol” and “Far from Heaven.” Lachman, however, suffered a broken hip after a fall while shooting Pablo Larraín’s “El Conde,” and Haynes needed a new set of eyes. So he turned to his filmmaker pal Kelly Reichardt for recommendations, and Blauvelt stepped aboard the darkly comic tale of a tenacious actress, Elizabeth (Natalie Portman), infiltrating the lives of Gracie (Julianne Moore), a Mary Kay Letourneau-esque homemaker and her much younger husband, Joe (Charles Melton), who was 13 when they first got together.
“Kelly and Todd are teachers for me, I learned so much from them,...
“Kelly and Todd are teachers for me, I learned so much from them,...
- 1/3/2024
- by Jason Clark
- The Wrap
Every few years, the Golden Globe awards have a category hiccup. In 2015, the Ridley Scott/Matt Damon Robinson-Crusoe-in-space sci-fi movie “The Martian” was nominated (and won) for best motion picture — musical or comedy, even though the movie contained no songs and no one thought it was a comedy. A month ago, in that same category, the Globes gave a nomination to “May December,” Todd Haynes’ acclaimed but hard-to-categorize film based, not so loosely, on the true story of Mary Kay Letourneau. She, of course, was the sixth-grade teacher who spent seven years in prison after having been caught in a sexual relationship with one of her 12-year-old students, who she went on to marry and have a family with.
Categorizing “May December” as a “musical or comedy” is a lot more eyebrow-raising than calling “The Martian” one. In this case, though, the Globes at least have an ally: all the...
Categorizing “May December” as a “musical or comedy” is a lot more eyebrow-raising than calling “The Martian” one. In this case, though, the Globes at least have an ally: all the...
- 1/3/2024
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
The holidays are upon us, which means it’s a great time to gather ’round your screen and catch up on the best movies. Fortunately, the list of new movies on Netflix in December is quite long, so you’ve got plenty to choose from. In fact, sometimes it feels like too much to choose from. With that in mind, we’ve put together a curated list of some of the best new movies streaming on Netflix this month, including new releases and throwback library titles — including the arrival of several DC movies. From awards contenders to would-be blockbusters, Netflix is debuting several of their biggest movies this month so there’s a lot to chose from.
Check out our picks for the best new movies on Netflix in December below.
May December (2023) Netflix
Available: Dec. 1
“Carol” and “Dark Waters” director Todd Haynes is back with another lush, haunting character piece in “May December.
Check out our picks for the best new movies on Netflix in December below.
May December (2023) Netflix
Available: Dec. 1
“Carol” and “Dark Waters” director Todd Haynes is back with another lush, haunting character piece in “May December.
- 12/29/2023
- by Haleigh Foutch, Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
Even by the HFPA’s eccentric standards, Todd Haynes’ May December is a wild card in the Best Musical or Comedy category. But it does feature elements of both, in a deceptively dark story that harks back to the days of Hollywood’s self-imposed censorship code, when ingenious directors found sensitive and intelligent ways to address taboo subjects in mainstream movies. Here, the inspiration is the real-life case of Mary Kay Letourneau, a 35-year-old married teacher who, in 1997, seduced a pupil and was sentenced to prison for it, twice. A year after her release in 2004, claiming their love was “eternal and endless”, Letourneau married the boy, then 21. That wedding, and their subsequent life together, was covered, flatteringly, by the media. May December is not their story, but it does address two key points. What was she thinking. And how did the media become so complicit?
In May December, Natalie Portman plays Elizabeth Berry,...
In May December, Natalie Portman plays Elizabeth Berry,...
- 12/23/2023
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
Even by the HFPA’s eccentric standards, Todd Haynes’ May December is a wild card in the Best Musical or Comedy category. But it does feature elements of both, in a deceptively dark story that harks back to the days of Hollywood’s self-imposed censorship code, when ingenious directors found sensitive and intelligent ways to address taboo subjects in mainstream movies. Here, the inspiration is the real-life case of Mary Kay Letourneau, a 35-year-old married teacher who, in 1997, seduced a pupil and was sentenced to prison for it, twice. A year after her release in 2004, claiming their love was “eternal and endless”, Letourneau married the boy, then 21. That wedding, and their subsequent life together, was covered, flatteringly, by the media. May December is not their story, but it does address two key points. What was she thinking. And how did the media become so complicit?
In May December, Natalie Portman plays Elizabeth Berry,...
In May December, Natalie Portman plays Elizabeth Berry,...
- 12/23/2023
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
[Editor’s note: The following article contains spoilers for “Notes on a Scandal,” “Last Summer,” and “May December.“]
“May December” has been called a dark comedy and a campy take on “Persona” (though director Todd Haynes disdains the “camp” label). It inspired an unexpected Netflix meme-based social media push capitalizing on the shirtless scenes of supporting star Charles Melton, and now this tale of abuse has been nominated for, of all things, a comedy at this year’s Golden Globes. (Netflix submitted the film as such.)
It seems that “May December” has led to every conversation but what it’s actually about: grooming.
The film tracks the fallout of Gracie, an adult woman (Julianne Moore) who seduced a 12-year-old boy (played as an adult by Charles Melton), had his children, went to jail for her misdeeds, and — eventually — married her victim. Natalie Portman portrays Elizabeth, an actress playing Gracie in a big-screen adaptation of her life.
Written by Samy Burch,...
“May December” has been called a dark comedy and a campy take on “Persona” (though director Todd Haynes disdains the “camp” label). It inspired an unexpected Netflix meme-based social media push capitalizing on the shirtless scenes of supporting star Charles Melton, and now this tale of abuse has been nominated for, of all things, a comedy at this year’s Golden Globes. (Netflix submitted the film as such.)
It seems that “May December” has led to every conversation but what it’s actually about: grooming.
The film tracks the fallout of Gracie, an adult woman (Julianne Moore) who seduced a 12-year-old boy (played as an adult by Charles Melton), had his children, went to jail for her misdeeds, and — eventually — married her victim. Natalie Portman portrays Elizabeth, an actress playing Gracie in a big-screen adaptation of her life.
Written by Samy Burch,...
- 12/18/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The Netflix movie "May December" is heavily inspired by the real-life relationship between Mary Kay Letourneau and Vili Fualaau, which is probably why its depiction of stereotypes of Asian men feels so close to reality, too. The morally problematic tale takes viewers on a complex journey with troubling racial implications, particularly as they relate to weaponized whiteness and the depiction of Asian masculinity as subservient and childlike.
This highly publicized case, as well as its fictionalized version depicted in "May December," raises a central question: how did the fact that she's a white woman impact not only her ability to groom him - an Asian American boy - but also the public's reaction to the story?
This feeds into the harmful stereotype that Asian men are complacent and obedient.
In "May December," Julianne Moore plays Gracie, the fictionalized version of Letourneau, who began sexually abusing Fualauu when he was her sixth-grade student.
This highly publicized case, as well as its fictionalized version depicted in "May December," raises a central question: how did the fact that she's a white woman impact not only her ability to groom him - an Asian American boy - but also the public's reaction to the story?
This feeds into the harmful stereotype that Asian men are complacent and obedient.
In "May December," Julianne Moore plays Gracie, the fictionalized version of Letourneau, who began sexually abusing Fualauu when he was her sixth-grade student.
- 12/18/2023
- by Michael Kwan
- Popsugar.com
This year’s Golden Globe nominees for Best Film Supporting Actress are Emily Blunt (“Oppenheimer”), Danielle Brooks (“The Color Purple”), Jodie Foster (“Nyad”), Julianne Moore (“May December”), Rosamund Pike (“Saltburn”), and Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“The Holdovers”). Two of them in particular, Foster and Moore, happen to have something in common. It’s not just the fact that they’re both previous Oscar winners contending for Netflix releases this year. It’s actually the fact that they’ve both taken on the role of Clarice Starling in separate films adapted from novelist Thomas Harris‘s Hannibal Lecter series.
In 1991’s “The Silence of the Lambs” directed by Jonathan Demme, Foster played Clarice, who was assigned by the FBI to interview and profile deranged killer Lecter (Anthony Hopkins). The film was a huge critical and commercial hit upon release that February, so much so that 13 months later it won five Academy Awards including Best Picture.
In 1991’s “The Silence of the Lambs” directed by Jonathan Demme, Foster played Clarice, who was assigned by the FBI to interview and profile deranged killer Lecter (Anthony Hopkins). The film was a huge critical and commercial hit upon release that February, so much so that 13 months later it won five Academy Awards including Best Picture.
- 12/14/2023
- by Jeffrey Kare
- Gold Derby
The new movie May December is currently streaming on Netflix and it’s also getting a lot of awards attention.
While there are lots of people who probably understand the meaning of the title immediately, plenty of others are likely clueless to what the term “May December” stands for.
In the movie, a married couple buckles under the pressure when an actress arrives to do research for a film about their past, twenty years after their notorious tabloid romance gripped the nation. The film is loosely based on the true story of Mary Kay Letourneau, who had an illegal relationship with a sixth-grade student in the 1990s.
So, what does the title mean?
Keep reading to find out more…
AARP says that a “May-December romance” is “an age-old term for an amorous relationship between two people with a considerable age difference. The months symbolize the seasons, with spring representing youth and winter representing old age.
While there are lots of people who probably understand the meaning of the title immediately, plenty of others are likely clueless to what the term “May December” stands for.
In the movie, a married couple buckles under the pressure when an actress arrives to do research for a film about their past, twenty years after their notorious tabloid romance gripped the nation. The film is loosely based on the true story of Mary Kay Letourneau, who had an illegal relationship with a sixth-grade student in the 1990s.
So, what does the title mean?
Keep reading to find out more…
AARP says that a “May-December romance” is “an age-old term for an amorous relationship between two people with a considerable age difference. The months symbolize the seasons, with spring representing youth and winter representing old age.
- 12/13/2023
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
In response to his Golden Globe nomination Monday for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture for May December, Charles Melton starts the conversation with gratitude towards his mother, Sukyong Melton, who he recently deemed his hero in a heartfelt speech while being honored at the Critics Choice Celebration of Black, Latino & Aapi Achievements last week. Though he admits to sleeping through the ceremony and being informed by his team about the nomination, he made sure to call her as soon as he found out. “She was so proud, and I am so happy.” Melton said.
Primarily known as a TV star from his six-year stint as Reggie Mantle on the teen melodrama Riverdale, Melton has commandeered his first feature film breakout role in May December, holding his own against the likes of seasoned actors, his co-stars, Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman. In the film,...
Primarily known as a TV star from his six-year stint as Reggie Mantle on the teen melodrama Riverdale, Melton has commandeered his first feature film breakout role in May December, holding his own against the likes of seasoned actors, his co-stars, Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman. In the film,...
- 12/12/2023
- by Destiny Jackson
- Deadline Film + TV
Entering May December, Charles Melton was best known as a TV star on the soapy teen drama Riverdale as former football player Reggie Mantle. Next to his castmates Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman, he was virtually an unknown talent in the film world. But with Todd Haynes’ latest melodrama, Melton has broken out as an awards-worthy film star in his own right, already winning the Gotham and securing the Indie Spirit nom for supporting performance, and earning his first Golden Globe nomination as of Monday morning.
Melton plays Joe, the husband of Julianne Moore’s Gracie, in Samy Burch’s script, which is adapted loosely from the real-life story of Mary Kay Letourneau. Gracie and Joe became romantically involved when the former was an adult and the latter was 13 years old, and had children together not long after. Years later, when Joe is now in his thirties and the married...
Melton plays Joe, the husband of Julianne Moore’s Gracie, in Samy Burch’s script, which is adapted loosely from the real-life story of Mary Kay Letourneau. Gracie and Joe became romantically involved when the former was an adult and the latter was 13 years old, and had children together not long after. Years later, when Joe is now in his thirties and the married...
- 12/11/2023
- by Hilton Dresden
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
[Editor’s note: The following interview contains some spoilers for “May December.”]
There’s one word to describe the past few months in rising star Elizabeth Yu’s acting career: “wild.” Spend a little time with the “May December” breakout on the phone, and she’ll invoke the term for everything from the response to the Todd Haynes film to her rapid-fire casting process to her first day on set, which literally saw her smack in between two acting legends in a scene that’s a strong contender for sequence of the year. Wild.
And she’s not wrong. While “May December,” in which Yu plays Mary Atherton-Yoo, one of three children belonging to embattled couple Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Julianne Moore) and Joe Yoo (Charles Melton), is only Yu’s second film role (the first was in Ray Romano’s 2022 effort “Somewhere in Queens”), she more than holds her own in the lauded feature.
Case in point: that first day of production, in...
There’s one word to describe the past few months in rising star Elizabeth Yu’s acting career: “wild.” Spend a little time with the “May December” breakout on the phone, and she’ll invoke the term for everything from the response to the Todd Haynes film to her rapid-fire casting process to her first day on set, which literally saw her smack in between two acting legends in a scene that’s a strong contender for sequence of the year. Wild.
And she’s not wrong. While “May December,” in which Yu plays Mary Atherton-Yoo, one of three children belonging to embattled couple Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Julianne Moore) and Joe Yoo (Charles Melton), is only Yu’s second film role (the first was in Ray Romano’s 2022 effort “Somewhere in Queens”), she more than holds her own in the lauded feature.
Case in point: that first day of production, in...
- 12/11/2023
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Netflix’s ‘May December’ has sparked conversations on how true events are adapted for the screen, and why certain liberties are taken in these adaptations. This series, loosely based on the notorious case involving Mary Kay Letourneau, raises questions about the balance between factual storytelling and creative interpretation. Understanding May December Netflix Adaptation The ‘May December’ narrative unfolds around Gracie Atherton, a character inspired by Letourneau’s scandalous affair with a student. ‘May December’ delves into the complexities of her life post-scandal, as her past resurfaces during a film adaptation of her story. The Art of Creative Liberties Filmmakers often take creative...
- 12/8/2023
- by Steve Delikson
- TVovermind.com
Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series spotlighting the year’s most talked-about scripts continues with the Todd Haynes-directed May December starring Julianne Moore, Natalie Portman and Charles Melton. It made a splash at Cannes this year when the darkly comedic and complex feature, loosely based on the story of Mary Kay Letourneau, was picked up by Netflix in a splashy $11 million rights deal.
“It’s just made all of us feel emboldened,” Haynes told Deadline at the time.
Written by Samy Burch (its her first produced script), the film follows the nature of a scandalous romance between a married woman and a 13-year-old that was a tabloid staple when it happened 20 years ago. As in the high-profile romance between teacher Letourneau and Vili Fualaau, Moore’s character served time for seducing an underaged teen, but eventually married the kid and they moved away to raise a family and live quietly.
“It’s just made all of us feel emboldened,” Haynes told Deadline at the time.
Written by Samy Burch (its her first produced script), the film follows the nature of a scandalous romance between a married woman and a 13-year-old that was a tabloid staple when it happened 20 years ago. As in the high-profile romance between teacher Letourneau and Vili Fualaau, Moore’s character served time for seducing an underaged teen, but eventually married the kid and they moved away to raise a family and live quietly.
- 12/6/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
If I told you the best performance in a film featuring Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman would come from Charles Melton, an up-and-comer best known for "Riverdale," would you believe me? Well, if not, watch "May December."
Melton plays Joe Yoo; when he was 12 years old, Joe was groomed and molested at his afterschool pet store job by his supervisor, 36-year-old Gracie Atherton (Moore). Years later in 2015, Joe is married to Gracie with three kids, but while he acts the part of a suburban dad (at Gracie's repeated direction), it's a role he took on before he was ready. "May December" is inspired by the true story of Mary Kay Letourneau and Vili Fualaau. None of the three leads have enviable roles to play, though Melton has the most baldly sympathetic; a victim who hasn't come to terms with being one. Joe has limited emotional range, sure, but not because...
Melton plays Joe Yoo; when he was 12 years old, Joe was groomed and molested at his afterschool pet store job by his supervisor, 36-year-old Gracie Atherton (Moore). Years later in 2015, Joe is married to Gracie with three kids, but while he acts the part of a suburban dad (at Gracie's repeated direction), it's a role he took on before he was ready. "May December" is inspired by the true story of Mary Kay Letourneau and Vili Fualaau. None of the three leads have enviable roles to play, though Melton has the most baldly sympathetic; a victim who hasn't come to terms with being one. Joe has limited emotional range, sure, but not because...
- 12/6/2023
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
It’s the most exciting time of Charles Melton’s career — and he’s spent much of it asleep.
“There’s a lot of gratitude. I also never knew I was capable of taking so many naps in one day,” Melton says. “I’m just sleeping.”
Oh, don’t get him wrong: The past few weeks have seen a whirlwind of promotional work and accolades for the May December actor. The 32-year-old made kimchi for a New York Times profile, did spots on morning shows, humorously fumbled his Gotham Awards trophy,...
“There’s a lot of gratitude. I also never knew I was capable of taking so many naps in one day,” Melton says. “I’m just sleeping.”
Oh, don’t get him wrong: The past few weeks have seen a whirlwind of promotional work and accolades for the May December actor. The 32-year-old made kimchi for a New York Times profile, did spots on morning shows, humorously fumbled his Gotham Awards trophy,...
- 12/6/2023
- by CT Jones
- Rollingstone.com
Any movie that gets made is nothing short of a small miracle, so when the final product is as unfathomably good as "May December," it's worth celebrating. Todd Haynes' newest film is a striking, discomforting story of an actor (Natalie Portman) shadowing the life of a woman (Julianne Moore) she'll be playing in a movie based on the woman's notorious marriage to the man she groomed when she was 36 and he was only 12. It's a ghastly situation loosely based on the real lives of Mary Kay Letourneau (Rip Bozo) and Vili Fualaau, presented in the beautifully complex and gasp-inducing melodrama that could only come from Todd Haynes. The score is perfect, the camera work is masterful, the acting performances are some of the best of the year, and Samy Burch's script is a revelation. And to think it all almost fell apart before it ever began.
Cinematographer Edward Lachman...
Cinematographer Edward Lachman...
- 12/5/2023
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
Viewers who assume Todd Haynes’ May December is a thinly veiled revisit of the Mary Kay Letourneau story aren’t exactly wrong, nor are those who flip on the Netflix movie hoping for something a bit tawdry and high camp. But those viewers also play right into Haynes’ hands, as his movie is a more thoughtful look at the complex individuals behind the tabloid fodder and the flimsy line between understanding and exploitation.
Elizabeth (Natalie Portman) is an actress who arrives in a Savannah neighborhood to study Gracie (Julianne Moore), a woman who, years back, slept with her teenage coworker, Joe (Charles Melton), went to prison, had his baby and married him. A movie is being made about the affair and Elizabeth is portraying Gracie. She comes to town eager to take on a meatier role than the one she has on the TV show Nora’s Ark – which is popular,...
Elizabeth (Natalie Portman) is an actress who arrives in a Savannah neighborhood to study Gracie (Julianne Moore), a woman who, years back, slept with her teenage coworker, Joe (Charles Melton), went to prison, had his baby and married him. A movie is being made about the affair and Elizabeth is portraying Gracie. She comes to town eager to take on a meatier role than the one she has on the TV show Nora’s Ark – which is popular,...
- 12/5/2023
- by Chris Williams
- CinemaNerdz
When the media adaptation of a real-life crime scenario, especially sexual abuse, is in question, the perspective and predicament of the victim deserve most of the attention, as there is a risk of misinterpretation if the makers are not sincere enough. Todd Haynes, director of May December, a drama inspired by the scandalous ‘relationship’ between Mary Kay Letourneau, a middle-aged teacher who seduced her 6th grade student, Vili Fualaau, understood the assignment well. Accordingly, in the movie, greater importance was given to the character of Joe Yoo—the movie’s version of Vili Fualaau’s character—which made viewers able to learn how traumatic and even subliminal the impact of sexual abuse can be.
As the events of the movie take place two decades after the scandalous incident, at a time when Joe has raised a family with Gracie (Mary Kay’s character in the movie), an exploration of Joe’s psyche—and,...
As the events of the movie take place two decades after the scandalous incident, at a time when Joe has raised a family with Gracie (Mary Kay’s character in the movie), an exploration of Joe’s psyche—and,...
- 12/4/2023
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
In any form of adaptation of real-life events, even the direct ones, the formation of a barrier between fact and fiction turns out to be the most crucial indicator by which to measure the qualitative aspects of the said adaptation—more so in the case of crime-oriented cases. So often, it happens that for mass appeal, reality is distorted in adaptations, thereby trivializing the impact of a crime on the lives of the people involved. In that regard, May December, a movie adaptation of one of the most sensitive scandals in the United States—the infamous case of Mary Kay Letourneau, a middle-aged woman who seduced one of her minor students and went on to have a family with him—was always going to be the most scrutinized entry. Most importantly, the way Mary Kay as a person became a household ‘topic’ during the late 90s due to the media...
- 12/3/2023
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
May December.“This isn’t a story, this is my fucking life!” That’s Joe, in Todd Haynes’s May December, talking about his relationship with his wife, Gracie, which began when he was in seventh grade. Their life together is most definitely a story to Elizabeth (Natalie Portman), a TV-famous actor shadowing the couple in preparation for playing Gracie in a movie. Haynes teases out the power dynamics in the taboo relationship and the process of its dramatization, as life transforms into a story (and back again). Grace now has three children with Joe, and more from her previous marriage, which broke up with the discovery of their affair, for which she served time in prison. “Baby Born Behind Bars” blares a tabloid headline glimpsed during the film, but May December imagines what things look like when the aftermath of a scandal simply becomes life as lived.Some audiences...
- 12/3/2023
- MUBI
Plot: An ambitious actress (Natalie Portman) shadows an infamous former tabloid figure (Julianne Moore) she’s playing in a movie.
Review: May December is loosely based on the Mary Kay Letourneau case. This was one of the biggest tabloid stories of the nineties. Letourneau was a convicted pedophile, being a school teacher who had an affair with her 12-year-old student. Despite initially getting off with a minor prison sentence, she continued her relationship with the boy, eventually becoming pregnant by him. She spent seven years in jail, but, in perhaps the strangest twist of all, when she got released, she married her now adult former victim.
May December isn’t precisely a Mary Kay Letourneau film, but Julianne Moore plays a woman very closely patterned on her. In the movie, her composite character, Gracie, has been out of jail for many years and has settled into a supposedly idyllic life with her former victim-turned-husband,...
Review: May December is loosely based on the Mary Kay Letourneau case. This was one of the biggest tabloid stories of the nineties. Letourneau was a convicted pedophile, being a school teacher who had an affair with her 12-year-old student. Despite initially getting off with a minor prison sentence, she continued her relationship with the boy, eventually becoming pregnant by him. She spent seven years in jail, but, in perhaps the strangest twist of all, when she got released, she married her now adult former victim.
May December isn’t precisely a Mary Kay Letourneau film, but Julianne Moore plays a woman very closely patterned on her. In the movie, her composite character, Gracie, has been out of jail for many years and has settled into a supposedly idyllic life with her former victim-turned-husband,...
- 12/3/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Todd Haynes' "May December" is the most deliberately uncomfortable movie of 2023, but you owe yourself a viewing. Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Julianne Moore) is a middle-aged woman with a husband, Joe (Charles Melton), less than half her age; they met when he was in 7th grade and she groomed him.
Before you ask, no, depiction is not an endorsement here. Gracie is self-pitying and manipulative, Joe is trapped in arrested development, and the movie hammers in how destructive their "relationship" has been for him; part of him wants to escape but doesn't know how. "May December" enters murky waters to ask tough questions about the audience's relationship to sensationalism.
As Haynes has acknowledged, Samy Burch's screenplay is loosely inspired by the life of Mary Kay Letourneau, a real predator who married her victim Vili Fualaau after being convicted in 1997. These events were a media sensation and have been echoed in film before,...
Before you ask, no, depiction is not an endorsement here. Gracie is self-pitying and manipulative, Joe is trapped in arrested development, and the movie hammers in how destructive their "relationship" has been for him; part of him wants to escape but doesn't know how. "May December" enters murky waters to ask tough questions about the audience's relationship to sensationalism.
As Haynes has acknowledged, Samy Burch's screenplay is loosely inspired by the life of Mary Kay Letourneau, a real predator who married her victim Vili Fualaau after being convicted in 1997. These events were a media sensation and have been echoed in film before,...
- 12/2/2023
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
The intellectual faculty of the human mind is as fascinating for its complexity as it is for its unpredictability. With sincere misguidance, provocation, or inconvenience, it can shun the revered structures of moral and ethical foundation, which we pretend to so dearly uphold as the core of society. Accordingly, in the age of post-truth, the media plays a significant role in debilitating these foundations as well, through its all-pervasive influence and ability to distort reality. Todd Haynes’ movie May December examines the media’s responsibility in this regard as the movie takes a closer look at one of the United States’ most notorious, scandalous incidents.
During the late 1990s, the infamous case of an elementary school teacher named Mary Kay Letourneau, created a nationwide furor in USA. The woman had started a physical relationship with a minor, Vili Fualaau, who was a student in her class. Thanks to the media...
During the late 1990s, the infamous case of an elementary school teacher named Mary Kay Letourneau, created a nationwide furor in USA. The woman had started a physical relationship with a minor, Vili Fualaau, who was a student in her class. Thanks to the media...
- 12/2/2023
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
In Todd Haynes’ Netflix drama “May December,” the subject of a decades-old tabloid sex scandal is visited by a famous actress set to portray her in a film.
Julianne Moore plays Gracie Atherton-Yoo, who was 36 years old when she was caught having sex with Joe, a 13-year-old boy who worked with her at a pet store. After having his first child from behind bars, Gracie began her life with Joe (Charles Melton), who is now the same age Gracie was when they first met. Gracie and Joe have three children together, the youngest of them about to graduate high school, and are settling into quiet suburban life when Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman) arrives at their waterfront home to study her subject and rock the boat.
If the story feels ripped from the headlines, that’s because the film is loosely inspired by the Mary Kay Letourneau tabloid scandal of the late-1990s.
Julianne Moore plays Gracie Atherton-Yoo, who was 36 years old when she was caught having sex with Joe, a 13-year-old boy who worked with her at a pet store. After having his first child from behind bars, Gracie began her life with Joe (Charles Melton), who is now the same age Gracie was when they first met. Gracie and Joe have three children together, the youngest of them about to graduate high school, and are settling into quiet suburban life when Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman) arrives at their waterfront home to study her subject and rock the boat.
If the story feels ripped from the headlines, that’s because the film is loosely inspired by the Mary Kay Letourneau tabloid scandal of the late-1990s.
- 12/1/2023
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
Todd Haynes’ latest movie May December may not seem like a traditional true crime tale, but Gracie (Julianne Moore) and Joe’s (Charles Melton) story is based on the real life “relationship” between Seattle teacher Mary Kay Letourneau and her student Vili Fualaau that began in the late ‘90s. While there were obviously some changes made to fictionalize their story for dramatic effect, a lot of what May December depicts isn’t terribly far off from the truth.
In 1997, Letourneau gained nationwide attention after she was arrested on two counts of second-degree child rape, which she eventually pleaded guilty to after she was found to have had a sexual relationship with Fualaau. Because Fualaau was only 13 and a minor at the time of Letourneau’s arrest, his identity was largely kept a secret, leaving Letourneau and her legal team to craft the narrative that the media ultimately ran with.
Rather...
In 1997, Letourneau gained nationwide attention after she was arrested on two counts of second-degree child rape, which she eventually pleaded guilty to after she was found to have had a sexual relationship with Fualaau. Because Fualaau was only 13 and a minor at the time of Letourneau’s arrest, his identity was largely kept a secret, leaving Letourneau and her legal team to craft the narrative that the media ultimately ran with.
Rather...
- 12/1/2023
- by Brynnaarens
- Den of Geek
Zack Snyder’s latest big-budget effects-driven feature, an awards contender from Todd Haynes, Bradley Cooper’s sensitive portrayal of an American icon, a beloved follow-up to an Aardman classic and the conclusion of The Crown are some of the highlights of a jam-packed December schedule on Netflix.
Haynes’ drama May December debuts on Netflix on Dec. 1. Loosely inspired by the story of Mary Kay Letourneau, the film, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival this year, is led by A-listers Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore and also stars Charles Melton, who was named best supporting actor by New York critics this week.
Sam Esmail’s feature Leave the World Behind is another heavyweight addition to Netflix in December. Starring Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali and Ethan Hawke, the psychological thriller tells the story of survival in a world on the brink of collapse. Written, directed and produced by Esmail, the film...
Haynes’ drama May December debuts on Netflix on Dec. 1. Loosely inspired by the story of Mary Kay Letourneau, the film, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival this year, is led by A-listers Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore and also stars Charles Melton, who was named best supporting actor by New York critics this week.
Sam Esmail’s feature Leave the World Behind is another heavyweight addition to Netflix in December. Starring Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali and Ethan Hawke, the psychological thriller tells the story of survival in a world on the brink of collapse. Written, directed and produced by Esmail, the film...
- 12/1/2023
- by Abid Rahman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
This article contains major spoilers for "May December."
As far back as the Middle Ages, springtime months were frequently depicted in literature as young women, while the later, winter months as old men. The great Geoffrey Chaucer even included a couple in "The Canterbury Tales" named Miss May and Mr. January who were depicted as a young woman and a graying old man. This was written before the Gregorian calendar was accepted which established December as the last month of the year, so updated versions often change his name to "Mr. December." And thus, the expression "May December" was born, a shorthand expression to indicate a large age gap between romantic couples. This is the source of the title of Todd Haynes' latest film, "May December," a delicious melodrama about humanity and boundaries inspired by the real-life scandal and subsequent marriage of 34-year-old Mary Kay Letourneau and her 12-year-old student,...
As far back as the Middle Ages, springtime months were frequently depicted in literature as young women, while the later, winter months as old men. The great Geoffrey Chaucer even included a couple in "The Canterbury Tales" named Miss May and Mr. January who were depicted as a young woman and a graying old man. This was written before the Gregorian calendar was accepted which established December as the last month of the year, so updated versions often change his name to "Mr. December." And thus, the expression "May December" was born, a shorthand expression to indicate a large age gap between romantic couples. This is the source of the title of Todd Haynes' latest film, "May December," a delicious melodrama about humanity and boundaries inspired by the real-life scandal and subsequent marriage of 34-year-old Mary Kay Letourneau and her 12-year-old student,...
- 12/1/2023
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
May December, the latest from director Todd Haynes, inspired by an infamous scandal, goes to some mighty dark places. Julianne Moore is Gracie Atherton, a suburban woman who ignited a media frenzy when, at 36, she had an affair with seventh-grader Joe Yoo (Riverdale’s Charles Melton). She’s now married to Yoo and living away from the spotlight in Savannah, but her sordid past comes back to haunt her when actress Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman) visits the pair to research her role as Gracie for a movie. “As Elizabeth observes and studies Gracie and her world, and gets to know Joe, her reliability as a narrator begins to falter,” notes Haynes of the film, based in part on the real-life 1997 case involving the late suburban Seattle teacher Mary Kay Letourneau and the sixth-grade student she had an affair with, and eventually married. (Credit: François Duhamel / Courtesy of Netflix) “[Elizabeth’s] investment in...
- 11/30/2023
- TV Insider
On December 6, the 2023 IndieWire Honors ceremony will celebrate 11 filmmakers, creators, and actors for their achievements in creative independence. We’re showcasing their work with new interviews leading up to the Los Angeles event.
From Cate Blanchett’s meet-cute hat-tip to shopgirl Rooney Mara in “Carol” and Julianne Moore’s farewell on a train platform to Dennis Haysbert at the end of “Far from Heaven” to, now, Natalie Portman’s straight-to-the-camera monologue as an actress playing an actress who is also playing another role in “May December,” Todd Haynes might not see his images as destined-to-be-iconic while on set as we do on our screens. At first.
That’s partly because, for the Oscar-nominated filmmaker upon whom IndieWire Honors will bestow the Vanguard Award on December 6 in Los Angeles, “every film has been a tremendous challenge in terms of resources and time and financing. I’ve always felt that I have...
From Cate Blanchett’s meet-cute hat-tip to shopgirl Rooney Mara in “Carol” and Julianne Moore’s farewell on a train platform to Dennis Haysbert at the end of “Far from Heaven” to, now, Natalie Portman’s straight-to-the-camera monologue as an actress playing an actress who is also playing another role in “May December,” Todd Haynes might not see his images as destined-to-be-iconic while on set as we do on our screens. At first.
That’s partly because, for the Oscar-nominated filmmaker upon whom IndieWire Honors will bestow the Vanguard Award on December 6 in Los Angeles, “every film has been a tremendous challenge in terms of resources and time and financing. I’ve always felt that I have...
- 11/29/2023
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Very early on in Todd Haynes‘ May December, Julianne Moore is prepping for a BBQ. Her character, Gracie, is a suburban mom in Savannah, Georgia, idly chatting to a neighbor in a spacious, tastefully decorated kitchen. Her husband wanders through, grabbing a beer before going back outside to man the grill. Their kids and several friends are running around in the backyard. Gracie has just mentioned that a visitor is expected soon when she walks over to the refrigerator. As the light from the open fridge door illuminates her in profile,...
- 11/29/2023
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
Clockwise from top left: Leave The World Behind (Netflix), Maestro (Netflix), Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child Of Fire (Netflix)Image: The A.V. Club
Just in time for the holidays, Netflix is stuffing stockings with high-profile originals and blockbuster favorites. The new arrivals include Rebel Moon – Part One:...
Just in time for the holidays, Netflix is stuffing stockings with high-profile originals and blockbuster favorites. The new arrivals include Rebel Moon – Part One:...
- 11/28/2023
- by Robert DeSalvo
- avclub.com
Contrary to what you might think based on the plethora of Christmas films and TV series that flooded the streaming landscape recently, we're only now heading into the final month of 2023 and the winter holiday bonanza that comes with them. For Netflix, in particular, December is a time when it pulls out the big guns, tempting its subscribers with an eclectic blend of prestige television, awards season contenders, and crowd-pleasers. This year, that includes the end of the royal drama with "The Crown" season 6, part 2, Bradley Cooper going for the gold (again) with his Leonard Bernstein biopic "Maestro," and whatever the hell Zack Snyder has cooked up for us with the first half of his two-part "Star Wars"-inspired cosmic epic, "Rebel Moon -- Part One: A Child of Fire."
However, in lieu of focusing on the releases that are positioned to soak up the bulk of everyone's attention, I...
However, in lieu of focusing on the releases that are positioned to soak up the bulk of everyone's attention, I...
- 11/27/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
May December, the title of Todd Haynes’s latest drama, reflects the director’s dance card for the year: having opened in Cannes, the Netflix title has been a festival favorite ever since, and will likely hang in there until voting closes after Christmas. Its two star names, Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, have been getting curious audiences through the doors, but what keeps the film playing in everyone’s minds is the moral maze of questions it poses.
Inspired by the real-life case of Mary Kay Letourneau, a Seattle teacher who went to prison for molesting a pupil and then, on release, married him, it stars Portman as Elizabeth Berry, an actress gearing up to play the part of Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Moore), a cheerful suburban mother with a checkered past, in an upcoming biopic. But just as important as these two A-listers is newcomer Charles Melton, a young model-turned-actor who plays Joe,...
Inspired by the real-life case of Mary Kay Letourneau, a Seattle teacher who went to prison for molesting a pupil and then, on release, married him, it stars Portman as Elizabeth Berry, an actress gearing up to play the part of Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Moore), a cheerful suburban mother with a checkered past, in an upcoming biopic. But just as important as these two A-listers is newcomer Charles Melton, a young model-turned-actor who plays Joe,...
- 11/25/2023
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
Natalie Portman calls Todd Haynes’ new film, “May December,” a “dream role.”
“May December” stars Portman as actress Elizabeth Berry (Portman), who is set to portray Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Julianne Moore) in a movie. Gracie is a Georgia woman who became a notorious tabloid figure when she engaged in a sexual relationship with a 12-year-old boy, Joe.
Twenty years have passed, and Gracie is trying to move on from the scandal. But to prepare for her upcoming role, Elizabeth visits Gracie and Joe (Charles Melton), who is now 36. The couple is still together, married with children, but Elizabeth’s arrival exposes the fractures beneath their carefully constructed surface.
“There are so many refractions that all mirrors the work Todd put into it,” Portman says. “How you see the characters with Samy [Burch]’s writing, where it switches as soon as you think you know something about them. You’re never sure or...
“May December” stars Portman as actress Elizabeth Berry (Portman), who is set to portray Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Julianne Moore) in a movie. Gracie is a Georgia woman who became a notorious tabloid figure when she engaged in a sexual relationship with a 12-year-old boy, Joe.
Twenty years have passed, and Gracie is trying to move on from the scandal. But to prepare for her upcoming role, Elizabeth visits Gracie and Joe (Charles Melton), who is now 36. The couple is still together, married with children, but Elizabeth’s arrival exposes the fractures beneath their carefully constructed surface.
“There are so many refractions that all mirrors the work Todd put into it,” Portman says. “How you see the characters with Samy [Burch]’s writing, where it switches as soon as you think you know something about them. You’re never sure or...
- 11/23/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
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