THE TALE
US, 2018, 114 minutes, Colour.
Laura Dern, Isabelle Nelisse, Ellen Burstyn, Elizabeth Debicki, Frances Conroy, Jason Ritter, John Heard, Common, Laura Allen, Tina Parker, Isabella Amara, Jodi Long.
Directed by Jennifer Fox.
The Tale makes quite an impact.
In the early decades of the 21st-century, there was a much greater consciousness of sexual abuse, in families, in institutions, and a revelation about grooming victims.
This film was written and directed by Jennifer Fox, drawing on personal experiences. At the centre of the film is Jennifer, played persuasively by Laura Dern as an adult, Isabelle Nelisse as a teenager. The screenplay intersects Jennifer’s life as an adult, challenged by a story that she wrote when she was 13 and her mother (Ellen Burstyn) has found and is questioning with the sequences of Jennifer as a 13-year-old and her grooming and sexual experiences.
In many ways, Jennifer has forgotten the past experiences, seeing herself as the hero of her story, making her own decisions, rather than as a victim and as a survivor. However, the revelation of the story stirs all kinds of memories, her being challenged by her mother, memories of her mother in the past and clashes with her father, her going to a summer camp where she was under the supervision of a champion horsewoman, Mrs G (Elisabeth Debicki). There was also an athletics instructor, a champion athlete, Bill Allens (Jason Ritter).
Jennifer is also being challenged by her boyfriend, Martin (Common) and she resists his seeming interference.
The film is strong in its presentation of Jennifer’s story at age 13, the role of Mrs G and her selection of victims and the sinister smoothness of Bill and his dialogue of flattery leading to sexual assault.
Ultimately, Jennifer has to make a decision, discovering Bill’s address, going to visit Mrs G (Frances Conroy) and other women who were girls with her at the summer camp. Bill is being honoured and she goes to the ceremony, openly denouncing him.
The final sequence has a room in which the older Jennifer is sitting reflecting on her life with the younger Jennifer.
A very topical film with a significant story and impact.
1. The impact of this film? Issues and characters? The background of sexual abuse, of girls and women? The atmosphere of Me#Too? Exposure of abuses?
2. The contemporary story, Jennifer, her work in India, the documentary, the interviews with the women, sexual abuse? Her work, editing? The university lectures and rapport with the students? Her relationships, with Martin? With her mother? Her age, involvement in life, the challenge to her memories? Coping and not coping?
3. The story from her childhood, age 13, her letters and her mother finding them, her mother puzzled? The mother’s memories? The challenge to Jennifer?
4. Her past, as a girl, the rest of the family, relationship with her mother, her father, her parents’ clashes? Going to the farm, the summer camp? The personality of Mrs G, working with her, the coaching, the riding? Winning the equestrian performance? The introduction to Bill, the athletics? Brenda and Fran and their presence? The later memories of Iris? The dramatising of this past, the scenes, the farm, riding…?
5. The action of the film in Jennifer’s mind and memory? Her dialogues with the range of characters, especially her younger self?
6. The story, her reading it, the teacher’s response, the good assessment? Going back to the story, the provocation of her mother, looking again at the experiences, trusting her memories, distrusting her memories? Audience suspicions about what happened to her?
7. Mrs G, in herself, pleasant, her age, skill with the horses, the equestrian show and her encouraging Jennifer? The background of Mr G? The presence of Bill, the relationship with Mrs G, declaring the affair? Audiences looking at Mrs G’s behaviour, realising that she was grooming the girls for Bill? Her own sexual involvement? Jennifer’s later visits to Mrs G, as a personality, old, defensive, the memories, unwilling to look at the truth, her admissions?
8. Bill, his background, athletics, achievement, at the camp, with Mrs G, the attraction to Jennifer, praising her, admiring her, at his home, the talks with her mother, the gifts, and her mother being satisfied his explanations? With Mrs G, the affair? Jennifer staying over, the night, the reading of the poems, the way that Bill saw her, leading up to the sexual encounter, her experience, a rape sequence, the sickness afterwards?
9. Martin, his character, his work, living with Jennifer? His concern? The letters, his interpretation of Bill’s behaviour as rape? Her reaction, ousting him? Wanting to make her own decisions, explorations?
10. The relationship with her mother, her mother’s character? Her mother’s presence in the flashbacks, with her husband, with Bill, with Jennifer herself? Not knowing what was going on and not able to admit it? Bill and the gifts, her mother remembering and puzzling?
11. Jennifer, her decision to probe, remembering, the detail of the affair, her ability to give consent or not, her determination that she had made a decision, at 13, the experience of sex, her bleeding, vomiting? Yet seeing herself as a heroine rather than as a victim?
12. The visits to Mrs G, the questioning of Iris, remembering, the issue of the threesome? The revelations of Mrs G? The visit to Iris, the discussions, the truth?
13. Visiting Fran and Becky, their memories of the life, giving the information to Jennifer?
14. Phone calls, the detective, getting Bill’s address, calls and messages, his not answering?
15. Her decision concerning Bill, the freedom to go to confronting him, moving beyond the past, going to the ceremony, her hesitation, Martin outside, Bill and the speeches, the medals, his changing over the years, acclamation of the community? Jennifer meeting Bill’s wife, talking, the guests at the party, speaking aloud, denunciation, Bill and his denial, a sense of freedom by the confrontation?
16. The flashback of the young Jennifer, reading in the class, stating to the teacher that this was a fiction?
17. Her talking with a younger self, the process of dealing with the past, conversations with her inner child? The finale with the two dialoguing?
18. The consciousness of sexual abuse, the impact on people, memories, the abuses? The effect of watching this film?
