Dear Zoe (film)

Last updated
Dear Zoe
Dear Zoe 2022 film poster.png
Official release poster
Directed by Gren Wells
Written by
  • Marc Lhormer
  • Melissa Martin
Based on Dear Zoe
by Philip Beard
Produced by
  • Marc Lhormer
  • Brenda Lhormer
  • Peter Phok
  • Christopher H. Warner
Starring
CinematographyJoel Schwartz
Edited byRachel Katz
Music by Michael Yezerski
Production
companies
  • Zin Haze Productions
  • Resonate Entertainment
Release date
  • November 4, 2022 (2022-11-04)
Running time
96 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Dear Zoe is a 2022 American drama film directed by Gren Wells from a screenplay by Marc Lhormer and Melissa Martin. It is an adaptation of the 2005 novel of the same name by Philip Beard. The film stars Sadie Sink, Theo Rossi, Kweku Collins, Jessica Capshaw, Justin Bartha, and Vivien Lyra Blair.

Contents

Plot

Fifteen-year-old Tess DeNunzio lives in Pittsburgh with her mother Elly, stepfather David, and younger half-sister Em. Tess’s biological father Nick, a German shepherd breeder, lives nearby in a poorer neighborhood. After Tess’s three-year-old half-sister, Zoe, died in a hit-and-run accident on September 11 while Tess was supposed to be watching her, Tess helped David care for Em while Elly coped with depression. The family attends therapy together, though Tess feels excluded from David and Elly’s grief. Tess has a breakdown after discovering of Elly's emotional affair with Justin, a much younger grocery store clerk. Tess moves in with Nick, though she regrets abandoning Em. Tess begins to care for one of Nick’s puppies, whom she names Frank. Nick agrees to drive Em home from school so that the sisters can spend time together. Tess and Nick attend church together, but she runs from the church screaming when a hymn reminds her of 9/11.

Tess is attracted to her neighbor, Jimmy Freeze, who claims to know her father. She offers him a beer, but Nick intervenes and instructs her not to socialize with him. When a suspicious man approaches Tess on the porch with a wad of cash, Tess realizes that Nick is dealing drugs out of the back of his truck. Tess confronts her father, who doesn’t stop selling drugs, but gives the man a black eye for appearing at his home. One night, Jimmy climbs through Tess’s window. While smoking weed together, Jimmy reveals he struggles to bond with his father and stepmother, and was sent to a correctional facility. He also discusses his mother’s death, though Tess doesn’t mention Zoe. They kiss goodnight. Jimmy continues to visit her at night, but Tess keeps their developing relationship a secret from Nick.

When summer begins, Em feels isolated, as she only sees Tess on rides home from school. Tess and Elly begin to have weekly phone calls, during which Tess notes that they’re both improving and Elly admits she’s afraid of losing Tess, which Tess promises won’t happen. Though missing Em and Elly, Tess continues to live with Nick, finding it easier to forget Zoe there. Jimmy gets Tess a summer job at an amusement park where he works. Soon, Jimmy and Tess profess their love for one another. One day, Tess runs into Em and David at the amusement park, though Em refuses to acknowledge Tess.

On the evening of Tess’s 17th birthday, Nick and Jimmy are both arrested; Tess realizes Jimmy sells drugs with her father. Her mother brings her presents; Tess tells her about the park and Jimmy. When Nick and Jimmy arrive home, they accidentally hit Frank with the truck. Nick takes Frank to the vet, and Jimmy stays with Tess. As they begin to have sex for the first time, the noise from the headboard and the image of Frank being run over trigger Tess’s memories of Zoe’s death. They stop, and Tess tells Jimmy the story: Tess missed the school bus, and her mother instructed her to watch Zoe outside. Tess ran inside to watch news coverage of 9/11, and returned to find Zoe stepping off the curb, only to be hit by a car. Jimmy assures Tess that he still loves her. Nick calls later to say Frank is okay.

Later that night, Tess wakes up Nick, asking to see a picture of Zoe. Nick drives Tess to her old house, where Tess decides she’s going to stay. She joins Em in bed, who reveals that she’s been sleeping with a picture of Zoe under her pillow. Nick lets Tess keep Frank, and after they depart, Tess stands in the grass where Zoe landed after the car accident. After moving back in with Elly and David, Tess continues visiting church with her father, seeing Jimmy, and seeing a therapist with her family. She begins carrying the photo of Zoe with her at all times so she can look at it when she wants to.

Cast

Production

Filming began in October 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and concluded in November 2019. The film spent an extended period of time in pre-production, with the novel originally optioned in 2010. [1] Production occurred in Pittsburgh, with a primarily local crew. [2]

Release

The film was released in select theatres and on demand starting November 4, 2022. [3] It was released on DVD on December 13, 2022. It was released on Blu-ray on February 14, 2023.

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 71% of 14 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.0/10. [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>McLeods Daughters</i> 2001-2009 Popular Australian TV dramatic series

McLeod's Daughters is an Australian drama television series created by Posie Graeme-Evans and Caroline Stanton for the Nine Network, which aired from 8 August 2001, to 31 January 2009, lasting eight seasons. It stars Lisa Chappell and Bridie Carter in the leading roles as two sisters reunited after twenty years of separation, thrust into a working relationship when they inherit their family's cattle station in South Australia. The series is produced by Millennium Television, in association with Nine Films and Television and Southern Star. Graeme-Evans, Kris Noble and Susan Bower served as the original executive producers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoe Tate</span> Fictional character from Emmerdale

Zoe Tate is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Leah Bracknell. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 12 December 1989. Zoe was involved in many major storylines during her time on the soap, including the deaths of her father Frank and brother Chris, the betrayal and departure of her stepmother Kim, coming out as lesbian and a battle with schizophrenia. Zoe became the first lesbian character in a British soap opera when she came out in 1993. She departed on 22 September 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charity Dingle</span> Fictional character from Emmerdale

Charity Dingle is a fictional character from the British television soap opera Emmerdale, played by Emma Atkins. Suranne Jones originally auditioned for the role of Charity prior to Atkins being cast in the role. The actress began filming her first scenes in February 2000, and she made her first screen appearance as Charity during the episode broadcast on 30 March 2000. Actress Mica Proctor played a young Charity in a flashback episode about the character's past, which aired on 29 May 2018.

<i>The Rebound</i> 2009 American film

The Rebound is a 2009 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Bart Freundlich, starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Justin Bartha. It was released in theaters in several countries in late 2009. It was originally scheduled to be released in the United States on 25 December 2010, but was cancelled due to the film's distributor shutting down. It ended up going direct-to-DVD in the United States on 7 February 2012.

<i>Dear Zoe</i> 2004 novel by Philip Beard

Dear Zoe is an epistolary, young-adult novel by the American writer Philip Beard. which was first published in 2004. The narrator is fifteen-year-old Tess DeNunzio, who writes to her younger sister Zoe about her experiences after Zoe died. The novel is set in 2002 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and follows Tess's first year of high school.

<i>Flashdance</i> (musical) Musical

Flashdance is a stage musical based on the 1983 film of the same name with a book by Tom Hedley and Robert Cary, music by Robbie Roth and lyrics by Roth and Cary. The show had its world premiere in 2008 at the Theatre Royal in Plymouth, as part of a ten-month UK tour, followed by a London West End run at the Shaftesbury Theatre.

Tom King (<i>Emmerdale</i>) Fictional character from Emmerdale

Tom King is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale, who appeared on the show from 29 February 2004 before being killed off on 25 December 2006 in a long-running "whodunit" storyline dubbed, "Who Killed Tom King?". He was last seen on 27 December 2006 as a dead body in a morgue. Throughout his time on the show he was portrayed by Kenneth Farrington. Farrington decided to leave the show in 2006 but reprised the role briefly as a ghost in a "Text Santa" special on 20 December 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sadie King</span> Fictional character from Emmerdale

Sadie Carter is a fictional character from the British television soap opera Emmerdale, played by Patsy Kensit. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 10 May 2004. The character was introduced as the wife of Jimmy King, who arrived with his family in 2004. Kensit left the serial to accept a role on Holby City and Sadie made her final appearance on 21 September 2006. Kensit won the Best Bitch accolade for her portrayal of Sadie at the 2005 and 2006 Inside Soap Awards.

<i>Starlet</i> (film) 2012 film

Starlet is a 2012 independent drama film directed by Sean Baker and starring Dree Hemingway and newcomer Besedka Johnson. Starlet explores the unlikely friendship between 21-year-old Jane and 85-year-old Sadie, two women whose lives intersect in California's San Fernando Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoe Hanna</span> Fictional character from the BBC medical drama Casualty

Zoe Hanna is a fictional character in BBC's medical drama Casualty, portrayed by Sunetra Sarker. She first appeared in the series twenty-two episode "Take a Cup of Kindness", broadcast on 29 December 2007. The character was a consultant in emergency medicine at Holby City Hospital's emergency department. Sarker chose to take a temporary break from the show in 2014 and Zoe departed from the show in the series 28 episode "A Life Less Lived", broadcast on 23 August 2014. She returned in the series 29 episode "Return to Sender", broadcast on 25 October 2014. Sarker later decided to leave the series indefinitely, but producers asked that she did not announce her departure in order to surprise viewers. After over 8 years on-screen, Zoe departed the series in the series 30 episode "Hello, I Must Be Going", broadcast on 7 May 2016. It was confirmed in September 2017 that Zoe would return for a single episode. She appeared in the nineteenth episode of series 32, broadcast on 13 January 2018. Sarker reprised the role again in 2023 for two episodes linked to Charlie Fairhead's exit; they feature in series 38 and aired on the 9th and 16th of March 2024.

<i>The Hero of Color City</i> 2014 American film

The Hero of Color City is a 2014 animated musical adventure comedy film directed by Frank Gladstone and written by Jess Kedward, J.P. McCormick, Kirsty Peart, and Rich Raczelowski. The film stars the voices of Christina Ricci, Sean Astin, Owen Wilson, E.G. Daily, Jessica Capshaw, Rosie Perez, Craig Ferguson, Wayne Brady, Jess Harnell, and David Kaye. Original songs and score by Zoë Poledouris and Angel Roché Jr. The film follows Yellow, a yellow crayon and her gang of other crayons who find themselves living in a crayon box to save the unfinished drawings from a monster known as Trashasaur.

Amy Williams (<i>Neighbours</i>) Soap opera character

Amy Williams is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Zoe Cramond. The character was originally played by child actress Nicolette Minster in 1988, while Sheridan Compagnino took over the role for Amy's reappearance in 1992. In May 2015, it was announced Amy would be returning to Neighbours and Cramond was cast in the role. She made her first screen appearance as Amy on 2 June 2015. Amy is the eldest child of Paul Robinson.

<i>Dear Evan Hansen</i> 2015 American musical

Dear Evan Hansen is a coming-of-age stage musical with music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and a book by Steven Levenson. The musical follows Evan Hansen, a high school senior with social anxiety, "who invents an important role for himself in a tragedy that he did not earn".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sadie Sink</span> American actress (born 2002)

Sadie Elizabeth Sink is an American actress. She began acting at age seven in local theater productions and played the title role in Annie (2012–14) and young Elizabeth II in The Audience (2015) on Broadway. In 2016, she made her film debut in the biographical sports drama Chuck.

<i>Free Rein</i> British television series

Free Rein is a British drama television series created and written by Vicki Lutas and Anna McCleery. It stars Jaylen Barron, Navia Robinson and Freddy Carter. Produced in the UK by Lime Pictures, the ten-part Series 1 premiered on Netflix on 23 June 2017. Although the island where the series is set is fictional and unnamed, it is based on Anglesey, Wales and is referred to as "an island off the coast of England" throughout the programme. The second series premiered on 6 July 2018. Shortly afterwards, Free Rein was renewed for a third series, as well as two feature-length special episodes. Free Rein: The 12 Neighs of Christmas, premiered on 7 December 2018. The second special, Free Rein: Valentine’s Day, premiered on 1 February 2019. The third series, consisting of 10 episodes, premiered on 6 July 2019. In January 2021, cast member Céline Buckens confirmed that the series had concluded.

<i>The Boogeyman</i> (2023 film) American film by Rob Savage

The Boogeyman is a 2023 American supernatural horror film directed by Rob Savage from a screenplay by Scott Beck, Bryan Woods, and Mark Heyman, and a screen story by Beck and Woods. Based on the 1973 short story of the same name by Stephen King, the film follows a family that becomes haunted by the Boogeyman after a troubled man visits and inadvertently brings the creature to them. The ensemble cast includes Sophie Thatcher, Chris Messina, Vivien Lyra Blair, and David Dastmalchian.

Vivien Lyra Blair is an American child actress. She made her debut in Band Aid (2017) and rose to prominence for her role as Girl in Bird Box (2018). Blair garnered further recognition for her appearances in video game Telling Lies (2019) and superhero film We Can Be Heroes (2020). In 2022, she received critical praise for her portrayal of Leia Organa in the streaming series Obi-Wan Kenobi. She later had a supporting role in the horror film The Boogeyman (2023).

References

  1. Williams, Kate (December 12, 2019). "Sonoma movie producers wrap Dear Zoe". Sonoma Index-Tribune. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  2. Tabachnick, Toby (December 5, 2019). "Pittsburgh native brings Dear Zoe to film". Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  3. Complex, Valerie (2022-07-19). "Byron Allen's Freestyle Digital Media Acquires Drama Film Dear Zoe Starring Sadie Sink". Deadline. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  4. "Dear Zoe". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved February 3, 2023.