Martha & Ethel

Last updated
Martha & Ethel
Directed by Jyll Johnstone
Produced by Jyll Johnstone
Barbara Ettinger
StarringMartha Kneifel
Ethel Edwards
Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics
Release date
  • March 8, 1995 (1995-03-08)
Running time
78 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Martha & Ethel is a 1994 documentary film directed by Jyll Johnstone. It premiered at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival [1] and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize. It was subsequently nominated for a Directors Guild of America award, losing to Steve James for Hoop Dreams. [2] The film was distributed in theaters by Sony Pictures Classics and on home video by Columbia TriStar Home Video.

Contents

Synopsis

Martha & Ethel tells the stories of two women in their 80s: a German-Catholic woman named Martha and an African-American woman named Ethel, the former nannies of director/producer Jyll Johnstone and co-producer Barbara Ettinger. It examines each woman’s background and hiring into affluent New York families. The Johnstone and Ettinger children, now grown, reflect on how Martha and Ethel played formative—and often confusing—roles in their lives.

Reception

Upon release, the film received mostly positive reviews. It currently (as of August 2009) maintains a 100% "freshness" rating on review aggregation website rottentomatoes.com, based on five reviews. [3] Roger Ebert gave the film three stars and called it "as fascinating for what it doesn't say as for what it does." [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Terrorist</i> (1998 film) 1998 Indian film

The Terrorist is an Indian Tamil film directed by Santosh Sivan. The film portrays a period in the life of a 19-year-old woman, Malli, sent to assassinate a leader in South Asia through a suicide bombing. It stars Dharker, K. Krishna and Sonu Sisupal. Released in 1998, the film was shot in 15 days, with natural lighting, on a budget of $50,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Ebert</span> American film critic, author (1942–2013)

Roger Joseph Ebert was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert became the first film critic to win the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. Neil Steinberg of the Chicago Sun-Times said Ebert "was without question the nation's most prominent and influential film critic," and Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times called him "the best-known film critic in America."

<i>Hoop Dreams</i> 1994 American film

Hoop Dreams is a 1994 American documentary film directed by Steve James, and produced by Frederick Marx, James, and Peter Gilbert, with Kartemquin Films. It follows the story of two African-American high school students, William Gates and Arthur Agee, in Chicago and their dream of becoming professional basketball players.

<i>The Spitfire Grill</i> 1996 American film

The Spitfire Grill is a 1996 American film written and directed by Lee David Zlotoff and starring Alison Elliott, Ellen Burstyn, Marcia Gay Harden, Will Patton, Kieran Mulroney and Gailard Sartain. It tells a story of a woman who was just released from prison and goes to work in a small-town café known as The Spitfire Grill.

<i>To Sleep with Anger</i> 1990 film by Charles Burnett

To Sleep with Anger is a 1990 American black comedy film written and directed by Charles Burnett.

Home Page is a 1999 documentary by Doug Block on the genesis of weblogs and the lives of early independent content producers on the Internet. It was filmed between 1996 and 1998. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and was released in limited theaters in New York City, while being made available on home video and on iFilm, simultaneously.

Ramin Bahrani American film director

Ramin Bahrani is an American director and screenwriter. Film critic Roger Ebert ranked Bahrani's Chop Shop (2007) as the sixth-best film of the 2000s, calling him "the new director of the decade". Bahrani was the recipient of the 2009 Guggenheim Fellowship. Bahrani is a professor of film directing at his alma mater the Columbia University School of the Arts.

Eric Byler American film director

Eric Byler is an American film director, screenwriter and political activist.

<i>Ballast</i> (film) 2008 American film

Ballast is a 2008 film directed by Lance Hammer. It competed in the Dramatic category at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the awards for Best Director and Best Cinematography. The film received six nominations in the 2009 Film Independent Spirit Awards.

Prashant Bhargava was an Indian-American filmmaker and designer. He died of a heart attack from a history of heart trouble. Bhargava's short film Sangam, described by Greg Tate of the Village Voice as "an elegant and poetic evocation of immigrant angst, memory and haunted spirituality", premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and PBS. His other directorial efforts include the documentary portrait of his grandmother Ammaji, experimental Super 8 short Backwaters and the poignant and meditative Kashmir, an audiovisual performance with band Dawn of Midi

Mark Polish and Michael Polish, known informally as the Polish brothers, are American twin screenwriters and film producers. Michael usually directs their films, and Mark often has an acting role.

Patrick Creadon American film director

Patrick Creadon is an American filmmaker primarily known for his work in documentaries. His first film, Wordplay, profiled New York Times crossword editor Will Shortz and premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. The film screened in over 500 theatres nationwide and became the second-highest grossing documentary of that year. His second film, I.O.U.S.A., is a non-partisan examination of America's national debt problem and forecast the global financial crisis of 2007-2008. I.O.U.S.A. premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and was later named one of the Top 5 Documentaries of the Year by film critic Roger Ebert.

Throwing Curves : Eva Zeisel is a 2002 documentary film directed by Jyll Johnstone. The film follows and interviews then-97-year-old Hungarian industrial designer and ceramic artist Eva Zeisel. It examines how her upbringing, fame, and personality have influenced her work and reputation to the present day. Zeisel narrates her own history, including her escape from both the Soviet Union and Nazi-annexed Austria, as family members, friends, and relevant experts offer insights into her character. Alternating between archival footage and video interviews, the film explores how Zeisel's personal life has shaped the development of her work, which is on display in the Museum of Modern Art and other museums around the world. Zeisel's age is a key theme of the film, and several interviewees comment on her unusual industriousness and innovation for an elderly woman.

Hats Off is a 2008 documentary film directed by Jyll Johnstone. It screened at the Telluride Film Festival and the Palm Springs International Film Festival, as well as on Sveriges Television in Sweden.

<i>Martha Marcy May Marlene</i> 2011 film

Martha Marcy May Marlene is a 2011 American thriller film written and directed by Sean Durkin, and starring Elizabeth Olsen, John Hawkes, Sarah Paulson, and Hugh Dancy. The plot focuses on a young woman suffering from delusions and paranoia after returning to her family from an abusive cult in the Catskill Mountains.

Alan Jacobs is an American independent film director, screenwriter and producer. His films have been acquired by major distributors, including Miramax and Columbia Pictures and have been invited to several major festivals, including Sundance and Toronto. His career began at Apple Inc., where he was the in-house filmmaker. Jacobs is a graduate of Wesleyan University and the Stanford Business School.

<i>Life Itself</i> (2014 film) 2014 American film

Life Itself is a 2014 American biographical documentary film about Chicago film critic Roger Ebert, directed by Steve James and produced by Zak Piper, James and Garrett Basch. The film is based on Ebert's 2011 memoir of the same name. It premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and was an official selection at the 67th Cannes Film Festival. The 41st Telluride Film Festival hosted a special screening of the film on August 28, 2014. Magnolia Pictures released the film theatrically in the United States and simultaneously via video on demand platforms on July 4, 2014.

<i>Southside with You</i> 2016 American film

Southside with You is a 2016 American biographical romantic drama film written, produced, and directed by Richard Tanne, in his feature film directorial debut. The film stars Parker Sawyers and Tika Sumpter as a young Barack Obama, and Michelle Robinson, respectively, and focuses on the couple's first date in 1989.

<i>Strong Island</i> (film) 2017 film directed by Yance Ford

Strong Island is an American 2017 true-crime documentary film directed by Yance Ford.

<i>Hal</i> (2018 film) 2018 American film

Hal is a 2018 American documentary film by Amy Scott about the film director Hal Ashby. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January and was released theatrically by Oscilloscope Laboratories on September 7, 2018.

References

  1. "Sundance Film Festival 1994". www.imdb.com. Retrieved 2009-08-25.
  2. "Martha & Ethel(1994)-Awards". www.imdb.com. Retrieved 2009-08-25.
  3. "Martha & Ethel Movie Reviews,Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2009-08-25.
  4. Ebert, Roger (1995-02-24). "Martha And Ethel". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2009-08-25.