Miller's Girl

Last updated

Miller's Girl
Millers girl poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJade Halley Bartlett
Written byJade Halley Bartlett
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyDaniel Brothers
Edited byVanara Taing
Music byElyssa Samsel
Production
companies
Distributed by Lionsgate
Release dates
  • January 11, 2024 (2024-01-11)(PSIFF)
  • January 26, 2024 (2024-01-26)(United States)
Running time
93 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$4 million [2]
Box office$1.167 million [3]

Miller's Girl is a 2024 American erotic thriller [4] film written and directed by Jade Halley Bartlett. The film stars Jenna Ortega and Martin Freeman as a student and teacher who enter into a complicated relationship after a creative writing assignment.

Contents

Miller's Girl was theatrically released in the United States by Lionsgate on January 26, 2024. The film received mixed reviews from critics.

Plot

Cairo Sweet, an 18-year-old girl, lives alone in her wealthy family's mansion in Tennessee. Her attorney parents are away on a business trip while she completes her senior year in high school. Cairo takes the creative writing class of teacher Jonathan Miller, and impresses him with her wide knowledge in literature and her familiarity with Miller's own book, Apostrophes and Ampersands. Miller has not written since he got married and started teaching. His emotionally unavailable wife, Beatrice, is a more successful author who disdains her husband's lack of ambition and failure to write new material.

Cairo has to write a college admission essay for Yale University, with the subject being "the greatest achievement to date", but she cannot find anything worthy to write about. Winnie, Cairo's best friend, tells her to experience the excitement of a teacher-student affair such as she intends to do with the school's baseball coach and physics teacher, Boris Fillmore, who is Miller's best friend. Seeing the intellectual connection between Cairo and Miller, Winnie suggests Cairo seduce Miller.

Cairo and Miller begin to spend more time together outside class, sharing common interests in novels, poems and Tennesseean culture. Miller assigns Cairo to write a short story in the style of her favorite author, and she chooses Henry Miller; despite being reluctant due to the author's provocative style, Miller approves. When he accidentally takes Cairo's cell phone, she asks him to return it personally. When Miller arrives at her parents' mansion, Cairo welcomes him in a sexy dress and kisses him in the rain. Inspired, she writes an erotic short story about a sexual relationship between a teacher and his student. While Miller reads it alone, he gets extremely aroused and masturbates to it.

Miller declares the story unacceptable and demands that Cairo rewrite it, but she calls out his cowardice and hypocrisy. Offended by Miller's rejection, Cairo sends the story to the school's vice principal, Joyce Manor, as revenge to expose a possible affair between them. She also takes advantage of Winnie's attraction to her by convincing her to send sexual photos of themselves to Fillmore, leading them to undress and kiss passionately.

Manor questions Cairo and Miller separately about their relationship. Despite claiming that nothing inappropriate has happened between them, Miller has to take full responsibility as the adult in the situation, resulting in his suspension. This causes a rift in his friendship with Fillmore, who blames him for not knowing his limits as a teacher. An argument with Beatrice about what happened also prompts Miller to vent his repressed anger at his wife and point out the toxic nature of their marriage.

Realizing what Cairo's actions have done to Miller, Winnie asks her to withdraw the charges against him, but Cairo refuses, calling Miller's downfall her "greatest achievement to date." She writes her experiences into her admission essay in the same style Miller used in his book. Miller, having reached rock bottom but inspired for the first time in years, decides to write a new book.

Cast

Production

In December 2016, Jade Halley Bartlett's spec script for Miller's Girl was acquired by Seth Rogen's company Point Grey Pictures and listed in the Hollywood Black List of unproduced screenplays. [5]

In September 2022, it was reported that Lionsgate Films had picked up distribution rights for the film, that Bartlett would direct, and that Martin Freeman and Jenna Ortega would star. [6] A week later, it was announced that Gideon Adlon, Bashir Salahuddin, Dagmara Domińczyk, and Christine Adams had joined the cast. [7] That same month principal photography took place in Cartersville, Georgia. [8]

Release

Miller's Girl premiered at Palm Springs Film Festival on January 11, 2024, followed by a release in theaters by Lionsgate on January 26, 2024. [9] [10] It was released on digital formats in the United States on February 16, 2024, followed by a release in the United Kingdom on February 19. [11]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 29% of 58 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.2/10.The website's consensus reads: "Despite a pair of talented stars and a central concept with a certain amount of real-world relevance, the narratively superficial Miller's Girl rings hollow." [12] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 41 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. [13]

CNN's Brian Lowry called the film "a sort-of psychological, semi-erotic drama that, despite its literary pretensions, possesses roughly the intellectual heft of a perfume ad. Dated and creepy in all the wrong ways, it’s a movie that might have escaped derision in the 1980s but deserves to get slapped around today." [14] Kyle Smith of The Wall Street Journal wrote, "At times Miller's Girl has the feel of a stagey, self-consciously literary psychological drama; at others it seems like creepy noir about a femme fatale determined to ruin a randomly chosen man... Only a generous grader would award this script anything better than a D-plus." [15]

The Messenger's Jordan Hoffman gave Miller's Girl a score of 6.5/10, calling it "a brooding, bookish and bursting-with-pheromones thriller" but adding, "after a splendid build-up, there is some serious lack of momentum that comes after the release of a narrative turn." [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dagmara Domińczyk</span> Polish actress (born 1976)

Dagmara Domińczyk is a Polish-born actress. She has appeared in the films Rock Star (2001), The Count of Monte Cristo (2002), Kinsey (2004), Trust the Man (2005), Lonely Hearts (2006), Running with Scissors (2006), Higher Ground (2011), The Letter (2012), The Immigrant (2013), Big Stone Gap (2014), A Woman, a Part (2016), The Assistant (2019), The Lost Daughter (2021), Bottoms (2023), and Priscilla (2023). Domińczyk also had a main role in the HBO comedy-drama television series Succession (2018–2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Foley</span> American actor (born 1972)

Scott Kellerman Foley is an American actor. He is known for roles in television shows such as The Unit, Scrubs, Felicity, and Scandal. In film, he is most commonly known for playing Roman Bridger in the slasher franchise Scream. He has also guest starred in series including Grey's Anatomy, Dawson's Creek, and House.

Spyglass Media Group, LLC is an independent film and television production and finance company founded by Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jenna Fischer</span> American actress (born 1974)

Regina Marie Kirk, known professionally as Jenna Fischer, is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Pam Beesly on the NBC sitcom The Office (2005–2013), for which she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2007; she was also a producer for the series' ninth and final season.

Marika Domińczyk is a Polish-born actress who is best known for her role as Dr. Eliza Minnick on Grey's Anatomy, season 13.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christine Adams (actress)</span> British-American actress

Christine Adams is a British actress. She is best known for playing Jessica in Batman Begins (2005), Lena Boudreaux in The Whole Truth (2010–2011), and as Lynn Pierce in Black Lightning (2018–2021).

<i>Lets Kill Wards Wife</i> 2014 American film

Let's Kill Ward's Wife is a 2014 American black comedy film written and directed by Scott Foley in his directorial debut. The film stars Patrick Wilson, Foley, Donald Faison, and James Carpinello, and features Amy Acker, Dagmara Domińczyk, Marika Domińczyk, Greg Grunberg, and Nicollette Sheridan in supporting roles. Foley, Wilson, and Carpinello produced the film, along with Joe Hardesty. The film follows three friends who plan to kill their friend Ward's (Faison) abusive wife, Stacy.

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

Jenna Marie Ortega is an American actress. She began her career as a child and received recognition for her role as a younger version of Jane in The CW comedy-drama series Jane the Virgin (2014–2019). She then won an Imagen Award for her leading role as Harley Diaz in the Disney Channel series Stuck in the Middle (2016–2018). She played Ellie Alves in the thriller series You (2019) and starred in the family film Yes Day (2021), both for Netflix.

Jasmin Savoy Brown is an American actress. She has appeared in the HBO mystery drama series The Leftovers (2015–2017), the ABC legal drama series For the People (2018–2019), and the Showtime psychological drama series Yellowjackets (2021–present). She played leading roles in the slasher films Sound of Violence (2021), Scream (2022) and Scream VI (2023), and provided the voice and motion capture for Phin Mason / Tinkerer in the video game Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020).

<i>Wonder</i> (film) 2017 film by Stephen Chbosky

Wonder is a 2017 American coming-of-age family comedy-drama directed by Stephen Chbosky, who co-wrote the screenplay with Steven Conrad and Jack Thorne. It is based on the 2012 novel of the same name by R. J. Palacio and stars Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, Jacob Tremblay, Mandy Patinkin, and Daveed Diggs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mikey Madison</span> American actress

Mikaela Madison Rosberg is an American actress. She began her career by playing a sullen teenager in the FX comedy series Better Things from 2016 to 2022. She has since played Manson Family follower Susan Atkins in Quentin Tarantino's period drama film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), Amber Freeman in the horror film Scream (2022), and the title role of a stripper in Sean Baker's romantic dramedy Anora (2024).

Bashir Salahuddin is an American actor, writer, and comedian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gideon Adlon</span> American actress

Gideon Adlon is an American actress. Her films include Blockers (2018), The Mustang (2019), The Craft: Legacy (2020), and Sick (2022). On television, she is known for her roles in the Netflix series The Society (2019) and the NBC series The Thing About Pam (2022). In 2024 she had a role in the movie Miller's Girl.

<i>Are You There God? Its Me, Margaret.</i> (film) 2023 film by Kelly Fremon Craig

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. is a 2023 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film written and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, based on the 1970 novel of the same name by Judy Blume. The film stars Abby Ryder Fortson as the title character, along with Rachel McAdams, Elle Graham, Benny Safdie, and Kathy Bates.

<i>Borderlands</i> (film) 2024 film by Eli Roth

Borderlands is a 2024 American science fiction action comedy film co-written and directed by Eli Roth, based on the video game series developed by Gearbox Software. It stars Cate Blanchett as Lillith, an outlaw who forms an alliance with a team of misfits to find the missing daughter of the most powerful man in the universe. The ensemble cast also features Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Edgar Ramirez, Ariana Greenblatt, Florian Munteanu, Gina Gershon, and Jamie Lee Curtis.

<i>The Fallout</i> (film) 2021 film by Megan Park

The Fallout is a 2021 American drama film written and directed by Megan Park in her feature film directorial debut. It stars Jenna Ortega as Vada Cavell, a high school student who navigates significant emotional trauma following a school shooting. It also stars Maddie Ziegler, Julie Bowen, John Ortiz, Niles Fitch, Will Ropp, and Shailene Woodley in supporting roles. The score is composed by American musician and actor Finneas O'Connell.

Wednesday is an American coming-of-age supernatural mystery television series based on the character Wednesday Addams by Charles Addams. Created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, it stars Jenna Ortega as the titular character, with Gwendoline Christie, Riki Lindhome, Jamie McShane, Hunter Doohan, Percy Hynes White, Emma Myers, Joy Sunday, Georgie Farmer, Naomi J. Ogawa, Christina Ricci, and Moosa Mostafa appearing in supporting roles. Four out of the eight episodes of the first season were directed by Tim Burton, who also serves as executive producer. The first season revolves around Wednesday Addams, who attempts to solve a murder mystery at her new school.

<i>Hello Tomorrow!</i> American television series

Hello Tomorrow! is an American science fiction comedy-drama television series that premiered on Apple TV+ on February 17, 2023. It stars Billy Crudup.

<i>Bottoms</i> (film) 2023 film by Emma Seligman

Bottoms is a 2023 American satirical comedy film directed by Emma Seligman, who co-wrote it with Rachel Sennott. The film stars Sennott, Ayo Edebiri, Ruby Cruz, Havana Rose Liu, Kaia Gerber, Nicholas Galitzine, Miles Fowler, Dagmara Domińczyk, and Marshawn Lynch. Its plot follows two high school senior girls who set up a fight club as a way to hook up with cheerleaders.

Klara and the Sun is an upcoming American dystopian science fiction film directed by Taika Waititi and written by Dahvi Waller, based on the novel of the same name by Kazuo Ishiguro. It stars Jenna Ortega and Amy Adams.

References

  1. ↑ "Miller's Girl (15)". BBFC . January 8, 2024. Archived from the original on January 9, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  2. ↑ Ho, Rodney (January 29, 2024). "Jenna Ortega falls for a teacher in 'Miller's Girl'". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on January 29, 2024. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Miller's Girl (2024) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  4. ↑ Roeper, Richard (January 26, 2024). "Miller's Girl the tedious tale of an ineffectual teacher and his infatuated student". Chicago Sun-Times . Archived from the original on February 17, 2024. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  5. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (December 12, 2016). "The Black List 2016 Scripts: Madonna Biopic 'Blond Ambition' Leads Rankings". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  6. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 19, 2022). "Jenna Ortega Joins Martin Freeman In Lionsgate & Point Grey's 'Miller's Girl'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 19, 2022. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  7. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 30, 2022). "Gideon Adlon, Bashir Salahuddin, Dagmara Domińczyk & Christine Adams Board 'Miller's Girl'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Briefly: Cartersville's Dellinger Park closing for movie Miller's Girl production". Rome News-Tribune . September 10, 2022. Archived from the original on March 4, 2023. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  9. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (December 12, 2023). "Jenna Ortega-Martin Freeman Movie Miller's Girl To World Premiere At Palm Springs Film Festival Ahead Of January Release; See First-Look Photo". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 12, 2023. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Jenna Ortega to attend Palm Springs International Film Festival for 'Miller's Girl' premiere". The Desert Sun . Archived from the original on December 22, 2023. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Miller's Girl is now available to watch digitally in the US". Digital Spy . February 16, 2024. Archived from the original on February 16, 2024. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Miller's Girl". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved May 2, 2024. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  13. ↑ "Miller's Girl". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  14. ↑ Lowry, Brian (January 25, 2024). "Even Jenna Ortega can't save the icky '90s throwback 'Miller's Girl'". CNN. Archived from the original on February 12, 2024. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  15. ↑ Smith, Kyle. "'Miller's Girl' Review: Jenna Ortega's Literary Crush". WSJ. Archived from the original on February 9, 2024. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  16. ↑ Hoffman, Jordan (January 24, 2024). "'Miller's Girl' Review: Jenna Ortega Is an HR Nightmare in Saucy High School Drama". Archived from the original on January 25, 2024. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.