Mrs. Harris

Last updated

Mrs. Harris
MrsHarrisPoster.jpg
Original poster
Genre Drama
Based onVery Much a Lady
by Shana Alexander
Written by Phyllis Nagy
Directed byPhyllis Nagy
Starring
Music by Alex Wurman
Country of origin
  • United States
  • United Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producers
ProducerChrisann Verges
Cinematography Steven Poster
Editors
Running time95 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network HBO
ReleaseSeptember 16, 2005 (2005-09-16)

Mrs. Harris is a 2005 drama television film written and directed by Phyllis Nagy. [1] Based on the 1983 non-fiction book Very Much a Lady by Shana Alexander, the film explores the complex and volatile relationship between Herman Tarnower, a prominent cardiologist and author of The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet, and Jean Harris, the headmistress of an elite girls' school. The film is a co-production of the United States and the United Kingdom, and was produced by Killer Films, Number 9 Films, and John Wells Productions for HBO Films.

Contents

It stars Annette Bening as Harris and Ben Kingsley as Tarnower, with supporting performances by Cloris Leachman, Chloë Sevigny, and a cameo appearance by Ellen Burstyn—who had previously portrayed Harris in the 1981 television film The People vs. Jean Harris. Mrs. Harris premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 16, 2005, and was later broadcast on HBO on February 25, 2006.

Mrs. Harris received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised Bening and Kingsley's performances, particularly for their emotional depth and nuance. It earned multiple award nominations, including a leading seven at the 58th Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Television Movie, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie (for Kingsley), Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie (Bening), and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie (for both Burstyn and Leachman).

Plot

On a stormy March night in 1980, Jean Harris, the headmistress of a Virginia girls' school, arrives at the home of her former lover, renowned cardiologist Herman Tarnower, in Purchase, New York, after a long drive. Intending to confront him and end her life on his estate following his growing attachment to his younger secretary, Lynne Tryforos, Jean instead becomes involved in a physical struggle during which Tarnower is shot. She initially leaves to seek help but returns when she sees police arriving at the house.

Told through a nonlinear narrative structure, the film interweaves flashbacks and flashforwards to depict the history of Jean and Herman's turbulent relationship. Their romance, which began with promise, gradually deteriorates as Herman's domineering personality and serial infidelity take a psychological toll on Jean. Despite his engagement gesture—a flashy ring she deems inappropriate for her professional image—Herman refuses to marry her, citing his unwillingness to take on a paternal role for her two sons. As their relationship sours, Herman continues to manipulate Jean, maintaining emotional control and prescribing her a regimen of medications that lead to dependency.

As the story progresses to Jean's trial for murder, a second depiction of the shooting is shown, contrasting the earlier portrayal. In this version, Jean is seen deliberately shooting Herman multiple times, contradicting her courtroom claim of accidental discharge. Her refusal to allow her attorney to present Tarnower's manipulative behavior as part of her defense undermines a plea of emotional disturbance. She is ultimately convicted and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women in Westchester County.

Cast

Production

Development

Mrs. Harris was adapted for television by playwright and screenwriter Phyllis Nagy, who also made her directorial debut with the film. The project was initiated when executive producer Elizabeth Karlsen brought Nagy in to discuss potential directors. In an interview with Creative Screenwriting, Nagy recalled, "After I finished the first draft of that script, and Liz Karlsen brought me in to talk about directors, I knew she was going to ask me who I thought could direct this. I thought to myself, 'Well, I want to direct it.' But I didn't say that." When Karlsen rejected the other names Nagy suggested, she proposed that Nagy direct it herself—a decision Nagy described as both unexpected and affirming. [2]

Casting

The film stars Annette Bening as Jean Harris and Ben Kingsley as Dr. Herman Tarnower, supported by Cloris Leachman as Tarnower's sister and Chloë Sevigny as Lynne Tryforos, his secretary and lover. Ellen Burstyn, who portrayed Harris in the 1981 television film The People vs. Jean Harris, appears in a cameo role as Gerda Stedman, one of Tarnower's former romantic partners. Burstyn's brief appearance—consisting of two lines of dialogue totaling 38 words and lasting 14 seconds—earned her a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie. In response, she quipped, "My next ambition is to get nominated for seven seconds, and, ultimately, I want to be nominated for a picture in which I don't even appear." [3]

Filming

The film was produced for HBO by Killer Films, Number 9 Films, and John Wells Productions. Production design and visual aesthetics aimed to capture the contrasting environments of Harris's structured professional life and her increasingly chaotic personal relationship with Tarnower. The film used a nonlinear narrative style with flashbacks and flashforwards to parallel Jean Harris's emotional deterioration and the unraveling of her trial.

Critical reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 43% of 7 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.2/10. [4] On Metacritic, Mrs. Harris holds a weighted average score of 70 out of 100, based on 21 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews." [5] In his review for Variety, Dennis Harvey described the film as "competent rather than inspired" and "an uneven affair," noting that it struggles to settle on a consistent tone. He wrote, "Elements of mystery, social satire (Nagy does have some bright lines up her sleeve), psychological horror story, black comedy, and straightforward tragic love story all jostle without complementing each other or achieving a successful kaleidoscope effect." Nevertheless, he acknowledged that "tale and execution are both colorful enough to hold attention." [6]

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryNominee(s)ResultRef.
2006
Artios Awards Outstanding Achievement in Casting – TV Movie of the WeekJunie Lowry JohnsonWon [7]
Online Film & Television Association AwardsBest Motion Picture Made for TelevisionNominated [8]
Best Actor in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Ben Kingsley Nominated
Best Actress in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Annette Bening Nominated
Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Frances Fisher Nominated
Cloris Leachman Won [a]
Best Direction of a Motion Picture or Miniseries Phyllis Nagy Nominated
Best Writing of a Motion Picture or MiniseriesNominated
Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture or MiniseriesNominated
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Television Movie Elizabeth Karlsen, Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon,
Chrisann Verges, and John Wells
Nominated [9]
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie Ben KingsleyNominated
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie Annette BeningNominated
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie Ellen Burstyn Nominated
Cloris LeachmanNominated
Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or Movie Phyllis NagyNominated
Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries or Movie Nominated
Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries or Movie Libby Goldstein and Junie Lowry JohnsonNominated
Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie Steven Poster Nominated
Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or Special Elaine Ramires and Julie Weiss Nominated
Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries or Movie Elle Elliott, Bunny Parker, and Susan SchulerNominated
Outstanding Makeup (Non-Prosthetic) Michele Baylis, Julie Hewett,
Tina Roesler Kerwin, and Elisa Marsh
Nominated
Satellite Awards Best Television Film Nominated [10]
Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film Ben KingsleyNominated
Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film Annette BeningNominated
Women's Image Network Awards Outstanding Made for Television Movie/Mini-SeriesWon
Outstanding Film or Show Directed by a WomanPhyllis NagyWon
2007
American Cinema Editors Awards Best Edited Miniseries or Motion Picture for Non-Commercial Television Curtiss Clayton and Lee Percy Nominated [11]
Costume Designers Guild Awards Outstanding Made for Television Movie or Miniseries Julie WeissNominated [12]
Golden Globe Awards Best Miniseries or Television Film Nominated [13]
Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film Ben KingsleyNominated
Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film Annette BeningNominated
Gracie Awards Outstanding Director – EntertainmentPhyllis NagyWon [14]
Producers Guild of America Awards David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television Elizabeth Karlsen, Pamela Koffler, and
Christine Vachon
Nominated [15]
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Annette BeningNominated [16]
Cloris LeachmanNominated

DVD release

Mrs. Harris was released on DVD by HBO Home Video in anamorphic widescreen format on August 1, 2006. [17] The disc includes audio options in English and Spanish, with subtitles available in English, Spanish, and French. Special features include an audio commentary with Annette Bening, Ben Kingsley, and writer-director Phyllis Nagy, as well as a short featurette titled Mrs. Harris: For the Record, which presents brief interviews with individuals connected to the real-life events, including Jean Harris herself. [18] The film was re-released on DVD in September 2012. [19]

Notes

References

  1. Stanley, Alessandra (February 24, 2006). "She Didn't Mean to Kill Him, or Did She? A Scandal Revisited". The New York Times .
  2. Park, Jennie E. (December 2, 2015). "Carol: "Less is More" when adapting Highsmith". Creative Screenwriting. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  3. "Ellen Burstyn sounds off on her Emmy nod". USA Today . November 3, 2006. Retrieved November 3, 2006.
  4. "Mrs. Harris | Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
  5. "Mrs. Harris". Metacritic. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
  6. Harvey, Dennis (September 16, 2005). "Review: "Mrs. Harris"". Variety. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
  7. "2006 Artios Awards". Casting Society of America . Retrieved November 1, 2006.
  8. "10th Annual TV Awards (2006)". Online Film & Television Association. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  9. "Mrs. Harris". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences . Retrieved July 13, 2017.
  10. "International Press Academy website – 2006 11th Annual SATELLITE Awards". International Press Academy. Archived from the original on February 1, 2008.
  11. McNary, Dave (January 11, 2007). "Cinema Editors announce nominations". Variety . Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  12. "9th Costume Designers Guild Awards". Costume Designers Guild . Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  13. "Mrs. Harris". Golden Globe Awards . Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  14. "2007 Gracies Gala Winners". Gracie Awards. October 20, 2016. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  15. McNary, Dave (January 3, 2007). "PGA announces nominees". Variety. Archived from the original on August 30, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  16. "The 13th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards". Screen Actors Guild Awards . Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  17. "DVD Releases for August 1, 2006". The Numbers . July 31, 2006. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  18. "Mrs. Harris DVD". HBO . Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  19. King, Susan (August 1, 2006). "Weathering the dog days on disc". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved March 18, 2016.