Mrs. Harris | |
---|---|
Based on | Very Much a Lady by Shana Alexander |
Screenplay by | Phyllis Nagy |
Directed by | Phyllis Nagy |
Starring | |
Music by | Alex Wurman |
Country of origin | United States United Kingdom |
Original language | English |
Production | |
Executive producers |
|
Producer | Chrisann Verges |
Cinematography | Steven Poster |
Editors |
|
Running time | 95 minutes |
Production companies |
|
Original release | |
Network | HBO |
Release | September 16, 2005 |
Mrs. Harris is a 2005 American-British made-for-television drama film written and directed by Phyllis Nagy. [1] The teleplay, based on the book Very Much a Lady by Shana Alexander, focuses on the tempestuous relationship between cardiologist and author Herman Tarnower and headmistress Jean Harris. Produced by Killer Films, Number 9 Films, and John Wells for HBO Films, it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 16, 2005, before its broadcast on HBO on February 25, 2006.
The film stars Annette Bening as Jean Harris, Ben Kingsley as Herman Tarnower, Cloris Leachman as Tarnower's sister, and Chloë Sevigny as his secretary and lover. The film also features a cameo performance by Ellen Burstyn as one of Tarnower's previous girlfriends; Burstyn played Jean Harris in the made-for-television movie, The People vs. Jean Harris (1981).
On a stormy night in March 1980, a distraught Jean Harris arrives at the baronial Purchase, New York home of Herman Tarnower following a five-hour drive from McLean, Virginia. Her goal is to commit suicide beside the pond on his estate after confronting her former lover, who spurned her in favor of his considerably younger secretary-receptionist Lynne Tryforos.
When Jean removes a gun from her handbag, Tarnower attempts to take it away from her, and in the struggle he is accidentally shot and collapses. Because the phone isn't working, Jean drives off to seek help from a neighbor, only to return to the house when she sees a police car heading in that direction.
The film then follows divergent paths, using flashbacks and flashforwards to tell the story of the couple's initial meeting, their evolving and eventually faltering relationship, the night of the shooting, and Jean's consequent trial for murder. A divorced mother of two sons, she tends to be complacent in both her personal and professional lives, the ideal target for Herman, a vulgar man with the need to be in total control of everyone and everything. He proposes marriage and presents Jean with a ring she feels is embarrassingly large and overly gaudy for the headmistress of a private girls' school. As time passes, she presses him to set a wedding date, until he finally confesses he has changed his mind about marrying her, primarily because he has no interest in playing the role of father to her sons. Jean attempts to return the ring, but he insists she keep it, and, instead of allowing her to make a clean break from the relationship, he continues to manipulate her by taking advantage of her need for a dominant presence in her life. By prescribing numerous medications to which she becomes addicted, he forces her to become both physically and emotionally dependent upon him while he flaunts his many affairs with other women.
During Jean's trial, a flashback to the night of the shooting shows it in a very different light from the earlier portrayal. An angry Jean willfully and methodically shoots Herman and coldly watches him writhe in pain, but on the witness stand she insists it was an accident. Her staunch refusal to allow attorney Joel Aurnou to portray her former lover in a bad light prevents him from presenting any details that would support a defense of extreme emotional disturbance. Consequently, she is found guilty and sentenced to 15 years to life in the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in Westchester County.
Playwright and screenwriter Phyllis Nagy made her directorial debut on Mrs. Harris after executive producer Elizabeth Karlsen asked her who she thought should direct her screenplay. Nagy told Creative Screenwriting, "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. I came up with four names of people that I didn’t think would screw it up, and basically, she didn’t want any of them. And she said, 'Well, I think you should do it.' I thought, 'Oh! Yes, very smart woman, thank you.'" [2]
This was the second television movie about the Harris murder trial, following The People vs. Jean Harris, which aired in 1981 shortly after the verdict was rendered. In the earlier film, Harris was portrayed by Ellen Burstyn, who makes a cameo appearance in Mrs. Harris as Gerda Stedman, one of Tarnower's many lovers. Her performance, which consists of two lines of dialogue totaling 38 words and lasts 14 seconds, was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie. USA Today reported when asked about her reaction to the nomination by AP Radio, Burstyn responded, "I thought it was fabulous. 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]
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (February 2016) |
On review aggregator Metacritic, Mrs. Harris received a weighted average score of 70/100 based on 21 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [4] Dennis Harvey of Variety called the film "competent rather than inspired" and an "uneven affair", adding that the film "doesn't seem sure just what approach to settle on: 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, tale and execution are both colorful enough to hold attention." [5]
Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2006 | Artios Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Casting – TV Movie of the Week | Junie Lowry Johnson | Won | [6] |
Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Motion Picture Made for Television | Nominated | [7] | ||
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 Miniseries | Nominated | ||||
Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Nominated | ||||
Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Television Movie | Elizabeth Karlsen, Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon, Chrisann Verges, and John Wells | Nominated | [8] | |
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie | Ben Kingsley | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie | Annette Bening | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie | Ellen Burstyn | Nominated | |||
Cloris Leachman | Nominated | ||||
Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or Movie | Phyllis Nagy | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries or Movie | Nominated | ||||
Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries or Movie | Libby Goldstein and Junie Lowry Johnson | Nominated | |||
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 Schuler | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Makeup (Non-Prosthetic) | Michele Baylis, Julie Hewett, Tina Roesler Kerwin, and Elisa Marsh | Nominated | |||
Satellite Awards | Best Television Film | Nominated | [9] | ||
Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film | Ben Kingsley | Nominated | |||
Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film | Annette Bening | Nominated | |||
Women's Image Network Awards | Outstanding Made for Television Movie/Mini-Series | Won | |||
Outstanding Film or Show Directed by a Woman | Phyllis Nagy | Won | |||
2007 | American Cinema Editors Awards | Best Edited Miniseries or Motion Picture for Non-Commercial Television | Curtiss Clayton and Lee Percy | Nominated | [10] |
Costume Designers Guild Awards | Outstanding Made for Television Movie or Miniseries | Julie Weiss | Nominated | [11] | |
Golden Globe Awards | Best Miniseries or Television Film | Nominated | [12] | ||
Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film | Ben Kingsley | Nominated | |||
Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film | Annette Bening | Nominated | |||
Gracie Awards | Outstanding Director – Entertainment | Phyllis Nagy | Won | [13] | |
Producers Guild of America Awards | David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television | Elizabeth Karlsen, Pamela Koffler, and Christine Vachon | Nominated | [14] | |
Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie | Annette Bening | Nominated | [15] | |
Cloris Leachman | Nominated |
HBO Home video released the film in anamorphic widescreen format on DVD on August 1, 2006. [16] It was re-released in September 2012. [17] It features audio tracks in English and Spanish and subtitles in English, Spanish, and French. Bonus features include commentary by Annette Bening, Ben Kingsley, and writer-director Phyllis Nagy, and Mrs. Harris For the Record: Firsthand Accounts, which includes brief interviews with some of the real-life principals involved in the story, including Jean Harris. [18]
Sir Ben Kingsley is an English actor. He has received accolades throughout his career spanning five decades, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Grammy Award, and two Golden Globe Awards as well as nominations for four Primetime Emmy Awards and two Laurence Olivier Awards. Kingsley was appointed Knight Bachelor in 2002 for services to the British film industry. He was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010 and received the Britannia Award in 2013.
Ellen Burstyn is an American actress. Known for her portrayals of complex women in dramas, she is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards, making her one of the few performers to achieve the "Triple Crown of Acting". She has also received a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award.
Chloë Stevens Sevigny is an American actress. Known for her work in independent films, often appearing in controversial or experimental features, Sevigny is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, as well as a nomination for an Academy Award.
Annette Carol Bening is an American actress. With a career spanning over four decades, she is known for her versatile work across screen and stage. Bening has received numerous accolades, including a BAFTA Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and nominations for five Academy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award and two Tony Awards, making her one of few artists nominated for the Triple Crown of Acting without winning.
Cloris Leachman was an American actress and comedienne whose career spanned nearly eight decades. She won many accolades, including eight Primetime Emmy Awards from 22 nominations, making her the most nominated and, along with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, most awarded performer in Emmy history. Leachman also won an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Golden Globe Award. In her early career, she was known for her versatility. Another unique trait of Leachman's acting style was her distinctive physicality, where she used props to accentuate and express her roles' characterizations.
Charlotte Rae Lubotsky was an American character actress and singer whose career spanned sixty-six years.
Jean Struven Harris was the headmistress of The Madeira School for girls in McLean, Virginia, who made national news in the early 1980s when she was tried and convicted of the murder of her ex-lover, Herman Tarnower, a well-known cardiologist and author of the best-selling book The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet. The case is featured on the TV show Murder Made Me Famous.
The 37th New York Film Critics Circle Awards honored the best filmmaking of 1971. The winners were announced on 29 December 1971 and the awards were given on 23 January 1972.
Phyllis Nagy is an American theatre and film director, screenwriter and playwright. In 2006, Nagy was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for writing and directing Mrs. Harris (2005), her screen debut. In 2016, Nagy received an Academy Award nomination, among numerous other accolades, for Best Adapted Screenplay for the 2015 film Carol.
Herman Tarnower was an American cardiologist and co-author of the bestselling diet book The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet (1978), which promoted a high-protein low-carbohydrate fad diet known as the Scarsdale diet. On March 10, 1980, just eight days before his 70th birthday, Tarnower was shot dead by Jean Harris. Harris was convicted of his murder at trial in White Plains, New York, in 1981.
The Briar Street Theatre is a theatre located in Lake View, Chicago, and is home to the long-running Blue Man Group. Originally the carriage house for the Marshall Field and Company horses, the space was purchased by Walter Topel and reconstructed into a theater. The Briar Street Theatre is most notably associated with the Blue Man Group act, which began performing at the Briar Street Theatre in 1997 and, as of January 31st, 2024, is still performing there.
Requiem for a Dream is a 2000 American psychological drama film directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Christopher McDonald, and Marlon Wayans. It is based on the 1978 novel of the same name by Hubert Selby Jr., with whom Aronofsky wrote the screenplay. The film depicts four characters affected by drug addiction and how it alters their physical and emotional states. Their addictions cause them to become imprisoned in a world of delusion and desperation. As the film progresses, each character deteriorates, and their delusions are shattered by the harsh reality of their situations, resulting in catastrophe.
Haunts of the Very Rich is a 1972 made-for-TV thriller, broadcast as an ABC Movie of the Week.
Sir Ben Kingsley is a British actor known for his extensive career on stage and screen. He has received numerous accolades throughout his career which spans over five decades, including an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Grammy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for four Primetime Emmy Awards, and two Laurence Olivier Awards.
Elizabeth Karlsen is an American–British film producer. Her career has spanned over three and a half decades, and In 2019, she was awarded the BAFTA award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema. Her work has garnered a total of 52 BAFTA nominations and wins, and 20 Academy Award® nominations and wins. In 2002, she co-founded Number 9 Films with production partner and husband, Stephen Woolley.
The People vs. Jean Harris is a 1981 American courtroom drama television film directed and produced by George Schaefer. The screenplay, written by George Lefferts, is based on a transcript of the trial of Jean Harris, who was convicted of murdering her ex-lover Herman Tarnower. The film stars Ellen Burstyn as Harris, with Martin Balsam, Richard Dysart, and Peter Coyote in supporting roles.