Princess Cyd

Last updated
Princess Cyd
Princess Cyd poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Stephen Cone
Written byStephen Cone
Produced by
  • Grace Hahn
  • Madison Ginsberg
  • Stephen Cone
Starring
CinematographyZoë White
Edited byChristopher Gotschall
Music byHeather McIntosh
Production
company
Sunroom Pictures
Distributed by Wolfe Releasing
Release dates
Running time
96 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Princess Cyd is a 2017 American coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Stephen Cone and starring Rebecca Spence, Jessie Pinnick, and Ro White. [lower-alpha 1] [2]

Contents

Plot

Cyd Loughlin, a headstrong 16-year-old, is sent away from her home in Columbia, South Carolina, to spend the summer in Chicago with her estranged aunt Miranda, a kindhearted author of religious fiction. Though things are awkward at first, the two gradually become more close. As the summer progresses, they get to know each other over various activities, including going out for meals, walks around the neighborhood, and sunbathing. Both women become more like the other, with Cyd becoming more cultured and Miranda more easygoing. Cyd's mother (Miranda's sister) died when she was young, and the two discuss whether she is waiting for them in Heaven.

Cyd explores her sexuality, developing a romance with a local barista named Katie, as well as a neighborhood boy. Miranda and her colleague Anthony have romantic feelings for one another, but neither are willing to make the first move. Cyd privately suggests to both of them that they should ask the other one on a date.

One night, Miranda hosts a large gathering of friends and creatives, where Cyd makes a conscious choice to wear a tuxedo instead of something more feminine. After the party, Cyd unwittingly insults Miranda's lack of a sex life, which causes brief friction between the two. Miranda sternly but lovingly states that "It is not a handicap to have one thing, but not another," and that mutual respect is a key factor in any healthy relationship.

That same evening, Katie calls Cyd for help after nearly being sexually assaulted. Cyd and Miranda come to her rescue, and Katie comes to stay with them for the remainder of the summer. After a day at the beach, Cyd and Katie make love. Cyd shares that years ago, her older brother murdered their mother and then took his own life, and that living with her grief-stricken father has not been easy.

Cyd discovers that she was named after the lead character in one of Miranda's earliest books, Princess Cydney.

As the summer ends, Katie and Cyd promise to visit each other, and attend an event for Miranda’s new book. After one last block party, Cyd returns to Columbia. Some time later, Cyd receives a call from Miranda, and the two affirm their love for one another.

Cast

Stephen Cone has a voice cameo as the 911 caller at the beginning of the film.

Production

Principal photography for Princess Cyd took place in Chicago from August 31 to September 25, 2016. Cone had originally conceived the story as taking place in his childhood home of South Carolina, as with his 2011 breakout film The Wise Kids . Cone later decided to shift the story to Chicago, however, recalling, "I was walking down Sunnyside Avenue one day, towards my friend's house at Damen and Sunnyside, and I love the houses along the way there, and suddenly the story just kind of shifted in my head." He added, "I thought, very easily one of these houses could be inhabited by a well-regarded Chicago author, and maybe this is a summer tale set in Chicago. So suddenly this female-led excursion into Chicago became a love letter to women, a love letter to Chicago, a love letter to queerness." [3]

The character of Katie was written without any gender in mind; it was not decided until casting whether the character would be male, female, or non-binary. [4]

Special permission was granted from James Baldwin's estate to use excerpts from his work during the dinner party scene. [4]

Release

Before going on to screen at the BFI London Film Festival and wider acclaim, the film had its world premiere at the Maryland Film Festival on May 4, 2017. [5] Its New York City premiere was held at the BAMcinemaFest on June 17, 2017. [6] In May 2017, the film was picked up by Wolfe Releasing for a theatrical and VOD release. [5] Princess Cyd was given a limited theatrical release in New York City and Chicago on November 3, 2017, and Los Angeles on December 1, followed by a DVD release on December 5. [7]

Reception

Princess Cyd received a positive response from film critics, appearing on Best of 2017 lists in Vanity Fair , Vox , Vulture , IndieWire , and NPR, among others. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 95% based on 44 reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Princess Cyd defies coming-of-age convention to offer a sweetly understated – yet deeply resonant – look at pivotal relationships". [8] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 72 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [9]

Calum Marsh of The Village Voice compared the film favorably to Cone's previous work Henry Gamble's Birthday Party and called it "an endearing, full-hearted comedy of self-discovery and mentorship and love." [10] However, another review in the same paper by April Wolfe, while approving of the film overall, said it portrayed characters as too unaffected by tragedy or traumatic events. [11] The film was similarly praised by Jude Dry of IndieWire, who observed, "In his latest film, Princess Cyd, the Chicago-based writer-director renders his deeply human characters so precisely, it's as if they stepped right off the screen and into your living room. The two central women are equal parts charming, awkward, yearning and lost. In short, they're real. Their complexity is all the more impressive coming from a male filmmaker — Cone proves it's possible for men to write sexually liberated, empowered, autonomous women." [12]

Conversely, Nick Schager of Variety called it a "precious, threadbare indie" and wrote, "Caring more about what its characters represent – and its empathetic representation of them – than about crafting a fully formed drama concerning flesh-and-blood people, Cone's film has little more than its heart in the right place." [6]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Credited as Malic White [1]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Princess Diaries</i> (film) 2001 American film

The Princess Diaries is a 2001 American coming-of-age comedy film produced by Walt Disney Pictures, directed by Garry Marshall, and written by Gina Wendkos. Based on Meg Cabot's 2000 young adult novel of the same name, it stars Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews, with a supporting cast consisting of Héctor Elizondo, Heather Matarazzo, Mandy Moore, Caroline Goodall, and Robert Schwartzman. The plot follows Mia Thermopolis (Hathaway), a shy American teenager who discovers she is heir to the throne of a European kingdom. Under the tutelage of her estranged grandmother (Andrews), the kingdom's reigning queen, Mia must choose whether to claim or renounce the title she has inherited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miranda July</span> American performance artist, musician, writer and filmmaker

Miranda July is an American film director, screenwriter, actress and author. Her body of work includes film, fiction, monologue, digital presentations and live performance art.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katie Cassidy</span> American actress (born 1986)

Katherine Evelyn Anita Cassidy is an American actress. Following several minor television roles, she came to attention as a scream queen after starring in the horror films When a Stranger Calls (2006), as Kelli Presley in Black Christmas (2006) and as Ruby in the third season of the horror series Supernatural (2007–2008). Following a supporting role in the action film Taken (2008), Cassidy played leading roles in the slasher series Harper's Island (2009) and the remake of the drama series Melrose Place (2009–2010). She starred as Kris Fowles in the slasher film remake A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) and had a recurring role as Juliet Sharp during the fourth season of the teen drama Gossip Girl (2010–2012).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katie Holmes</span> American actress (born 1977)

Kate Noelle Holmes is an American actress. She first achieved fame as Joey Potter on the television series Dawson's Creek (1998–2003).

<i>The Devil Wears Prada</i> (film) 2006 film by David Frankel

The Devil Wears Prada is a 2006 American comedy-drama film directed by David Frankel and produced by Wendy Finerman. The screenplay, written by Aline Brosh McKenna, is based on the 2003 novel by Lauren Weisberger. The film stars Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci, and Emily Blunt.

<i>Desert Hearts</i> 1985 film by Donna Deitch

Desert Hearts is a 1985 American romantic drama film directed by Donna Deitch. The screenplay, written by Natalie Cooper, is an adaptation of the 1964 lesbian novel Desert of the Heart by Jane Rule. Set in Reno, Nevada in 1959, it tells the story of a university professor awaiting a divorce who finds her true self through a relationship with another, more self-confident woman. The film stars Helen Shaver and Patricia Charbonneau with a supporting performance by Audra Lindley.

<i>Sex and the City</i> (film) 2008 film by Michael Patrick King

Sex and the City is a 2008 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Michael Patrick King in his feature film directorial debut. It is a continuation of the 1998–2004 television series about four friends, Carrie Bradshaw, Samantha Jones, Charlotte York Goldenblatt, and Miranda Hobbes, and their lives in New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miranda Sings</span> Fictional character played by Colleen Ballinger

Miranda Sings is a fictional character, created and portrayed by American comedian, actress, singer and YouTube personality Colleen Ballinger, that first appeared on the Internet in 2008. Ballinger displays videos of the comically talentless, egotistical, misguided and quirky character on her YouTube channel. In these videos, the character sings and dances badly, gives inept "tutorials", recounts her daily activities, discusses current events that she often misunderstands, collaborates with other YouTubers, and rants about her critics, reading examples of hate mail directed at the character on social media; she responds to them with her catchphrase: "Haters Back Off!"

Wolfe Video is the oldest and largest exclusive producer and distributor of LGBT films in North America.

<i>Sofia the First</i> American animated television series

Sofia the First is an American animated fantasy children's television series created and developed by Craig Gerber for Disney Television Animation. The series follows a young peasant girl named Sofia, voiced by Ariel Winter, who becomes a princess after her mother marries the King of Enchancia. Episodes focus on her adventures and bonds with others, including her animal friends, with whom she communicates through an amulet that blesses and curses her based upon the goodness of her actions. When creating the series, Gerber aimed to employ relatable situations in a fantasy world; he stated Sofia's position as a child of a single mother allowed the team to explore themes of adaptation and connect to modern children. The series pilot premiered on November 18, 2012, on Disney Channel. The series itself ran from January 11, 2013, to September 8, 2018, on Disney Junior.

Katherine "Katie" Chang is an American former actress. She is known for her roles as Rebecca Ahn in The Bling Ring (2013) and Maddie Kim in Pantheon (2022). Since retiring from acting, Chang has worked at Framestore.

<i>The Wise Kids</i> 2011 American film

The Wise Kids is a 2011 American drama film written and directed by Stephen Cone and starring Molly Kunz, Tyler Ross, Allison Torem, Matt DeCaro, Sadieh Rifai, and Stephen Cone. An ensemble, coming-of-age piece, the film follows a group of young members of a South Carolina Baptist church as they confront issues of homosexuality and a crisis of faith.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Cone</span> American filmmaker and actor

Stephen Cone is an American filmmaker, best known for Henry Gamble's Birthday Party and Princess Cyd. He has received early career retrospectives on the Criterion Channel, Mubi, and at the Museum of the Moving Image, Berlin's Unknown Pleasures Festival and Manchester's Bigger Than Life.

<i>Henry Gambles Birthday Party</i> 2015 American film

Henry Gamble's Birthday Party is a 2015 drama film written and directed by Stephen Cone.

<i>The Love Witch</i> 2016 film by Anna Biller

The Love Witch is a 2016 American comedy horror film written, edited, directed, produced, and scored by Anna Biller. The film stars Samantha Robinson as Elaine Parks, a modern-day witch who uses spells and magic to get men to fall in love with her with disastrous results. Shot in Los Angeles and Arcata, California, it premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. In May 2016, it was acquired for distribution at the Cannes Marché du Film by Oscilloscope Laboratories.

Tyler Ross is an American actor best known for playing Kyle Stansbury in season four of the television series The Killing and for starring in the Stephen Cone films The Wise Kids (2011), Henry Gamble's Birthday Party (2015), and Princess Cyd (2017). Ross has also appeared in the series Boss, NCIS, Major Crimes, Crash & Bernstein, Battle Creek, and 9-1-1 and the films The Lovers (2017), Officer Downe (2016), American Milkshake (2013), and Nate & Margaret (2012).

<i>One Percent More Humid</i> 2017 American film

One Percent More Humid is a 2017 American drama film written and directed by Liz W. Garcia. The film stars Juno Temple, Julia Garner, Alessandro Nivola, Maggie Siff, Olivia Luccardi and Philip Ettinger.

<i>The Secret: Dare to Dream</i> 2020 film directed by Andy Tennant

The Secret: Dare to Dream is a 2020 American drama film based on the 2006 self-help book The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. Directed by Andy Tennant, from a screenplay he wrote with Bekah Brunstetter and Rick Parks, it stars Katie Holmes, Josh Lucas, Jerry O'Connell, and Celia Weston.

References

  1. ↑ Gregory, Drew Burnett (September 15, 2021). "'Wait, Is This a Date?' Podcast Episode 106: You Should Probably Break Up". Autostraddle . Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  2. ↑ Kramer, Gary M. (May 8, 2017). "'Princess Cyd': The coming-of-age film comes of age". Salon . Retrieved June 23, 2017.
  3. ↑ Metz, Nina (August 30, 2016). "Chicago filmmaker Stephen Cone's next indie begins shooting this week". Chicago Tribune . Archived from the original on June 25, 2017. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  4. 1 2 Fagerholm, Matt (November 1, 2017). "Genuine Satisfaction: Stephen Cone on "Princess Cyd"". RogerEbert.com . Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Hipes, Patrick (May 4, 2017). "Wolfe Releasing Acquires Coming-Of-Age Pic Princess Cyd'; CinTel To Open 'The Toybox'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved June 23, 2017.
  6. 1 2 Schager, Nick (June 17, 2017). "Film Review: 'Princess Cyd'". Variety . Retrieved June 23, 2017.
  7. ↑ Barfield, Charles (October 24, 2017). "'Princess Cyd' Trailer: Add This Film To Your Must-See List This Fall". The Playlist. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Princess Cyd". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Princess Cyd Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved April 19, 2018.
  10. ↑ Marsh, Calum (June 14, 2017). "What You'll See At This Year's BAMcinemaFest". The Village Voice . Retrieved June 23, 2017.
  11. ↑ Wolfe, April (October 31, 2017). "For Better and Worse, Steve Cone's "Princess Cyd" is Light as a Feather". The Village Voice. Retrieved May 24, 2020./
  12. ↑ Dry, Jude (June 23, 2017). "'Princess Cyd' Review: Now This Is How You Write Strong Female Characters In a Movie". IndieWire . Retrieved June 23, 2017.
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.