Speak (film)

Last updated
Speak
Speak film.jpg
Promotional release poster
Directed by Jessica Sharzer
Written by
  • Jessica Sharzer
  • Annie Young Frisbie
Based on Speak
by Laurie Halse Anderson
Produced by
  • Fred Berner
  • Matthew Myers
  • Annie Young Frisbie
  • Jessica Sharzer
Starring
Cinematography Andrij Parekh
Edited byPeter C. Frank
Music byChristopher Libertino
Distributed by Showtime Networks Inc.
Release date
  • January 20, 2004 (2004-01-20)(Sundance)
Running time
92 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1 million

Speak is a 2004 American coming-of-age teen drama film written and directed by Jessica Sharzer in her feature directorial debut, based on the 1999 novel of the same name by Laurie Halse Anderson. Starring Kristen Stewart, Michael Angarano, Robert John Burke, Eric Lively, Elizabeth Perkins, D. B. Sweeney, and Steve Zahn, the film follows Melinda Sordino (Stewart), a high school freshman who stops talking after senior student Andy Evans (Lively) rapes her at a party.

Contents

Speak premiered out of competition at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2004, and was broadcast on Showtime and Lifetime on September 5, 2005. [1] The film received critical acclaim, with particular praise for Stewart's performance.

Plot

Fourteen-year-old Melinda Sordino begins her first year in high school and struggles on the first day. She has no friends, and appears uncomfortable when speaking to others. Throughout the day, she is made fun of by several students, repeatedly called a "squealer". It's revealed that that Melinda called the police to a house party during the previous summer. However, her reason for doing so was because she was raped at the party, by popular senior student Andy Evans, but her trauma prevented her from reporting her assault over the telephone or to the police when they arrived.

When Melinda's parents see her report card, they prompted her to see a teacher named Mr. Neck, who tells her to write an essay on any history topic. After refusing to read her paper aloud to her class, Melinda is sent to the principal's office, where she meets a new student named Heather Billings. Despite seemingly befriending Melinda, Heather soon abandons her when the chance for social advancement arises. The only other student with whom Melinda gets along with is her lab partner, Dave Petrakis, who has successfully managed to avoid affiliating himself with a clique.

Over the year, the restoration of Melinda's confidence progresses at a slow rate, with some help from Dave and her art teacher, Mr. Freeman. When her former best friend, Rachel Bruin starts dating Andy, Melinda fears that Rachel will assaulted as well. Melinda meets Rachel at the library, and reveals that Andy raped her by writing it on a piece of paper. Rachel initially refuses to believe Melinda, thinking that Melinda is lying out of jealousy. However, Rachel soon realizes the truth when confronting Andy; who mentions Melinda's name, despite supposedly never meeting any of Rachel's friends before. Seeing Andy's lies and misogyny, Rachel leaves him and spreads the truth of Melinda's assault to the other students.

Exposed as a rapist and a liar, Andy soon corners and threatens Melinda in a custodian closet. Andy demands Melinda take back her accusation, attempting to rape her again. In the struggle, Melinda overpowers him, blinding him with turpentine and holding a shard of glass from a broken mirror to his neck, threatening to kill him. They are found by Melinda's distanced friend Nicole, who along with other girls from her field hockey team, and the altercation removes any doubt about what happened at the house party. The girls help restrain Andy, as Melinda leaves. Mr. Neck sees Melinda walking away from the scene and asks what was going on, but Melinda doesn't respond.

On the way back from the hospital after being treated for her injuries, Melinda rolls down the car window and breathes in deeply. She finally finds the strength to tell her mother, who already suspects something awful, the truth about what happened at the party.

Cast

Production

Development and Pre-production

Producer and screenwriter Annie Young Frisbie read the novel and successfully made a bid to get the rights to a film version. Production took place in Columbus, Ohio because a production partner, Matthew Myers, was relocating there with his wife.

Filming

Film production took 21 days in August 2003, on a budget of $1 million. [3] Flooding during an especially heavy summer rain caused filming to be temporarily postponed and during that time author Laurie Halse Anderson visited the set with her daughter. [2] Anderson cameos in the film as the lunch lady who gives Melinda the mashed potatoes.

The school scenes for the movie were shot at Eastmoor Academy on the east side of Columbus.

Release

The film premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival and played the film festival circuit, including the Woodstock Film Festival. It later aired simultaneously on the cable networks Showtime and Lifetime on September 5, 2005. [3]

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an 80% "fresh" score based on 5 reviews. [4]

Marilyn Moss of The Hollywood Reporter gave an overwhelmingly positive write-up, describing the film as, "well-made and extremely touching." She praised Stewart's performance, saying she gave an "understated performance that will touch everyone who sees [the film]." Moss also praised the score and editing, saying it "merges [Stewart's] character's interior and exterior worlds beautifully." [5] On his YouTube channel, critic Chris Stuckmann gave the film a retrospective positive review, praising Stewart and Zahn's performances, the cinematography, and direction. Stuckmann also said the film feels "at home" for him, because of the filming that took place in Ohio (Stuckmann's home state). [6] Barbara Shulgasser-Parker of Common Sense Media gave the film a rating of four out of five stars, and called it, "a startlingly good film on what has become a familiar subject in both fiction and life." She praised Stewart's performance and the direction. [7] Although Neil Genzlinger of The New York Times opined the film "comes nowhere near capturing the wise, subtle tone of the book it's based on", "[it] is still an effective treatment of a difficult subject, thanks almost entirely to the performance of Kristen Stewart as the young victim." [8]

Christopher Null of ContactMusic.com gave the film a rating of three out of five stars, saying it "is decent, even pretty good at times, but ultimately this material feels so familiar that we see every turn in the story telegraphed from miles away." [9] Dennis Harvey of Variety called the production values "OK," but said, "Eventual coming-to-terms (plus the culprit’s public humiliation) would’ve been much more potent with less caricatured adult characters and more nuanced direction." [10]

Accolades

In 2006, the film was nominated for a Writers Guild Award. [11] Jessica Sharzer was also nominated for a Directors Guild Award in the category of Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children's Programs. [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Children of a Lesser God</i> (film) 1986 film directed by Randa Haines

Children of a Lesser God is a 1986 American romantic drama film directed by Randa Haines from a screenplay written by Hesper Anderson and Mark Medoff and based on Medoff's 1979 play of the same name. The film stars William Hurt, Marlee Matlin, Piper Laurie, and Philip Bosco. The film's narrative follows two employees at a school for the deaf: a Deaf custodian and a hearing speech teacher, whose conflicting ideologies on speech and deafness create tension and discord in their developing romantic relationship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laurie Anderson</span> American artist and musician (born 1947)

Laura Phillips "Laurie" Anderson is an American avant-garde artist, musician and filmmaker whose work spans performance art, pop music, and multimedia projects. Initially trained in violin and sculpting, Anderson pursued a variety of performance art projects in New York during the 1970s, focusing particularly on language, technology, and visual imagery. She achieved unexpected commercial success when her song "O Superman" reached number two on the UK singles chart in 1981.

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

Chloë Stevens Sevigny is an American actress, model, and fashion designer. 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, a Satellite Award, an Independent Spirit Award, as well as nominations for an Academy Award and three Screen Actors Guild Awards. She also has a career in fashion design concurrent with her acting work. Over the years, her alternative fashion sense has earned her a reputation as a "style icon".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laurie Metcalf</span> American actress (born 1955)

Laura Elizabeth Metcalf is an American actress. Known for her complex and versatile roles across the stage and screen, she has received various accolades throughout her career spanning more than four decades, including four Primetime Emmy Awards and two Tony Awards, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and three Golden Globe Awards.

<i>Speak</i> (Anderson novel) 1999 novel by Laurie Halse Anderson

Speak, published in 1999, is a young adult novel by Laurie Halse Anderson that tells the story of high school freshman Melinda Sordino. After Melinda is raped at an end of summer party, she calls the police, who break up the party. Melinda is then ostracized by her peers because she will not say why she called the police. Unable to verbalize what happened, Melinda nearly stops speaking altogether, expressing her voice through the art she produces for Mr. Freeman's class. This expression slowly helps Melinda acknowledge what happened, face her problems, and recreate her identity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laurie Halse Anderson</span> American writer (born 1961)

Laurie Halse Anderson is an American writer, known for children's and young adult novels. She received the Margaret A. Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 2010 for her contribution to young adult literature and 2023 she received the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.

Melinda is a feminine given name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kristen Stewart</span> American actress (born 1990)

Kristen Jaymes Stewart is an American actress. She has received various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award and a César Award, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award.

<i>Hounddog</i> (film) 2007 American film

Hounddog is a 2007 American coming-of-age drama film written, directed, and produced by Deborah Kampmeier. The film stars Dakota Fanning, Piper Laurie, David Morse, Robin Wright Penn, and Isabelle Fuhrman in her film debut. Filmed near Wilmington, North Carolina and set in 1956 Alabama, the film follows a troubled girl who finds solace from an abusive life through the music of Elvis Presley.

<i>Sherrybaby</i> 2006 film by Laurie Collyer

Sherrybaby is a 2006 American drama film written and directed by Laurie Collyer. The film premiered in the Dramatic Competition at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2006 and received a limited release in the United States on September 8, 2006.

Melinda "Mel" Sordino is the main character and narrator of Laurie Halse Anderson's 1999 novel Speak. Her last name, Sordino, is an Italian word that can be translated as "deaf." The character's ordeals were based on Anderson's own experiences; she was raped one summer prior to starting high school.

<i>The Runaways</i> (2010 film) 2010 film by Floria Sigismondi

The Runaways is a 2010 American biographical drama film about the 1970s rock band of the same name written and directed by Floria Sigismondi in her screenwriting and feature directional debut. It is based on the book Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway by the band's lead vocalist Cherie Currie. The film stars Dakota Fanning as Currie, Kristen Stewart as rhythm guitarist and vocalist Joan Jett, and Michael Shannon as record producer Kim Fowley. The Runaways depicts the formation of the band in 1975 and focuses on the relationship between Currie and Jett until Currie's departure from the band. The film grossed around $4.6 million worldwide and received generally favorable reviews from critics.

<i>The Art of Getting By</i> 2011 American film

The Art of Getting By is a 2011 American romantic comedy-drama film starring Freddie Highmore, Emma Roberts, Michael Angarano, Elizabeth Reaser, Sam Robards, Rita Wilson and Blair Underwood. It is the first feature by writer-director Gavin Wiesen. The film premiered under the title Homework at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.

<i>Snow White and the Huntsman</i> 2012 film by Rupert Sanders

Snow White & the Huntsman is a 2012 American fantasy film based on the German fairy tale "Snow White" compiled by the Brothers Grimm. The directorial debut of Rupert Sanders, it was written by Evan Daugherty, John Lee Hancock and Hossein Amini, from a screen story by Daugherty. The cast includes Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth, Sam Claflin, and Bob Hoskins in his final film performance. In the film's retelling of the tale, Snow White grows up imprisoned by her evil stepmother, Queen Ravenna, a powerful sorceress. After Snow White escapes into the forest, Ravenna enlists Eric the Huntsman to capture her, but he becomes her companion in a quest to overthrow Ravenna.

<i>The Skeleton Twins</i> 2014 American film

The Skeleton Twins is a 2014 American comedy-drama film directed by Craig Johnson and starring Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig. The film premiered in competition at 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2014. It won the Screenwriting Award: U.S. Dramatic at the festival. Wiig and Hader play twins in the film. The film received positive reviews; critics praised Johnson's direction and the performances of Hader and Wiig.

<i>In a World...</i> 2013 comedy film by Lake Bell

In a World... is a 2013 American comedy film written, directed and co-produced by Lake Bell. The film stars Bell as a vocal coach who does voice-overs for film trailers. The film co-stars Demetri Martin, Fred Melamed, Rob Corddry, Michaela Watkins, Ken Marino, Nick Offerman, and Tig Notaro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maya Erskine</span> American actress (born 1987)

Maya Erskine is an American actress, singer and writer. She is known for her roles as Maggie in Man Seeking Woman, Mikki in Betas, and Mizu in Blue Eye Samurai. From 2019 to 2021, she starred in Hulu's original TV comedy series PEN15 alongside Anna Konkle; the duo, who co-created, co-wrote, and co-executive produced the series, played fictional versions of their 13-year-old selves. The series received critical acclaim and was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2024, she began starring as Jane Smith in the Prime Video series Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

<i>Indignation</i> (film) 2016 American film

Indignation is a 2016 American drama film written, produced, and directed by James Schamus. The film, based on the 2008 novel of the same name by Philip Roth, is set mostly in Ohio in the early 1950s, and stars Logan Lerman, Sarah Gadon, Tracy Letts, Linda Emond, and Danny Burstein.

<i>Certain Women</i> (film) 2016 American drama film by Kelly Reichardt

Certain Women is a 2016 American drama film edited, written, and directed by Kelly Reichardt. Based on "Native Sandstone", "Travis, B." and "Tome"—three short stories from Maile Meloy's collections Half in Love and Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It—it stars Laura Dern, Kristen Stewart, Michelle Williams, Lily Gladstone, James Le Gros, and Jared Harris.

<i>Kuso</i> (film) 2017 film by Flying Lotus

Kuso is a 2017 American surrealist body horror comedy anthology film directed by Flying Lotus, who co-wrote the screenplay with David Firth and Zack Fox.

References

  1. ↑ "Speak". Sundance Institute . Archived from the original on 2014-05-29.
  2. 1 2 Glenn 2009, p.  48.
  3. 1 2 3 Glenn 2009, p.  47.
  4. ↑ "Speak". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 2022-09-15.
  5. ↑ Moss, Marilyn (September 5, 2005). "Reviews: Speak". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on November 7, 2005. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  6. ↑ Stuckmann, Chris (May 21, 2020). "Speak (2004) – Overlooked Movies (video)". YouTube. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  7. ↑ Shulgasser-Parker, Barbara (November 6, 2016). "Movie Reviews: Speak". Common Sense Media . Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  8. ↑ Genzlinger, Neil (September 5, 2005). "For One Teenager, the Party's Over". The New York Times . Retrieved March 27, 2011.
  9. ↑ Null, Christopher (January 20, 2004). "Reviews: Speak". ContactMusic.com . Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  10. ↑ Harvey, Dennis (January 27, 2004). "Reviews: Speak". Variety . Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  11. ↑ McNary, Dave (2005-12-14). "Peacock laffers have the write stuff". Variety. Retrieved 2022-12-09.

Bibliography

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.