May December

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For a definition of the term "May–December", see the Wiktionary entry May–December.

May December
Release poster
Directed byTodd Haynes
Screenplay bySamy Burch
Story by
  • Samy Burch
  • Alex Mechanik
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyChristopher Blauvelt
Edited byAffonso Gonçalves
Music byMarcelo Zarvos
Production
companies
Distributed byNetflix
Release dates
  • May 20, 2023 (2023-05-20) (Cannes)
  • November 17, 2023 (2023-11-17) (United States)
Running time
117 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$20 million[2]
Box office$234,552[3]

May December is a 2023 American drama film directed by Todd Haynes from a screenplay by Samy Burch, based on a story by Burch and Alex Mechanik. Loosely inspired by Mary Kay Letourneau, it stars Natalie Portman as an actress who travels to Georgia to meet and study the life of the controversial woman (Julianne Moore) she is set to play in a film—the woman being infamous for her 23-year-long relationship with her husband (Charles Melton), which began when he was just 13 years old.[4][5]

The film was announced in June 2021, with Portman and Moore joining the cast. Filming took place in mid-2022 around Savannah, Georgia. It premiered at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2023, where the North American distribution rights were acquired by Netflix.

May December was released in select theaters in the United States on November 17, 2023, before streaming on Netflix on December 1. It received critical acclaim and various accolades, including nominations for four Golden Globe Awards, and was named one of the top 10 films of 2023 by the American Film Institute.

Plot

In 2015, actress Elizabeth Berry arrives in Savannah, Georgia, to research her upcoming role in an indie film in which she portrays Gracie Atherton-Yoo. In 1992, when Gracie was 36, she was caught having sex with 13-year-old Joe Yoo, a schoolmate of her son Georgie, at the pet store where both worked. During a prison sentence, Gracie birthed Joe's child. Twenty-three years later, Gracie and Joe are married with three children: Honor, who is at college, and twins Charlie and Mary, who are about to graduate from high school.

Elizabeth interviews Gracie and Joe about their relationship and assures them that she intends to portray their story honestly. Visiting the pet store where the couple met and worked, Elizabeth sees the stock room where Gracie and Joe were caught having sex and simulates the sexual act alone. Elizabeth also speaks with Gracie's first husband and her son Georgie, now a musician.

As Elizabeth attends more family events leading up to the twins' high school graduation, Joe engages in a private text conversation with a friend from a Facebook group dedicated to his hobby of rearing monarch butterflies. At one point, Joe proposes they take a holiday together, but she rebuffs him by reminding him that he is married. He wonders to his father about what life will be like with Gracie once all their children have left for college.

Elizabeth leads a Q&A at a drama class at the twins' high school. Mary is visibly offended when Elizabeth shares that she enjoys playing morally ambiguous characters. Joe and Charlie share a cannabis joint, with Joe remarking to his son that he has never experimented with cannabis. High, Joe has a breakdown and weeps into Charlie's arms.

Elizabeth accompanies the family – including Honor, who is visiting from college – to dinner at a restaurant to celebrate the twins' graduation. After dinner, Georgie proposes that Elizabeth get him a job as a music supervisor on the film, in exchange for him providing details about Gracie's life. He indicates that Gracie was sexually abused by her older brothers growing up, saying he read this in her diary.

Elizabeth invites Joe to her accommodation, where he gives her a letter that Gracie wrote to him early in their relationship and the two have sex. Elizabeth tells Joe that he still has time to start a new life without Gracie, though he leaves once Elizabeth refers to Joe's experiences as a "story." Joe tearfully confronts Gracie about the start of their relationship, wondering whether he was "too young." Gracie asserts that it was he who seduced her and that he was in control. Elizabeth uses the letter given to her by Joe to practice her performance as Gracie as a monologue.

The morning of graduation, one of Joe's butterflies emerges from its chrysalis. Later, the whole family watch Charlie and Mary graduate while Joe weeps alone at the edge of the crowd. As Elizabeth prepares to leave, Gracie tells her that Georgie had fabricated the story of abuse by her brothers and that she and Joe have a healthy relationship.

On the set of the film, Elizabeth films multiple takes of a scene depicting Gracie grooming Joe. While the director is satisfied, she asks to film another take, insisting that the scene is "getting more real."

Cast

Production

Screenwriter Samy Burch outlined the script with her husband, Alex Mechanik, and completed the screenplay on Memorial Day in 2019. Producer Jessica Elbaum came onboard after reading the screenplay.[6] In June 2021, it was announced that Portman and Moore were cast in the film.[7] Portman recruited Todd Haynes to direct.[6] In September 2022, Melton was added to the cast.[8] In January 2023, it was reported Piper Curda, Elizabeth Yu and Gabriel Chung had joined the cast of the film.[9]

Principal photography took place in Savannah, Georgia,[10] and wrapped after 23 days in November 2022.[11][12] Edward Lachman was initially going to serve as cinematographer but was replaced by Christopher Blauvelt due to Lachman's hip injury.[11][10] The script, which is set in Savannah, was originally set in Camden, Maine.[13]

Haynes said the film is partly inspired by the Ingmar Bergman films Persona (1966) and Winter Light (1963).[14]

Music

Main article: May December (soundtrack)

Marcelo Zarvos' score for the film is an adaptation and re-orchestration of Michel Legrand's music for The Go-Between.[14] Haynes originally played Legrand's score on set and during editing for inspiration until eventually the team "ended up embracing so many aspects of the original score that Marcelo adapted and added original music to it and then re-orchestrated it."[15] Legrand's name was credited along with Zarvos.

Release

In February 2023, Sky Cinema acquired the UK distribution rights.[16] The film was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 76th Cannes Film Festival,[17] where it premiered on May 20, 2023.[18][19] In May 2023, Netflix acquired the North American distribution rights at the Marché du Film for $11 million.[20] The film also screened as the "Opening Night Film" at the 2023 New York Film Festival on September 29.[21]

The film was released in select theaters in the United States on November 17, 2023, before streaming on Netflix in the US and Canada on December 1, 2023.[21][22] It was released by Sky Cinema in the United Kingdom on December 8, 2023.[23]

Reception

Critical response

May December received critical acclaim.[a] On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 92% of 244 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8/10. The website's consensus reads: "Swaddling its difficult fact-based story in a blanket of campy humor, May December is a seductively discomforting watch."[36] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 85 out of 100, based on 50 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[37]

In his review of the film following its premiere at Cannes, Peter Debruge of Variety called May December an "endlessly fascinating movie" and added "As layered and infinitely open-to-interpretation as any of [Haynes'] films, it's also the most generous and direct […] The potential for passion, transformation and subversion hangs heavy in the air".[38] David Ehrlich of IndieWire described the film as "a heartbreakingly sincere piece of high camp that teases real human drama from the stuff of tabloid sensationalism", and praised Melton for delivering "a well-modulated and eventually rather moving performance", as well as Moore for her "predictably sensational, soft-hard performance".[39] The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw found the film "amusing and elegant […] delivered with a cool, shrewd precision by Todd Haynes" and described Portman and Moore's performances as containing "a potent frenmity".[40]

Bilge Ebiri of Vulture described May December as "very funny and light on its feet, but also a deeply uncomfortable movie", noting how Haynes "uses the trappings of camp to draw attention to the disconnect between what's happening onscreen and our response to it", and concluded: "It feels at times like the director himself [is] looking for the right tone with which to tell this story. He doesn’t know exactly how to feel about all this. So he feels all the things, and makes sure we do, too."[41]

Rolling Stone's CT Jones praised Melton's performance, noting the actor's skill and physicality in the role. "It's an inscrutable well of interpersonal grievances, power imbalances, and history, a perfect breeding ground for sharp work from screen icons Portman and Moore, the latter in her fifth film with Haynes," they say. "But while the two are competing to see how much cringe and humor one can conceivably fit into a movie about sexual assault and grooming, there’s Melton off to the side, quietly stealing the show."[42]

Accolades

May December was ranked tenth in Sight and Sound's list of the 50 best films of 2023, out of 363 films nominated by 106 British and international participants.[43]

Award / Film Festival Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
American Film Institute December 7, 2023 Top 10 Films May December Won[b] [44]
Astra Film and Creative Arts Awards January 6, 2024 Best Supporting Actress Julianne Moore Pending [45]
Best Supporting Actor Charles Melton Pending
Boston Society of Film Critics Awards December 10, 2023 Best Film May December Runner-up[c] [46]
Best Director Todd Haynes Runner-up[d]
Best Actress Natalie Portman Runner-up[e]
Best Supporting Actor Charles Melton Runner-up[f]
Best Original Screenplay Samy Burch Runner-up[g]
Cannes Film Festival May 27, 2023 Palme d'Or Todd Haynes Nominated [17]
Celebration of Cinema & Television December 4, 2023 Breakthrough Performance Award Charles Melton Won [47]
Chicago Film Critics Society Awards December 12, 2023 Best Picture Jessica Elbaum, Will Ferrell, Grant S. Johnson, Pamela Koffler, Tyler W. Konney, Sophie Mas, Natalie Portman, Christine Vachon Nominated [48]
Best Director Todd Haynes Nominated
Best Actress Natalie Portman Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Charles Melton Won
Best Supporting Actress Julianne Moore Nominated
Best Original Screenplay Samy Burch Won
Most Promising Performer Charles Melton Won
Gotham Independent Film Awards November 27, 2023 Best Screenplay Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik Nominated [49]
Outstanding Supporting Performance Charles Melton Won [50]
Golden Globe Awards January 7, 2024 Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy May December Pending [51]
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical Natalie Portman Pending
Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Charles Melton Pending
Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Julianne Moore Pending
Independent Spirit Awards February 25, 2024 Best Film Jessica Elbaum, Will Ferrell, Grant S. Johnson, Pamela Koffler, Tyler W. Konney, Sophie Mas, Natalie Portman, Christine Vachon Pending [52]
Best Director Todd Haynes Pending
Best Lead Performance Natalie Portman Pending
Best Supporting Performance Charles Melton Pending
Best First Screenplay Samy Burch, Alex Mechanik Pending
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards December 10, 2023 Best Screenplay Samy Burch Runner-up [53]
Middleburg Film Festival October 22, 2023 Visionary Director Award Todd Haynes Won [54]
Mill Valley Film Festival October 16, 2023 Lifetime Achievement: Collaboration Todd Haynes and Christine Vachon Won [55]
Montclair Film Festival October 30, 2023 Director Award Todd Haynes Won [56]
New York Film Critics Circle Awards November 30, 2023 Best Supporting Actor Charles Melton Won [57]
Best Screenplay Samy Burch Won
Santa Barbara International Film Festival February 10, 2024 Virtuoso Award Charles Melton Won [58]
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards December 10, 2023 Best Supporting Actor Charles Melton Won [59]

Notes

  1. ^ Attributed to multiple references:[24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35]
  2. ^ Shared with American Fiction, Barbie, The Holdovers, Killers of the Flower Moon, Maestro, Oppenheimer, Past Lives, Poor Things, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
  3. ^ Shared with The Zone of Interest.
  4. ^ Shared with Christopher Nolan for Oppenheimer.
  5. ^ Shared with Emma Stone for Poor Things and Sandra Hüller for Anatomy of a Fall.
  6. ^ Shared with Mark Ruffalo for Poor Things and Robert Downey Jr. for Oppenheimer.
  7. ^ Shared with Nicole Holofcener for You Hurt My Feelings.

References

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  2. ^ Anne Thompson; Brian Welk (May 12, 2023). "Here's the 20 Hottest Titles for Sale at Cannes". IndieWire. Archived from the original on November 15, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  3. ^ "May December (2023)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  4. ^ Davis, Clayton (May 21, 2023). "Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman Are Both Lead-Actress Oscar Worthy in Todd Haynes' Delicious May December". Variety. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  5. ^ "How Netflix's 'May December' Mirrors the Mary Kay Letourneau Tabloid Sex Scandal". variety.
  6. ^ a b Jones, Marcus (December 4, 2023). "Screenwriter Samy Burch on Building to That Final 'Funny Punchline' of 'May December'". Indiewire. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  7. ^ Kroll, Justin (June 11, 2021). "Natalie Portman And Julianne Moore To Star In Todd Haynes' 'May December' – Cannes Market". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 11, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
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  9. ^ Donnelly, Matt (January 17, 2023). "Todd Haynes Drama 'May December' Adds Three Actors as Kids of Julianne Moore and Charles Melton (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on February 1, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
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