Margaret (I) (2011)

A young woman witnesses a bus accident, and is caught up in the aftermath, where the question of whether or not it was intentional affects many people's lives.

Director:

Kenneth Lonergan

Writer:

Kenneth Lonergan

Stars:

Anna Paquin, J. Smith-Cameron, Mark Ruffalo

7 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anna Paquin	...	Lisa Cohen
J. Smith-Cameron	...	Joan
Mark Ruffalo	...	Maretti
Jeannie Berlin	...	Emily
Jean Reno	...	Ramon
Sarah Steele	...	Becky
John Gallagher Jr.	...	Darren
Cyrus Hernstadt	...	Curtis
Allison Janney	...	Monica Patterson
Kieran Culkin	...	Paul
Matt Damon	...	Mr. Aaron
Stephen Adly Guirgis	...	Mitchell
Betsy Aidem	...	Abigail
Adam Rose	...	Anthony
Nicholas Theodore Grodin	...	Matthew (as Nick Grodin)

Storyline

Margaret centers on a 17-year-old New York City high-school student who feels certain that she inadvertently played a role in a traffic accident that has claimed a woman's life. In her attempts to set things right she meets with opposition at every step. Torn apart with frustration, she begins emotionally brutalizing her family, her friends, her teachers, and most of all, herself. She has been confronted quite unexpectedly with a basic truth: that her youthful ideals are on a collision course against the realities and compromises of the adult world.

---

Plot Keywords:

accident | new york city | bus | one word title | opera | 

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong language, sexuality, some drug use and disturbing images

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 June 2012 (Italy)

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$14,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$7,525 (USA) (30 September 2011)

Gross:

$46,495 (USA) (21 October 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox Searchlight Pictures, Gilbert Films, Mirage Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

150 min 186 min (extended cut)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The lengthy editing process of the movie sparked two lawsuits. Studio Fox Searchlight sued financier Gary Gilbert, because he failed to pay the studio half of the film's production costs. Gilbert followed by suing Searchlight and director Kenneth Lonergan, because he felt that they refused all of Gilbert's help to finally finish the movie during the editing process with the help of producers, directors and editors like Scott Rudin, Martin Scorsese, Thelma Schoonmaker and Sydney Pollack.

---

Goofs

When Paul is at her home, his sleeves are rolled up, and when the camera is in front of him the sleeves are down.

---

Quotes

Joan: You know what? You're a little cunt.
Lisa Cohen: [scoffs] You're a big cunt.

---

Connections

Featured in Maltin on Movies: Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012)

---

Soundtracks

"Mister Softee (Jingle and Chines)"
Courtesy Mister Softee Inc.

User Reviews

A masterpiece!

"Margaret" is an absolute masterpiece. It's thematically going for the tone of a grandiose opera, but in a modern day context, filtered through the emotions of a teenage girl in association with a tragedy. It expresses the emotional teenage mind-set like no other.

Every performance is astounding and every character it so compelling and fully-realized. I would compare it to the likes of "Requiem for a Dream," "Magnolia," "There Will Be Blood," "Synecdoche, New York," "The Tree of Life," and other movies that tell sprawling emotional melodramas that just hook you in and don't let you go. If you're into that kind of thing, this is for you.

There's no doubt in my mind that if this movie hadn't been tangled up in lawsuits years ago, it would have been a huge Oscar contender and Anna Paquin surely would be winning tons of awards for her performance. It's such a shame that a movie of this size and scope was overlooked.