Savage Grace (2007)

A dramatization of the shocking Barbara Daly Baekeland murder case, which happened in a posh London flat on Friday 17 November 1972. The bloody crime caused a stir on both sides of the Atlantic and remains one of the most memorable American Tragedies...

Director:

Tom Kalin

Writers:

Howard A. Rodman (screenplay), Natalie Robins (book)

Stars:

Julianne Moore, Eddie Redmayne, Stephen Dillane

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Julianne Moore	...	Barbara Baekeland
Stephen Dillane	...	Brooks Baekeland
Anne Reid	...	Nini Daly
Martin Huber	...	Aschwin Lippe
Minnie Marx	...	Midge Vanden Heuvel
Jim Arnold	...	Joost Vanden Heuvel
Mapi Galán	...	Simone Lippe
Barney Clark	...	Tony at 12
Abel Folk	...	Carlos Durán
Belén Rueda	...	Pilar Durán
Simón Andreu	...	Jean Pierre Souvestre
Eddie Redmayne	...	Antony Baekeland
Elena Anaya	...	Blanca
Unax Ugalde	...	Black Jake Martínez
Melina Matthews	...	Lorna Moffat

Storyline

The true story of the beautiful and charismatic but mentally unstable Barbara Daly, who married above her class to Brooks Baekeland, heir to the Bakelite plastics fortune. Their only child is a failure in his father's eyes, and as he matures and becomes increasingly close to his alienated mother, the seeds for tragedy are sown.

---

Plot Keywords:

son murders mother | orgasm | incest | older man younger woman relationship | male nudity | 

---

Taglines:

Truth is more shocking than fiction.

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

France Spain USA

Language:

English French Spanish

Release Date:

25 January 2008 (Spain)

Also Known As:

Okrutna milost

Filming Locations:

Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Box Office

Budget:

$4,600,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$22,311, 1 June 2008, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$434,417, 17 August 2008

Company Credits

Production Co:

Celluloid Dreams,Montfort Producciones,Killer Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Eddie Redmayne and Julianne Moore won Oscars for Leading Roles in the 87th Academy Awards. Both played characters who suffered from debilitating disorders: Redmayne's character had ALS (Lou Gehrig Disease), Moore's character had early-onset Alzheimer's. Director Richard Glatzer died from complications of ALS a few months after this movie's release.

---

Goofs

When Barbara and Tony first walk through the park in Paris, they pass a little girl, and a young woman walks into frame towards them. In the next shot, the little girl is in a different position and the young woman is gone.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Antony Baekeland: I was eating a tomato at tea time a few weeks ago, and I suddenly realized that mommy is not dead at all. Just very, very mysterious.

---

Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Sex and the City: The Movie/Savage Grace/The Strangers/Kung Fu Panda/The Foot Fist Way (2008)

---

Soundtracks

Lullaby for Tony
Written and Performed by Dawn Landes
(c) Cropduster Music (BMI)

User Reviews

That of a Mother

When I was growing up, my mother could be a little over involved in my life but she's got nothing on Barbara Baekeland (Julianne Moore). SAVAGE GRACE tells Barbara's story and that of her incalculable influence on the direction of her very tight family. Together, Barbara, Brooks (Stephen Dillane) and Tony (Barney Clark as a boy, Eddie Redmayne as an adult), exist in a tiny bubble where they can be seen by and perform for the rest of the world but ultimately exist solely for each other. Rich beyond their own comprehension, the Baekeland's exude an air of arrogance and thrive on the act of acting. And even though, as the years pass on, the friends, acquaintances and passersby will have run far away, the Baekeland's still have us.

The Baekeland's come from money. Well, at least Brooks does. His father was the inventor of Bakelite, a popular plastic. Barbara, a former model and almost famous actress, married into the fortune and it suited her just fine to do nothing but be seen. With no real drama to occupy their time, the Baekeland's must create their own and they become experts in the craft. And like the entirely selfish parents they are, they teach their young son, Tony, everything they know. First time feature filmmaker and brave soul, Tom Kalin, tells their revolting yet tragic story in a manner that neither glorifies nor condemns their demented ways. All the while though, he centers his attention on Tony so that we never forget who the real victim is. This makes it all the more deplorable when Tony abandons reason to embrace his family heritage.

SAVAGE GRACE is not for all. Make no mistake, when I say that the Baekeland's ruin each other and bring about all of their own misfortune, I am not speaking lightly. This is a family that shares baths, beds and lovers. Kalin is mindful of his audience's likely discomfort but also never afraid to show that audience the dirty details. Besides, when all the debauchery becomes too much to handle, one can always look to Moore and bask in her brilliance. Moore is flippant one moment and affected the next. Her performance is so delicately balanced between calculated control and callous chaos that one never knows which way she'll turn and one is always shocked to find out. Both Dillane (who is practically unrecognizable) and Redmayne (who could so easily be related to Moore in reality with his pale, freckled skin) do more than simply hold their own. They complete the trio and it is a delight to watch them play off of each other, albeit a disturbing delight.

Kalin has not only crafted an engaging film but also a bizarre experience. If you can stomach this true story, then you will be treated to a frankness that is not common in American cinema. You will also get to spend time in dark places you may not be accustomed to. However, when you inevitably arrive safely on the other side, you will know the drastic differences in what it means to be fortunate.