The Girl (2012)

The turbulent relationship between filmmaker Sir Alfred Hitchcock (Toby Jones) and actress Tippi Hedren (Sienna Miller).

Director:

Julian Jarrold

Writers:

Gwyneth Hughes, Donald Spoto (book)

Stars:

Sienna Miller, Toby Jones, Imelda Staunton

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 3 wins & 33 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Sienna Miller	...	Tippi Hedren
Toby Jones	...	Alfred Hitchcock
Imelda Staunton	...	Alma Reville Hitchcock
Conrad Kemp	...	Evan Hunter
Penelope Wilton	...	Peggy Robertson
Angelina Ingpen	...	Melanie
Candice D'Arcy	...	Josephine Milton
Carl Beukes	...	Jim Brown
Kate Tilley	...	Rita Riggs
Aubrey Shelton	...	Maitre D
Leon Clingman	...	Ray Berwick
Patrick Lyster	...	Bob Boyle

Storyline

When Grace Kelly retires from movies to marry Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, Sir Alfred Hitchcock (Toby Jones) looks for a similar blonde and finds her in a television model. The little known Tippi Hedren (Sienna Miller), who will star in his movie adaptation of horror story "The Birds". Hitchcock is obsessed with Tippi sexually, and when she rebuffs his advances, sadistically puts her through five days of filming where she is attacked and injured by real birds. Hitchcock's wife Alma (Imelda Staunton) and his assistant Peggy Robertson (Dame Penelope Wilton) are appalled, but can do nothing. Tippi is resolved that she will not give in to Hitchcock despite the situation giving her nightmares. Hitchcock and Tippi make a second movie, Marnie (1964). Having admitted that Alma is the only woman with whom he has ever had sex, and that he now finds her cold, Hitchcock continues to pursue Tippi, bombarding her with phone calls declaring his love for her, yet reminding her that he alone made ...

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Plot Keywords:

bird | model | blonde | director | actress | 

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Taglines:

He made her his star. And his darkest obsession.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Certificate:

TV-14

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ray Berwick, the bird trainer on The Birds (1963), is depicted as having contempt for Sir Alfred Hitchcock, even referring to him at one point as "the old fool". In reality, Berwick always spoke of Hitchcock with the utmost respect and affection, working with him again on Topaz (1969).

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Goofs

In this film, Alfred Hitchcock is seen proposing a toast to "Alfie and Tippi". In reality, Hitchcock never called himself "Alfie", and never liked to be called either "Alfie" or "Alfred"; he was always called "Hitch", at his own insistence.

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Quotes

[title quote]: Blondes make the best victims. They're like virgin snow that shows up the bloody footprints. - Alfred Hitchcock

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Connections

References Marnie (1964)

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Soundtracks

I've Told Ev'ry Little Star
Written by Oscar Hammerstein II and Jerome Kern
Performed by Linda Scott
Courtesy of Epic Records

User Reviews

Rear Window Into The Soul

As most film buffs are aware, Alfred Hitchcock was a known voyeur and that kink was evident in most of his films and the Director was able to channel that obsession for creative and successful movies. The art form itself is genuinely, by nature, produced to satisfy the voyeuristic tendencies of the audience. No one knew that better than Hitch.

It is also known that he liked blonds with a cool demeanor. But to just what extent he used his leverage over these actresses was not very clear. According to Tippi Hedren, if we are to believe her accounts, this made for HBO Movie is truth told to power (posthumously).

This is an old Hollywood story that used to be referred to as "the casting couch". Here we have an impotent Hitch groping and demanding obedience "available to me in all i desire", a determined, sad old man, that uses his on set Direction to "torture" her with repeated, dangerous and humiliating takes of a scene in The Birds (1963).

But she is a strong and resilient woman who would make another movie, Marnie (1964) with Alfie and then fade to black. The movie makes its points in a straightforward, blemishes and all, account that is well acted by all and, surprisingly, without any flourishes that made Hitchcock a legendary film maker.

It is a sympathetic portrayal of a beautiful woman and a flawed, fat and ugly, powerful man. A Beauty and the Beast story. Not a pleasant situation about an unpleasant, but talented man.

Details

Country:

UK South Africa USA Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 October 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Girl

Filming Locations:

South Africa

Company Credits

Production Co:

Wall to Wall Media, Warner Bros., Moonlighting Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1