When patients' rights lawyer Colette Hughes goes to meet her new client, Eleanor Riese, a patient in the psychiatric unit of a San Francisco hospital, she has no idea that besides taking on...
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Agnes, taken for granted as a suburban mother, discovers a passion for solving jigsaw puzzles which unexpectedly draws her into a new world - where her life unfolds in ways she could never have imagined.
One of the most celebrated war correspondents of our time, Marie Colvin is an utterly fearless and rebellious spirit, driven to the frontline of conflicts across the globe to give voice to the voiceless.
Director:
Matthew Heineman
Stars:
Rosamund Pike,
Alexandra Moen,
Tom Hollander
When patients' rights lawyer Colette Hughes goes to meet her new client, Eleanor Riese, a patient in the psychiatric unit of a San Francisco hospital, she has no idea that besides taking on an uphill legal battle to improve treatment for mental patients in hospitals, she is meeting a woman who will make it her mission to transform Colette's workaholic life.
The story was first mentioned to Helena Bonham Carter 13 years ago, with Helena playing the role of Collette and Susan Sarandon playing Eleanor. See more »
Goofs
Movie is set in 80's. During one scene, jogger is running through park with Pistons #33 Jersey., which was Grant Hill's Jersey. Grant Hill didn't start playing though until 1994. See more »
Quotes
Colette Hughes:
I first met Eleanor Riese as her lawyer, but soon - because Eleanor was Eleanor - Eleanor became my friend. And soon, because Eleanor was Eleanor, she became my protector, guardian, my worst critic, and my greatest support.
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Inevitably, some will avoid a film about mental illness and patients' rights for fear of it being "worthy" or "depressing". And, sure, this is undoubtedly the kind of story that used to be packaged for "disease of the week" telemovies. What elevates "55 Steps" above that lowly status is an extraordinary performance by Helena Bonham Carter as Eleanor Riese. It's not only a detailed, sensitive and touching portrayal of a woman with mental illness, but a smart, masterful exercise in calibrating a performance that balances both drama and comedy so that a difficult and potentially alienating subject becomes entertaining and ultimately uplifting. It takes an actor with incredible skill and range to pull off such a feat, and Bonham Carter is one of only a handful who could do it. That in the past few years she's also convincingly played roles as disparate as Elizabeth Taylor and Madame Thenardier demonstrates what a remarkable actor HBC has become. But this may be her best performance yet. Well worth seeing.
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Inevitably, some will avoid a film about mental illness and patients' rights for fear of it being "worthy" or "depressing". And, sure, this is undoubtedly the kind of story that used to be packaged for "disease of the week" telemovies. What elevates "55 Steps" above that lowly status is an extraordinary performance by Helena Bonham Carter as Eleanor Riese. It's not only a detailed, sensitive and touching portrayal of a woman with mental illness, but a smart, masterful exercise in calibrating a performance that balances both drama and comedy so that a difficult and potentially alienating subject becomes entertaining and ultimately uplifting. It takes an actor with incredible skill and range to pull off such a feat, and Bonham Carter is one of only a handful who could do it. That in the past few years she's also convincingly played roles as disparate as Elizabeth Taylor and Madame Thenardier demonstrates what a remarkable actor HBC has become. But this may be her best performance yet. Well worth seeing.