Sherrybaby (2006)
December 7th, 2006
Like her brother Jake Gyllenhaal (Brokeback Mountain), Maggie Gyllenhaal (Secretary) is a brave and talented actor. Her performance is almost enough to make this film worthwhile.
Gyllenhaal plays Sherry, a heroin-addicted ex-convict who just wants to stay clean and get custody of her little daughter. However, the daughter has been living with Sherry’s brother and his wife for so long that they have come to think of themselves as the girl’s parents. They are not inclined to give her up.
Sherry has a lot of strikes against her, not least the arrested development that is the result of spending three of her young-adult years in prison. She doesn’t seem to have any clothes except for short skirts and halter tops, and she uses her sexuality in all her interactions with men. (There is a lot of nudity in this film.) She reacts belligerently to perceived slights, such as being jostled on the street, and soon she is sliding back into heroin use. Sherry is too acclimated to prison life to inspire confidence that she will make it on the outside.
For me this film is like a Dr. Phil episode or a TV movie. We know there are women like this, but the movie doesn’t provide any new insights. It seems that we are supposed to sympathize with Sherry, and we do to a degree; but as a parent I wouldn’t hand over a child into her care.
Recommended for Gyllenhaal’s performance.
Sherry and her parole officer
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