Adrienne

I've always loved actress Adrienne Shelly, since I 1st saw her in the late 80's and always felt like she was a friend in my head, a kindred spirit.

I remember when I watched Waitress and was SO THRILLED and Amazed that she had FULLY Broken through and achieved her Dreams. She made a Beautiful Masterpiece!!! At the time I had No idea of what had happened to her, as I had lost my Father 2 months earlier and was living in a numbed stupor.

I Loved Waitress, All the characters and wonderful actors she had cast were perfection!! I was so thrilled and as I watched the end credits I spotted something that seemed WRONG!! :O I immediately went online to look up Adrienne and now Knew it was TRUE! She was gone! Someone had cruelly and selfishly, Robbed her of her Life, Her Child, Her Husband, Her Family and Her Lifetime Masterpiece (a love letter to her baby, who would now grow up without getting to really know the beautiful, kind, talented and courageous woman her Mother Adrienne Really was!) I just cried... and when I realized that was little Sophie who played Jenna's (Keri Russell's) beautiful little girl Lulu in the movie, I cried MORE!! :(

I was surprised today to see this documentary made by her husband, Andy Ostroy and seeing her beautiful daughter. Sophie, so grown up now and just as beautiful as her Mom, Adrienne. I watched with a huge lump in my chest and my throat.

I can't say more without throwing out spoilers. But if your a fan of Adrienne Shelly, her past work and her Huge Hit movie Waitress, then this is a must see!

The world feels a bit darker without this beautiful and talented woman in it. Even for an ordinary person like me, who only knew her through her works. All I can do is say a Prayer for Adrienne, Sophie, Andy, and all the family, friends and fans who Loved her and Miss her So Much!

As "Adrienne" (2021 release; 98 min.) opens, we see home video footage of a Halloween party in 2006, featuring actress-director Adrienne Shelly and her 2 yr old daughter Sophie. The voice over informs us that shockingly Adrienne would be found dead the very next day, November 1, 2006. We then go to "New York City, May, 2019", where the musical "Waitress", adapted from Adrienne Shelly's last movie released just months after her death, is doing great business on Broadway. At this point we are 10 min into the film.

Couple of comments: this documentary is directed by Andy Ostroy, husband of Adrienne Shelly. The movie is two things into one: first and foremost, Ostroy wants to pay tribute to Adrienne and at the same time preserve Adrienne's legacy and memory for Sophie (now 17 years old), as a mother, a wife, an actress, a director. Second, Ostroy wants to fully understand what exactly happened that fateful November 1, 2006. I must admit I vaguely recall this happening, but I didn't know much of Adrienne Shelly's body of work. What I wasn't prepared for is the emotional toll of watching this, considering the senseless death of Adrienne. Bottom line: this movie is clearly a labor of love from Ostroy.

"Adrienne" premiered recently on HBO and is now available on HBO On Demand and HBO Max, where I caught it the other day. Whether you are a fan who is familiar with Adrienne Shelly or you know know next to nothing about her, as was the case for me, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

This film is a beautiful tribute to a thoughtful creative artist, mom, wife, daughter, sister, and friend. An exploration of life, death, mourning, legacy, and the human spirit. I remember when the news of her death broke in NYC. I remember all the inaccurate conclusions about her death being reported and then the truth seemingly coming out. This film finally put my curiosity and questions about what happened to rest and gave me closure. I loved "Waitress" when I first saw it and introduced it to everyone. Same with the musical. I saw it twice on Broadway and cried both times. Go see it! And watch this. This film celebrates her, while not shying away from the darkness and evil that intruded upon her and ended her life. She created a very touching lasting work about the human condition and that can never be taken away. Rest in Peace sweet soul and God bless her family for facing this head on and sharing their story with the world. Thank you.

This love-letter by Adrienne Shelly's widower is heartfelt and well-constructed. It got some poor reviews by people who are focused on their own tragedies. I lost someone very close to me only six months ago, but I assure you I'm able to judge this film on its own merits.

The film is a bit self-indulgent in terms of (uneven) pacing and run-time. While I'm sure Mr. Ostroy had good reasons for including all the historical footage that he did (and I'm just some random jerk), I believe that slightly more aggressive editing would have helped.

There is a spooky moment about 40 minutes in; it caught my attention. There is also a moment near the end, in an interview with the (very strong) daughter, that for me was so sad and genuine, it was like a dagger to the heart.

I rate this thoughtful and evocative film at eight (8) stars. RIP Adrienne; you are missed.

Andy, thank you for sharing Adrienne with us. Your documentary shows us more about Adrienne than we knew. She was such a talented, beautiful and smart woman. I throughly enjoyed her work and fortunately I can watch her films to my heart's content. Of course I wish she was still here. Waitress is a film I've seen at least a half dozen times. Her writing was so on point and the characters were developed perfectly. It was a natural process for you to make a documentary about her since you're in the business. You're expression of love for Adrienne comes through in every scene. I wish for you and your daughter a happy life.