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.

Director Andy Ostroy made this tribute about his late wife, Adrienne Shelley, the actress, writer and director who was murdered by an Ecuadorian immigrant who was looking for money to pay his debt to the coyote who brought him to the US. To add insult to injury, the NY police initially refused to look past the circumstances of her death and called it a suicide. Only after his arguments did they reopen the investigation and call it a murder.

Senseless.

The movie is Ostroy's gift to his their daughter Sophie, who looks much like her mother. Even fourteen years after Adrienne's death, Their pain is still palpable.

What Ostroy wants us to know is how much Adrienne had to offer the world, how much it hurts that she is gone, and how much more she might have done. He interviews friends and coworkers, and gives the viewer glimpses of her last project,

The documentary is sad and unfocused, but what would you expect from something so intimate?

I just finished watching this moments ago and I'm still recovering, the tears haven't stopped welling up. This movie came up in the HBO options to stream and I knew nothing else about it. Oddly about a month ago I had the luxury of seeing Rufus Wainwright and Sara Bareilles, two of my favorite singers, perform the song "She Used to be Mine" from the play version of Waitress that felt overly emotional even though I didn't know the song or what it was about or from. I of course had seen and loved the movie, but had no clue it had ever become a musical/play. Cut to today when HBO recommends this documentary, I have no idea it's about the woman who wrote and directed such a lovely memorable movie. The unfairness of it all was not lost on me. She was murdered at the age of 40, oddly the same age her father was when he passed and left her behind to fear an early death. Yet her voice lives on and her project did what she wanted and she was able to find her happiness before going, which somehow feels like the only justice you'll get for watching this devastating doc. It's true you can never know a person from seeing them on tv or in interviews or through stories about them. This still made me care nearly as much about her loss as her closest supporters. What happened to her could happen to anyone and it's a travesty. This was really well put together and had a lot of funny and tender moments as well, not just sadness. It definitely made me want to go back and watch Waitress again to better appreciate her magnum opus. Hopefully her daughter can watch this many times when she's missing her as I wish I could with my aunt/mother figure who passed too soon.