The Tale

Jennifer Fox (Laura Dern) is a globe-trotting documentarian. She's engaged to Martin (Common) for the past 3 years and they're both often away for work. She teaches documentary filmmaking at a college. Her mother (Ellen Burstyn) is desperate to contact her after finding her old writing assignment. The memories of a childhood relationship resurface. She slowly investigates the scattered pieces of recollections. During the 70's, Jenny (Isabelle Nélisse) was a shy girl at 13. Her parents were fighting and she felt invisible. She worshipped her horse riding coach Mrs. G (Elizabeth Debicki). Mrs. G and running coach Bill Allens (Jason Ritter) were having an affair. They pulled Jenny into their secret relationship of which Bill took advantage.

This HBO film tells a devastating tale. Laura Dern's performance is a nice growth from denial to realization. It's all on her face like when her student recounts her first sexual experience. Other standouts include Nélisse as the young Jenny and Jason Ritter. Nélisse is perfectly innocent and Ritter uses his personable charms to deviate from the normal creep trope. It's quite horrific. Obviously, this is a personal movie for filmmaker Jennifer Fox. It would have added to the reality of the movie if young Jenny read the assignment writing at the beginning of the movie. Better yet if young Jenny read Jennifer Fox's actual letter. It would be that much more poignant. Overall, this is devastating personal tale with a great performance.

While I was watching this highly effective movie, there was a moment, the moment I have remembered some memory that I burried to the deep side of my mind. It was the time I have realised I was abused when I was child. I think it can show that the power of that amazing movie. Finally, I have faced what I live. And the idea of being your own documentarian, it was one of the best way to show how to examine of our memories or what we tell about them to ourselves to feel better. I will never forget that moment and I will never forget this remarkable movie.

What a unique, powerful film. I wasn't sure what to think of its structure at first, but it was completely necessary the way it was to tell this story. Laura Dern is predictably fantastic. However, it's not flawless. The last five minutes were very abrupt and I felt like the film needed to breathe more before it officially ended.

This film tells the story of a woman who realises what happened to her when she was a teenager.

It is a story that has a lot of impact on the viewer because of the disturbing subject matter. The story is engaging, and the portrayal of the grooming process is very detailed. It is a sad story, but it is a story that needs to be told, so that people will be vigilant if it happens again.

I've never written a review in my life, but anyone who has been touched by child sexual abuse get ready to feel bombarded. The shame, the confusion, the guilt, even the secret feelings of being "special"....they're all in there. This film was both hard to watch and hard to look away from. The acting is superb and the flow of dialogue realistic. A cautionary tale for anyone with children.