Rent Stephanie Daley (2006)
3.3 of 5 from 53 ratings
1h 29min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- When 16-year-old Stephanie Daley is accused of murdering her newborn, she claims she never knew she was pregnant and that the child was stillborn. A forensic psychologist, Lydie Crane, is hired to determine the truth behind Stephanie's continuing state of denial. Lydie is pregnant herself and grappling with a shaky marriage as well as a growing intuition that something may go wrong with her own unborn child. Her encounters with Stephanie soon lead her to believe that unraveling the teenager's mystery is crucial to her own fate. The resulting parallel journeys lead each woman to a place of self-realization and acceptance.
- Actors:
- Tilda Swinton, Amber Tamblyn, Timothy Hutton, Vincent Piazza, Constance Wu, Halley Feiffer, Melissa Leo, Michael Nostrand, Jim Gaffigan, Susan Ferrara, Novella Nelson, John Ellison Conlee, Neal Huff, Jenny Nay, Kaiulani Lee, Adelia Saunders, Harry Zittel, Trisha LaFache, Kel O'Neill, Jillian Cuzzolino
- Directors:
- Hilary Brougher
- Writers:
- Hilary Brougher
- Others:
- Hilary Brougher
- Studio:
- Blackhorse Entertainment
- Genres:
- Drama
- Collections:
- Getting to Know: Tilda Swinton
- Awards:
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Reviews (2) of Stephanie Daley
A brilliant and unsettling indie drama. - Stephanie Daley review by CP Customer
Lyndie Crane is a forensic psychologist hired by the state prosecutors’ office to assess 16 year old Stephanie Daley, a shy and mild mannered Christian schoolgirl who has been accused of murdering her newborn baby. Lyndie’s job is to determine whether the state prosecutor has a viable case against Stephanie, did she knowingly kill her premature child? Was she honestly ignorant to the fact she was pregnant? or is she deceiving everyone around her? The film follows the lives of the two female leads and during a series of informal interviews led by Lyndie, Stephanie’s story is retold from the time she conceived, too prematurely giving birth 27 weeks after conception. Lindie’s story is told in the present day, she’s 29 weeks pregnant with a baby which was conceived only three months after giving birth to a stillborn child and her relationship with her husband is often strained due to unspoken and unresolved issues in their past. Both Tilda Swinton and Amber Tamblyn give exceptional, understated natural performances, the direction and script from Hilary Brougher is both delicate and expertly paced, and the last 20 minutes of this film are intense, unsettling and deeply moving as the final parts of Stephanie’s story are revealed. If you’re expecting a crime based drama you’ll be disappointed, this is a beautifully crafted character based film which sensitively deals with an uncomfortable subject matter.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
Technical issues wrecked the film - Stephanie Daley review by NS
I don't doubt the performances, script or intentions, but the film quality was like HD home video, the lighting uniformly bright, and the sound was so variable I was watching with the remote in hand to adjust the volume. For me these things made what sounds like an excellent film completely unwatchable. A great pity.
0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.