The Tale

Writer/Co-Producer/Director Jennifer Fox’s The Tale is a super-excellent drama based on her own life, when, at age 13, she was drawn into a sexual relationship with her running coach (Jason Ritter).

 

This film is the epitome of an independent film with, due to financing issues, Fox having to stop the shoot and regroup several times in order to keep her fabulous cast of Laura Dern, Elizabeth Debicki, Ellyn Burstyn, Common, Frances Conroy, Laura Allen, Isabelle Nélisse and the late John Heard.

Fox also had to change her Cinematographers from Denis Lenoir to Ivan Strasburg and Editors from Anne Fabini to Alex Hall to Gary Levy for the same reasons.  And, yet they all turned in seamless performances with the editing being immediately striking as exceptional.

The fact Fox was able to handle this on her first feature a is phenomenal.

The Tale is unique in its take on sexual violation, forcing one to wonder whether childhood and adulthood should be defined only by age or by mental capacity, as well.  Whatever your opinion, the film will stick with you.

The film is on HBO and I strongly urge you to see it. (It's sad that a movie this fine is not in theaters.) 

I give The Tale a 4.7 out of 5.