SherryBaby
Monday, October 01, 2007
3 GOOMBAS
I love it when titles have a very obvious meaning but with a very deep significance.
SherryBaby stars Maggie Gyllenhaal as Sherry, a struggling, freshly rehabilitated, young mother whose one goal is retain custody of her daughter. Desperate as she is to stay clean during her parole, Sherry becomes an example of how hard it is for women of her means to graduate from the system.
This movie was almost unbearable. It was incredibly difficult to watch, and even harder to see Sherry make poor choice after poor choice despite her intensely genuine intentions. To put it bluntly, Sherry is white trash. She uses sex to get ahead, which isn't very far, and she doesn't posses the skills or the education to clean up. What's heartbreaking is that none of it is her fault. Her parents have thoroughly messed her up, and there's no one who can show her the way. All she can do is try and provide a better life for her daughter. There's no longer any hope for herself.
The title, SherryBaby, is a reference to Sherry's tartness but simultaneously commenting the softness of her love for her daughter.
This movie is stressful and devastating, but Gyllenhaal's performance is a work of art. Watch it as an example of what great acting is.