Can You Ever Forgive Me? Explained

Director:Marielle Heller
Music:Nate Heller
Cinematography:Brandon Trost
Editing:Anne McCabe
Distributor:Fox Searchlight Pictures
Runtime:107 minutes[1]
Country:United States
Language:English
Budget:$10 million[2]
Gross:$12.4 million[3]

Can You Ever Forgive Me? is a 2018 American biographical drama film directed by Marielle Heller, with a screenplay by Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty based on the 2008 confessional memoir of the same name by Lee Israel. Melissa McCarthy stars as Israel, and the story follows her attempts to revitalize her failing writing career by forging letters from deceased authors and playwrights. The film also features Richard E. Grant, Dolly Wells, Jane Curtin, Anna Deavere Smith, Stephen Spinella, and Ben Falcone in supporting roles. Israel took the title from an apologetic line in a letter in which she posed as Dorothy Parker.[4]

The film had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on September 1, 2018, and was released in the United States on October 19, 2018, by Fox Searchlight Pictures, grossing $12 million against a production budget of $10 million and received critical acclaim. The National Board of Review named the film as one of the top ten films of 2018, and, for their performances, McCarthy and Grant earned nominations for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor, respectively, at the 91st Academy Awards, the 76th Golden Globe Awards, and the 72nd British Academy Film Awards, among other ceremonies. Holofcener and Whitty were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, and won the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Plot

In 1991, following the critical and commercial failure of her biography of Estée Lauder, author Lee Israel struggles with financial troubles, writer's block, and alcoholism. Although she hopes to write a biography of comedian Fanny Brice, her agent, Marjorie, sharply rejects the idea and explains that Lee, with her difficult personality, is responsible for her own career slump.

With Marjorie unable to secure her an advance for a new book, regardless of subject matter, Lee resorts to selling her possessions to cover living expenses. She sells a personal letter she received long ago from Katharine Hepburn to a used bookstore merchant and autograph dealer named Anna. Lee begins spending time with old acquaintance Jack Hock.

Visiting a Manhattan library's special collections department to research Fanny Brice, Lee discovers two letters typewritten by Brice. She removes one of them from the building and shows it to Anna. Anna makes Lee an offer that is lower than what she was expecting due to the letter's bland content. Lee returns home and uses a typewriter to add a postscript to the letter. Lee returns to Anna's store, where Anna, amused by what "Fanny Brice" wrote "several decades ago," offers Lee $350.

Lee then starts forging and selling letters "by" deceased celebrities, incorporating intimate details to command high prices. Anna, a fan of Lee's biographies, tries to initiate a romantic relationship, but may have another motive as on their dinner date she gives Lee a short story she has written hoping for Lee to critique it. Moments after they leave the restaurant, the socially phobic Lee appears to rebuff Anna.

In some of Lee's letters, she has Noël Coward make references to presumably much-younger men with whom he enjoys socializing. A used book dealer named Paul buys one of them from Lee and then sends it to a friend of his who knew Coward, who died less than 20 years ago. Coward's friend becomes suspicious, though the letter does not refer to a sexual act or a man's anatomy. Paul raises an alarm that leads to Lee's customers blacklisting her. Unable to sell more forgeries, she has Jack sell the letters on her behalf. His customers do not know he has a connection to Lee. She also starts stealing authentic letters from libraries and archives for Jack to sell, replacing them with forged duplicates. While Lee is out of town committing one such theft, her cat dies under Jack's care. She ends their friendship, but continues their partnership out of necessity.

The FBI arrests Jack while he is attempting a sale. He cooperates with them, resulting in Lee being served with a court summons. She retains a lawyer, who advises her to show contrition by getting a job, doing community service, and joining Alcoholics Anonymous. In court, Lee says she enjoyed creating the forgeries, but that her actions were ultimately not worth it because she lost her cat and friend. The judge sentences Lee to five years' probation and six months' house arrest.

During her house arrest, Lee skips her AA meeting to meet with Jack, who is dying of AIDS, at a bar. They reconcile, and Jack grants Lee permission to write a memoir about their escapades. Sometime later, while Lee is passing a bookstore, she sees a Dorothy Parker letter she forged that is now on sale for $1,900. She writes the store owner a sarcastic note from the deceased Parker revealing that the letter is a fake. After reading the note, the owner goes to retrieve the letter, but then decides to keep it on display.

Production

Development and casting

In 2011, when the project was first conceived, Sam Rockwell was set to play the character of Jack Hock. In April 2015, it was announced that Julianne Moore would play Lee Israel, with Nicole Holofcener set to direct from her own screenplay.[5] On May 14, 2015, Chris O'Dowd joined the cast.[6] In July 2015, Moore and Holofcener dropped out of the project due to "creative conflicts."[7] [8] In May 2016, Melissa McCarthy—whose husband, Ben Falcone, had been cast in a supporting role in Holofcener's film—was confirmed to have been cast as Israel, with Marielle Heller directing from Holofcener's script.[9] [10] [8] In January 2017, Richard E. Grant, Jane Curtin, Dolly Wells, Anna Deavere Smith, and Jennifer Westfeldt joined the cast.[11] Westfeldt does not appear in the finished film, as the storyline featuring her character was deleted.

Filming

Filming, which took place in New York City, began in January 2017 and concluded on March 2, 2017.[12]

Release

Can You Ever Forgive Me? had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on September 1, 2018,[13] [14] and also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival that month.[15] It was released in the United States on October 19, 2018.[16] The film was dedicated to its subject, author Leonore Carol Israel, who was born on December 3, 1939, and died on December 24, 2014.

Reception

Box office

The film grossed $8.8 million in the United States and Canada, and $3.7 million in other territories, for a total worldwide box office gross of $12.5 million, against a production budget of $10 million.[3]

Can You Ever Forgive Me? grossed $150,000 from five theaters during its opening weekend.[17] Its second weekend, it earned $380,000 from 25 theaters.[18] It expanded to 180 theaters for its third weekend, and earned $1.08 million.[19] The film grossed $1.5 million from 391 theaters its fourth weekend.[20] During its fifth weekend, it earned $880,000 from 555 theaters, bringing the total box office gross to over $5 million. During its 11th weekend in release, the film crossed $7.5 million stateside.[21]

Critical response

On film review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of based on 320 reviews, with an average score of ; the site's "critics consensus" reads: "Deftly directed and laced with dark wit, Can You Ever Forgive Me? proves a compelling showcase for deeply affecting work from Richard E. Grant and Melissa McCarthy."[22] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 87 out of 100 based on 53 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[23]

Peter Debruge of Variety wrote that "it takes an actress as delightful as [Melissa McCarthy] to make such a woman not just forgivable but downright lovable", but was critical of the film's promotion, writing: "One gets the impression that Fox Searchlight is trying to hide (or at least downplay) the homosexual side of this story: Lee was a lesbian, while the openly gay Jack [Hock] can hardly pass a fire hydrant without asking for its phone number."[24]

Film Journal International deemed McCarthy's performance as "stunning", and wrote her previous film roles "could not anticipate how fearlessly and credibly she inhabits Lee Israel".[25] Eric Kohn of IndieWire called the film a "charming melancholic comedy" in which "Heller channels the dark urban milieu of vintage Woody Allen", and wrote that McCarthy's performance "elevates the material at every opportunity".[26]

Accolades

AwardDate of ceremonyCategoryRecipient(s)Result
Gotham AwardsNovember 26, 2018Best ActorRichard E. Grant[27]
National Board of ReviewNovember 27, 2018Top 10 FilmsCan You Ever Forgive Me?[28]
New York Film Critics CircleNovember 29, 2018Best Supporting ActorRichard E. Grant[29]
Detroit Film Critics SocietyDecember 3, 2018Best ActressMelissa McCarthy[30]
Best Supporting ActorRichard E. Grant
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics AssociationDecember 3, 2018Best ActressMelissa McCarthy[31]
Best Supporting ActorRichard E. Grant
Best Adapted ScreenplayNicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty
Chicago Film Critics AssociationDecember 7, 2018Best ActressMelissa McCarthy[32] [33]
Best Supporting ActorRichard E. Grant
Best Adapted ScreenplayNicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty
Los Angeles Film Critics AssociationDecember 9, 2018Best ScreenplayNicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty[34]
New York Film Critics Online AwardsDecember 9, 2018Best ActressMelissa McCarthy[35]
Best Supporting ActorRichard E. Grant
San Diego Film Critics SocietyDecember 10, 2018Best ActressMelissa McCarthy[36]
Best Supporting ActorRichard E. Grant
Best Adapted ScreenplayNicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty
San Francisco Film Critics CircleDecember 9, 2018Best ActressMelissa McCarthy[37]
Best Supporting ActorRichard E. Grant
Best Adapted ScreenplayNicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty
Toronto Film Critics AssociationDecember 9, 2018Best ActressMelissa McCarthy[38]
Best Supporting ActorRichard E. Grant
Boston Society of Film CriticsDecember 16, 2018Best ActressMelissa McCarthy[39]
Best Supporting ActorRichard E. Grant
Best ScreenplayNicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics AssociationDecember 17, 2018Best PictureCan You Ever Forgive Me?[40]
Best ActressMelissa McCarthy
Best Supporting ActorRichard E. Grant
Seattle Film Critics AwardsDecember 17, 2018Best Supporting ActorRichard E. Grant[41]
St. Louis Film Critics AssociationDecember 17, 2018Best Supporting ActorRichard E. Grant[42]
Best Adapted ScreenplayNicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty
Vancouver Film Critics CircleDecember 17, 2018Best ActressMelissa McCarthy[43]
Best Supporting ActorRichard E. Grant
Florida Film Critics CircleDecember 21, 2018Best ActressMelissa McCarthy[44]
Best Supporting ActorRichard E. Grant
Best Adapted ScreenplayNicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty
Houston Film Critics SocietyJanuary 3, 2019Best ActressMelissa McCarthy[45]
Best Supporting ActorRichard E. Grant
Palm Springs International Film FestivalJanuary 3, 2019Spotlight AwardMelissa McCarthy[46]
Golden Globe AwardsJanuary 6, 2019Best Actress – Motion Picture, Drama[47]
Best Supporting Actor – Motion PictureRichard E. Grant
Austin Film Critics AssociationJanuary 7, 2019Best ActressMelissa McCarthy[48]
Best Supporting ActorRichard E. Grant
Best Adapted ScreenplayNicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty
Alliance of Women Film JournalistsJanuary 10, 2019Best ActressMelissa McCarthy[49]
Bravest Performance
Best Supporting ActorRichard E. Grant
Best Adapted ScreenplayNicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty
Best Woman DirectorMarielle Heller
Best Woman ScreenwriterNicole Holofcener
Critics' Choice Movie AwardsJanuary 13, 2019Best ActressMelissa McCarthy[50]
Best Supporting ActorRichard E. Grant
Best Adapted ScreenplayNicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty
London Film Critics' CircleJanuary 20, 2019Best Supporting ActorRichard E. Grant[51]
Screen Actors Guild AwardsJanuary 27, 2019Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading RoleMelissa McCarthy[52]
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting RoleRichard E. Grant
Santa Barbara International Film FestivalFebruary 3, 2019Montecito AwardMelissa McCarthy[53]
Virtuoso AwardRichard E. Grant
British Academy Film AwardsFebruary 10, 2019Best Actress in a Leading RoleMelissa McCarthy[54]
Best Actor in a Supporting RoleRichard E. Grant
Best Adapted ScreenplayNicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty
Writers Guild of America AwardsFebruary 17, 2019Best Adapted Screenplay[55]
Satellite AwardsFebruary 22, 2019Best Actress – Motion Picture, DramaMelissa McCarthy[56]
Best Supporting Actor – Motion PictureRichard E. Grant
Best Adapted ScreenplayNicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty
Women's Image Network AwardsFebruary 22, 2019Feature FilmCan You Ever Forgive Me?[57]
Lead Actress Feature FilmMelissa McCarthy
Film Written By a WomanNicole Holofcener
Film Produced By a WomanAnne Carey and Amy Nauiokas
Independent Spirit AwardsFebruary 23, 2019Best Supporting MaleRichard E. Grant[58]
Best ScreenplayNicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty
Golden Raspberry AwardFebruary 23, 2019Razzie Redeemer AwardMelissa McCarthy[59]
Academy AwardsFebruary 24, 2019Best Actress[60]
Best Supporting ActorRichard E. Grant
Best Adapted ScreenplayNicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty
GLAAD Media AwardMay 4, 2019Outstanding Film – Limited ReleaseCan You Ever Forgive Me?[61]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Can You Ever Forgive Me. Toronto International Film Festival. July 24, 2018.
  2. Web site: Making of 'Can You Ever Forgive Me?': How Melissa McCarthy Stepped In for Julianne Moore. The Hollywood Reporter. Pamela. McClintock. January 8, 2019. January 9, 2019.
  3. Web site: Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018) – Financial Information. The Numbers. March 16, 2019.
  4. Web site: Loughrey . Clarisse . Lee Israel: The real-life story behind Oscar-nominated Can You Ever Forgive Me? . . 2 February 2019 . 1 February 2019.
  5. News: Steal Alice: Julianne Moore to play celebrity letter forger . Child . Ben . . April 10, 2015 . January 30, 2017.
  6. News: Chris O'Dowd to Co-Star With Julianne Moore in 'Can You Ever Forgive Me' (EXCLUSIVE). Kroll. Justin. May 14, 2015. Variety. en-US. January 31, 2017.
  7. News: Julianne Moore Leaves 'Can You Ever Forgive Me?' . McNary . Dave . . July 15, 2015 . January 30, 2017.
  8. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/how-melissa-mccarthy-stepped-julianne-moore-can-you-ever-forgive-me-1172472 Making of 'Can You Ever Forgive Me?': How Melissa McCarthy Stepped In for Julianne Moore
  9. News: McNary. Dave. Melissa McCarthy to Play Novelist and Literary Forger Lee Israel (EXCLUSIVE). January 30, 2017. Variety. May 31, 2016.
  10. Web site: Thompson. Anne. 'Can You Ever Forgive Me?': How Melissa McCarthy Replacing Julianne Moore Turned a Troubled Production into a Triumph. IndieWire. October 17, 2018. November 3, 2018.
  11. Web site: Richard E. Grant & More Join Melissa McCarthy In 'Can You Ever Forgive Me'. Deadline Hollywood. Amanda. N'Duka. January 30, 2017. January 30, 2017.
  12. Web site: Can You Ever Forgive Me?. Directors Guild of America. March 2, 2017.
  13. Web site: Kristopher. Tapley. 'First Man,' 'Front Runner' and 'Roma' Among 2018 Telluride Film Festival Selections. Variety. August 30, 2018. August 30, 2018.
  14. News: 45th Telluride Film Festival (Program). Telluride Film Festival. 2018. 13, 32. November 3, 2018.
  15. Web site: Toronto: Timothee Chalamet Starrer 'Beautiful Boy,' Dan Fogelman's 'Life Itself' Among Festival Lineup. The Hollywood Reporter. Etan. Vlessing. July 24, 2018. July 24, 2018.
  16. Web site: Merin. Jennifer. Movie of the Week October 19, 2018: Can You Ever Forgive Me. Alliance of Women Film Journalists. October 14, 2018. November 3, 2018.
  17. Web site: Brueggemann . Tom . Jonah Hill's 'Mid90s,' 'Can You Ever Forgive Me?,' and 'Wildlife' Start Strong . . November 22, 2018 . October 21, 2018.
  18. Web site: Brooks . Brian . 'Suspiria' Opens Big with Year's Best Average; 'Can You Ever Forgive Me?' Solid: Specialty Box Office . . November 22, 2018 . October 28, 2018.
  19. Web site: 'Boy Erased' With Robust Bow; 'A Private War' Aims OK: Specialty Box Office. Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. November 4, 2018 . Brian . Brooks. November 4, 2018.
  20. Web site: Brooks . Brian . 'El Angel' Blessed With OK Bow; 'Chef Flynn' Solid, 'Boy Erased' Expands: Specialty Box Office . . November 22, 2018 . November 11, 2018.
  21. Web site: Brooks . Brian . 'At Eternity's Gate' Paints Solid Start; 'Can You Ever Forgive Me' Crosses $5M: Specialty Box Office . . November 22, 2018 . November 18, 2018.
  22. Web site: Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018). Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. .
  23. Web site: Can You Ever Forgive Me? reviews. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. January 28, 2019.
  24. Web site: Debruge. Peter. Film Review: Melissa McCarthy in 'Can You Ever Forgive Me?'. Variety. September 2, 2018. November 3, 2018.
  25. Web site: Horwitz. Simi. Film Review: 'Can You Ever Forgive Me?'. Film Journal International. October 17, 2018. November 3, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20190401042911/https://www.filmjournal.com/reviews/film-review-can-you-ever-forgive-me. April 1, 2019. dead.
  26. Web site: Kohn. Eric. 'Can You Ever Forgive Me?' Review: Melissa McCarthy Gives Her Best Performance as a Forger Who Dreams of Fame — Telluride. IndieWire. September 1, 2018. November 3, 2018.
  27. Web site: Sharf . Zack . 2018 Gotham Awards Nominations: 'The Favourite' and 'First Reformed' Lead the Pack . . November 22, 2018 . October 18, 2018.
  28. Web site: Sharf . Zach . National Board of Review 2018 Winners: 'Green Book' Named Best Film, Lady Gaga Best Actress . IndieWire . November 29, 2018 . November 27, 2018.
  29. Web site: Sharf . Zach . 2018 New York Film Critics Circle Awards. IndieWire . November 29, 2018 . November 29, 2018.
  30. Web site: The 2018 Detroit Film Critics Society Awards . DFCS . November 30, 2018 . . December 18, 2018 .
  31. Web site: The 2018 WAFCA Awards. Washington DC Area Film Critics Association. December 3, 2018.
  32. Web site: 2018 Chicago Film Critics Awards. www.chicagofilmcritics.org. 7 December 2018 . 13 December 2018.
  33. Web site: 2018 Chicago Film Critics Awards Winners. www.chicagofilmcritics.org. 13 December 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181209104015/https://chicagofilmcritics.org/blog/2018winners. 9 December 2018. dead.
  34. Web site: L.A. Film Critics Association Awards: 'Roma' Wins Best Picture – Winners List. December 9, 2018 . Mike Fleming Jr.. Deadline . 18 December 2018.
  35. Web site: 'Roma' Voted Best Picture by New York Film Critics Online. December 9, 2018 . Kimberly Nordyke . The Hollywood Reporter . 13 December 2018.
  36. Web site: 2018 San Diego Film Critics Society Award Winners. 2018-12-10. San Diego Film Critics Society. en-US. 2018-12-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20181211133615/http://www.sdfcs.org/2018-award-winners/. 2018-12-11. dead.
  37. News: 'Roma,' 'BlacKkKlansman' big winners at 2018 SF Film Critics Circle awards . December 31, 2018 . San Francisco Chronicle . December 9, 2018.
  38. News: Knight . Chris . Toronto Film Critics Association votes Roma for best movie of the year . December 31, 2018 . National Post . December 10, 2018.
  39. Web site: Neglia . Matt . The 2018 Boston Society Of Film Critics (BSFC) Winners . NextBestPicture . December 31, 2018 . December 16, 2018.
  40. Web site: DFW Film Critics Name 'A Star Is Born' Best Picture of 2018. December 17, 2018. Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association. December 20, 2018.
  41. Web site: French . Alan . Seattle Film Critics Society Winners – Action Films Take Centerstage with Big Wins for 'Widows' and 'Black Panther' . AwardsCircuit . December 31, 2018 . December 17, 2018 . December 18, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181218193543/http://www.awardscircuit.com/2018/12/17/2018-seattle-film-critics-society-winners-action-films-take-centerstage/ . dead .
  42. Web site: Stockman . Tom . St. Louis Film Critics Association Chooses A Star is Born as Best Film of 2018 . We Are Movie Geeks . December 31, 2018 . December 18, 2018.
  43. News: Vlessing . Etan . 'Roma' Named Best Picture by Vancouver Film Critics Circle . December 31, 2018 . The Hollywood Reporter . December 17, 2018.
  44. Web site: 2018 FFCC WINNERS.
  45. Web site: Vonder Haar. Pete. Houston Film Critics Society Announces 2018 Awards Nominations. Houston Press. 18 December 2018. 17 December 2018.
  46. Web site: Melissa McCarthy to Receive Spotlight Award at Palm Springs Film Festival. Welk. Brian. November 19, 2018. The Wrap. November 24, 2018.
  47. News: Golden Globe Nominations: Complete List . December 6, 2018 . Variety . December 6, 2018.
  48. Web site: Austin Film Critics Association Announces 2018's Best Films and More.
  49. Web site: 2018 EDA Award Winners.
  50. Web site: Critics' Choice Awards Nominations: 'The Favourite' Tops With 14, 'Black Panther' A Marvel, 'First Man' Rebounds; 'The Americans' Leads TV Series. Pete. Hammond. 10 December 2018.
  51. News: Ritman . Alex . 'The Favourite' Leads Nominations for London Critics' Circle Awards . December 31, 2018 . The Hollywood Reporter . December 18, 2018.
  52. Web site: SAG Awards Nominations: 'A Star Is Born', 'Mrs. Maisel', 'Ozark' Lead Way – The Full List . Deadline Hollywood . Hipes . Patrick . December 12, 2018 . December 12, 2018.
  53. Web site: Hammond. Pete. Melissa McCarthy To Receive Santa Barbara Film Festival Montecito Award. . November 24, 2018 . November 15, 2018.
  54. Web site: The full list of nominations for the Baftas 2019. 8 January 2019. Guardian. 9 January 2019.
  55. Web site: Writers Guild Awards Nominees Include 'A Star Is Born,' 'Green Book,' 'Roma' . Dave McNary . January 7, 2019 . Variety.
  56. Web site: The 23rd Annual Satellite Awards: 2018 Nominations Ballot . International Press Academy . December 9, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181130014018/http://www.pressacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/2018_Press_Academy_NOMINATIONS.pdf . November 30, 2018 . dead .
  57. Web site: The WIN Awards 20 Nominees. 2019-01-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20190109011942/https://www.thewinawards.com/win20nominees. 2019-01-09. dead.
  58. Web site: D'Alessandro . Anthony . 2019 Spirit Award Nominations: 'We The Animals' Tops With Five, A24 Leads All Distributors, Studio Classic Labels Come Up Short . . November 22, 2018 . November 16, 2018.
  59. Web site: 39TH Razzie Awards Announcement!. YouTube: Razzie Channel.
  60. Web site: Oscar Nominations – The Complete List Of Noms. Patrick. Hipes. 22 January 2019. Deadline.
  61. Web site: GLAAD Media Awards: 'Boy Erased,' 'Pose,' 'Gianni Versace' Among Winners . The Hollywood Reporter . Kimberly . Nordyke . May 4, 2019 . May 5, 2019.

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