The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (film) explained

Screenplay:Peter Landesman
Alexander Woo
George C. Wolfe
Director:George C. Wolfe
Starring:Oprah Winfrey
Rose Byrne
Renée Elise Goldsberry
Courtney B. Vance
Reg E. Cathey
Ruben Santiago-Hudson
Leslie Uggams
Composer:Branford Marsalis
Country:United States
Language:English
Executive Producer:Alan Ball
Carla Gardini
Peter Macdissi
Lydia Dean Pilcher
Oprah Winfrey
Producer:Kathryn Dean
Editor:Aaron Yanes
Cinematography:Sofian El Fani
Runtime:1 hour and 32 minutes
Company:Your Face Goes Here Entertainment
Harpo Films
Cine Mosaic
Network:HBO

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a drama television film directed by George C. Wolfe and starring Oprah Winfrey and Rose Byrne. It is based on the book of the same name by Rebecca Skloot and documents the story of Henrietta Lacks, who was diagnosed with cervical cancer in the 1950s, and whose cancer cells (later known as HeLa) would change the course of cancer treatment. The film premiered on HBO on April 22, 2017.[1]

Cast

Production

The film was announced on May 2, 2016, with Alan Ball and Oprah Winfrey as executive producers. George C. Wolfe would direct the film, with Winfrey taking the role of Lacks' daughter Deborah.[2] In July, Rose Byrne was cast as Rebecca Skloot, the author of the book about Henrietta, who befriends Deborah while reporting on her mother's life,[3] and Renée Elise Goldsberry was cast as the titular Henrietta Lacks.[4] The core supporting cast was rounded out in August 2016, with Courtney B. Vance, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Reg E. Cathey and Leslie Uggams amongst them.[5] After several weeks of shooting in Atlanta, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks began filming in Baltimore in September 2016.[6] [7] Two of Henrietta Lacks's sons, Zakariyya and Sonny, were consultants on the film.[8]

Reception

Critical reception

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks received mixed to positive reviews from critics, with Winfrey's performance gaining high praise. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes gave the film an approval rating of 69%, based on 35 reviews, with an average rating of 6.5/10.[9] On Metacritic the film has a score of 64 out of 100, based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[10]

Accolades

YearAwardCategoryNominee(s)ResultRef.
Black Reel Awards for TelevisionOutstanding Television Movie or Limited Series[11]
Outstanding Actress, TV Movie or Limited SeriesOprah Winfrey
Outstanding Supporting Actor, TV Movie or Limited SeriesReg E. Cathey
Outstanding Directing, TV Movie/Limited SeriesGeorge C. Wolfe
Outstanding Writing, TV Movie/Limited Series
Online Film & Television Association AwardsBest Motion Picture[12]
Best Actress in a Motion Picture or Limited SeriesOprah Winfrey
Primetime Emmy AwardsOprah Winfrey, Carla Gardini, Alan Ball, Peter Macdissi,
Lydia Dean Pilcher, Rebecca Skloot, and Kathryn Dean		[13]
Artios AwardsOutstanding Achievement in Casting – Film – Non-Theatrical ReleaseCindy Tolan, Meagan Lewis, and Daniel Cabeza[14]
Critics' Choice Television AwardsBest Movie Made for Television[15]
Directors Guild of America AwardsOutstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and MiniseriesGeorge C. Wolfe[16]
Gracie AwardsMade for TV Movie[17]
NAACP Image AwardsOutstanding Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special[18]
Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic SpecialOprah Winfrey
Outstanding Writing in a Television Movie or SpecialPeter Landesman, Alexander Woo, and George C. Wolfe
NAMIC Vision AwardsOriginal Movie or Special[19]
Best Performance – DramaOprah Winfrey
Satellite AwardsBest Motion Picture Made for Television[20]
USC Scripter AwardsTelevisionPeter Landesman, Alexander Woo, and George C. Wolfe ; Rebecca Skloot [21]
Writers Guild of America AwardsLong Form – AdaptedPeter Landesman, Alexander Woo, and George C. Wolfe;
Based on the book by Rebecca Skloot		[22]

Notes and References

  1. Agard. Chancellor. Oprah Winfrey's Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks gets HBO premiere date. February 14, 2017. Entertainment Weekly. Time. June 14, 2018.
  2. Web site: Oprah Winfrey To Star In HBO Films' 'The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks'. Andreeva. Nellie. May 2, 2016. Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. September 29, 2016.
  3. Web site: Rose Byrne Joins Oprah Winfrey In HBO Films' 'The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks'. Petski. Denise. July 15, 2016. Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. September 29, 2016.
  4. Web site: Renée Elise Goldsberry Cast In HBO Films' 'The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks'. Petski. Denise. July 25, 2016. Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. September 29, 2016.
  5. Web site: Courtney B. Vance, Leslie Uggams, 7 Others Join Oprah Winfrey In HBO's 'Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks'. Pedersen. Erik. August 11, 2016. Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. September 29, 2016.
  6. News: Mayhugh. Jess. Oprah's "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" Films in Baltimore This Week. September 21, 2016. Baltimore Magazine. Rosebud Entertainment. September 29, 2016.
  7. News: Britto. Brittany. Oprah Winfrey spotted in Baltimore as 'Henrietta Lacks' movie films in city. September 21, 2016. The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore Sun Media Group. September 29, 2016.
  8. Web site: Sloan Science & Film. Sloan Science & Film. April 14, 2017. Sonia. Shechet Epstein. Museum of the Moving Image.
  9. Web site: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (2017) . Fandango Media. . June 14, 2018.
  10. Web site: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks . CBS Interactive. . April 27, 2017 .
  11. Web site: Black Reel Awards for TV – Past Nominees & Winners by Category . . December 18, 2021.
  12. Web site: 21st Annual Television Awards (2016-17) . Online Film & Television Association . May 15, 2021.
  13. Web site: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks . Emmys.com . . July 13, 2017.
  14. Web site: 2018 Artios Awards . January 18, 2018 . www.castingsociety.com . en.
  15. Web site: 'Shape of Water,' 'Big Little Lies,' 'Handmaid's Tale' Top Critics' Choice Awards . Tapley . Kristopher . January 11, 2018 . . January 11, 2018.
  16. Web site: 70th DGA Awards . . July 5, 2021.
  17. Web site: 2018 Gracies Gala Winners . . September 11, 2022.
  18. Web site: NAACP Image Awards: 'Marshall,' 'Get Out,' 'Girls Trip' Dominate Film Nominations . THR Staff . 20 November 2017 . . 20 November 2017.
  19. Web site: 2018 NAMIC Vision Awards – Winners . namic.com . September 11, 2022.
  20. Web site: 2017 Satellite Awards . . . July 10, 2021.
  21. Web site: Past Scripter Awards . . November 8, 2021.
  22. Web site: Littleton. Cynthia. Writers Guild Award TV Nominations: 'The Americans,' 'Handmaid's Tale,' 'GLOW' Grab Multiple Mentions. Variety. December 7, 2017. December 7, 2017.

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