May December
Release poster
Directed byTodd Haynes
Screenplay bySamy Burch
Story by
  • Samy Burch
  • Alex Mechanik
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyChristopher Blauvelt
Edited byAffonso Gonçalves
Music byMarcelo Zarvos
Production
companies
Distributed byNetflix
Release dates
  • May 20, 2023 (2023-05-20) (Cannes)
  • November 17, 2023 (2023-11-17) (United States)
Running time
117 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$20 million[2]
Box office$234,552[3]

May December is a 2023 American drama film directed by Todd Haynes from a screenplay by Samy Burch, based on a story by Burch and Alex Mechanik. Loosely inspired by the story of Mary Kay Letourneau, the film follows an actress (Natalie Portman) who travels to Georgia to meet and study the life of the controversial woman (Julianne Moore) she is set to play in a film—the woman being infamous for her 23-year-old relationship with her husband (Charles Melton), whom she first met when he was 13 years old.[4] [5]

The film was announced in June 2021, with Portman and Moore joining the cast. Filming took place in mid-2022 around Savannah, Georgia. It premiered at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2023, where the North American distribution rights were bought by Netflix.

May December was released in select theaters in the United States on November 17, 2023, before streaming on Netflix on December 1, and received critical acclaim.

Plot

In 2015, actress Elizabeth Berry arrives in Savannah, Georgia, to research her upcoming role in an independent film as Gracie Atherton-Yoo. Gracie was at the center of a nationwide tabloid scandal in 1992 when, at 36, she was caught having sex with 13-year-old Joe Yoo, a schoolmate of her son Georgie, at the pet store where she and Joe worked. Gracie served a prison sentence and was made to register as a sex offender in Georgia. Twenty-three years later, however, Gracie and Joe are married with three children: Honor, who is at college, and twins Charlie and Mary who are about to graduate high school.

Elizabeth has several conversations with Gracie and Joe about the start of their relationship and takes detailed notes on Gracie's upbringing and lifestyle. The couple are initially optimistic that the film will correct the public perception of their relationship, while Charlie and Mary seem more skeptical. Elizabeth also speaks with Gracie's first husband and her son Georgie, now a musician. Visiting the pet store where the couple met, Elizabeth learns from the owner that Gracie specifically requested she hire a young assistant for the job. Elizabeth sees the stock room where Gracie and Joe were caught and simulates the sexual act alone.

As Elizabeth attends more family events leading up to the twins' graduation, she expresses her attraction to Joe to a colleague. Joe, meanwhile, engages in a private text conversation with Michaela, a friend from a Facebook group dedicated to his hobby of rearing monarch butterflies. At one point, Joe proposes they take a holiday together, but she rebuffs him by reminding him that he is married. He expresses apprehension to his father about what life will be like with Gracie once all their children have left home.

Shortly before graduation, Elizabeth leads a Q&A at the drama class of the twins' high school. With Mary in the class, Elizabeth declares her love for playing morally ambiguous characters. Mary is visibly offended. Elizabeth drives her home after the class, Mary feigning that she feels ill.

The night before graduation, Elizabeth accompanies the family – including Honor, who is visiting from college – to dinner at a restaurant. Honor says she wishes Elizabeth would not portray her mother in a film and criticizes her for spending so much time with the family. In the bathroom, Gracie suggests Joe drop Elizabeth off to allow the kids to calm down. While waiting for her ride, Georgie proposes that Elizabeth get him a job as a music supervisor on the film, in exchange for him providing details about Gracie's life. He strongly implies that Gracie was sexually abused by her brothers growing up, saying he read this in her diary. He tells Elizabeth not to reveal this to Gracie as Elizabeth leaves, visibly disturbed.

Joe drives Elizabeth to her rented accommodation. Under the pretense of needing help with her nebulizer, she invites Joe to her room. He gives her a letter that Gracie wrote to him early in their relationship. She initiates sex with him, and then tells him that he still has time to start a new life without Gracie, but he insists Gracie would not be able to move on. Elizabeth and Joe have sex. Afterwards, when Elizabeth refers to Joe and Gracie’s life together as a "story", he leaves in anger.

Returning home and unable to sleep, Joe tearfully confronts Gracie about the start of their relationship, worrying that he was too young to consent. Gracie asserts that it was he who seduced her and that he was in control. Elizabeth uses the letter given to her by Joe to practice her performance as Gracie as a monologue. The end of the letter reveals that Gracie asked Joe to burn it after reading.

On the morning of graduation, one of Joe's butterflies has emerged from its chrysalis. Later, the whole family watch Charlie and Mary graduate, as Joe weeps. Elizabeth is in attendance and says goodbye to Gracie. Gracie seems to deny the story of abuse by her brothers that Georgie told Elizabeth, saying he invented it due to his own insecurity.

On the set of the film based on Gracie and Joe's relationship, Elizabeth films multiple takes of the scene where she first seduces Joe in the pet store stock room. While the director is satisfied, she asks to film another take, insisting that she is getting closer to capturing the reality of the scene.

Cast

Production

In June 2021, it was announced that Portman and Moore were cast in the film.[6] In September 2022, Melton was added to the cast.[7] In January 2023, it was reported Piper Curda, Elizabeth Yu and Gabriel Chung had joined the cast of the film.[8]

Principal photography took place in Savannah, Georgia,[9] and wrapped after 23 days in November 2022.[10][11] Edward Lachman was initially going to serve as cinematographer but was replaced by Christopher Blauvelt due to Lachman's hip injury.[10][9] The script, which is set in Savannah, was originally set in Camden, Maine.[12]

Marcelo Zarvos' score for the film is an adaptation and re-orchestration of Michel Legrand's music for The Go-Between. Haynes originally played Legrand's score on set and during editing for inspiration until eventually the team "ended up embracing so many aspects of the original score that Marcelo adapted and added original music to it and then re-orchestrated it."[13]

Release

In February 2023, Sky Cinema acquired the UK distribution rights.[14] The film was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 76th Cannes Film Festival,[15] where it premiered on May 20, 2023.[16][17] In May 2023, Netflix acquired the North American distribution rights at the Marché du Film for $11 million.[18] The film also screened as the "Opening Night Film" at the 2023 New York Film Festival on September 29.[19]

The film was released in select theaters in the United States on November 17, 2023, before streaming on Netflix in the U.S. and Canada on December 1, 2023.[19][20]

Reception

Critical response

May December received critical acclaim.[lower-alpha 1] On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 92% of 212 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8/10. The website's consensus reads: "Swaddling its difficult fact-based story in a blanket of campy humor, May December is a seductively discomforting watch."[27] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 85 out of 100, based on 47 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[28]

In his review of the film following its premiere at Cannes, Peter Debruge of Variety called May December an "endlessly fascinating movie" and added "As layered and infinitely open-to-interpretation as any of [Haynes'] films, it's also the most generous and direct […] The potential for passion, transformation and subversion hangs heavy in the air".[29] David Ehrlich of IndieWire described the film as "a heartbreakingly sincere piece of high camp that teases real human drama from the stuff of tabloid sensationalism", and praised Melton for delivering "a well-modulated and eventually rather moving performance", as well as Moore for her "predictable sensational, soft-hard performance".[30] The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw found the film "amusing and elegant […] delivered with a cool, shrewd precision by Todd Haynes" and described Portman and Moore's performances as containing "a potent frenmity".[31]

Bilge Ebiri of Vulture described May December as "very funny and light on its feet, but also a deeply uncomfortable movie", noting how Haynes "uses the trappings of camp to draw attention to the disconnect between what's happening onscreen and our response to it", and concluded: "It feels at times like the director himself [is] looking for the right tone with which to tell this story. He doesn’t know exactly how to feel about all this. So he feels all the things, and makes sure we do, too."[32]

Accolades

Award / Film Festival Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Cannes Film Festival 27 May 2023 Palme d'Or Todd Haynes Nominated [15]
Gotham Independent Film Awards 27 November 2023 Best Screenplay Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik Nominated [33]
Outstanding Supporting Performance Charles Melton Won
Celebration of Cinema & Television 4 December 2023 Breakthrough Performance Award Won [34]
Mill Valley Film Festival 16 October 2023 Lifetime Achievement: Collaboration Todd Haynes and Christine Vachon Won [35]
Middleburg Film Festival 22 October 2023 Visionary Director Award Todd Haynes Won [36]
Montclair Film Festival 30 October 2023 Director Award Won [37]
New York Film Critics Circle Awards 30 November 2023 Best Supporting Actor Charles Melton Won [38]
Best Screenplay Samy Burch Won
Santa Barbara International Film Festival 10 February 2024 Virtuoso Award Charles Melton Won [39]

Notes

  1. ↑ Attributed to multiple references:[21][22][23][24][25][26]

References

  1. ↑ "May December (15)". British Board of Film Classification. October 20, 2023. Archived from the original on November 19, 2023. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  2. ↑ Anne Thompson; Brian Welk (May 12, 2023). "Here's the 20 Hottest Titles for Sale at Cannes". IndieWire. Archived from the original on November 15, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  3. ↑ "May December (2023)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  4. ↑ Davis, Clayton (May 21, 2023). "Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman Are Both Lead-Actress Oscar Worthy in Todd Haynes' Delicious May December". Variety. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  5. ↑ "How Netflix's 'May December' Mirrors the Mary Kay Letourneau Tabloid Sex Scandal". variety.
  6. ↑ Kroll, Justin (June 11, 2021). "Natalie Portman And Julianne Moore To Star In Todd Haynes' 'May December' – Cannes Market". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 11, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  7. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (September 14, 2022). "'May December' Helmer Todd Haynes Sets Charles Melton To Star With Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 22, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  8. ↑ Donnelly, Matt (January 17, 2023). "Todd Haynes Drama 'May December' Adds Three Actors as Kids of Julianne Moore and Charles Melton (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on February 1, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  9. 1 2 Tangcay, Jazz (November 7, 2022). "Cinematographer Ed Lachman Had to Exit Todd Haynes Drama 'May December' After Breaking His Hip". Variety. Archived from the original on November 22, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  10. 1 2 Lattanzio, Ryan (November 21, 2022). "Todd Haynes' 'May December' with Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore Wraps Production". IndieWire. Archived from the original on November 22, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  11. ↑ Frost, Caroline (May 21, 2023). "May December Stars Natalie Portman & Julianne Moore Talk Unfair Expectations On Women "Even At Cannes"; Todd Haynes Quips On Macron – Cannes". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 29, 2023. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  12. ↑ Ellwood, Gregory (May 24, 2023). "Todd Haynes On Natalie Portman's 'May December' Scene Everyone Will Be Talking About [Interview]". The Playlist. Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  13. ↑ "How Todd Haynes' May December channeled Mary Kay Letourneau and classic female melodramas". Entertainment Weekly. September 26, 2023. Archived from the original on November 17, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  14. ↑ Parfitt, Orlando (February 1, 2023). "Sky adds Michael Mann, Todd Haynes films to 2023 originals slate". Screen International. Archived from the original on March 23, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  15. 1 2 "The films of the Official Selection 2023". Festival de Cannes. Archived from the original on April 13, 2023. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  16. ↑ mraultpauillac (May 10, 2023). "The Screenings Guide of the 76th Festival de Cannes". Festival de Cannes. Archived from the original on May 10, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  17. ↑ Galuppo, Mia (May 21, 2023). "Cannes: Todd Haynes Movie May December Gets Warm Reception". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  18. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr.; Wiseman, Andreas (May 23, 2023). "Netflix Lands Todd Haynes' Buzzy Cannes Competition Film 'May December' In Splashy $11M North American Rights Deal". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 31, 2023. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  19. 1 2 Rubin, Rebecca (July 11, 2023). "'May December,' Starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, to Open New York Film Festival". Variety. Archived from the original on July 30, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Peek Inside 'May December' with an Eerie New Trailer". Netflix Tudum. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  21. ↑ McNab, Kaitlyn (December 1, 2023). "Here's Everything Coming to Netflix in December". Teen Vogue. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  22. ↑ Barquin, Juan (November 15, 2023). "May December Director Todd Haynes on the Dangers of Attraction". Them. Archived from the original on November 16, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  23. ↑ Caruso, Skyler (November 30, 2023). "Everything to Know About May December". People. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  24. ↑ Cremona, Patrick; Hibbs, James (November 29, 2023). "New on Netflix UK December 2023: All the upcoming shows and films". Radio Times. Archived from the original on November 27, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  25. ↑ Chase, Stephanie (September 5, 2023). "First teaser for Natalie Portman's critically acclaimed new movie May December". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on October 11, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  26. ↑ Waheed, Jabeen (June 1, 2023). "May December is the controversial age-gap melodrama that has won Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore Oscar buzz". Glamour. Archived from the original on June 1, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  27. ↑ "May December". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  28. ↑ "May December". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  29. ↑ Debruge, Peter (May 20, 2023). "May December Review: Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore Play Different Angles on a Tabloid Enigma". Variety. Archived from the original on September 21, 2023. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  30. ↑ Ehrlich, David (May 20, 2023). "May December Review: Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore Get Reflective in Haynes' Deliciously Campy Drama". IndieWire. Archived from the original on November 29, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  31. ↑ Bradshaw, Peter (May 21, 2023). "May December review – Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman potent in Highsmithian drama". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 24, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  32. ↑ Ebiri, Bilge (May 22, 2023). "Todd Haynes's May December Is a Deeply Uncomfortable Movie". Vulture. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  33. ↑ Lewis, Hilary (October 24, 2023). "'Past Lives,' 'A Thousand and One' and 'All of Us Strangers' Top Gotham Awards Film Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 26, 2023. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  34. ↑ "The Critics Choice Association Announces Honorees for the Celebration of Cinema & Television: Honoring Black, Latino and AAPI Achievements – Critics Choice Awards". Archived from the original on November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  35. ↑ "May December – Mill Valley Film Festival". www.mvff.com. Archived from the original on November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  36. ↑ "Middleburg Film Festival Announces 'Zone of Interest,' 'American Fiction,' and 'Maestro'". Awardsdaily. October 3, 2023. Archived from the original on November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  37. ↑ Facebook; Twitter; YouTube; Instagram; Flickr. "2023 Montclair Film Festival Award Winners Announced! | Montclair Film". montclairfilm.org. Archived from the original on November 20, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  38. ↑ "New York Film Critics Awards: 'Killers of the Flower Moon' Wins Best Film, Nolan Wins Director (Full List)". Variety. Archived from the original on November 30, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  39. ↑ "Lily Gladstone, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Greta Lee, Charles Melton to be Honored at Santa Barbara International Film Festival with Virtuoso Award". AwardsWatch. November 16, 2023. Archived from the original on November 18, 2023. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
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