Call Jane
Call Jane | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Phyllis Nagy |
Screenplay by |
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Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Greta Zozula |
Edited by | Peter McNulty |
Music by | Isabella Summers |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | Roadside Attractions |
Release dates |
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Running time | 121 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $694,787[1] |
Call Jane is a 2022 American drama film starring Elizabeth Banks as a suburban housewife in the 1960s who deals with a life-threatening pregnancy and subsequently joins the Jane Collective, an underground network of abortion activists.[2] The film also stars Sigourney Weaver, Chris Messina, Kate Mara, Wunmi Mosaku, Cory Michael Smith, Grace Edwards, and John Magaro. It is directed by Phyllis Nagy. The screenplay was written by Hayley Schore and Roshan Sethi.
It premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2022.[3] It was released in the United States on October 28, 2022, by Roadside Attractions.
Synopsis
[edit]Joy, a traditional housewife in the United States in the 1960s, learns that she is pregnant with a second child but that the pregnancy threatens her life. After her hospital’s all-male board denies her request for an abortion, she becomes involved with the Jane Collective, a Chicago underground women's network that took risks to help women secure safe, illegal abortions, beginning in the late 1960s and stopping only in 1973 with the Roe v. Wade decision.[2][4]
Cast
[edit]- Elizabeth Banks as Joy
- Sigourney Weaver as Virginia
- Chris Messina as Will
- Kate Mara as Lana
- Wunmi Mosaku as Gwen
- Cory Michael Smith as Dean
- Grace Edwards as Charlotte
- John Magaro[5] as Detective Chilmark
- Aida Turturro as Sister Mike
- Bianca D'Ambrosio as Erin
- Bruce MacVittie as Director Richardson
- Rebecca Henderson[5] as Edie
- Maia Scalia as Marion
- Sean King as Officer White
- Alison Jaye as Sandra
- Kristina Harrison as Clare
Production
[edit]The script originally appeared on the 2017 Black List, where it received seven votes. Coincidentally, another script based on the same story, titled This is Jane by Daniel Loflin, was also featured on the same Black List, with nine votes.
It was announced in October 2020 that Elizabeth Banks, Sigourney Weaver, Kate Mara and Rupert Friend had been cast to star in the film. Elisabeth Moss and Susan Sarandon had been initially cast as Joy and Virginia respectively,[6] but both had to exit due to scheduling conflicts.[7] In May 2021, Chris Messina, Cory Michael Smith, Aida Turturro, Wunmi Mosaku, Grace Edwards, and Bianca D'Ambrosio joined the cast of the film, with Friend no longer attached.[8][9][10][11]
The film was shot in West Hartford, Connecticut from May and June 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic.[12][13]
Release
[edit]It premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2022.[14] On February 4, 2022, Roadside Attractions acquired the film's distribution rights, with plans to release it theatrically in the fall.[15] It was released on October 28, 2022.[16]
The film was released for VOD on December 6, 2022, followed by a Blu-ray and DVD release on December 13, 2022.[17]
The film partnered with Planned Parenthood and the Abortion Care Network to screen at dozens of American clinics. In a statement by Nagy, the director hoped that screenings would serve as an opportunity to increase awareness around direct abortion care services in the months following the overturning of Roe v. Wade.[18]
Reception
[edit]On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 82% of 130 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.7/10. The website's consensus reads: "Although its focus is somewhat narrow, Call Jane is an entertaining and dramatically effective dramatization of a pivotal chapter in American history."[19] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 62 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[20]
On its opening weekend, Call Jane grossed $243,922.[21]
References
[edit]- ^ "Call Jane (2022)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
- ^ a b Dargis, Manohla (October 22, 2022). "'Call Jane' Review: Abortion History That's Being Repeated Now". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Patten, Dominic (December 9, 2021). "Sundance 2022: Hybrid Festival Sees Princess Diana, Michael Kenneth Williams, Dakota Johnson, Bill Cosby, NYC Rock'n'Roll & Regina Hall Fill Lineup". Deadline. Archived from the original on December 9, 2021. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
- ^ "Call Jane | Protagonist Pictures – Synopsis". Protagonist Pictures. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
- ^ a b Horst, Carole (October 30, 2021). "'Carol' Writer Phyllis Nagy Talks About Her New Drama 'Call Jane'". Variety. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (October 30, 2020). "'Call Jane': Elizabeth Banks, Sigourney Weaver, Kate Mara & Rupert Friend Set For Women's Rights Drama From "Carol" Scribe & "Dallas Buyers Club" Producer — AFM". Deadline. Archived from the original on October 30, 2020. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
- ^ "'Call Jane': Elizabeth Banks, Sigourney Weaver, Kate Mara & Rupert Friend Set For Women's Rights Drama From "Carol" Scribe & "Dallas Buyers Club" Producer — AFM". Archived from the original on October 30, 2020. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
- ^ "'Lovecraft Country's Wunmi Mosaku Joins Elizabeth Banks & Sigourney Weaver In "Call Jane" Drama". Archived from the original on April 6, 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
- ^ "Abby Miller Toplines 'Jess Plus None'; Chiara d'Ambrosio Joins 'Bandit'; Bianca d'Ambrosio Cast in 'Call Jane'; Lawrence Kao, Kai Cech Star in 'The Longest Sleep'- Film Casting Briefs". May 28, 2021. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ Grober, Matt (May 3, 2021). "Chris Messina, Cory Michael Smith, Aida Turturro And Grace Edwards Join Cast Of Women's Rights Drama, 'Call Jane'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 3, 2021. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
- ^ N'Duka, Amanda (May 28, 2021). "Abby Miller Toplines 'Jess Plus None'; Chiara B'Ambrosio Joins 'Bandit'; Bianca D'Ambrosio Cast In 'Call Jane'; Lawrence Kao, Kai Cech Star In 'The Longest Sleep'- Film Casting Briefs". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 28, 2021. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
- ^ "Call Jane". ProductionList.com. Film & Television Industry Alliance. February 8, 2021. Archived from the original on June 21, 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
- ^ Newton, Ronni (May 13, 2021). "West Hartford Sites Serves as Stage for Hollywood Movie". We-Ha.com. Retrieved June 19, 2023.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Thompson, Anne (January 21, 2022). "Could "Call Jane" Be the Abortion Drama Made for the Mainstream Arthouse Audience?". IndieWire. Archived from the original on April 18, 2022.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 4, 2022). "Call Jane: Sundance Women's Rights Drama Starring Elizabeth Banks, Sigourney Weaver Acquired By Roadside Attractions". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 26, 2022. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
- ^ "Call Jane". AMC Theatres. Archived from the original on October 26, 2022. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
- ^ "Call Jane DVD Release Date". www.dvdsreleasedates.com. Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2023.>
- ^ Abbey White (October 28, 2022). "'Call Jane' Partners With Planned Parenthood, Abortion Care Network to Screen Film With Clinics Across the U.S. (Exclusive)". Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 28, 2022. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
- ^ "Call Jane". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
- ^ "Call Jane". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
- ^ "Call Jane". Archived from the original on October 31, 2022. Retrieved October 31, 2022.