Location: Los Angeles, CA
Main Cast
Holly Hunter as Kristin Breitweiser
Gillian Anderson as Lori Van Auken
Gretchen Mol as Mindy Kleinberg
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as Patty Casazza
Tagline: "Grief is a journey that must be taken, they took it together"
Synopsis: After the death of their husbands during the 9/11 attack to the World Trade Center, four New Jersey women decide to abandon their suburban lifestyles and fight for the rights of the victims’ relatives in Washington. Their restless search for answers would quickly turn them into a media phenomenon and eventually, their influence would lead to the foundation of the 9/11 Commission (the organization in charge of auditing the actions of the Federal government before and after the terrorist attacks).
These were their lives:
Kristin Breitweiser was a successful lawyer in Jersey City until her husband was killed on the WTC Tower Two; her life fell apart after this tragedy but her can-do nature prevented her from collapsing. Instead, she decided to help others in a similar situation and that’s how she met devoted Christian Lorie Van Auken. Auken’s husband died in the 105th floor of the WTC Tower One the day after the birth of their second child. Auken’s faith was devastated but she didn’t give up; she chose to volunteer in many support groups in Jersey City (including the one where she met Breitweiser and a young widow named Mindy Kleinberg). Kleinberg was left with two little children and lots of projects she and her husband would never get to accomplish; Kleinberg’s innate liveliness inspired the other widows to begin their activism on Washington. By the time Patty Casazza, a small-town housewife and widow of a WTC security officer, joined them; the “Jersey Widows” were already a national movement and days away from their first public hearing on Congress.
Together, “The Jersey Widows” defeated their political opponents and became the most important advocacy group for the families of the 9/11 victims. Today, these four women have become one of the top forces in the 9/11 “Truth” movement and they continue the battle to keep our politicians honest...
What the Press would say:
They say pain is the most individualized feeling of all but it is true that pain is also the greatest common bond in humanity. Sadly, most of all only realize this when the grieving period after a loss has ended and we never understand that the real suffering was going through it alone in the first place. The women in “The Jersey Widows” knew better, they watched others suffering and refused to ignore them. Instead, they became a symbol of hope for the families of the innocent lives lost in 9/11 and one of the most iconic activists in the political history of America.
Directed with profound respect and accuracy by Sarah Polley, “The Jersey Widows” is a project that, just like Polley’s breakthrough work in “Away from Her;” has its heart, mind and soul in the right place. Polley writes her characters as fragile travelers in a hard road through grief and healing; a quality that turns the widows into relatable figures and a decision that makes the film a very deep and personal experience for the viewer.
Acting is strikingly solid throughout: Holly Hunter leads as Breitweiser, the de facto leader and starter of the group; Hunter brings major depth of emotion to a woman that has accepted her loss but that still demands to know what happened on the day her husband was taken from her. As the group’s rock, Hunter’s character is given the responsibility to defy the government and defend their cause like the best attorney would do; Hunter’s fulfills this task outstandingly and is undoubtedly in the running for another Academy Award. Gillian Anderson’s Van Auken is given a different personality by Polley. She is a religious woman and a firm believer that healing is a “natural” process. She refuses to judge and blame others for her loss but she can’t help to reject the current circumstances in her life. Anderson makes Van Auken an inspirational force for the group, a moral figure that knows her responsibility and duty with the 9/11 victims and the rest of the world. Smartly, Polley turns Hunter and Anderson into involuntary opposites. While both characters are joined by the same cause, they clash in their political and spiritual views. The introduction of Mol’s Kleinberg unifies the women and strengthens their movement. Mol is brave and charming as the youngest woman in the group. When Mol is on screen you don’t look other way, she brings a deep sense of healing through raw pain; it’s a very courageous and patriotic performance from the rising actress and one that could earn her an Oscar nomination. Finally, veteran Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio is captivating in her best work since “The Color of Money” as the heavily depressed Patty Casazza.
The journey through grief is not easy for the widows: from political attacks to excessive media scrutiny; but we all know how the story ends and we all know “The Jersey Widows” is not about that. Director Polley wisely chose to make a film about the grief we are all going through, a feeling that is powerful and universal but one that during our moments of sorrow, we should always remember it is also “survivable”. Sarah Polley and her cast understand sadness and “The Jersey Widows” is a powerful drama that makes us understand the world. Consider it for the following awards:
Best Picture (AMPAS)
Best Picture – Drama (HFPA)
Best Ensemble Acting (SAG)
Best Director – Sarah Polley
Best Actress – Holly Hunter
Best Actress – Gillian Anderson
Best Supporting Actress – Gretchen Mol
Best Supporting Actress – Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
Best Original Screenplay
Creativity Awards
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