Many people seem to have so many differing opinions on what is the greatest film of the 21st century – and the BBC recently bestowed that honour upon Mulholland Drive, a high point (perhaps the highest point) in the career of David Lynch. One film that has been tossed around as being one of the greatest of the 21st century is Margaret – and I for one never understood why. I hadn’t seen the film, and had only heard of it. I was incredibly taken aback by the extreme acclaim it had – and quite honestly, not because it sounded bad, but rather because it didn’t seem like a film that would meet the criteria to top lists. Now that I’ve seen the film, I absolutely understand why. Margaret is a masterpiece of our times, and most certainly one of the more extraordinary films of the past century so far.
In Margaret (named after a character in the poem “Spring and Fall: To a Young Child” by Gerard Manley Hopkins), the central character is Lisa Cohen (played by the ever brilliant Anna Paquin), a spoiled brat of a Manhattan schoolgirl who loves her privileged life and being the bane of existence of her long-suffering actress mother, Joan (J. Smith-Cameron). When Lisa and a bus driver interact, none of them are aware of the fact that actions have consequences, and thus a woman is hit and killed by the bus driver, Gerald (Mark Ruffalo) – living with the shock of witnessing what happened, Lisa decides to take action – and realizes that she has the power to change the life of so many people with her actions. Throughout the sprawling suburban epic, Lisa interacts with various characters, who in turn interact with other characters, changing their lives in some way.
Let me be perfectly honest – in the first thirty minutes of Margaret, I cried twice. By the time the credits started rolling, I was weeping. If there was ever a film that could be considered pure emotion, Margaret fits that bill perfectly. I have never been so sufficiently moved by a film like I have been with Margaret – so beautifully poignant, but utterly heartbreaking – it is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. It is impossible to convey the emotional roller-coaster that Margaret puts one through, but I can assure you it is a long, bumpy and terrifying one, and there are no seat-belts – it throws you around, knocks you down and picks you right back up again. It emotionally destroys you, and I believe that was the intention of director Kenneth Lonergan – this is most certainly not an easy film to watch, but it is a rewarding experience, because it is filled with such subtle humanity and brilliant insight into the human condition.
The performances in Margaret range on some of the best of all time. Anna Paquin is absolutely brilliant as Lisa, the spoiled rich brat at the center of the film. I always thought it was lovely that a great actress like Anna Paquin won an Academy Award, and even if she hasn’t done film work that lives up to that standard, she is still a wonderfully talented actress. It is impossible to ignore Paquin’s powerful performance in Margaret – she navigates the emotional torture that this film displays, and she gives one of the very best performances of the past decade without a shadow of a doubt. I think Paquin is a wonderful actress that deserves far more than she has gotten in the past, and hopefully she gets better roles, because Margaret proves just how far her talent can go.
J. Smith-Cameron is an absolute revelation here, playing the role of the suffering mother with such emotional rawness and extreme dignity. Her sub-plot made me openly weep – and her performance is an absolutely different level. I think she is one of the better discoveries in recent years, and while I know she is somewhat of a well-regarded stage actress, it was a great opportunity for her to have a role in a film. I am shocked that Smith-Cameron hasn’t been given opportunities as good as this in subsequent films, but her performance here on its own is one of the best I’ve seen in a long time. The rest of the cast is incredible – Allison Janney’s small performance broke my heart. Jeannie Berlin is the emotional core of this film. Mark Ruffalo, who I am admittedly not a fan of, is great as the conflicted bus driver. Matt Damon is incredible as the helpful Math teacher, and Matthew Broderick has an amazing moment as the high school English teacher – his character serves very little purpose, yet is so vital to this film. My favorite part of Margaret is how I easily could have seen this film from the perspective of any of these characters. I wanted to dive into the lives and minds of each of these people – and if that isn’t superb character development, I am not entirely sure what is.
Margaret is an amazing film. It really needs to be seen to be believed. It is not a film that can be discussed at length – it is very basic in story, and in execution it doesn’t have much to mention. However, it is an experience more than anything – it is a film that you need to see to understand why it is so brilliant. I highly urge everyone to seek this film out – it might change your life. It certainly had a tremendous impact on me, and it certainly will on you. I can’t urge you enough to watch this film. Please seek it out, it will definitely be worth your time, I promise. It is just something you will never forget.
The Postmodern Pelican 
I screened Margaret again for the first time since Kenneth Lonergan won his Oscar for the screenplay for his follow up project Manchester by the Sea.
I was immediately taken by an image that Lonergan lifted from Margaret and recycled in Manchester by the Sea. Both films address men whose careless negligence results in tragedy. Following the devastating event, each man is seen approaching a clutch of people gathered to witness the painful scene. The camera rests just slightly higher than heads of the group so we get a clear view of the slack jawed, wide eyed perpetrator reluctantly near the back of the milling people and stare in horror. It’s a good shot and worthy of a repeat.
However, the two films which address profound regret approach the topic with different perspectives. Margaret’s protagonist is a 17 year old girl who is coming to terms with her own mortality after witnessing an unspeakable traffic accident while Manchester by the Sea’s protagonist is a father who is emotionally crippled by guilt and remorse. Of the two artistic triumphs, Margaret has a broader canvas which prompts a richer dialogue.
The title is taken from a 19th century poem “Spring and Fall” by Gerard Manley Hopkins. The brief 16 lines remind the reader that youth’s first experience with death opens the eyes to one’s own mortality. This is certainly true for Lisa Cohen. However, it is quite the conceit of Lonergan that Lisa’s English teacher’s reading of the poem will prompt the population of popcorn munching, soda slurping moviegoers to connect immediately the poetic imagery to the subtext of the film. Even an English lit major would struggle with that one.
At this moment, I am sure there are others in cinematic history, but the haunting images of Margaret won’t permit me to recall a more vivid, stunning opening to a film. The title sequence of Margaret shows the typical street crowds flooding New York streets. It is a city where everything is public. People are observed in all activities of life – crying, arguing and even dying.
After school, Lisa is shopping for a cowboy hat with little success. She sees a city bus driver wearing one. She goes to ask where he found it, but he closes the door and drives down the congested street. Lisa runs alongside gesturing. The rather young male driver laughs and attempts to understand what she wants. Distracted, he runs a red light and tragedy ensues.
Lisa witnesses the horror. Feeling a deep sense of responsibility, Lisa takes the hand of Monica Peterson, the middle aged victim. Allison Janney gives an absolutely astonishing performance in this brief sequence. The first glimpse of her face brought me back to one time I witnessed a traffic accident resulting in injury. I am unsure how this marvelous actress accomplished her task, but I felt I was reliving my own experience of witnessing the car strike a child and running into the street to help.
The filmed sequence is so powerful that I think it dwarfs the next few hours of story. Lonergan seems to agree. In his subsequent film, Manchester by the Sea doesn’t reveal its devastating event till late in the film. That revelation enriched the storytelling and our commitment to the emotionally charged interactions between characters. With the stunning event early in the film, the audience is left to contrast one’s own response to tragedy to that of the various characters. I am not certain that is helpful to engagement.
Manley Hopkins disagrees with me. He states in his poem, “Sorrow’s springs are the same.” Is all grief the same? For me, Margaret is rich with how people cope with Lisa’s struggle to address issues of mortality as well as her culpability in Monica Peterson’s demise. We know Lisa’s thinking is muddled. There is a lovely, silent image of the camera following the teenage girl down the street. She approaches the crosswalk. She looks once, twice, three and finally a fourth time as she walks. We see her head raise and stare down the street as she crosses. The camera also rises and the image is a long line of traffic lights, all red. The memory of Monica Peterson is clearly clouding Lisa’s vision.
Lisa’s confusion comes to a powerful climax in a quiet afternoon visit with Monica’s best friend Emily. Lisa is prattling on about trivial events. She remarks that at the time of Monica’s death while holding Lisa’s hand, Emily’s beloved but lost best friend discussed her own daughter also named Lisa who died at age 12 from illness. Lisa remarks that for a moment she felt she was comforting Monica with the deceased child’s spirit. Emily is enraged. She denounces Lisa for her glib and thoughtless remark. She feels violated and orders the teenager to leave. Lisa is outraged and mortified in equal measure.
Oscar winning actress Anna Paquin plays the moment of contradictory emotions with a heightened sense of realism. The intensity of the conflict is overwhelming.
Paquin is a revelation in this film. There is a lengthier director’s cut as well as the theatrical version. I differ from most in finding greater satisfaction in the shorter version. There is a hint of possible romantic interest between Lisa and her classmate David. He struggles with her hot and cold response. In the lengthier version, a conversation between the two adolescents includes a moment where Lisa states she sees David as a friend. The shorter version relies on Paquin’s fine acting that employs subtle manipulative behavior that eludes David but is quickly recognized by those with scars of unrequited love. I prefer a film that requires me to think.
Margaret has that in spades. We have one intriguing subplot of Lisa’s mother, a highly regarded New York actress who commands the stage but has little control of her life. After a two year romantic dry spell she is dating Ramon who clearly adores her but also feels comfortable shushing her when she leans over to whisper to him during an opera.
The students at Lisa’s New York private high school participate in an teacher-refereed, on-going, angry Socratic dialogue that explores their personal reaction to 9/11. Clearly Lisa is not the only youth who is confronted with feelings about their own mortality.
In the aftermath of that horrific accident, Lisa spontaneously lies to the investigating detective to hide her complicity in the accident. She instantly regrets her actions and is astonished to find that the adults in whom she confides are nonchalant, including the police. Only a civil suit benefiting Monica’s distant relative provides any justice. It is part of Lisa’s loss of innocence to learn that money is seen as the great problem solver.
I feel I have only begun to mine the themes of this rich mosaic. Margaret is a film to savor for years.