Stephanie Daley (R)

Quicklook Rating★★★

synopsis

Sixteen-year-old Stephanie tracks through the snow during a high school ski club retreat, leaving a trail of blood. She collapses and is rushed to the hospital, where it is discovered she has just given birth. Claiming she didn't know she was pregnant and that the baby was stillborn, Stephanie is nonetheless brought up on murder charges when the physical evidence reveals the baby (discovered in a toilet) had water in its lungs and toilet paper stuffed down its throat. Five months later, on the verge of a trial, Stephanie is scheduled for examination by forensic psychologist Lydie Crane, who recently endured a stillbirth herself and is pregnant again. A series of sessions between therapist and patient follows, during which Stephanie's past (or, at least, her version of it), unfolds in flashback. Lydie is grappling with a shaky marriage as well as a growing intuition that something may go wrong with her own unborn child. Her encounters with Stephanie soon lead her to believe that unraveling the teenager's mystery is crucial to her own fate. The resulting parallel journeys lead each woman to a place of self-realization and acceptance.

MovieGoer Review

With across-the-board fine performances and a sobering and compelling story, Stephanie Daley is an insightful indie festival darling that will make every female viewer think twice about getting pregnant.

Story

An idyll... MORE

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synopsis

Sixteen-year-old Stephanie tracks through the snow during a high school ski club retreat, leaving a trail of blood. She collapses and is rushed to the hospital, where it is discovered she has just given birth. Claiming she didn't know she was pregnant and that the baby was stillborn, Stephanie is nonetheless brought up on murder charges when the physical evidence reveals the baby (discovered in a toilet) had water in its lungs and toilet paper stuffed down its throat. Five months later, on the verge of a trial, Stephanie is scheduled for examination by forensic psychologist Lydie Crane, who recently endured a stillbirth herself and is pregnant again. A series of sessions between therapist and patient follows, during which Stephanie's past (or, at least, her version of it), unfolds in flashback. Lydie is grappling with a shaky marriage as well as a growing intuition that something may go wrong with her own unborn child. Her encounters with Stephanie soon lead her to believe that unraveling the teenager's mystery is crucial to her own fate. The resulting parallel journeys lead each woman to a place of self-realization and acceptance.

MovieGoer Review

With across-the-board fine performances and a sobering and compelling story, Stephanie Daley is an insightful indie festival darling that will make every female viewer think twice about getting pregnant.

Story

An idyll... MORE