Sherrybaby - A-

On DVD. R Rated, 96 minutes.

Sherrybaby tells the story of a woman, just released from prison for robbery resulting from a drug habit, trying to stay clean and reconnect with her family, especially her daughter Alexis. Maggie Gyllenhaal puts forth a wrenching performance, and for my money should've been nominated for best actress.

The central conflict in the movie is Sherry's attempts at being a mother to her 7 year old daughter she has barely ever seen, and the stress that causes with her brother and sister-in-law who have been raising her while Sherry was in prison. The film does a good job of honestly capturing the emotions involved and not taking short-cuts or using archetypes, a big possibility in a woman-heroin-'the system' movie. Sherry is easily condemned by the viewer until her father feels her up as she is trying to get solace regarding the difficulties with Alexis. At that point her liability for her actions lessens, and she becomes more of a tragic figure than an easily dismissed drug-using idiot. The movie has several nude scenes depicting her reliance on men and the impacts of her father's abuse on her life.

There are several quality roles surrounding Sherry, namely her lover/caretaker Dean and her Parole Officer. Compared to the two other notable and recent heroin-related movies, Sherrybaby is not nearly as bleak as Requiem For a Dream, and is much more affecting than Half-Nelson.