Hard Truths (2024): Review and Summary
“Hard Truths” crafts a brilliant love-to-hate lead, but the limitations of movies will make you badly wish this was a miniseries.
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| Film Length | 1 Hour 37 Minutes |
| Release Date | October 26, 2024 |
| Advisory Rating | Rated R |
| Initially Available On/Via | Film Festival – Montclair Film Festival |
| Genre(s) | Comedy, Drama |
| Distributor | Bleecker Street Media |
| Director | Mike Leigh |
| Writer | Mike Leigh |
| Based On Work By | N/A |
| Character Name | Actor |
| Pansy | Marianne Jean-Baptiste |
| Chantelle | Michele Austin |
| Pearl | Unknown |
| Moses | Tuwaine Barrett |
| Curtley | David Webber |
Plot Summary
Pansy is a woman in her mid-50s who is one of the most miserable people you could ever meet. She is the type you’d be surprised to learn has a husband, Curtley, never mind a son, Moses. But, in her defense, her mother, Pearl, had her help raise her little sister Chantelle, and while Pearl doted on Chantelle, who is a well-adjusted adult, single mother of two girls, Pansy is in a loveless marriage with a 22-year-old son who is so introverted, you’d be right to question if he was depressed.
Throughout the movie, we see how Pansy’s anguish has no end and wonder if all she may need is a breakthrough to turn her life around or if she will be that miserable old person who lives forever despite how many people wouldn’t be against her dying.
Trailer
Character Descriptions
Pansy
Pansy had it hard growing up. She had to compensate for her father’s absence, and it seems that with growing up so fast and not getting the support she needed for her dreams, Pansy became a bit hard. Now, somewhere in her mid-fifties, at minimum, she is starting to realize not only how miserable she is but that people have all the reason to hate her.
- The actor is also known for their role in “Rumble Through the Dark.”
Chantelle
Chantelle is Pansy’s little sister, a mother of two, who does hair.
- The actor is also known for their role in “The Effect.”
Pearl
Pearl is Pansy and Chantelle’s mom, who has been dead for five years. Pansy believes Pearl always favored Chantelle, never supported her talents or dreams, and was especially hard on her.
Moses
Moses is Pansy and Curtley’s 22-year-old son, who is often shown eating, playing games about planes or reading about them, or going on walks with no destination in mind.
Curtley
Curtley is a plumber by trade whose work allows Pansy to be a housewife.
Other Noteworthy Information
- Movie Contains: Cursing, Drinking, Smoking
- The distributor is also known for “One Life.”
Review
Our Rating: Positive (Worth Seeing)
Audience
“Hard Truths” is for those who like comedies with a lead who misbehaves. This can lead to the audience laughing, but as time goes on, you see that it is a bit inappropriate to laugh, for something is truly wrong with the lead. Once that feeling hits, you find yourself trying to understand them rather than laugh at them or the person subjected to them.
Highlights
Love To Hate Pansey
When you first meet Pansy and experience her, watching her go off on people for the littlest reason sometimes, you’ll find her comical. But as she does so against people trying to help with her pain or provide her service, you realize something is wrong there. Whether it is anger issues, thinking people are out to get her, or maybe them triggering memories of something her mother said or did, there is an uncalled level of animosity.
But, what makes Jean-Baptiste’s performance notable is that it takes you on a journey. You love her antics and how she tells off people; it comes off like a comedy. However, as time passes and you begin to question why this woman is so mad, the film answers you. Through Chantelle and understanding Pansy’s upbringing, if you can give Pansey empathy after how hateful she has been, you may find yourself in tears.
What Jean-Baptiste does to you is remind you that, as said in “Big Fish”:
[…] Most things you consider evil or wicked are simply lonely and lacking in social niceties.
With Pansy, Pearl, her mother, set a damaging standard for her regarding her relationships, and while she is married, she has a child, nieces, and her sister in her life; the voice of her mother and her mother’s actions haunt every interaction. You don’t even get a flashback, and you can imagine why Pansy is so jumpy and ready to defend herself like she never did before. It makes me think of Ms. Pat, from “The Ms. Pat Show” and her relationship with her mother. You can see how the trauma influences the person decades after they have become an adult and years after the parent died and how that has informed their parenting.
Now, in the case of Ms. Pat, she sought to break generational curses by being a better mom, especially to her youngest children with her husband on the show, Terry. With Pansy, you could submit with her mom struggling as a single woman, Chantelle too, Pansy decided to find a man who wouldn’t leave her lonely, never mind a single parent.
Mind you; it is difficult to imagine Curtley dating Pansy and her mustering the energy to present a representative long enough to get down the aisle. Never mind her taking care of Moses as a baby. But, with how hard her mother, and likely sister, had it, it is one of those situations where you get it. You understand it and may find it challenging to accept it, but you get it. And that is why you’ll find yourself entranced so much with Pansy and the thoughts inspired by her actions.
The Hair Shop Conversations
At least twice, Chantelle’s life outside her sister and even her children gets established. We see her at her hair shop, braiding and chit-chatting, and these are the more superficial and easier-to-digest funny moments. In fact, comparing and contrasting how Pansy is may make you wish we had met Pearl, had gotten to see their upbringing, or had more details. For with how jovial Chantelle usually is, including giving a little twerk while joking with her daughters, it leads to so many questions.
On The Fence
You May Sometimes Wonder Where This Is Going
While Pansy’s antics are entertaining, and eventually the film does get to the root of why she is like this, or at least one notable factor, so comes the question of what happens from there? The film doesn’t really satisfy that answer. The ending leaves you on a “and life goes on” type of ellipsis. Considering the journey you were on with Pansy and her family, it may feel frustrating that you know Pansy and what her problem is, but you aren’t sure if there is a chance things may get better for her or those most affected by her personality.
This Should Have Been A Mini-Series
While Pansy’s nieces add layers to Chantelle and show a parallel to the family she created compared to Pansy, so comes the issue that they aren’t simple examples of what Chantelle did “right” compared to Pansy. They are made to be fleshed out with us getting a sense of their personality, their jobs, and their interests. This leads to a double-edged sword, for it makes “Hard Truths” seem like it should have been a mini-series over a movie, for it has a strong beginning and middle but a frustrating end for nearly every character, big or small.
Heck, even with Moses! They showed that, beyond what he goes through with Pansy, he gets bullied when he takes his walks! The bully even jokes about Moses not offing himself, which leads you to wonder if there was ever an incident that maybe his parents don’t know, or maybe Pansy.
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