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Passing (film)

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Not to be confused with The Passing.

Passing
A poster divided in black and white with a woman on each side. Under them is the tagline, "Nothing is black and white."
Promotional release poster
Directed byRebecca Hall
Screenplay byRebecca Hall
Based onPassing
by Nella Larsen
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyEduard Grau
Edited bySabine Hoffman
Music byDevonte Hynes
Production
companies
Distributed byNetflix
Release dates
  • January 30, 2021 (2021-01-30) (Sundance)
  • October 27, 2021 (2021-10-27) (United States)
Running time
98 minutes[1]
Countries
  • United States
  • United Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget$10 million

Passing is a 2021 black-and-white romantic drama film written, produced, and directed by Rebecca Hall in her feature directorial debut. It is based on the 1929 novel of the same name by Nella Larsen, and its title refers to African-Americans who had skin color light enough to be perceived as white, referred to as "passing".[2][3] The film stars Tessa Thompson, Ruth Negga, André Holland, Bill Camp, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Antoinette Crowe-Legacy, and Alexander Skarsgård.

Passing had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on January 30, 2021, and began a limited theatrical release on October 27, 2021, prior to streaming on Netflix on November 10. The film received acclaim from critics, who praised Hall's screenplay and direction, and performances of Thompson and Negga. The film was named one of the top ten films of 2021 by the African American Film Critics Association.[4] For her performance, Negga was nominated for the Golden Globe Award, BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild Award in the category of Best Supporting Actress.

Plot

In 1920s New York City, Irene Redfield, a light-skinned black woman living in Harlem, meets a childhood friend, Clare Bellew, by chance at a hotel dining room. While Irene is married to a Black doctor, the also light-skinned Clare "passes" as white and has married a wealthy white man from Chicago named John.

Clare invites Irene up to her hotel room so they can talk more openly. Clare explains that after her father died, she was raised by her two white aunts and married John very young. They are interrupted by John, who openly despises and degrades Black people, unaware of his wife's or Irene's racial background. Irene leaves the hotel, angry with Clare, and refuses to respond to Clare's letters. However, after Clare unexpectedly shows up at Irene's home and apologizes for the encounter, they rekindle their friendship.

Clare, who wishes to associate with black people again, invites herself to a dance party that Irene is organizing. Most of the guests at the party find Clare charming, including Irene's husband, Brian. While there, Irene reveals Clare's secret to her friend, novel writer Hugh Wentworth, who seems less impressed with Clare than the others.

As time passes, Clare soon becomes involved in all aspects of Irene's life, joining Irene and Brian to all their outings. At first, Irene seems happy to have Clare around, but soon she becomes disillusioned with Clare, and starts to grow dissatisfied with her presence. Brian, also dissatisfied, attempts to teach his and Irene's children about racism in America, as Irene refuses to move anywhere else. However, Irene believes that the children are too young to learn about such things, inciting an argument between the two, further straining their marriage. Brian invites Clare to a tea party from which Irene purposefully excluded her.

When out shopping with her friend Felise, who is unable to pass, Irene encounters John, and hurries away as he begins to realize the truth about his wife's racial background. Irene tries to warn Clare, but decides against it when she is unable to reach her by phone.

As Brian, Irene, and Clare are on their way to Felise's Christmas party on the top floor of a seven story building, Irene asks Clare what she would do if John ever learned the truth. Clare replies that she would move back to Harlem to be with Irene, a response which Irene finds troubling. During the party, Irene remains silent, avoiding the other guests. She opens a large vertical window to smoke. Suddenly, John angrily forces himself into the apartment demanding to see Clare, who remains calm, and moves next to Irene by the window. John accuses her of being a "dirty liar" and lunges towards her, at which point Irene abruptly puts an arm across Clare's pelvis. Clare falls backwards out the window, but it is not made clear whether John pushed her, Irene pushed her, or she committed suicide.

In horror, all the other guests rush outside, not knowing whether or not Clare is dead. After some hesitation, Irene slowly goes downstairs, where the police are questioning guests. Brian states that he believes John pushed Clare, but when asked, Irene asserts that she believes the fall was an accident. The film ends with the police declaring death by misadventure, Irene sobbing in Brian's arms, and Clare's body being carried away by medics.

Cast

Production

It was announced in August 2018 that Rebecca Hall would be making her directorial debut on the adaptation of the Nella Larsen novel, with Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga set to star in the lead roles.[5] Hall had begun writing the film a decade earlier upon reflecting on her own family's history. When Hall presented her with a script version, Negga decided to collaborate in making it into a film as Negga was surprised the work was not more prominent, after having read the novel and was "completely astounded" by it.[6] Thompson stated that the film would be shot in black and white.[7] André Holland was cast in October 2019.[8] In November 2019, Alexander Skarsgård joined the cast of the film.[9]

With less than a month to go before filming production was set to begin, Hall was still $500,000 short on her desired $10 million budget, and had to apply for two grants to cover the difference.[10] Filming began in November 2019 in New York City.[11] The film is in monochrome. Benjamin Lee of The Guardian praised the use of a 4:3 aspect ratio as in this film it was "both fitting and practical given a smaller budget".[12] Into the third week of filming, the Hugh Wentworth role, originally intended for Benedict Cumberbatch, remained uncast, and budgetary realities and the tight filming timeline meant the production would need an actor who lived in New York. On November 21, Bill Camp signed on, and filming wrapped in December after a 23-day shoot.[10]

Release

Passing had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on January 30, 2021.[13] Shortly after, Netflix acquired distribution rights to the film for around $15 million.[14] It also screened at the New York Film Festival on October 3, 2021.[15][16] The film had a limited theatrical release on October 27, 2021, prior to streaming on Netflix on November 10.[17]

According to Samba TV, the film was watched in 653,000 households over its first three days of release.[18]

Reception

Ruth Negga's performance in the film garnered widespread critical praise.

Critical reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 90% of 231 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.7/10. The website's consensus reads: "While Passing's delicate approach has a dampening effect on its story, debuting director Rebecca Hall makes the most of an impressive cast—and handles thorny themes with impressive dexterity."[19] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 85 out of 100, based on 46 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[20]

Kevin Maher of The Times gave the film 4 out of 5 stars, calling it, "a mesmerizing, deeply disquieting experience."[21] Jessica Kiang, writing for Variety, wrote that the film is "unerring, deceptively delicate, quiet and immaculate, like that final fall of snow."[2] In his review for The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw praised Hall's direction, calling the film, "a very stylish piece of work from Hall."[22] Benjamin Lee of The Guardian, gave the film a negative review of 2 out of 5 stars, arguing that it had "disappointing lack of verve" and was "inert".[12]

The performances of Negga and Thompson in particular received praise. In a very positive review for the Chicago Tribune, Michael Phillips gave the film a perfect score of four out of four stars, and wrote of the performances: "what Thompson and Negga accomplish on screen in this extraordinarily detailed portrait becomes a master class in incremental revelations".[23] David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter lauded Thompson for her "unshowy, beautifully internalized performance", and Simran Hans called Negga "magnetic" in her review for The Guardian.[24][25] In Time Magazine's annual best performances of the year list, Stephanie Zacharek named Negga's performance of the best of 2021.[26]

Accolades

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
African American Film Critics Association January 17, 2022 Top Ten Films of 2021 Passing 5th place [4]
Alliance of Women Film Journalists January 25, 2022 Best Picture Nominated [27]
Best Director Rebecca Hall Nominated
Best Actress Tessa Thompson Nominated
Best Actress in a Supporting Role Ruth Negga Nominated
Best Screenplay, Adapted Rebecca Hall Nominated
Best Cinematography Eduard Grau Nominated
Best Woman Director Rebecca Hall Nominated
Best Woman Screenwriter Nominated
Most Daring Performance Ruth Negga Nominated
Artios Awards March 17, 2022 Outstanding Achievement in Casting - Studio or Independent (Drama) Laura Rosenthal, Kimberly Ostroy Nominated [28]
Austin Film Critics Association January 11, 2022 Best Supporting Actress Ruth Negga Nominated [29]
Best First Film Rebecca Hall Nominated
British Academy Film Awards March 13, 2022 Outstanding British Film Nina Yang Bongiovi, Forest Whitaker, Rebecca Hall and Margot Hand Nominated [30]
Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer Rebecca Hall Nominated
Best Actress in a Leading Role Tessa Thompson Nominated
Best Actress in a Supporting Role Ruth Negga Nominated
Black Reel Awards February 27, 2022 Outstanding Motion Picture Nina Yang Bongiovi, Forest Whitaker, Rebecca Hall and Margot Hand Nominated [31]
Outstanding Director Rebecca Hall Nominated
Outstanding Actress Tessa Thompson Won
Outstanding Supporting Actor André Holland Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actress Ruth Negga Nominated
Outstanding Screenplay Rebecca Hall Won
Outstanding Ensemble Kim Ostroy and Laura Rosenthal Nominated
Outstanding Original Score Devonté Hynes Nominated
Outstanding Emerging Director Rebecca Hall Nominated
Outstanding First Screenplay Won
Outstanding Cinematography Edu Grau Nominated
Outstanding Costume Design Marci Rodgers Nominated
Outstanding Production Design Nora Mendis Nominated
Chicago Film Critics Association December 15, 2021 Best Supporting Actress Ruth Negga Won [32][33]
Milos Stehlik Breakthrough Filmmaker Award Rebecca Hall Nominated
Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association December 20, 2021 Best Supporting Actress Ruth Negga 5th place [34]
Directors Guild of America Awards March 12, 2022 Outstanding Directing – First-Time Feature Film Rebecca Hall Nominated [35]
Florida Film Critics Circle December 22, 2021 Best Supporting Actress Ruth Negga Runner-up [36]
Best First Film Rebecca Hall Runner-up
Georgia Film Critics Association January 14, 2022 Best Supporting Actress Ruth Negga Nominated [37]
Golden Globe Awards January 9, 2022 Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture Nominated [38][39]
Gotham Independent Film Awards November 29, 2021 Best Feature Passing Nominated [40]
Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award Rebecca Hall Nominated
Best Screenplay Nominated
Outstanding Lead Performance Tessa Thompson Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Performance Ruth Negga Nominated
Hollywood Critics Association January 8, 2022 Best Supporting Actress Nominated [41]
Best Director Rebecca Hall Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Rebecca Hall Nominated
Best First Feature Passing Nominated
Independent Spirit Awards March 6, 2022 Best Supporting Female Ruth Negga Won [42]
Best Cinematography Eduard Grau Won
IndieWire Critics Poll December 13, 2021 Best Film Passing 9th place [43]
Best Performance Tessa Thompson 7th place
Best Cinematography Eduard Grau 8th place
Best First Feature Rebecca Hall Runner-up
International Cinephile Society February 6, 2022 Best Supporting Actress Ruth Negga Won [44]
Best Adapted Screenplay Rebecca Hall Nominated
Best Debut Feature Runner-up
London Film Critics' Circle February 7, 2022 Supporting Actress of the Year Ruth Negga Won [45]
British/Irish Actress of the Year Nominated
Breakthrough British/Irish Filmmaker Rebecca Hall Won
National Society of Film Critics January 8, 2022 Best Supporting Actress Ruth Negga Won [46]
New York Film Critics Online December 12, 2021 Best Actress Tessa Thompson Won [47]
Best Supporting Actress Ruth Negga Won
Best Debut Director Rebecca Hall Won
Top Ten Films Passing Won
Online Film Critics Society January 24, 2022 Best Supporting Actress Ruth Negga Nominated [48]
Best Adapted Screenplay Rebecca Hall Nominated
Best Breakthrough Filmmaker Nominated
San Diego Film Critics Society January 10, 2022 Best Supporting Actress Ruth Negga Won [49]
Best Adapted Screenplay Rebecca Hall Nominated
San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle January 10, 2022 Best Adapted Screenplay Nominated [50]
Best Actress Tessa Thompson Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Ruth Negga Nominated
Satellite Awards April 2, 2022 Best Supporting Actress Nominated [51]
Best Adapted Screenplay Rebecca Hall and Nella Larsen Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards February 27, 2022 Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Ruth Negga Nominated [52]
Seattle Film Critics Society January 17, 2022 Best Actress in a Supporting Role Nominated [53]
St. Louis Film Critics Association December 19, 2021 Best Supporting Actress Nominated [54]
Toronto Film Critics Association January 16, 2022 Best Supporting Actress Runner-up [55]
Best First Feature Rebecca Hall Runner-up
USC Scripter Award February 26, 2022 Film Adaptation Nominated [56]
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards December 6, 2021 Best Actress Tessa Thompson Nominated [57]

References

  1. ^ "Passing". Sundance Film Festival. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Kiang, Jessica (January 31, 2021). "'Passing' Review: Rebecca Hall's Subtle, Provocative Directorial Debut". Variety. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  3. ^ Barwick, Clark (2019). "A History of Passing". South Atlantic Review. 82: 24–54 – via Gale Academic OneFile.
  4. ^ a b Hipes, Patrick (December 8, 2021). "African American Film Critics Top 10 Films Led By 'The Harder They Fall', 'Respect', 'King Richard'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  5. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (August 6, 2018). "Rebecca Hall To Make Directorial Debut With 'Passing'; Tessa Thompson & Ruth Negga Star In Adaptation Of 1920s Novel". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  6. ^ Yamato, Jen (February 1, 2021). "Why Ruth Negga and Tessa Thompson were willing to drop everything for 'Passing'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  7. ^ Geschwind, Max (December 3, 2018). "Tessa Thompson on Working With First-Time Directors: "I'm Happy to Get Them as Early as Possible"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  8. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (October 22, 2019). "'Moonlight' Actor André Holland Joins 'Passing' Adaptation From Rebecca Hall". Deadline. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  9. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (November 13, 2019). "Alexander Skarsgård, Endeavor Content, Film4 Join Rebecca Hall Directorial Debut 'Passing', Shoot Underway On Feminist Civil Rights Drama". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  10. ^ a b Joseph Bien-Kahn (November 10, 2021). "How to Get a Black-Led Indie Film Funded in Hollywood". Vulture. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
  11. ^ Welch, Rebecca (October 30, 2019). "Another Newly Announced HBO Max Show Has Started Casting". Backstage. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  12. ^ a b Lee, Benjamin (January 31, 2021). "Passing review – Rebecca Hall's elegant but inert directorial debut". The Guardian. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  13. ^ Debruge, Peter (December 15, 2020). "Sundance Film Festival Lineup Features 38 First-Time Directors, Including Rebecca Hall and Robin Wright". Variety. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  14. ^ Galuppo, Mia (February 3, 2021). "Sundance: Netflix Grabs 'Passing' Starring Tessa Thompson, Ruth Nega". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  15. ^ "Passing". New York Film Festival. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  16. ^ Lewis, Hilary (August 10, 2021). "NY Film Festival Unveils Main Slate, Sets Vaccination Requirement for 2021 Edition". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  17. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (August 23, 2021). "Netflix Dates Fall Movies: A Whopping 42 Movies Coming At You". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  18. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 15, 2021). "'Red Notice': Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot & Ryan Reynolds Netflix Movie KOs 'Shang-Chi' In Streaming Debut Per Samba TV". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 16, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. ^ "Passing". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved February 4, 2022. Edit this at Wikidata
  20. ^ "Passing". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  21. ^ Maher, Kevin. "Passing review — lies and disguise in 1920s New York". The Times. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  22. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (October 28, 2021). "Passing review – Rebecca Hall's stylish and subtle study of racial identity". The Guardian. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  23. ^ Phillips, Michael. "Review: Rebecca Hall's excellent 'Passing' tells a story of racial identity in 1920s New York". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  24. ^ Rooney, David (2021). "'Passing': Film Review | Sundance 2021". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  25. ^ Hans, Simran (October 30, 2021). "Passing review – life is anything but black and white in Rebecca Hall's smart period drama". The Guardian. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  26. ^ Zacharek, Stephanie. "The 10 Best Movie Performances of 2021". Time. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  27. ^ Tangcay, Jazz (December 10, 2021). "'The Power of the Dog, 'Passing' Lead Alliance of Women Film Journalists Award Nominations (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  28. ^ Tangcay, Jazz (January 31, 2022). "Artios Awards: 'Belfast,' 'CODA,' 'King Richard,' 'House of Gucci' Among 2022 Nominees". Variety. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  29. ^ Neglia, Matt (January 4, 2022). "The 2021 Austin Film Critics Association (AFCA) Nominations". Next Big Picture. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  30. ^ "2022 EE British Academy Film Awards: Nominations". BAFTA. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  31. ^ ""Harder" Makes It Look Easy with 20 Black Reel Award Nominations". Foundation for the Augmentation of African-Americans in Film. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
  32. ^ Tallerico, Brian. "West Side Story Leads the 2021 Chicago Critics Nominees". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  33. ^ Tallerico, Brian. "Jane Campion's The Power of the Dog Leads Chicago Critics Awards with Seven". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  34. ^ Jorgenson, Todd. "DFW FILM CRITICS NAME "POWER OF THE DOG" BEST FILM OF 2021". Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  35. ^ "DGA Announces Nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film for 2021". Directors Guild of America. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  36. ^ Neglia, Matt. "The 2021 Florida Film Critics Circle (FFCC) Winners". NextBestPicture. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  37. ^ "2021 Awards". Georgia Film Critics Association. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  38. ^ "Golden Globes 2022: Nominations for the 79th Golden Globes Have Been Announced". Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  39. ^ Hipes, Patrick (January 9, 2022). "Golden Globes: The Power Of The Dog, West Side Story, Succession Lead Way – Complete Winners List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  40. ^ Sharf, Zack (October 21, 2021). "Gotham Awards 2021 Nominations: 'Pig,' 'Green Knight,' 'Passing' Compete for Best Feature". IndieWire. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  41. ^ "DUNE, CODA, AND BELFAST LEAD THE 5TH ANNUAL HCA FILM AWARDS NOMINATIONS". Hollywood Critics Association. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  42. ^ Long, Brent; Tangcay, Jazz (December 14, 2021). "Indie Spirit Awards 2022 Nominations (Updating Live)". Variety. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  43. ^ Blauvelt, Christian (December 13, 2021). "2021 Critics Poll: The Best Films and Performances, According to 187 Critics from Around the World". IndieWire. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  44. ^ "Benediction, Onoda and The Power of the Dog Lead ICS Nominations". International Cinephile Society. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  45. ^ Yossman, K.J. (December 16, 2021). "Female Filmmakers Shine at London Critics' Circle Film Awards With Nominations for Jane Campion, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Joanna Hogg". Variety. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
  46. ^ Pond, Steve. "'Drive My Car' Wins Best Picture Award From National Society of Film Critics". TheWrap. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  47. ^ Neglia, Matt. "The 2021 New York Film Critics Online (NYFCO) Winners". NextBestPicture. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  48. ^ "2021 AWARDS (25TH ANNUAL)". Online Film Critics Society. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  49. ^ Murray, Rebecca. "San Diego Film Critics Society 2021 Nominees: Belfast Tops the List with 12 Nominations". ShowbizJunkies. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  50. ^ "SFBAFCC 2021 AWARDS". San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  51. ^ Anderson, Erik (December 1, 2021). "'Belfast,' 'The Power of the Dog' lead 26th Satellite Awards nominations". AwardsWatch. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  52. ^ Lattanzio, Ryan. "SAG Awards 2022 Nominations: See the Full List". IndieWire. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  53. ^ ""The Power of the Dog" Leads the 2021 Seattle Film Critics Society Nominations". Seattle Film Critics. January 10, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  54. ^ Neglia, Matt. "The 2021 St. Louis Film Critics Association (StLFCA) Nominations". NextBestPicture. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  55. ^ Neglia, Matt (January 16, 2022). "The 2021 Toronto Film Critics Association (TFCA) Winners". Next Big Picture. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  56. ^ Feinberg, Scott. "USC Scripter Awards: 'Passing' Among Film Nominees; 'Station Eleven' a TV Finalist". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  57. ^ Eric, Anderson (December 4, 2021). "Washington DC Critics: 'Belfast,' 'The Power of the Dog' lead nominations". AwardsWatch. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
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