Little Pink House
| Little Pink House | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Courtney Moorehead Balaker |
| Written by | Courtney Moorehead Balaker |
| Starring | Catherine Keener |
| Cinematography | Alexandre Lehmann |
| Edited by | Soojin Chung |
| Music by | Scott McRae Ryan Rapsys |
Production company | Korchula Productions |
| Distributed by | Dada Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 98 minutes |
| Countries | United States Canada |
| Language | English |
Little Pink House is a 2017 American-Canadian biographical drama film written and directed by Courtney Moorehead Balaker and starring Catherine Keener as Susette Kelo.[1] It is based on the events related to Kelo v. City of New London, a U.S. Supreme Court case in which Kelo unsuccessfully sued the city of New London, Connecticut, for its controversial use of eminent domain.[2]
Plot
A small-town paramedic named Susette Kelo emerges as the reluctant leader of her working-class neighbors in their struggle to save their homes from political and corporate interests bent on seizing the land and handing it over to Pfizer Corporation. Ambitious academic Dr. Charlotte Wells, president of the fictional "Walthrop College" (in real life, Connecticut College President Claire Gaudiani) persuades the current governor (John G. Rowland, unnamed in the movie) that this could help his public image by increasing tax revenue for the poor. Susette's battle goes all the way to the US Supreme Court and the controversial 5–4 decision in Kelo vs. City of New London gave government officials the power to bulldoze a neighborhood for the benefit of a multibillion-dollar corporation. The decision outraged Americans across the political spectrum, and that passion fueled reforms that helped curb eminent domain abuse.
Cast
- Catherine Keener as Susette Kelo
- Jeanne Tripplehorn as Charlotte Wells
- Aaron Douglas as Governor
- Callum Keith Rennie[3]
- Colin Cunningham as Billy Von Winkle
- Giacomo Baessato as Scott Bullock
Reception
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 76%, based on 29 reviews, and an average rating of 6.19/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Little Pink House rises up on the foundation of Catherine Keener's strong central performance, even if its fact-based story never quite fills in the framework.[4] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 55 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[5]
A bipartisan congressional screening of the film was held at the U.S. Capitol.[6]
Accolades
- Winner, HBO Audience Choice Award, Provincetown International Film Festival
- Winner, Audience Choice Award, Vail Film Festival
- Winner, Jimmy Stewart Legacy Award, Heartland Film Festival
- Winner, Best Feature, Rainier Independent Film Festival
- Winner, Grand Prize, Anthem Film Festival
- Winner, Best Narrative, Anthem Film Festival
- Winner, Best Original Score, Anthem Film Festival
- Winner, Best Casting, Leo Awards
- Finalist, Athena List
- Nominee, Best Picture, Movie Guide Awards
- Nominee, Best Picture, Leo Awards
- Nominee, Best Production Design, Leo Awards
- Nominee, Best Costume Design, Leo Awards
References
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (3 February 2017). "'Little Pink House' Santa Barbara Fest Clip: Don't Mess With Catherine Keener". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
- ^ Lewis, Hilary (18 January 2017). "First Athena List Film 'Little Pink House' to Open 2017 Edition of Female-Focused Festival (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
- ^ Farber, Stephen (6 February 2017). "'Little Pink House': Film Review; Santa Barbara 2017". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
- ^ "Little Pink House (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
- ^ "Little Pink House Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
- ^ "Lawmakers to View Eminent Domain Film 'Little Pink House' at U.S. Capitol". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2019-01-08.