The Most Hated Woman in America
| The Most Hated Woman in America | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Tommy O'Haver |
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Armando Salas |
| Edited by | Michael X. Flores |
| Music by | Alan Ari Lazar |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Netflix |
Release dates |
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Running time | 91 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Most Hated Woman in America is an American biopic film directed by Tommy O'Haver and written by O'Haver and Irene Turner. It stars Melissa Leo as Madalyn Murray O'Hair.
The film had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 14, 2017. The film was released on March 24, 2017, by Netflix.
Plot
The story of Madalyn Murray O'Hair, an atheist activist whose efforts led to a Supreme Court ruling banning official Bible readings in public schools and her kidnapping in 1995.
Cast
- Melissa Leo as Madalyn Murray O'Hair, an atheist activist.
- Peter Fonda as Reverend Bob Harrington, a counter-point Christian pastor.
- Sally Kirkland as Lena Christina, Madalyn's mother, grandmother of Garth and Bill.
- Ryan Cutrona as John Mays, "Pup", Madalyn's father with whom she had a strained relationship. Grandfather of Garth and Bill.
- Rory Cochrane as Gary Karr, O'Hair's kidnapper and murderer.
- Josh Lucas as David Waters, an office manager turned kidnapper.
- Adam Scott as Jack Ferguson, a reporter.
- Juno Temple as Robin Murray O'Hair, O'Hair's granddaughter.
- Vincent Kartheiser as William J. Murray III, O'Hair's son who converts to Christianity.
- Anna Camp as Mrs. Lutz
- Michael Chernus as Jon Garth Murray, O'Hair's loyal son.
- Alex Frost as Danny Fry, O'Hair's kidnapper and murder victim.
- Brandon Mychal Smith as Roy
Production
On July 8, 2015, it was reported that Netflix would finance and release The Most Hated Woman in America, a film dramatizing the life of Madalyn Murray O'Hair. It would be directed by Tommy O'Haver from his own script and star Melissa Leo as O'Hair.[1] In March 2016, Peter Fonda,[2] Sally Kirkland,[3] Rory Cochrane,[4] Josh Lucas, Adam Scott, Juno Temple, Vincent Kartheiser, Anna Camp, Michael Chernus, and Alex Frost[5] joined the cast.
On March 24, 2016, it was reported that The Most Hated Woman in America had begun filming in the previous week.[5]
Release
The film had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 14, 2017.[6][7] It was released on March 24, 2017, by Netflix.[8]
Critical reception
The Most Hated Woman in America received mixed reviews from film critics. It holds a 43% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 14 reviews, with a weighted average of 4.6/10.[9] On Metacritic, the film holds a rating of 41 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[10]
Peter Debruge of Variety gave the film a negative review writing: "Seems to fall right where you'd expect: slightly better than your average TV movie, while not as good as your typical theatrical release."[11]
References
- ^ McNary, Dave (July 8, 2015). "Netflix Boosts Slate with Melissa Leo's 'Most Hated Woman in America'". Variety. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
- ^ Busch, Anita (March 3, 2016). "Peter Fonda To Be Most Hated Preacher In Netflix's 'Most Hated Woman In America'". Deadline.com. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
- ^ Pedersen, Erik (March 8, 2016). "Jimmy O. Yang Joins 'Patriots Day'; Sally Kirkland Cast In 'Most Hated Woman In America'". Deadline.com. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
- ^ Pedersen, Erik (March 23, 2016). "'Justice' Rounds Out Cast; Rory Cochrane Nabs 'The Most Hated Woman in America'". Deadline.com. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
- ^ a b Kit, Borys (March 24, 2016). "Josh Lucas, Adam Scott, Juno Temple Join Netflix Drama 'Most Hated Woman in America' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 31, 2017). "SXSW 2017 Lineup: 'Baby Driver', 'Free Fire', 'Muppet Guys Talking' & Docus That Matter In Trump Era". Deadline.com. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
- ^ "The Most Hated Woman In America". South by Southwest. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
- ^ "Two Netflix Original Films Bound for SXSW!".
- ^ "The Most Hated Woman in America (2017)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
- ^ "The Most Hated Woman in America". Metacritic. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
- ^ Debruge, Peter (March 14, 2017). "SXSW Film Review: 'The Most Hated Woman in America'". Variety. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
