Carol
2015
Debut Screening: May 17/2015 @ Cannes Film Festival (France)
Genre: Drama/ Romance
Length: 1 hr. 58 min.
Country: United States/ United Kingdom
Tagline: Some people change your life forever.
Starring: Cate Blanchett (Carol Aird), Rooney Mara (Therese Belivet), Sarah Paulson (Abby Gerhard), & Kyle Chandler (Harge Aird)
Written by: Phyllis Nagy
Based on the novel: “The Price of Salt” (1952) by Patricia Highsmith
Directed by: Todd Haynes
Synopsis: This modern lesbian classic is set in Manhattan circa 1952. Aspiring photographer & department store clerk Therese is just trying to survive the Christmas rush when Carol, an elegant older woman in a mink coat, leaves her gloves on the store counter. What starts as a simple lost & found mission spirals into a seductive road trip across a rain-slicked America. As Carol fights a messy divorce & a morality clause that threatens her motherhood, she & Therese discover a connection so intense it feels like they were both “flung out of space.” It’s a lush, heart-stopping masterpiece that proves the most dangerous thing you can do in the 50s is leave your gloves behind.
Sites: carolfilm.com (official)
wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_(film)
FYI: Co-star Sarah Paulson (Abby) has referred to her sexuality as being “fluid”. Paulson had a 5 year relationship with actress Cherry Jones. Since 2015 she has been involved with actress Holland Taylor.
At the 2015 Cannes Film Festival Cate Blanchett (Carol) discussed the role of sexuality in the film during an interview with BFMTV International. “…the sex scene in it…I mean it’s not Blue is the Warmest Color. It’s a very different film. It’s very erotic & tender & beautiful & fragile & I think that it’s very true to the relationship that the 2 women have & the time in which it takes place but I think it’s very timeless…” *
Carol was nominated for 6 Oscars including Best Leading Actress (Cate Blanchett) & Best Supporting Actress (Rooney Mara).
It’s a Small Sapphic World: Cate Blanchett (Carol) also portrayed a lesbian character in the 2022 Oscar nominated film Tar.
The film was produced by lesbian powerhouse producer Christine Vachon who has also produced an array of lesbian themed movies including Boys Don’t Cry (1999), Cracks (2009), My Days of Mercy (2017), & The World to Come (2020).
Keywords: older/younger relationship, married woman, 1950s, New York City, romance, sexuality, coming out, Oscar nominee, adapted from a novel, lesbian cinema classic
*youtube.com/watch?v=yqQLyIK_9Po
Stills:
Trailer: