Shirley Adams

"The story of a woman who loses her family to violence and poverty, but gains her own sense of self worth."

2009 1h 30m EN

👍

6.5

SOLID

★6.5TMDB · 1

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Shirley Adams spends her days caring for her disabled son, Donovan - he was shot in the back of the neck on his way home from school one afternoon over a year ago. Since then the Adams family has lost all their worldly possessions to medical bills. Shirley has no money, no job and no husband - he left. The shooter is one of Donovan's childhood friends. Her reaction to the betrayal is so overwhelming that she chooses not to tell Donovan in fear of further damaging his already unstable emotional state. Determined to make a change in their lives, Shirley actively decides to embrace their new circumstances, hoping that Donovan will follow her example.

“The story of a woman who loses her family to violence and poverty, but gains her own sense of self worth.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Denise Newman
Shirley Adams
Keenan Arrison
Donovan Adams
Emily Child
Tamsin
Theresa Sedras
Kariema Samsodien
Gamiet Petersen
Kariem Samsodien
Travis Snyders
Jeremy Jacobs
Lee-Ann Van Rooi
Philda Jacobs
David Müller
Kurt Williams

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Oliver Hermanus
Writers: Stavros Pamballis
Countries: South Africa

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

90 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 17 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Oliver Hermanus, shot by Jamie D. Ramsay. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Philip Miller. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Garreth Fradgley shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Denise Newman and Keenan Arrison and Emily Child carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The story of a woman who loses her family to violence and poverty, but gains her own sense of self worth.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt1483507 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Oliver Hermanus directs. Jamie D. Ramsay behind the camera. Philip Miller scores. Garreth Fradgley cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in South Africa.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

190 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Released 17 years ago.
3Directed by Oliver Hermanus, shot by Jamie D. Ramsay. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Philip Miller. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Garreth Fradgley shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Denise Newman and Keenan Arrison and Emily Child carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "The story of a woman who loses her family to violence and poverty, but gains her own sense of self worth.".
8IMDB entry: tt1483507 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.