Higher Ground

2011 1h 49m EN

😐

5.9

MID

🍅

81%

FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

6.2

IMDB

★5.9TMDB · 68🍅81%Rotten Tomatoes●74Metacritic★6.2IMDB · 3,416

DramaThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Vera Farmiga's directorial debut, HIGHER GROUND, depicts the landscape of a tight-knit spiritual community thrown off-kilter when one of their own begins to question her faith. Inspired by screenwriter Carolyn S. Briggs' memoir This Dark World, the film tells the story of a thoughtful woman's struggles with belief, love, and trust - in human relationships as well as in God.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Vera Farmiga
Corinne Walker
Donna Murphy
Kathleen Walker
Dagmara Dominczyk
Annika
John Hawkes
CW Walker
Joshua Leonard
Ethan Miller
Nina Arianda
Wendy Walker
Taissa Farmiga
Teenage Corinne Walker
Taylor Schwencke
Young Wendy Walker

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Vera Farmiga
Writers: Tim Metcalfe, Carolyn S. Briggs
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

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

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $2.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 42% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 15 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Directed by Vera Farmiga, shot by Michael McDonough. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Vera Farmiga and Donna Murphy and Dagmara Dominczyk carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt1562568 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Vera Farmiga directs. Michael McDonough behind the camera. Alec Puro scores. Colleen Sharp cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $2.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Earned back only 42% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
3Released 15 years ago.
4Directed by Vera Farmiga, shot by Michael McDonough. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Alec Puro. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Colleen Sharp shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Vera Farmiga and Donna Murphy and Dagmara Dominczyk carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt1562568 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 68 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.