Savage Grace

Colour, 35 mm
Spain, USA, France, 2007, 95 min
Section: Forum of Independents

Synopsis

Based on the award-winning book by Natalie Robins and Steven M. L. Aronson, the film follows the incredible true story of Barbara Daly (Julianne Moore), who married above her class to become the wife of Brooks Baekeland, the son of the man who invented Bakelite, one of the early forms of plastic. A beautiful, charismatic red-head, Barbara is still no match for her well-bred husband. The birth of the couple’s only child, Tony, rocks the fragile balance of this marriage to extremes. Tony, who is homosexual, is a failure in his father’s eyes. As he matures and becomes increasingly close to his lonely mother, the seeds for a tragedy of spectacular depravity are sown.

About the director

Tom Kalin (b. 1962, Illinois) is an award-winning screenwriter (Office Killer, 1997), producer (Go Fish, 1994 or I Shot Andy Warhol, 1996) and film director. His debut feature, Swoon, is considered an integral part of New Queer Cinema. In addition to his feature work, Kalin has created a number of short films. Select filmography as director: Swoon (1992), Nation (short, 1992), Geoffrey Beene 30 (short, 1993), Nomads (1994), Plain Pleasures (short, 1996), Third Known Nest (short, 1999), The Robots of Sodom (short, 2003), Savage Grace (2007).