The Power of Truth

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By Tom Pacak

It took thirty-five years for director Jennifer Fox to discover she was involved in a sexually abusive relationship during her early teen years. “It was something… beautiful,” the 13-year-old Jennifer describing her relationship with her horse coaches Mrs. G (Elizabeth Debicki) and lover Bill Allens (Jason Ritter). Jennifer believed this due to the distant relationship she had with her parents. It was the farthest thing from beautiful.

“The Tale” follows Jennifer Fox (Laura Dern); she is an accomplished journalist and documentarian who loves her fiancé Martin (Common). We never really know at the beginning if Jennifer is broken from the event but if she is, Dern does a great job of hiding it. One night, Jennifer gets a call from her mother Nadine (Ellen Burstyn) who finds her journals chronicling the encounter with the 40-year-old Bill. Nadine quickly tells her daughter that this thing she had was not consensual. Jennifer is then forced to reexamine a memory that she thought was beautiful. Not being able to confront the truth, Jennifer quickly tells her mother, “Can you just let me sit with my own memories?” This plea sets up the rest of the film as Jennifer tries to find out what actually happened. 

Jennifer uses her journalistic abilities to interview Mrs. G (Frances Conroy plays older Mrs. G), old athletes of Mrs. G’s and Bill’s and exploring her old memories. Jennifer realizes the truth is hugely diluted with how she sees it. An example is when Jennifer recalls that she was 15 when the events happened but was actually 13. The flashback has a 15-year-old Jennifer stands in but is quickly switched to a 13-year-old once the truth is discovered. Through her research, Jennifer finds out that she was actually a victim of sexual abuse. Jennifer saw Bill and Mrs. G as parental figures in her early life, so it was easy for young Jennifer to see her relationship as completely appropriate. The couple acted as if they understood Jennifer’s talent in horseback riding and emphasize with her dysfunctional family. In reality, Bill only saw her as vulnerable and lonely, while Mrs. G was the one who recruited the horseback riders for Bill to have continuous relationships.

The flashback rape scenes in this film are deeply disturbing and unforgettable (an adult stunt double is used as a young Jennifer). They are disturbing in a way because Bill doesn’t come off as a bad guy. He doesn’t use physical force but instead uses manipulation to make Jennifer feel like she loves him sexually. Jason Ritter does a good job as coming off as a good guy with twisted plans.

Laura Dern really catches the psychology of somebody who was unaware she was a victim of sexual abuse. Even when she discovers she was taken advantage of, she refuses to be a victim. The last confrontation she has with Bill (the late John Heard plays) is single-mindedly pointed at one truth: Bill is an evil man who took advantage of Jennifer.  Since HBO released the film, Laura Dern will not be up for an Oscar next February, but I have faith she with get nominated for a Emmy for Best Actress in a Mini-Series or Limited Film. Also worth singling out for great work is Ellen Burstyn as Jennifer’s mother who shows deep regret at not seeing the warning signs of a non-consensual relationship.

“The Tale” is a film about the war on facts vs. how you perceive a traumatic event. Somebody may see an event that's evil as something that they truly benefited from. Jennifer Fox (who directed her own story) knows how tough it is to come terms with the past and how its demons affect relationships you have with loved ones. I want to note that this film was released at perfect timing because Harvey Weinstein was arrested for rape accusations the weekend this movie was released on TV. Both Jennifer’s story and Harvey’s victims' stories deal with holding powerful men accountable and searching for the truth.


Rating: 4 stars out of 4


Note: Now on HBO

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