The Girl in the Park


The Girl in the Park is a 2007 drama film by David Auburn, who makes his directorial debut here after having written the films Proof in 2005 and The Lake House in 2006. It stars Sigourney Weaver, Kate Bosworth and Keri Russell, among others.

Plot

Enduringly traumatized by the disappearance of her 3-year-old daughter 16 years ago, Julia Sandburg has cut herself off from anyone once near and dear to her, including her husband Doug and her son Chris, who tried for years to penetrate her wall of isolation and despair, without success. But when Julia meets Louise, a troubled young woman with a checkered past, all of Julia's old psychological wounds painfully resurface, as does her illogical and increasingly irrational hope that Louise may be the daughter she lost so long ago.

Cast

Filming began in New York City on November 13, 2006, and was scheduled to end on December 21, 2006. The film was premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2007.

Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 71% based on 14 reviews, with an average rating of 5.68/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Sigourney Weaver delivers a towering performance in this poignant meditation on unresolved grief." Jason Solomons of the Guardian "likes this deceptive drama, its tensions and releases, its symbolic use of Scrabble to denote cohesion and confusion and its dark fears of parenting, children, ageing, loss and connection."