Quick Links
Laurel Parmet’s feature directorial debut The Starling Girl (2023) is the story of a teenage girl named Jem Starling who is grappling with her place in a conservative Christian community. Set in rural Kentucky, Jem's passion for dance, which brings her immense joy and fulfillment, is met with skepticism and fear within her community. Jem's struggle to reconcile with her faith becomes an overarching theme in this poignant coming-of-age film.
This movie promises to be an intimate portrayal of the struggles that young people face in trying to find their own voice and identity within a conservative environment. With a powerful and thought-provoking premise, audiences can hopefully expect an emotional journey that explores themes of identity, faith, and the power of resilience. With that in mind, here’s everything we know so far about The Starling Girl.
Where and When Can You Watch The Starling Girl?
The Starling Girl is set to hit theaters on May 12, 2023. With its authentic portrayal of the complexities of growing up in a conservative Christian community and navigating one's identity, The Starling Girl has already generated significant buzz ahead of its release. The film made its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2023. Shortly after, North American distribution rights for the film were acquired by Bleecker Street in February. The film was also screened at South by Southwest on March 12, 2023, garnering positive reviews from critics and audiences alike.
Watch the Trailer for The Starling Girl
Bleecker Street released the official trailer for The Starling Girl on April 17, 2023. The trailer hints at the emotionally charged journey that the film promises to take viewers on, offering a nuanced and authentic portrayal of the challenges that young people face when trying to reconcile their passions and beliefs with the expectations of their community.
The clip provides viewers a sneak peek into the conservative Christian community that Jem Starling calls home in rural Kentucky. Jem's love for dancing, which brings her immense joy, is unfortunately frowned upon by the community as a potential gateway to sin. As Jem grapples with her passion for dancing, she is also confronted with her own burgeoning sexuality, which only adds to the confusion and pressure she feels. Adding to her troubles, Jem's mother insists that it's time for her to begin courting and find a suitable partner, which only compounds Jem's sense of being trapped.
However, Jem finds a kindred spirit in her youth pastor, Owen, who empathizes with her struggles and becomes a source of comfort and guidance for her. Despite the mounting pressure from her community, Jem finds the strength to navigate her own journey - even if that means looking for it with the wrong people.
What's the Plot of The Starling Girl About?
Below is the official synopsis for The Starling Girl:
Seventeen-year-old Jem Starling struggles to define her place within her fundamentalist Christian community in rural Kentucky. Even her greatest joy of dancing with the church group is tempered by worry that her actions are sinful and she is caught between a burgeoning awareness of her own sexuality and her religious devotion. With the return of Owen, an enigmatic youth pastor, Jem soon finds herself attracted to his worldliness and charm. Slowly, he draws her into a dangerous relationship that could upend their entire community.
Who’s In the Cast of The Starling Girl?
Eliza Scanlen plays the lead role of Jem Starling in The Starling Girl, portraying a 17-year-old girl trying to find her identity within a strict Christian community in Kentucky. Scanlen gained recognition and received critical praise for her portrayal of a troubled teenager in the HBO miniseries Sharp Objects. She also starred as young Eleanor Roosevelt in the Showtime series The First Lady. In 2019, she made her film debut with starring roles in the drama Babyteeth and Greta Gerwig's period drama Little Women.
Scanlen is supported by an excellent cast, which includes Lewis Pullman, who plays youth pastor Owen Taylor, Jimmi Simpson in the role of Paul Starling, Wrenn Schmidt portraying Heidi Starling, Austin Abrams as Ben Taylor, and Kyle Secor as Pastor Taylor. Pullman is known for his work in the movie Top Gun: Maverick, while Simpson has gained fame for his role in the popular TV series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Schmidt has appeared in the series For All Mankind, while Abrams has starred in the hit show Euphoria. Secor is best known for his work on the TV series Homicide: Life on the Street.
Who Made The Starling Girl?
Laurel Parmet, the writer and director of The Starling Girl, is an accomplished filmmaker known for her award-winning short films. She was selected as a 2019 Sundance Screenwriters Intensive Fellow, and is known for the projects Kira Burning, which premiered at SXSW in 2018, and Spring, which has been screened at SXSW, Outfest, Palm Springs, and more. She is also a 2019 fellow in Ryan Murphy's TV Director Mentorship Program and was a finalist for the Young Director Awards at the Cannes Lions Festival for her music videos.
In an interview with Collider's Steve Weintraub, Parmet spoke about how a personal experience informed the film and how much she had been thinking about crossing real life and art. Here's what she said:
Yeah, I mean I thought about it the whole time. Definitely, during the writing process, I think that was the most emotional and cathartic part of it. And then, interestingly, once we were on set and directing, it was weird, I kind of was able to divorce myself from that a little bit and just be like, “I'm the director, I'm focusing on executing the script,” and I felt a little bit removed from my experience.
Then editing, it was very emotional again. I think there's so much of myself in all of the characters, in Jem especially, especially at that age. A lot of what happened was inspired by things that actually happened to me in this relationship and so yeah, pretty cathartic.
The Starling Girl was executive produced by Martina Bassenger, Jessamine Burgum, Douglas Choi, Will Greenfield, David Hinojosa, Bill Reedy, Emily Reedy, Chris Stolte, and Heidi Stolte, with Kara Durrett and Kevin Rowe as producers, Sarah Mather as an associate producer, and Ben Shafer as a co-producer. Ben Schneider did the music. The cinematography for the movie was done by Brian Lannin, with editing by Sam Levy and casting By Rebecca Dealy. The Starling Girl was produced by 2AM in association with Pinky Promise and Sons of Rigor Films and is distributed by Bleecker Street Media.