Sorry Baby Is A Moving Story Of Hope

Sorry, Baby is a delicate portrayal of human response that follows something terrible. While many films or stories might focus on the incident itself as being the traumatic experience, writer, director, and actor Eva Victor chooses to focus less on the incident that occurred and instead captures a subtle, honest human response to working through the trauma that follows.

At the beginning of the film, we are introduced to Agnes (Eva Victor), who is awaiting the arrival of her best friend and former roommate, Lydia (Naomi Ackie). Lydia is coming back to their sleepy small college town to visit Agnes. They are excited to see each other, and it becomes clear the two are very close friends as they both fall back into step with each other. Throughout this reunion, we begin to notice the contrast in their personalities and lives. Lydia, who moved to New York City after college, explains she is in love and is pregnant. Naturally, the two are excited about that. However, when Agnes explains she is the youngest ever full-time English professor at their alma mater, we see Agnes struggling to express any real joy about this feat. Rather, we get a sense of uncertainty on whether it’s truly what she wants and if she feels she deserves it.

The film then jumps back in time a few years, where we see a younger Agnes, gifted in her literature class, surpassing the other students and capturing the admiring attention of her professor…and then the traumatic incident happens…and what follows is a sad, sometimes funny, raw story about the stages of trauma.

Eva Victor shines in all aspects of this film. Their acting performance has a feeling of real understanding of the subject. The patience of their direction drives home the emotional points, often holding on a scene longer than expected, delivering a slow burn pace that allows (or forces) us to get lost in our self-emotion and idea of what is happening. While the story she has written highlights what is often lost in films of this nature. Which is the process of healing is often less about wanting or needing sympathy, but rather, showing healing through real empathy. Whether it’s their best friend being beyond supportive, a stranger providing understanding and prospective, or a potential love interest showing compassion without judgment. It’s these empathetic situations, among others, that help Agnes reach something not quite healed, but at the very least, is a stronger “new normal.” Leaving us with hope that she will continue to get stronger, long after we leave the theater.

4 out of 5 stars

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