WILD NIGHTS WITH EMILY
Starring a vivacious Molly Shannon as Emily Dickinson, this queer imagining cheekily portrays the notoriously secretive writer as an ardent lover with a tumultuous romantic life.
In WILD NIGHTS WITH EMILY, writer and director Madeleine Olnek (THE FOXY MERKINS) offers a wry rebuke to the common perception of Emily Dickinson as an old maid and hermit who kept her work from the public out of timidity and fear. In Olnek’s witty reassessment, Dickinson is driven less by social anxiety than by the pressure to keep a passionate, clandestine relationship secret. Molly Shannon stars as the quick-witted, vibrant 19th Century writer while Susan Ziegler portrays Emily’s effervescent sister-in-law, lover, and lifelong muse, Susan. And in a knowing nod to the unreliable nature of historical record, the film is framed by the hilariously hammy narration of Mabel Todd (Amy Seimetz), the opportunistic Dickinson family associate who first published Dickinson’s work after the poet’s death. As Mabel conjures a story about a meek spinster, Olnek juxtaposes these fabrications with saucy depictions of Emily’s lively love-life and spirited personality. A much-needed corrective to sexist, conventional wisdom, this tender and unapologetically queer romp ensures that viewers will never think of the beloved poet the same way again.
CAST: Molly Shannon, Amy Seimetz, Susan Ziegler, Brett Gelman
Guests anticipated to attend.
All sales are final. Admission is not guaranteed after scheduled start time.
CLICK HERE to return to the 27th Philadelphia Film Festival schedule.