The Tale - wikipedia The Tale The Tale Film release poster Directed by Jennifer Fox Produced by Jennifer Fox Oren Moverman Laura Rister Mynette Louie Simone Pero Lawrence Inglee Sol Bondy Regina K. Scully Lynda Weinman Reka Posta Screenplay by Jennifer Fox Starring Laura Dern Isabelle Nélisse Elizabeth Debicki Jason Ritter Frances Conroy John Heard Common Ellen Burstyn Music by Ariel Marx Cinematography Denis Lenoir Ivan Strasburg Edited by Alex Hall Gary Levy Anne Fabini Production company Gamechanger Films Fork Films One Two Films WeatherVane Productions Blackbird Films Distributed by HBO Films Release date January 20, 2018 ( 2018 - 01 - 20 ) ( Sundance ) May 26, 2018 ( 2018 - 05 - 26 ) ( United States ) Running time 114 minutes Country United States Language English The Tale is a 2018 American drama film written and directed by Jennifer Fox. The film tells the story about Fox 's own childhood sexual abuse and how it affects her later relationships. The Tale stars Laura Dern, Ellen Burstyn, Jason Ritter, Elizabeth Debicki, Isabelle Nélisse, Common, Frances Conroy, and John Heard. It premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and aired on HBO on May 26, 2018. Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 4 Release 4.1 Critical response 5 References 6 External links Plot Jennifer Fox is an acclaimed documentary filmmaker and professor in her 40s when her mother, Nettie, calls her in alarm after discovering an essay she wrote when she was 13. The essay is about a `` relationship '' Jennifer had when she was 13 which she dismisses as upsetting her mother because her boyfriend was `` older ''. After re-reading the essay Jennifer begins to do research on that period in her life. She imagines herself as being older and sophisticated but is surprised at how small and childlike she appears in photos from that time. Jennifer 's relationship began when she went to an intensive summer camp to train with three other girls. She lived with the beautiful and enigmatic Mrs. G, who also had Jenny and the girls run with professional coach Bill Allens, who was in his 40s. After the summer ends Mrs. G and Bill reveal to Jenny they are lovers. After the intensive Jenny keeps her horse with Mrs. G and continues to see her and Bill on the weekends. Eventually it transitions into Jenny spending time with Bill alone. He begins sexually grooming her, eventually raping her repeatedly under the guise that they are lovers and their relationship is consensual. When Jennifer 's partner finds letters written to her by Bill she rejects the notion that she was raped or a victim. However she slowly begins to question whether her recollections are accurate and eventually realizes despite her protests she had been exhibiting symptoms of being sexually abused for years. As Jennifer continues to investigate that summer she realizes that other girls were potentially groomed and remembers a young teenager named Iris Rose who worked for Mrs. G. Jennifer tracks Iris Rose down who tells her that she, Mrs. G and Bill had threesomes and that Mrs. G was actively involved in finding women for Bill. This prompts Jennifer to remember that she was supposed to participate in group sex with Mrs. G, Bill and Iris one weekend. However Jenny, who threw up each time she was raped by Bill, had an anxiety attack and threw up the day before she was due to go away for the weekend causing her mother to keep her at home. Realizing she no longer wanted to be in a relationship with Bill, Jenny called him and broke up with him causing him to cry and plead with her to stay. She also informed Mrs. G she would no longer be keeping her horse with her. Adult Jennifer goes to an awards ceremony where Bill is being honoured and confronts him in front of his wife and the other attendees. Bill denies everything and leaves. Jennifer has a panic attack and goes to the bathroom. Cast Laura Dern as Jennifer Fox, Nettie 's daughter and Martin 's fiancée Isabelle Nélisse as Jenny Fox, age 13 Jessica Sarah Flaum as Jenny Fox, age 15 Ellen Burstyn as Nadine `` Nettie '' Fox, Jennifer 's mother Laura Allen as Young Nettie John Heard as William P. Allens Jason Ritter as Bill Allens, Jennifer 's running coach and Mrs. G 's lover Frances Conroy as Jane Graham Elizabeth Debicki as Mrs. G, Jennifer 's riding instructor and Bill 's lover Common as Martin, Jennifer 's fiancé Tina Parker as Franny Isabella Amara as Young Franny Production On May 5, 2015, it was reported that Laura Dern, Ellen Burstyn, Elizabeth Debicki, and Sebastian Koch would star in The Tale, written and directed by Jennifer Fox. It was set to begin principal photography that summer. On May 14, 2016, it was reported that the film was being shopped to foreign buyers at the Cannes Film Festival, and Common, Jason Ritter, Frances Conroy, and John Heard were announced as also being part of the cast. Release In January 2018, HBO Films acquired distribution rights to the film. It premiered on HBO on May 26, 2018. Critical response On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 98 % based on 43 reviews, with an average rating of 9.1 / 10. The site 's critical consensus reads, `` The Tale handles its extraordinarily challenging subject matter with sensitivity, grace, and the power of some standout performances led by a remarkable Laura Dern. '' On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 90 out of 100, based on 25 critics, indicating `` universal acclaim ''. References Jump up ^ Debruge, Peter ( November 29, 2017 ). `` Sundance Film Festival Unveils Full 2018 Features Lineup ''. Variety. Retrieved December 27, 2017. Jump up ^ `` The Tale ''. www.sundance.org. Retrieved December 27, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Nolfi, Joey ( April 9, 2018 ). `` Laura Dern sexual abuse drama The Tale gets HBO premiere date ''. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 9, 2018. Jump up ^ Tartaglione, Nancy ( May 5, 2015 ). `` Mongrel Boards Laura Dern - Starrer ' The Tale ' ; Camera d'Or Jury Set -- Cannes Briefs ''. Deadline. Retrieved December 27, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Cannes : Laura Dern, Ellen Burstyn, Common Head Up Cast for Jennifer Fox 's ' The Tale ' ( Exclusive ) ''. The Hollywood Reporter. May 14, 2016. Retrieved December 27, 2017. Jump up ^ Galuppo, Mia ; Lee, Ashley ( January 26, 2018 ). `` Sundance : Laura Dern Drama ' The Tale ' Nabbed by HBO Films ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 26, 2018. Jump up ^ `` The Tale ( 2018 ) ''. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 29, 2018. Jump up ^ `` The Tale Reviews ''. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 29, 2018. External links Official website The Tale on IMDb The Tale at Rotten Tomatoes The Tale at Metacritic Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Tale&oldid=846448353 '' Categories : 2018 films English - language films American films American drama films HBO Films films Hidden categories : Official website not in Wikidata Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Nederlands Português Русский Edit links This page was last edited on 18 June 2018, at 21 : 07 ( UTC ). About Wikipedia

Question: what is the hbo movie the tale about
Answer: Fox's own childhood sexual abuse and how it affects her later relationships