# High Art

High Art is a 1998 independent romantic drama written and directed by Lisa Cholodenko, and starring Ally Sheedy and Radha Mitchell. It premiered at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award, and saw a limited release in the United States on June 12, 1998.
The film received largely positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for Sheedy's performance, which earned several accolades, including the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress and the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress.

## Synopsis

Sydney (or simply "Syd"), age 24, is a woman who has her whole life mapped out in front of her. Living with longtime boyfriend James, and working her way up at the respected high-art photography magazine Frame, Syd has desires and frustrations that seem typical and manageable. But when a crack in her ceiling springs a leak and Syd finds herself knocking on the door of her upstairs neighbor, a chance meeting suddenly takes her on a new path.
Opening the door to an uncharted world for Syd is Lucy Berliner, a renowned photographer, enchanting, elusive, and curiously retired. Now 40, Lucy lives with her once glamorous, heroin-addicted German girlfriend Greta, and plays host to a collection of hard-living party kids. Syd is fascinated by Lucy and becomes drawn into the center of Lucy's strangely alluring life upstairs.
Syd mentions Lucy to her bosses (without realising that she is famous) but they remain uninterested until they realise exactly who Lucy is. At a lunch, Lucy agrees to work for the magazine as long as Syd is her editor. Soon a working relationship develops between the two and a project is underway which promises a second chance for Lucy's career. But as Syd and Lucy's collaboration draws them closer together, their working relationship turns sexual and the lines between love and professionalism suddenly blur. As Syd slowly discovers the darker truths of Lucy's life on the edge, she is forced to confront her own hunger for recognition and the uncertain rewards of public esteem.

## Cast

* Ally Sheedy as Lucy Berliner
* Radha Mitchell as Syd, an assistant editor at Frame
* Gabriel Mann as James, Syd's live-in boyfriend
* Charis Michelsen as Debby
* David Thornton as Harry, an editor at Frame and Syd's boss
* Anh Duong as Dominique, chief editor of Frame
* Patricia Clarkson as Greta, a German actress and Lucy's live-in girlfriend
* Helen Mendes as White Hawk
* Bill Sage as Arnie
* Tammy Grimes as Vera, Lucy's mother
* Cindra Feuer as Delia
* Anthony Ruivivar as Xanderr
* Elaine Tse as Zoe
* Rudolf Martin as Dieter
* Laura Ekstrand as Waitress
* Sarita Choudhury as Joan

## Production notes

The photography by Lucy Berliner (Sheedy) was based on Nan Goldin's work. The photographs were made by Jojo Whilden.

## Reception
### Release

The film premiered at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews.

### Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 76%, based on 49 reviews, and an average rating of 6.8/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "A surprisingly sultry performance from Ally Sheedy elevates High Art from pretentious melodrama to compelling -- if still a little pretentious -- romance." On Metacritic, High Art has a score of 73 based on 17 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Film critic Roger Ebert praised the film as "masterful", noting "High Art is so perceptive and mature it makes similar films seem flippant. The performances are on just the right note, scene after scene, for what needs to be done."
Emanuel Levy of Variety wrote, "The beauty of Cholodenko’s writing is that she etches the evolving friendship, and the transformation of the two women, step by step, without any cheating," and that she "painstakingly dissects the culture of heroin chic and its implications." Of Sheedy, Levy wrote after years of "’80s teen-angst movies, [she] shakes up her old screen image entirely and emerges as a mature, highly disciplined actress." Levy noted "Clarkson excels in portraying an aging, disenchanted actress, desperately clinging to Lucy – and to drugs", and singled out Mitchell as the film's "real revelation", saying "her scenes with Sheedy are so truthfully touching."
Janet Maslin of The New York Times praised the performances, but said the ending is one of "contrived inevitability."
IndieWire listed it as #7 of The 15 Greatest Lesbian Movies of All Time. In 2022, Autostraddle listed it as #58 of The 200 Best Lesbian Movies of All Time.

## Awards and nominations

| Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
| Boston Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Patricia Clarkson | Nominated |
| Boston Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Actress | Ally Sheedy | Nominated |
| Cannes Film Festival | Golden Camera | Lisa Cholodenko | Nominated |
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actress | Ally Sheedy | Nominated |
| Chlotrudis Awards | Best Movie | | Nominated |
| Chlotrudis Awards | Best Actress | Ally Sheedy | Nominated |
| Chlotrudis Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Patricia Clarkson | Nominated |
| Chlotrudis Awards | Best Director | Lisa Cholodenko | Nominated |
| Deauville Film Festival | Jury Special Prize | Lisa Cholodenko | Won |
| Deauville Film Festival | Grand Special Prize | Lisa Cholodenko | Nominated |
| 14th Independent Spirit Awards | Best Female Lead | Ally Sheedy | Won |
| 14th Independent Spirit Awards | Producers Award | Susan A. Stover | Won |
| 14th Independent Spirit Awards | Best First Feature | Lisa Cholodenko, Dolly Hall, Jeffrey Kusama-Hinte, Susan A. Stover | Nominated |
| 14th Independent Spirit Awards | Best Cinematography | Tami Reiker | Nominated |
| 14th Independent Spirit Awards | Best Supporting Female | Patricia Clarkson | Nominated |
| 14th Independent Spirit Awards | Best First Screenplay | Lisa Cholodenko | Nominated |
| GLAAD Media Awards | Outstanding Film (Limited Release) | | Won |
| Gotham Independent Film Awards | Breakthrough Director | Lisa Cholodenko | Nominated |
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actress | Ally Sheedy | Won |
| National Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Actress | Ally Sheedy | Won |
| National Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Patricia Clarkson | Nominated |
| Stockholm Film Festival | Bronze Horse | Lisa Cholodenko | Nominated |
| Sundance Film Festival | Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award | Lisa Cholodenko | Won |
| Sundance Film Festival | Grand Jury Prize – Dramatic | Lisa Cholodenko | Nominated |
| Valladolid International Film Festival | Golden Spike | Lisa Cholodenko | Nominated |