# All My Puny Sorrows (film)

All My Puny Sorrows is a 2021 Canadian drama film written, produced, and directed by Michael McGowan serving as an adaptation of the 2014 novel of the same name by Miriam Toews. It stars Alison Pill and Sarah Gadon as two Mennonite sisters who leave their religious lives behind. Amybeth McNulty, Mare Winningham, Donal Logue, and Aly Mawji also star in supporting roles, with Mongrel Media set to distribute the film. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2021, and was released in theaters in Canada on April 15, 2022. It received generally positive reviews from critics.

## Plot

Yolandi "Yoli" Von Riesen, a single mother, and unsuccessful author, receives a call that her sister, Elfrieda "Elf" Von Riesen, a successful concert pianist, has attempted suicide. The Von Riesen's have a history of suicide as their father killed himself years earlier.
Yoli attempts to be supportive but when Elf begs her to take her to Switzerland so that she can have Assisted suicide Yoli grows angry and berates Elf for drowning in pain when she has a perfect life.
Yoli and Elf's aunt, Tina, has to go the hospital for surgery. While there Yoli tells Elf she has been looking into Switzerland but Elf tells her it is time to move away from that idea. Against Yoli's wishes Elf is released from the hospital.
Tina dies. Later, while out with her daughter, Yoli learns that Elf has died by jumping in front of a train, the same way their father chose to end his life.
The life insurance payout from Elf's death is enough to buy a house in Toronto and finish her latest book.

## Cast

* Alison Pill as Yolandi "Yoli" Von Riesen
** Marin Almasi as Young Yoli
* Sarah Gadon as Elfrieda "Elf" Von Riesen
** Gabrielle Jennings as Young Elf
* Amybeth McNulty as Nora Von Riesen
* Mare Winningham as Lottie Von Riesen
* Donal Logue as Jake Von Riesen
* Mimi Kuzyk as Tina Von Riesen
* Aly Mawji as Nic
* Martin Roach as Psychiatrist Johns

## Production

In December 2020, All My Puny Sorrows began filming in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in North Bay, Ontario. With a cast composed of Alison Pill, Sarah Gadon, Amybeth McNulty, Mare Winningham, Donal Logue, and Aly Mawji, filming wrapped that same month on December 16. Shot on a $5 million budget, the project was financed by multiple funding companies, including Telefilm Canada, the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund, and CBC Films. Jonathan Goldsmith composed the score for the film.

## Release

The film premiered at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival, in the Special Presentations program. It was also screened as the opening film of the 2021 Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival and the 2021 Calgary International Film Festival.

## Reception
### Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 73% of 40 reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.3/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "A well-meaning but flawed adaptation of its source material, All My Puny Sorrows benefits from Alison Pill's searing performance." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 59 out of 100 based on 11 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

### Accolades

The Toronto International Film Festival listed the film in its annual year-end Canada's Top Ten list for 2021.
Accolades received by All My Puny Sorrows :
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
| Canadian Screen Awards | April 10, 2022 | Best Art Direction / Production Design | Danny Haeberlin | Nominated |
| Canadian Screen Awards | April 10, 2022 | Best Cinematography | Daniel Grant | Nominated |
| Canadian Screen Awards | April 10, 2022 | Best Editing | Michelle Szemberg and Orlee Buium | Won |
| Canadian Screen Awards | April 10, 2022 | Best Original Score | Jonathan Goldsmith | Won |
| Canadian Screen Awards | April 10, 2022 | Best Casting in a Film | Heidi Levitt | Nominated |
| Canadian Screen Awards | April 10, 2022 | Best Sound Mixing | Joe Morrow, Lou Solakofski, Jonathan St. Clair, and Thomas Dube | Nominated |
| Canadian Screen Awards | April 10, 2022 | Best Sound Editing | Martin Gwynn Jones, Brent Pickett, Jane Tattersall, and Brennan Mercer | Nominated |
| Canadian Screen Awards | April 10, 2022 | Best Visual Effects | Alex Boothby | Nominated |
| Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival | October 3, 2021 | Outstanding Canadian Feature | All My Puny Sorrows | Won |
| Directors Guild of Canada | October 23, 2021 | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film | Michael McGowan | Nominated |
| Directors Guild of Canada | October 23, 2021 | Best Picture Editing – Feature Film | Michelle Szemberg and Orlee Buium | Won |
| Directors Guild of Canada | October 23, 2021 | Best Sound Editing - Feature Film | Jane Tattersall, Martin Gwynn Jones, Brennan Mercer, Sue Fawcett, and Brent Pickett | Won |
| Festival du Film Canadien de Dieppe | March 30, 2022 | Best Film | Michael McGowan | Won |
| Festival du Film Canadien de Dieppe | March 30, 2022 | Best Actress | Alison Pill | Won |
| Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards | March 7, 2022 | Best Canadian Film | All My Puny Sorrows | Won |
| Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards | March 7, 2022 | Best Director of a Canadian Film | Michael McGowan | Nominated |
| Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards | March 7, 2022 | Best Screenplay for a Canadian Film | Michael McGowan | Won |
| Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards | March 7, 2022 | Best Actress in a Canadian Film | Alison Pill | Won |
| Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards | March 7, 2022 | Best Supporting Actress in a Canadian Film | Sarah Gadon | Won |