# Hard Truths

Hard Truths is a 2024 comedy-drama film written and directed by Mike Leigh, starring Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Michele Austin, and David Webber. Set in London, its plot follows the plight of a depressed and nay-saying woman (Jean-Baptiste) and the relationship with her jovial sister Chantelle (Austin).
The film premiered at the 49th Toronto International Film Festival on 6 September 2024, and was met with widespread critical acclaim for its screenplay, direction and Jean-Baptiste's performance. It was released theatrically in the United States on 6 December 2024, by Bleecker Street, and in the United Kingdom on 31 January 2025, and in Spain on 28 February 2025. It was named one of the top 10 independent films of 2024 by the National Board of Review. Meanwhile, for her performance, Jean-Baptiste received Best Actress nominations at the Critics' Choice Awards, BAFTA Film Awards, and the Gotham Awards, and swept the Best Actress trifecta at the NYFCC, LAFCA, and NSFC, becoming the first woman of colour to do so.

## Plot

Pansy Deacon is a depressed and anxious woman who lives with her meek plumber husband Curtley and her layabout adult son Moses, the latter of whom she constantly chastises for his lack of aspirations. Her short temper causes her to argue with and criticize everyone she meets, whether they be her family or strangers, and her anxiety is so severe that she loathes going outside and is disgusted by animals and flowers. Her sister Chantelle, a single hairdresser with two adult daughters, continually presses her to come to their mother Pearl's grave on Mother's Day for the fifth anniversary of her death, which she hesitates to do.
After spending the days leading up to the anniversary getting into fights with strangers, Pansy goes with Chantelle to the grave, where she insists that Pearl gave Chantelle preferential treatment and put undeserved pressure on her after their father left them. As Chantelle denies the former claim, Pansy admits her fear that her family hates her, and Chantelle comforts her, promising that she loves her despite her issues.
The sisters go to Chantelle's apartment for a Mother's Day celebration with their families, where Pansy, convinced that her fears about her family are true, is morose and silent. Chantelle pulls her aside and she admits that she married Curtley out of desperation but is unable to bring herself to divorce him, leaving her isolated and lonely. Returning to the party, she learns that Moses bought her flowers as a gift, contradicting her earlier belief that he would do nothing for Mother's Day. Pansy laughs hysterically before breaking down sobbing, thanking her son through tears.
When the Deacons return home, Pansy anxiously puts the flowers in a vase and leaves the patio door open, but after she leaves, Curtley throws them outside and shuts the door. The next day, he injures his back on the job and sends his coworker to wake Pansy, who becomes so anxious when he enters her bedroom that she cannot go downstairs. As a young woman approaches Moses while he is out on a walk, Curtley silently weeps downstairs while Pansy remains in her bedroom.

## Cast

* Marianne Jean-Baptiste as Pansy Deacon
* Michele Austin as Chantelle
* David Webber as Curtley Deacon
* Tuwaine Barrett as Moses Deacon
* Ani Nelson as Kayla
* Sophia Brown as Aleisha
* Jonathan Livingstone as Virgil
* Samantha Spiro as Nicole

## Production

In February 2020, it was reported that Mike Leigh would begin shooting his latest film in the summer. After a delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was announced in February 2023 that the film would go into production that year. In February 2024, it was reported that the film would star Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Michele Austin. Jean-Baptiste and Austin had previously collaborated with Leigh in Secrets & Lies.

## Release

Hard Truths premiered in the Special Presentations section of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival on 6 September 2024. It also screened at the 72nd San Sebastián International Film Festival and the 2024 New York Film Festival. The film had its United Kingdom premiere at the London Film Festival on 14 October 2024. In the United Kingdom, StudioCanal released the film on 31 January 2025. In Spain, BTeam Pictures will release the film on 28 February 2025. In the United States, Bleecker Street gave the film a limited theatrical release in New York on 6 December 2024, followed by a nationwide release on 10 January 2025. The film was rejected by Cannes and Venice, where Leigh had in previous years taken the top prize (the Palme d'Or and the Golden Lion, respectively), in addition to the Telluride Film Festival.

## Reception
### Box office

The film has grossed $794,720 from the United Kingdom and $808,121 from the United States, for a worldwide total of $1.6 million.

### Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 95% of 103 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.5/10. The website's consensus reads: "Marianne Jean-Baptiste puts on a prickly masterclass in Hard Truths, another superb character study from writer-director Mike Leigh." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 88 out of 100, based on 32 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian rated the film four out of five stars, describing it as "a deeply sober, sombre, compassionate drama about a black British family".

### Accolades

| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
| San Sebastián International Film Festival | 28 September 2024 | Golden Seashell | Hard Truths | Nominated |
| Denver Film Festival | 10 November 2024 | Excellence in Acting Award | Marianne Jean-Baptiste | Won |
| Gotham Awards | 2 December 2024 | Outstanding Lead Performance | Marianne Jean-Baptiste | Nominated |
| Gotham Awards | 2 December 2024 | Best International Feature | Mike Leigh, Georgina Lowe | Nominated |
| New York Film Critics Circle | 3 December 2024 | Best Actress | Marianne Jean-Baptiste | Won |
| National Board of Review | 4 December 2024 | Top 10 Independent Films | Hard Truths | Won |
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association | 8 December 2024 | Best Lead Performance | Marianne Jean-Baptiste | Won |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards | 8 December 2024 | Best Actress | Marianne Jean-Baptiste | Nominated |
| British Independent Film Awards | 8 December 2024 | Best Lead Performance | Marianne Jean-Baptiste | Won |
| British Independent Film Awards | 8 December 2024 | Best Supporting Performance | Michele Austin | Nominated |
| San Diego Film Critics Society | 9 December 2024 | Best Actress | Marianne Jean-Baptiste | Won |
| Chicago Film Critics Association | 11 December 2024 | Best Actress | Marianne Jean-Baptiste | Won |
| St. Louis Film Critics Association | 15 December 2024 | Best Actress | Marianne Jean-Baptiste | Runner-up |
| St. Louis Film Critics Association | 15 December 2024 | Original Screenplay | Mike Leigh | Runner-up |
| San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle | 15 December 2024 | Best Film | Hard Truths | Nominated |
| San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle | 15 December 2024 | Best Director | Mike Leigh | Nominated |
| San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle | 15 December 2024 | Best Actress | Marianne Jean-Baptiste | Won |
| San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle | 15 December 2024 | Best Original Screenplay | Mike Leigh | Nominated |
| Toronto Film Critics Association | 15 December 2024 | Best Lead Performance | Marianne Jean-Baptiste | Won |
| Seattle Film Critics Society | 16 December 2024 | Best Actress | Marianne Jean-Baptiste | Nominated |
| New York Film Critics Online | 16 December 2024 | Best Actress | Marianne Jean-Baptiste | Runner-up |
| Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association | 18 December 2024 | Best Actress | Marianne Jean-Baptiste | 5th place |
| Florida Film Critics Circle | 20 December 2024 | Best Actress | Marianne Jean-Baptiste | Nominated |
| Greater Western New York Film Critics Association | 4 January 2025 | Best Lead Actress | Marianne Jean-Baptiste | Won |
| National Society of Film Critics | 4 January 2025 | Best Actress | Marianne Jean-Baptiste | Won |
| National Society of Film Critics | 4 January 2025 | Best Supporting Actress | Michele Austin | Won |
| Austin Film Critics Association | 6 January 2025 | Best Actress | Marianne Jean-Baptiste | Nominated |
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | 7 January 2025 | Best Actress | Marianne Jean-Baptiste | Won |
| AARP Movies for Grownups Awards | 11 January 2025 | Best Actress | Marianne Jean-Baptiste | Nominated |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | 12 January 2025 | Best Actress | Marianne Jean-Baptiste | Nominated |
| Satellite Awards | 26 January 2025 | Best Original Screenplay | Mike Leigh | Nominated |
| British Academy Film Awards | 16 February 2025 | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Marianne Jean-Baptiste | Nominated |
| British Academy Film Awards | 16 February 2025 | Outstanding British Film | Hard Truths | Nominated |
| Independent Spirit Awards | 22 February 2025 | Best International Film | Hard Truths | Nominated |