Chances: The Women of Magdalene
Encyclopedia
Chances: The Women of Magdalene (2006
) is a documentary film
produced and directed by Tom Neff
, and written by Neff and Barry Rubinow
. The documentary features the socially conscious organization known as "Magdalene," located in Nashville, Tennessee
, that recovers prostitutes off the street.
magazine film critic Joe Leydon
lauded the film, and wrote, "Inspiring uplift abounds in Chances: The Women of Magdalene, a slickly produced but unmistakably sincere docu about a femme Episcopalian priest's outreach program to rehabilitate Nashville prostitutes. Theatrical potential is limited, but pic could find appreciative auds through tube and nonprofit exposure...Pic touches briefly yet respectfully on Rev. Stevens' background and motivation -- she was sexually abused at an early age -- but focuses primarily on her program's clients, who prove remarkably candid while describing past ordeals and future plans. Feisty Clemmie Greenlee emerges as first among equals, and her response to tragedy provides of one the pic's many emotional highlights. High-def video lensing enhances the pic's intimacy."
Nashville Scene
film critic Jim Ridley gave the film a more mixed review, and wrote, "The women’s blunt personal stories form the most compelling parts of Tom Neff’s earnest, polished profile, which amounts to promotion for the program and its good works. As documentary, it’s limited: we see very little of the day-to-day life inside the shelters, while a project pairing Magdalene House residents with Music Row
songwriters takes up too much of the movie’s focus—it comes as an intrusion when a son’s funeral turns into a music montage. But the Magdalene women interviewed on camera have fought for their second chances, and the hard-won hope on their faces can make you forgive a lot."
2006 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2006...
) is a documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
produced and directed by Tom Neff
Tom Neff
Thomas Linden Neff, known as Tom Neff, is a film executive, director and producer, born in Chicago, Illinois. Currently, he lives in Nashville, Tennessee.-Education:Neff received his Bachelor of Arts from Lawrence University with a major in English...
, and written by Neff and Barry Rubinow
Barry Rubinow
Barry Rubinow is a film executive and editor, born in Glen Rock, New Jersey, a suburb of New York City. Currently, he lives in West Hills, California.-Education:...
. The documentary features the socially conscious organization known as "Magdalene," located in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, that recovers prostitutes off the street.
Interviews
- Rev. Becca Stevens -- Chaplain of St. Augustine's Chapel at Vanderbilt UniversityVanderbilt UniversityVanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
- Clemmie Greenlee
Critical reception
VarietyVariety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
magazine film critic Joe Leydon
Joe Leydon
Joseph Patrick Michael "Joe" Leydon is an American film critic and historian. A critic and correspondent for Variety and a contributing writer for MovieMaker Magazine, he is the author of Joe Leydon's Guide to Essential Movies You Must See and a contributing critic for Leonard Maltin's Movie...
lauded the film, and wrote, "Inspiring uplift abounds in Chances: The Women of Magdalene, a slickly produced but unmistakably sincere docu about a femme Episcopalian priest's outreach program to rehabilitate Nashville prostitutes. Theatrical potential is limited, but pic could find appreciative auds through tube and nonprofit exposure...Pic touches briefly yet respectfully on Rev. Stevens' background and motivation -- she was sexually abused at an early age -- but focuses primarily on her program's clients, who prove remarkably candid while describing past ordeals and future plans. Feisty Clemmie Greenlee emerges as first among equals, and her response to tragedy provides of one the pic's many emotional highlights. High-def video lensing enhances the pic's intimacy."
Nashville Scene
Nashville Scene
Nashville Scene is an alternative newsweekly in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1989, became a part of Village Voice Media in 1999, and later joined the ranks of sixteen other publications after a merger of Village Voice Media with New Times Media early in 2006. In 2009 the paper was...
film critic Jim Ridley gave the film a more mixed review, and wrote, "The women’s blunt personal stories form the most compelling parts of Tom Neff’s earnest, polished profile, which amounts to promotion for the program and its good works. As documentary, it’s limited: we see very little of the day-to-day life inside the shelters, while a project pairing Magdalene House residents with Music Row
Music Row
Music Row is an area just to the southwest of Downtown Nashville, Tennessee that is home to hundreds of businesses related to the country music, gospel music, and Contemporary Christian music industries...
songwriters takes up too much of the movie’s focus—it comes as an intrusion when a son’s funeral turns into a music montage. But the Magdalene women interviewed on camera have fought for their second chances, and the hard-won hope on their faces can make you forgive a lot."
Awards
Wins- Nashville Film FestivalNashville Film FestivalThe Nashville Film Festival , held annually in Nashville, Tennessee, is the oldest running film festival in the South and one of the oldest in the United States. In 2009, Nashville Film Festival received close to 2000 submissions from 86 countries, programmed nearly 260 films and had an attendance...
: Audience Award for Best Documentary, Tom Neff, 2006.
External links
- Chances: The Women of Magdalene film clips at You Tube