This award season cycle has featured an unusually stacked race for Best Actress, as contenders likeMikey MadisoninAnora,Fernanda TorresinI’m Still Here, andDemi MooreinThe Substanceall received first-time nominations that are worthy of praise. A film likeHard Truthswas always going to face an uphill battle standing up against the top contenders; it is a very tiny film, released by the relatively small distributor Bleecker Street, and tackles serious topics about depression and anxiety that viewers may not want to reckon with. It’s still shocking thatMike Leighhas never won an Academy Award, and deeply disappointing that he did not break into the races for Best Original Screenplay or Best Director forHard Truths. However,the Academy Awards’ inability to recognize the masterful performance byMarianne Jean-Baptisteis an egregious snub, as her work inHard Truthsis by far the bravest, most affecting of her entire career.
Marianne Jean-Baptiste Does Career-Defining Work in ‘Hard Truths'
Jean-Baptiste is no stranger to working with Leigh, as she received her breakout role (and first Oscar nomination) for his brilliant dramaSecrets & Lies. Although that film required her to play a warm, affectionate character, Jean-Baptiste was cast inHard Truthsas the rageful mother Patsy, who begins to watch her life spiral out of control as she grows increasingly aggravated by her neglectful husband Curtley (David Webber) and her shy son Moses (Tuwaine Barret). As its title suggests,Hard Truthsexamines the sobering recognition of depressionas it relates to the last few years, in which recent events have given people around the world reason to lose hope.
While the film does not go out of its way to mention things like Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, or the growing racism and xenophobia drawn out by the Trump administration, Jean-Baptiste shows that Patsy has lost all sense of joy in her life. In fact, she seems to direct her rage towards anyone and everyone that she happens to interact with in order to feel something; passivity proves to be crueler than anything else.
Marianne Jean-Baptiste Gives One of Her Best Performances in This Critically-Acclaimed Crime Drama
The celebrated actor plays a morally complex character with humanity and depth.
The Academy Awards have had a hard time recognizing “difficult women,”as the ceremony tends to honor young stars, biopic performances, and characters that tend to make the audience feel inspired.Hard Truthsis seemingly designed to be antagonistic, as nearly every other character in the film warns Patsy that she cannot continue to go down this path for much longer.What Jean-Baptiste does that is so brilliant is that she makes Patsy’s decision just as tragic as it is upsetting to watch; there is evidence that she used to be a much more caring person and that any positivity has eroded over time. Although at times it can simply be uncomfortable to watch Patsy shout and complain, Jean-Baptiste shows that she is suffering from an unconscionable level of pain. The scenes in which Patsy dealswith the collapse of her familyare striking, as Leigh does not insert any moments of spontaneous resolution that would break the realism of the story.
‘Hard Truths’ Will Stand the Test of Time
Hard Truthsis a film that has been supported throughout award season, as Jean-Baptiste earned the Best Actress prize from film critics in Los Angeles, New York, and London. While critical favor does not always lead to support from the Oscars,Hard Truthsmay have suffered from the minimal dent that it made at the domestic box office, as the film was only recently released in theaters amidst a sea of other prospective awards contenders.Hard Truthsis not an easy watch, as even those familiar with Jean-Baptsite’s work may have struggled to get through a film that is so dour. Even though Jean-Baptiste has remained in the spotlight thanks to herrecurring roles in prestige dramaslikeBlindspotandHomecoming, she has sadly not been afforded as many opportunities to play leading characters.
Hard Truthsis bound to be considered a future classic,as it serves as a brilliant encapsulation of Leigh and Jean-Baptsiste’s unique partnership. WhileHard Truthsis inherently linked to the moment that the world is in right now, it also tells a timeless story about how hard it can be to actively make positive choices. There’s nothing uplifting aboutHard Truths, but it was Jean-Baptistie’s task to portray her character with complete honesty. The fact that she did so with such power is an immense achievement and one that the Academy Awards will instantly regret as the film continues to grow its legacy.
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Hard Truths
Hard Truths, released in 2025, is set in post-COVID London and follows Pansy, a working-class Black woman dealing with the aftermath of global panic, navigating a fractured psyche amid ongoing personal and societal challenges.
