Based on a true story (and the book by Natalie Robins and Steven M.L. Aronson), Savage Grace follows Barbara Daly Baekeland (Julianne Moore), a wealthy, social-climbing American heiress, and her troubled relationship with her handsome but emotionally fragile son, Tony (Eddie Redmayne, early in his career). Married to the eccentric heir to the Bakelite plastics fortune, Brooks Baekeland (Stephen Dillane), Barbara spirals through affairs, incestuous manipulation, and a shocking, inevitable tragedy.
When Brooks eventually abandons the family for a younger woman (who happens to be Antony's former girlfriend), Barbara’s mental health deteriorates completely. She and Antony form an isolated, codependent bond while drifting through European luxury resorts. Antony, struggling with his own emerging schizophrenia and homosexuality, becomes completely dominated by his mother's whims. 3. The Ultimate Taboo and Tragedy Film Savage Grace 2007 Lk21
Moore delivers a fearless performance as Barbara, capturing both her monstrous manipulation and her heartbreaking vulnerability. She portrays a woman drowning in her own lifestyle, desperate for relevance. Based on a true story (and the book
The film boasts an impressive cast:
The film was directed by Tom Kalin, a key figure in the New Queer Cinema movement of the 1990s. Kalin’s debut feature, Swoon , was considered an integral part of that movement, and his work often explores issues of homosexuality, transgression, and the darker sides of human psychology . Savage Grace continues this theme, dissecting a profoundly dysfunctional family dynamic with a cool, almost detached visual style. The narrative is structured in six chapters, spanning the years 1946 to 1972, and traces the slow, inevitable implosion of the Baekeland family . When Brooks eventually abandons the family for a
The film also features strong performances from Hugh Dancy as Sam Green, Barbara's art dealer companion, and Elena Anaya as Blanca, the Spanish woman who becomes entangled with both father and son.