Back to trending
Sherrybaby

Sherrybaby

Drama · 2006

After serving time in prison, former drug addict Sherry Swanson returns home to reclaim her young daughter from family members who have been raising the child. Sherry's family, especially her sister-in-law, doubt Sherry's ability to be a good mother, and Sherry finds her resolve to stay clean slowly weakening.

Movie details

Sherrybaby

“No one makes it alone”

2006 Drama 1h 36m

Critical arithmetic

The consensus, allegedly.

IMDb

6.6 / 10

12.1K votes

Metacritic

66 / 100

Metascore

TMDB

6.1 / 10

Community rating

External scores via OMDb · CC BY-NC 4.0. Values normalized for display; availability varies by title.

After serving time in prison, former drug addict Sherry Swanson returns home to reclaim her young daughter from family members who have been raising the child. Sherry's family, especially her sister-in-law, doubt Sherry's ability to be a good mother, and Sherry finds her resolve to stay clean slowly weakening.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Sherrybaby?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

The Poker House

The Poker House

Drama · 2008

Agnes and her two sisters struggle through a day in a home overrun by gamblers, thieves, and johns.

Lucky Them

Lucky Them

Drama · 2013

More interested in partying and flirting with young musicians than work, veteran rock journalist Ellie Klug has one last chance to prove her value to her magazine’s editor: a no-stone-unturned search to discover what really happened to long lost rock god, Matt Smith, who also happens to be her ex-boyfriend. Teaming up with an eccentric amateur documentary filmmaker, Ellie hits the road in search of answers.

6 Balloons

6 Balloons

Drama · 2018

Over the course of one night, a woman drives across LA with her heroin addict brother in search of a detox center, with his two-year-old daughter in tow.

The Trials of Cate McCall

The Trials of Cate McCall

Drama · 2013

In order to be reinstated to the bar and recover custody of her daughter, a hotshot lawyer, now in recovery and on probation, must take on the appeal of a woman wrongfully convicted of murder.

Mommie Dearest

Mommie Dearest

Drama · 1981

Renowned film star Joan Crawford's abuse towards Christina, her adopted daughter, intensifies as her professional and romantic relationships turn sour.

Strange Weather

Strange Weather

Drama · 2016

Years after her son's suicide, a woman longs to confront both the past and a friend of his who took his business idea.

The Safety of Objects

The Safety of Objects

Drama · 2002

In a suburban landscape, the lives of several families interlace with loss, despair and personal crisis. Esther Gold has lost focus on all but caring for her comatose son, Paul, and neglects her daughter and husband. Lawyer Jim Train is devoted to his career, not his family. Helen Christianson wants to find a new spark in life, while Annette Jennings tries to rebuild hers.

Hillbilly Elegy

Hillbilly Elegy

Drama · 2020

An urgent phone call pulls a Yale Law student back to his Ohio hometown, where he reflects on three generations of family history and his own future.

Four Good Days

Four Good Days

Drama · 2021

A mother helps her daughter work through four crucial days of recovery from substance abuse.

A Love Song for Bobby Long

A Love Song for Bobby Long

Drama · 2004

A headstrong young woman returns to New Orleans after the death of her estranged mother.

Where it lives

Watch in your region.

Cinema release signals and current streaming, rental, and purchase options for your region.

Streaming availability data supplied by JustWatch.

Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Laurie Collyer

Written by

Laurie Collyer

Maggie Gyllenhaal

Maggie Gyllenhaal

Sherry Swanson

Brad William Henke

Brad William Henke

Bobby Swanson

Sam Bottoms

Sam Bottoms

Bob Swanson Sr.

Giancarlo Esposito

Giancarlo Esposito

Parole Officer Hernandez

Bridget Barkan

Bridget Barkan

Lynette Swanson

Ryan Simpkins

Ryan Simpkins

Alexis Parks

Kate Burton

Kate Burton

Marcia Swanson

Court is in session

Put Sherrybaby on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Adrenaline Seeker

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.