Jolene (film)
| Jolene | |
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Promotional poster
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| Directed by | Dan Ireland |
| Produced by | Zachary Matz Riva Yares |
| Written by |
E. L. Doctorow Dennis Yares |
| Starring |
Jessica Chastain Dermot Mulroney Chazz Palminteri Rupert Friend Denise Richards Michael Vartan Frances Fisher Theresa Russell Jose Rosete |
| Music by | Harry Gregson-Williams |
| Cinematography | Claudio Rocha |
| Edited by | Luis Colina |
| Distributed by | E1 Entertainment |
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Release date
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Jolene is a 2008 American drama film directed by Dan Ireland. It stars Jessica Chastain as the title character and is based on the short story "Jolene: A Life" by E. L. Doctorow, itself inspired by Dolly Parton's song, "Jolene". It premiered on 13 June 2008 at the Seattle International Film Festival where Chastain won the Best Actress award. It was later released in the United States on 29 October 2010.
Jolene is a 15-year-old foster child recently orphaned. She marries Mickey, a nerdy 20-year-old, to break free of the foster care. The couple live with Mickey's Uncle Phil and Aunt Kay. When Jolene asks Mickey about his mother, he rebuffs her and starts crying. To make him feel better, she seduces him, but Mickey's inexperience leads to uncomfortable and joyless sex. The next morning, Mickey and Uncle Phil wish Jolene a "Happy Birthday" with Aunt Kay asking Jolene to clean the floor. Uncle Phil walks in as Jolene is cleaning the floors, is aroused and they have sex. Starting an affair, they have passionate sex, with Phil promising to build a house for the two of them, but asks Jolene to keep the affair secret. Eventually, Aunt Kay walks in on them having sex and violently throws Jolene out of the house. Mickey, Phil and Kay fight, then Mickey walks out and commits suicide by jumping off a bridge.
Aunt Kay has Jolene placed in a juvenile mental institution, meeting Cindy, a psychiatric nurse. Jolene asks for paper and colored pencils to draw. Her request is denied, but she is allowed crayons. Uncle Phil is sentenced to 18 months in prison. Cindy, a lesbian, takes a liking to Jolene and this culminates in another affair. Cindy breaks Jolene out of the mental hospital and hides her, but Jolene soon breaks free and boards a bus west out of South Carolina. Jolene resorts to hitchhiking further west, supporting herself by prostitution.
Jolene ends up in a Southwestern state, and works as a waitress at an outdoor diner. There she meets Coco Lege, an aspiring musician and tattoo artist. A relationship between them blooms and Jolene becomes a tattoo artist at the tattoo parlor where Coco works. After passing out and having sex, Coco is revealed to have an addiction to cocaine, and supports his habit and the parlor by dealing cocaine. One evening, a young woman enters the parlor and declares herself to be his wife, Marin. She introduces his son, Coco Jr. Coco returns and is confronted by both women before he walks out with Marin and the baby. Jolene destroys the parlor, dumps the cocaine on a table, steals the money and dumps her ring in the center of the cocaine, before dialing 911 and fleeing the scene.
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