High Art

1998 film by Lisa Cholodenko

This article is about the film. For the general use of the term, see High culture.

High Art

Promotional poster

Directed by| Lisa Cholodenko
Written by| Lisa Cholodenko
Produced by|

* Jeff Levy-Hinte
* Susan A. Stover
* Dolly Hall

Starring|

* Ally Sheedy
* Radha Mitchell
* Gabriel Mann
* Patricia Clarkson
* Bill Sage
* Anh Duong
* David Thornton
* Tammy Grimes

Cinematography| Tami Reiker
Edited by| Amy E. Duddleston
Music by| Shudder to Think

Production
companies

* 391 Productions
* Antidote Films

Distributed by|

* October Films (United States)
* Odeon Films (Canada)

Release dates

* January 21, 1998 (1998-01-21) (Sundance)
* June 12, 1998 (1998-06-12) (United States)

Running time

| 101 minutes
Countries|

* United States
* Canada

Language| English
Box office| $2 million[1]

High Art is a 1998 independent romantic drama written and directed by Lisa Cholodenko, and starring Ally Sheedy and Radha Mitchell. It premiered at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award, and saw a limited release in the United States on June 12, 1998.

The film received positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for Sheedy's performance, which earned several accolades, including the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress and the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress.

## Synopsis

[edit]

Sydney (or simply "Syd"), age 24, is a woman who has her whole life mapped out in front of her. Living with longtime boyfriend James, and working her way up at the respected high-art photography magazine Frame, Syd has desires and frustrations that seem typical and manageable. But when a crack in her ceiling springs a leak and Syd finds herself knocking on the door of her upstairs neighbor, a chance meeting suddenly takes her on a new path.

Opening the door to an uncharted world for Syd is Lucy Berliner, a renowned photographer, enchanting, elusive, and curiously retired. Now 40, Lucy lives with her once glamorous, heroin-addicted German girlfriend Greta, and plays host to a collection of hard-living party kids. Syd is fascinated by Lucy and becomes drawn into the center of Lucy's strangely alluring life upstairs.

Syd mentions Lucy to her bosses (without realising that she is famous) but they remain uninterested until they realise exactly who Lucy is. At a lunch, Lucy agrees to work for the magazine as long as Syd is her editor. Soon a working relationship develops between the two and a project is underway which promises a second chance for Lucy's career. But as Syd and Lucy's collaboration draws them closer together, their working relationship turns sexual and the lines between love and professionalism suddenly blur. As Syd slowly discovers the darker truths of Lucy's life on the edge, she is forced to confront her own hunger for recognition and the uncertain rewards of public esteem.

## Cast

[edit]

* Ally Sheedy as Lucy Berliner
* Radha Mitchell as Syd, an assistant editor at Frame
* Gabriel Mann as James, Syd's live-in boyfriend
* Charis Michelsen as Debby
* David Thornton as Harry, an editor at Frame and Syd's boss
* Anh Duong as Dominique, chief editor of Frame
* Patricia Clarkson as Greta, a German actress and Lucy's live-in girlfriend
* Helen Mendes as White Hawk
* Bill Sage as Arnie
* Tammy Grimes as Vera, Lucy's mother
* Cindra Feuer as Delia
* Anthony Ruivivar as Xanderr
* Elaine Tse as Zoe
* Rudolf Martin as Dieter
* Laura Ekstrand as Waitress
* Sarita Choudhury as Joan

## Production notes

[edit]

The photography by Lucy Berliner (Sheedy) was based on Nan Goldin's work. The photographs were made by Jojo Whilden.[2]

## Reception

[edit]

### Release

[edit]

The film premiered at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews.[3] A 4K restoration was released in April 2025.[4]

### Critical response

[edit]

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 76%, based on 49 reviews, and an average rating of 6.8/10.[5] The site's critics consensus reads, "A surprisingly sultry performance from Ally Sheedy elevates High Art from pretentious melodrama to compelling—if still a little pretentious—romance."[5] On Metacritic, High Art has a score of 73 based on 17 reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[6]

Film critic Roger Ebert praised the film as "masterful", noting "High Art is so perceptive and mature it makes similar films seem flippant. The performances are on just the right note, scene after scene, for what needs to be done."[7]

Emanuel Levy of Variety wrote, "The beauty of Cholodenko’s writing is that she etches the evolving friendship, and the transformation of the two women, step by step, without any cheating," and that she "painstakingly dissects the culture of heroin chic and its implications."[8] Of Sheedy, Levy wrote after years of "’80s teen-angst movies, [she] shakes up her old screen image entirely and emerges as a mature, highly disciplined actress."[8] Levy noted "Clarkson excels in portraying an aging, disenchanted actress, desperately clinging to Lucy – and to drugs", and singled out Mitchell as the film's "real revelation", saying "her scenes with Sheedy are so truthfully touching."[8]

Janet Maslin of The New York Times praised the performances, but said the ending is one of "contrived inevitability."[9]

IndieWire listed it as #7 of The 15 Greatest Lesbian Movies of All Time.[10] In 2022, Autostraddle listed it as #58 of The 200 Best Lesbian Movies of All Time.[11]

## Awards and nominations

[edit]

Award  | Category  | Nominee(s)  | Result  | Ref.

|
|
|
|

Boston Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Patricia Clarkson | Nominated  |

[12]

Best Actress | Ally Sheedy | Nominated
Cannes Film Festival | Golden Camera  | Lisa Cholodenko | Nominated  |

[13]

Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actress | Ally Sheedy  | Nominated  |

[14]

Chlotrudis Awards | Best Movie  |  | Nominated  |

[15]

Best Actress  | Ally Sheedy  | Nominated
Best Supporting Actress  | Patricia Clarkson  | Nominated
Best Director  | Lisa Cholodenko  | Nominated
Deauville Film Festival | Jury Special Prize  | Won  |

[16]

Grand Special Prize  | Nominated
14th Independent Spirit Awards | Best Female Lead | Ally Sheedy  | Won  |

[17]

Producers Award  | Susan A. Stover  | Won
Best First Feature | Lisa Cholodenko, Dolly Hall, Jeffrey Kusama-Hinte, Susan A. Stover  | Nominated
Best Cinematography | Tami Reiker | Nominated
Best Supporting Female | Patricia Clarkson  | Nominated
Best First Screenplay | Lisa Cholodenko  | Nominated
GLAAD Media Awards | Outstanding Film (Limited Release) |  | Won  |

[18]

Gotham Independent Film Awards | Breakthrough Director | Lisa Cholodenko  | Nominated  |

[19]

Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actress | Ally Sheedy  | Won  |

[20]

National Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Actress | Won  |

[21]

Best Supporting Actress  | Patricia Clarkson  | Nominated
Stockholm Film Festival | Bronze Horse  | Lisa Cholodenko  | Nominated  |

[14]

Sundance Film Festival | Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award  | Won  |

[22]

Grand Jury Prize – Dramatic  | Nominated
Valladolid International Film Festival | Golden Spike  | Nominated  |

[14]

## See also

[edit]

* List of LGBT films directed by women

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "High Art". Box Office Mojo. IMDbPro. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
2. ^ Von Busack, Richard (June 18–24, 1998). "Cold Dish of Careerism". Metro Silicon Valley. Metro Publishing Inc. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
3. ^ Tatara, Paul (June 26, 1998). "Review: 'High Art' clever, but low on ambition". CNN. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
4. ^ Bergeson, Samantha (February 8, 2025). "'High Art' 4K Trailer: Patricia Clarkson and Radha Mitchell's Indie Sleaze Romance Gets Stunning Restoration — Watch". IndieWire. Retrieved May 31, 2025.
5. ^ a b "High Art". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
6. ^ "High Art". Metacritic. Fandom. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
7. ^ Ebert, Roger (July 3, 1998). "High Art Movie Review & Film Summary". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
8. ^ a b c Levy, Emanuel (January 27, 1998). "High Art". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
9. ^ Maslin, Janet (June 12, 1998). "FILM REVIEW; Jaded Artist and Ingenue In an Arty Spider Web". The New York Times. p. 12\. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
10. ^ Dry, Jude (May 8, 2017). "The 15 Greatest Lesbian Movies of All Time, Ranked". IndieWire. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on May 7, 2018. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
11. ^ Burnett Gregory, Drew (July 16, 2024). "The 100 Best Lesbian Movies Of All Time". Autostraddle. The Excitant Group, LLC. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
12. ^ "Boston Society of Film Critics Awards 1998". FilmAffinity. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
13. ^ Cowan, Noah (December 7, 2012). "Summer 1998: Cannes Film Festival Roundup". Filmmaker. The Gotham Film & Media Institute. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
14. ^ a b c "High Art (1998) Awards & Festivals". MUBI. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
15. ^ "1999, 5th Annual Awards". Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film. December 28, 2017. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
16. ^ "History – 1998, 24th edition". Festival du Cinéma Américain de Deauville. Archived from the original on October 8, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
17. ^ Hernandez, Eugene (January 8, 1999). ""Affliction" Tops Spirit Award Nominations; "Monster," "Art," and "Sex" Also Nab Numerous Nods". IndieWire. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on October 8, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
18. ^ "10th Annual GLAAD Media Awards Come to a Record-Breaking Close in Washington, DC". Queer Resources Directory. GLAAD. May 9, 1999. Archived from the original on October 8, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
19. ^ "1998 Gotham Independent Film Awards". Gotham Awards. Archived from the original on February 21, 2017. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
20. ^ "L.A. Film Critics Salute 'Saving Private Ryan'". Chicago Tribune. December 14, 1998. Archived from the original on October 8, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
21. ^ "Past Awards". National Society of Film Critics. Archived from the original on October 8, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
22. ^ "1998 Sundance Film Festival". Sundance Institute. Archived from the original on October 8, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* Official site (archived)
* High Art at IMDb
* High Art at Rotten Tomatoes
* High Art at Box Office Mojo

* v
* t
* e

Works directed by Lisa Cholodenko

Films|

* High Art (1998)
* Laurel Canyon (2002)
* Cavedweller (2004)
* The Kids Are All Right (2010)

Miniseries|

* Olive Kitteridge (2014)

* v
* t
* e

GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film – Limited Release

* The Wedding Banquet (1994)
* The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love (1996)
* Beautiful Thing (1997)
* Ma vie en rose (1998)
* High Art (1999)
* Boys Don't Cry (2000)
* The Broken Hearts Club (2001)
* Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2002)
* Kissing Jessica Stein (2003)
* Yossi & Jagger (2004)
* Bad Education (2005)
* Transamerica (2006)
* Quinceañera (2007)
* The Bubble (2008)
* Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom / Shelter (2009)
* Little Ashes (2010)
* I Love You Phillip Morris (2011)
* Pariah (2012)
* Any Day Now (2013)
* Concussion (2014)
* Lilting (2015)
* Tangerine (2016)
* Other People (2017)
* A Fantastic Woman (2018)
* Boy Erased (2019)
* Rafiki (2020)
* The Boys in the Band (2021)
* Parallel Mothers (2022)
* The Inspection (2023)
* Monica (2024)
* Crossing (2025)

*[Ref.]: References
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*[e]: Edit this template