All My Puny Sorrows

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All My Puny Sorrows

R

2021

1h 43m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

72%

Tomatometer

39 Reviews

71%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Based on Miriam Toews' best-selling novel, All My Puny Sorrows unexpectedly infuses wry humor into this heart-wrenching story of two loving sisters: one a gifted pianist (Sarah Gadon) obsessed with ending her life, the other a struggling writer (Alison Pill) who, in wrestling with this decision, makes profound discoveries about herself.

Critics Consensus

A well-meaning but flawed adaptation of its source material ,All My Puny Sorrows benefits from Alison Pill's searing performance.

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Eric Marchen

Rogers TV

12/10/2022

C

It's better suited to the page than screen as the pain gets passed off in purple prose, which in turn undermines the emotional core.

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Asia Frey

Lagniappe (Mobile, AL)

10/03/2022

If you are in the right mindset for a serious drama, All My Puny Sorrows is a delicate, beautiful story, a worthy screen adaptation of a book that has challenged and comforted many readers.

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Valerie Kalfrin

AWFJ.org

06/13/2022

The performances are strong all around, especially from Alison Pill as a woman painfully and poignantly trying to convince her sister that life is worthwhile.

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Molly Adams

In Review Online

06/07/2022

Despite excellent performances from Pill and Gadon, working in tandem with McGowan’s efforts to conjure the film's effective atmosphere of limbo, All My Puny Sorrows ultimately sags under the weight of its unwieldy script.

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Jackie K. Cooper

jackiekcooper.com

05/25/2022

5/10

The acting is first rate by Pill and Winningham but the overall angst of the story drags it down.

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Wade Major

FilmWeek (LAist)

05/10/2022

It's very heavy... But if you stick with it, it's worth it.

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Rob W

@AugustaRob2026 Feb 12

Stunning to look at, provocative, and immersive. And some nice pianos. If you’re looking for a good movie, one that can touch your soul, check this one out.

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Joao P

@RT73423029 10/19/2023

A great movie with a heavy, depressing, story. The images are fantastic.0

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Brian K

@Briankeith3 02/11/2023

While the story, based on the novel by Canadian Miriam Toews, at times has that over-stuffed and awkward sense of book turned into novel, overall the movie succeeds: Based on the lead actor, great supporting actors, and some gripping scenes (even if the dialogue sometimes needed to be better re-written for the screenplay, into a more natural, and less written speaking), this movie is well worth your time. And the difficult emotions are sufficiently earned to make them easier to bare. Just don't expect happy endings; just very human experiences.

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greg r

@itsgregsworld 05/07/2022

Alison Pill is extraordinary in this role. An amazing book brought to screen.

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05/03/2022

This movie was great! Throughly enjoy it, it made be both cry and laugh.

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05/03/2022

Great film! Beautiful performances and script, I laughed and I cried. I would definitely watch this again, it was a lovely experience.

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Synopsis

Based on Miriam Toews' best-selling novel, All My Puny Sorrows unexpectedly infuses wry humor into this heart-wrenching story of two loving sisters: one a gifted pianist (Sarah Gadon) obsessed with ending her life, the other a struggling writer (Alison Pill) who, in wrestling with this decision, makes profound discoveries about herself.

Director: Michael McGowan
Producer: Tyler Levine, Michael McGowan, Patrice Theroux
Screenwriter: Michael McGowan
Production Co: Mulmur Feed Co. Production, Sugar Shack Productions, Carousel Pictures
Rating: R (Language|Brief Sexuality)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): May 3, 2022
Runtime: 1h 43m