Mordaciously hilarious study of smallish town, cornhusker housewife turned scarlet-lettered jailbird. Blame it on ennui. I wish I had a teacher like Frances Ferguson during my high school years, instead I had wizened nuns with bad spanking habits and a bald, pasty man with disturbingly hirsute hands. If she were the teach, I'd have really boned up on my homework assignments. Yeah, so I gained a sort of retroactive, vicarious thrill watching this. The wacky, deadpan narration (except for the odd time when he cracks himself up) by Offerman is a real treat, as is the fine acting by Kaley Wheless. The latter is a fetching, refreshing cross between Taylor Schilling and a less uptight Charlize Theron. Cool cameo by the great Martin Starr helps to perk up the last quarter of the film. This is the part of the film that sort of loses its luster and fizzles out a bit. It gets a little too North Platte-tudinous. You could do a helluva lot worse with your indie film viewing choices.
35 Reviews
Making fun of the whole system is always funny.
deloudelouvain1 May 2020
It might not be everyone's cup of tea but this kind of comedy works perfectly for me. The nihilistic behaviour of the main character Frances Ferguson is a delight to watch. Very good job from Kaley Wheless playing this attractive sex offender. The subject might be controversial but to be honest I think most of the males fantasized about their sexy teacher at one point. That said the story is what it is, to me it was funny, and adding Nick Offerman as the narrator for this movie is probably the best move you could do. He has that kind of soothing voice that is very pleasant to listen to. I'm a big fan of Nick Offerman since watching Parks and Recreation, and even if you don't see him physically in this movie he still has that funny input just with his voice. Frances Ferguson is a simple but effective comedy.
Frances Ferguson (2019)
turtleloverules1 May 2021
Umm OK
srawrats30 June 2022
Another basic slice of life narrated in a very deadpan manner by the great Ron Swanson, at least that's what I was thinking the whole time. So yeah, Nick Offerman as the narrator was perfect. The acting was great, Wheless was spot on, and the whole vibe was dry and lifeless as it was intended to be. I can't say it's recommended for all, if you like dry wit dark comedy, then you should like this. For me, I'm always interested in seeing the many sides of life told in different ways. And in this film the main character is flawed and makes poor choices that lead to more poor choices. I think we see why she is flawed and we also see the many mistakes in handling everything by the local government and how she is treated by society. I love how this film moves and how it ends, it ends like...
like second half
SnoopyStyle1 August 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Fran Ferguson (Kaley Wheless) is generally dissatisfied. She dislike her husband. She doesn't connect with her child. She can't stand her mother. She has a sucky substitute teacher job except she has an affair with one of the students. She gets arrested and sent to prison.
With Nick Offerman's narration and Kaley Wheless' dead-pan performance, this is trying hard to be quirky amusing. The first half is a slow meandering trip. It gets more interesting with probation. That has some humor and has some compelling things to say about the world. I definitely like the second half more.
With Nick Offerman's narration and Kaley Wheless' dead-pan performance, this is trying hard to be quirky amusing. The first half is a slow meandering trip. It gets more interesting with probation. That has some humor and has some compelling things to say about the world. I definitely like the second half more.
Pretentious and dull
foster-dickson16 July 2021
The makers of this movie seem to have watched Napoleon Dynamite and Juno too many times, then wrote a script, then added a narrator to it since the in-screen action told almost no story. I wanted this movie to be funny or charming or something, but it wasn't any of those things.
If you suffer the world, this movie is for you
johng-9089311 March 2020
Anyone that doesn't get this movie doesn't get the absurdity of modern society, behavioral norms, relationships, or crime and punishment.
This movie should be an instant classic for anyone with a cynical view of the world. If you do not feel the plight of the admittedly flawed main character, I cannot relate to you and probably envy you.
This is a highly enjoyable film that makes you think about how difficult it is to cope with the pointless and relentless stream of subtle wrongs in the world. Often the result culminates in an foolish act that defines you more than it really should. It is funny because it is in perfect tune with how painful the world can be for those that "get it" that are surrounded by those that don't.
It raises many questions for the independent thinkers, not he least of which is: How is a victim-less crime viewed as worse than the wake of misery left by selfish people?
This film is not for everyone. But it just might be the perfect litmus test to see if you and I can get along.
This movie should be an instant classic for anyone with a cynical view of the world. If you do not feel the plight of the admittedly flawed main character, I cannot relate to you and probably envy you.
This is a highly enjoyable film that makes you think about how difficult it is to cope with the pointless and relentless stream of subtle wrongs in the world. Often the result culminates in an foolish act that defines you more than it really should. It is funny because it is in perfect tune with how painful the world can be for those that "get it" that are surrounded by those that don't.
It raises many questions for the independent thinkers, not he least of which is: How is a victim-less crime viewed as worse than the wake of misery left by selfish people?
This film is not for everyone. But it just might be the perfect litmus test to see if you and I can get along.
A failed attempt at comedy
sabojo16120 October 2019
I saw this film last night at the Milwaukee Film Festival and was hugely disappointed with it. There were a few stylistic choices in the film that I thought were nice but that was about where my enjoyment ended.
The film does not have a plot but rather a series of disjointed events that occur one after the other.
The acting is terrible, and that includes both the line delivery and the choreography. In all fairness, though, the actors were not given much to work with. The movie relies on a very specific brand of humor, that of the dry millennial girl who is just over it all. This humor works in Broad City (for the first two seasons at least) and with April from Parks & Rec. It does not work here.
The jokes fell flat for me with few exceptions, and most of them could be seen coming from a mile away.
The film does not have a plot but rather a series of disjointed events that occur one after the other.
The acting is terrible, and that includes both the line delivery and the choreography. In all fairness, though, the actors were not given much to work with. The movie relies on a very specific brand of humor, that of the dry millennial girl who is just over it all. This humor works in Broad City (for the first two seasons at least) and with April from Parks & Rec. It does not work here.
The jokes fell flat for me with few exceptions, and most of them could be seen coming from a mile away.
Quirky original comedy
exit00-111 August 2019
My film club screened this movie today and I enjoyed it quite a bit. The movie is a very original, dry comedy with lots of offbeat,funny narration by Nick Offerman. And Kaley Wheless is terrific in the lead role. I took the film as a satirical story of a lost-in-life twenty-something female. Many of the side characters that Francis meets are also very funny.
Listless
ninjawaiter13 June 2020
There really isn't a better word for this film than that one-word description of its title character and protagonist. Frances Ferguson is utterly listless, showing little to no interest in anything, lacking all animation and passion, utterly bored with and uninterested in the world and with herself. The narrator even states that she does not know or care about the difference between the best and worst things ever to happen to her. Unfortunately, this sets up the entire film. Frances is mindlessly drifting through her life, and for the next hour and fifteen minutes, you will be mindlessly drifting along with her.
The film begins with Frances having made a number of obviously bad decisions, every one of which appears to have been clearly identifiable as a bad decision before she made it (e.g. she married a boy 3 months after they met). The narration describes her as "cast adrift," but clearly no one is the architect of her pointless drift but Frances herself. As the film progresses, Frances continues her series of obviously bad decisions that are clearly identifiable in advance. The reason for all of these bad decisions seems to be that Francis is listless and does not particularly care about the consequences, positive or negative. Her only possible motivation seems to be a vague curiosity about what might happen.
Naturally making bad decisions without even having a real motivation to do so does not improve Frances' life. Instead her life is transformed from mundanely bad as a result of her own decisions to unusually bad as a result of her own decisions. Frances' boredom and frustration continue to increase as she learns to no one's surprise but her own that her bad decisions have unpleasant consequences, and those consequences continue indefinitely. Throughout the film Frances seems mystified by those consequences, as if they were not utterly foreseeable (e.g. she is constantly recognized and remarked upon after having been on the news for a notorious act, and cannot seem to comprehend why this would be the case). The narrator, who sometimes seems to be speaking for Frances and other times is clearly an outside observer, seems likewise mystified by these consequences, as if they were both too stupid to comprehend basic cause and effect.
Ultimately the film is as boring and passionless as its protagonist, utterly lacking a point.
Other reviewers have suggested that the film is presenting the absurdity of the modern world, relationships, and "the system," and that anyone who does not find it funny and insightful simply doesn't "get it," but of course this is itself absurd. The protagonist isn't some poor soul struggling through a Kafkaesque setting, confronted at every turn by labyrinthine bureaucracy and self-contradictory insanity, presenting her with a never ending Catch 22. At every juncture Frances has the ability to simply do things differently, to make different choices, and instead chooses to make the obviously bad decisions without even having any real motivation to do so. Not a single thing which takes place in the film is unavoidable, inevitable, or even unforeseeable.
In fact, the only absurdity in the film is Frances Ferguson herself, who by virtue of birth has been handed a life most of humanity (now and throughout human history) would kill for a chance at, only to demonstrate a total lack of awareness or appreciation for her own privilege, comfort, and ease. She is a perfect example of utter selfishness, total lack of self-awareness, and a complete and utter failure to take responsibility for herself, her actions, and her life. If this is a state of being the audience can relate to, what kind of a statement does that make about the audience?
The film begins with Frances having made a number of obviously bad decisions, every one of which appears to have been clearly identifiable as a bad decision before she made it (e.g. she married a boy 3 months after they met). The narration describes her as "cast adrift," but clearly no one is the architect of her pointless drift but Frances herself. As the film progresses, Frances continues her series of obviously bad decisions that are clearly identifiable in advance. The reason for all of these bad decisions seems to be that Francis is listless and does not particularly care about the consequences, positive or negative. Her only possible motivation seems to be a vague curiosity about what might happen.
Naturally making bad decisions without even having a real motivation to do so does not improve Frances' life. Instead her life is transformed from mundanely bad as a result of her own decisions to unusually bad as a result of her own decisions. Frances' boredom and frustration continue to increase as she learns to no one's surprise but her own that her bad decisions have unpleasant consequences, and those consequences continue indefinitely. Throughout the film Frances seems mystified by those consequences, as if they were not utterly foreseeable (e.g. she is constantly recognized and remarked upon after having been on the news for a notorious act, and cannot seem to comprehend why this would be the case). The narrator, who sometimes seems to be speaking for Frances and other times is clearly an outside observer, seems likewise mystified by these consequences, as if they were both too stupid to comprehend basic cause and effect.
Ultimately the film is as boring and passionless as its protagonist, utterly lacking a point.
Other reviewers have suggested that the film is presenting the absurdity of the modern world, relationships, and "the system," and that anyone who does not find it funny and insightful simply doesn't "get it," but of course this is itself absurd. The protagonist isn't some poor soul struggling through a Kafkaesque setting, confronted at every turn by labyrinthine bureaucracy and self-contradictory insanity, presenting her with a never ending Catch 22. At every juncture Frances has the ability to simply do things differently, to make different choices, and instead chooses to make the obviously bad decisions without even having any real motivation to do so. Not a single thing which takes place in the film is unavoidable, inevitable, or even unforeseeable.
In fact, the only absurdity in the film is Frances Ferguson herself, who by virtue of birth has been handed a life most of humanity (now and throughout human history) would kill for a chance at, only to demonstrate a total lack of awareness or appreciation for her own privilege, comfort, and ease. She is a perfect example of utter selfishness, total lack of self-awareness, and a complete and utter failure to take responsibility for herself, her actions, and her life. If this is a state of being the audience can relate to, what kind of a statement does that make about the audience?
quirky and pretty unfunny
ops-525351 March 2020
But with a charm and humble angle of dark comedy, well i think they deserve an acclamation to that, but not as a comedy for the straight a-z'rs.
its a story about fran, an alleged or self pronounsed child molester, but as a viewer you dont know. she gets branded as one, there are no levels to this kind of crime, and we follow her life from the deed is done, till she's ending her sentencing from the jail system.
i must admit that what made me see the whole film was the smashing main caracter female actor, but also to the rest of the ensemles achievement of trying to act., though its not overwhelming its ok.
the production is a fluke disaster sound and filmographically, it seems like a two person project, maintaining everything from cam to sound boom, lightsettings and direction, all with a one take only strategy.
the grumpy old man saw the idiotic hypocracy of society which unfolded itself in this story, but the extreme lack of comedy and the number and level of glitches made in this production are simply undertaking itself, and its a maximum of 4 stars.,a small recommend to all serious film geeks.
its a story about fran, an alleged or self pronounsed child molester, but as a viewer you dont know. she gets branded as one, there are no levels to this kind of crime, and we follow her life from the deed is done, till she's ending her sentencing from the jail system.
i must admit that what made me see the whole film was the smashing main caracter female actor, but also to the rest of the ensemles achievement of trying to act., though its not overwhelming its ok.
the production is a fluke disaster sound and filmographically, it seems like a two person project, maintaining everything from cam to sound boom, lightsettings and direction, all with a one take only strategy.
the grumpy old man saw the idiotic hypocracy of society which unfolded itself in this story, but the extreme lack of comedy and the number and level of glitches made in this production are simply undertaking itself, and its a maximum of 4 stars.,a small recommend to all serious film geeks.
Offbeat on Rhythm
marie-ketring13 March 2019
I saw this movie at the SXSW film festival when it premiered, I liked it, the movie is offbeat but settled into a kind of funny rhythm that it maintained. It's about a teacher having an affair with a student. It was a cast and crew screening so there were people laughing at everything which I hate. I wanted the movie to keep going but it was also daylight savings time and I was kind of out of it.
I got to the end
francisangelone29 March 2020
This movie would have been great as a short film. Unfortunately it's not. There's humor but it's brief and requires either to have a familiar friend/family member like the lead character to reflect on or a six pack of wine coolers.
Script writing balls
crowed-848993 September 2021
I've always imagined that I could be a writer. I know I can't write. But if I could be a writer I would write a short story that starts with a word and by the end of the story the definition of the word has been changed. Better yet I'd be a poet writing a poem accomplishing a similar transformation.
Frances Ferguson accomplishes this transformation. This is not a comedy it is a heavy lift by people who can do comedy but choose to lift something that otherwise stinks. Sex offense. For the film epicurean this is no problem. ( As long as it want't written by a priest or a convicted sex offender seeking vindication.)
Don't let your spouse (or friends) catch you watching Frances Ferguson or you're gonna have a look on your face like George Costanza being caught eating a chocolate eclair out of the kitchen trash can at your friends party. 5 stars for script writing balls. A movie gem that makes the continuing hunt worthwhile. If I didn't do my homework and I'm wrong about the intent of the writer, I've been had. After all the only skill needed to write a movie review is the ability to hit keys on a keyboard.
Frances Ferguson accomplishes this transformation. This is not a comedy it is a heavy lift by people who can do comedy but choose to lift something that otherwise stinks. Sex offense. For the film epicurean this is no problem. ( As long as it want't written by a priest or a convicted sex offender seeking vindication.)
Don't let your spouse (or friends) catch you watching Frances Ferguson or you're gonna have a look on your face like George Costanza being caught eating a chocolate eclair out of the kitchen trash can at your friends party. 5 stars for script writing balls. A movie gem that makes the continuing hunt worthwhile. If I didn't do my homework and I'm wrong about the intent of the writer, I've been had. After all the only skill needed to write a movie review is the ability to hit keys on a keyboard.
A movie about a substitute teacher that comes off lifeless and dull.
gargantuaboy3 May 2020
Kaley Wheless places Frances, a substitute teacher in a small town. She is in a rather dull marriage and her male students find her attractive. She starts to have an affair with one of her students and it gets out and she is arrested.
The film is sort of a bio film on Frances as she goes about her daily business, however nothing particularly interesting or even slightly entertaining happens throughout. We see her spending the day with her mother , going shopping with her husband, going to therapy and there is nothing memorable about any of it. The whole thing comes off as if the filmmakers did not want to make the laughs obvious and that is where the movie succeeds. The humor will not be obvious to ANYBODY. For some reason the movie has wall to wall narration by Nick Offerman and quite frankly, it doesn't help. Offerman's typically dry narration feels like a last inning attempt to drain some kind of laughs out of this dull material.
This is the kind of film people pretend to love as if their sense of humor is just so sophisticated that only simple people wouldn't find it funny, yeah well good. Do yourself a favor and pass on this one.
Pass on this one.
The film is sort of a bio film on Frances as she goes about her daily business, however nothing particularly interesting or even slightly entertaining happens throughout. We see her spending the day with her mother , going shopping with her husband, going to therapy and there is nothing memorable about any of it. The whole thing comes off as if the filmmakers did not want to make the laughs obvious and that is where the movie succeeds. The humor will not be obvious to ANYBODY. For some reason the movie has wall to wall narration by Nick Offerman and quite frankly, it doesn't help. Offerman's typically dry narration feels like a last inning attempt to drain some kind of laughs out of this dull material.
This is the kind of film people pretend to love as if their sense of humor is just so sophisticated that only simple people wouldn't find it funny, yeah well good. Do yourself a favor and pass on this one.
Pass on this one.
A comedy?
dingoberserk12 July 2021
If this is a comedy, then I must have been using the wrong dictionaries all this time. I found the movie deeply depressing, as the story of a masochistic character who does all in her power to make her place in society as awkward as she possibly can. The anti-heroine, "Mrs" Ferguson, has a negative personality, without one spark of joy or interest in her fellow humans. Her behavior is selfish, she has no desire to help others, not even her close relatives including her four-year-old daughter. All that happens to her is someone else's fault, she has no empathy towards other people's misfortunes. In the movie, we also get an insight into the American prison system and its bleak features. At the end of this mercifully short picture I felt rather despondent.
very interesting one
cluephone37929 February 2020
I liked this little gem.
minimalistic, with a very well thought sarcasm it exposes so many facets of human stupidity. And where better than in Nebraska you will be crushed under this ignorance, stupidity, prejudice .... and what not.
Looking more like an indie project, still conveys that smile in your face (while 100 millions Hollywood movies fail tremendously).
Lovable main character and effective in describing the world she was chained in.
In an anonymous darkweb chatting group, this would have been such a much funnier discussion :)
Boring and poorly executed.
everyhoureveryday12 May 2021
This movie could have been a decent watch except it wasn't. The subject matter was something to not be taken so lightly in this day and age. I can imagine if the main character had been a male people would have been outraged by the flippant bored lead character. The actors in the movie were fine, they did the job they were given, but not a lot to work with. If this was supposed to be a character study it was so poorly executed that it missed the mark entirely. The humor wasn't funny dry, it was flat. The whole thing reminded me of a teenager trying really hard to write something edgy without understanding what in fact edgy is.
Witty and Unflinching
ianthomascessna15 November 2019
Hats off to this team who was unafraid to explore some hard topics, then to not back away from the controversy that has found its way into the media in the past couple of years. With an incredibly sharp script, an amazing lead performance, and lots of familiar faces (and voices) popping up throughout, it's a fun ride and always keeps you thinking about the way we and the people around us carry public perception.
Failed attempt at comedy
brettpod16 May 2021
I didn't get it
davidantzelevitch19 June 2021
Awesome
geekerr21 September 2020
I wouldn't decribe it as a usual comedy pretty subtle and dry and I preferred it more as a drama ,a comentary on sexual values on rightousness particulary American evangelical christian mentality.
An adult woman and an adult man consent to have a relationship and because one is a youjng man and a student it is treated as a heinous crime and the woman goes off to prison.
It is treted lightly but I think it actually does happen this way. America has some very sick elements to it and this movie alludes to it
Not one likable character in this film
theekopper11 May 2021
Honestly, the only thing I really enjoyed about this movie was Nick Offerman's narration, which I'm not sure was even necessary to begin with. The lead character (Frances) is an awful person, totally unlikeable in any way, shape, or form. The only thing she has going for her are her nice looks, yeah, great. She and every other character in this story are the epitome of dullsville. Maybe that was the point? If so, then it succeeded, but aside from that, I see no reason to recommend this movie to anyone unless you really enjoy watching incredibly lame stories about totally uninteresting characters.
Bob Byington does it again
name99-92-5453895 September 2020
I expect Bob Byington is far from everyone's cup of tea, but I find him mesmerizing!
It's hard to call this movie (and all his stuff) comedy; it's not exactly laugh-out-loud funny, it's more like "let's show how crazy the human condition is by telling a story with a few of the characters as Martians who behave in ways that are both rational and totally unlike how a real human would behave".
If that appeals to you, watch the movie! Don't let the first few minutes fool you! Yes, everything starts like a normal "troubled marriage drama" and you figure, "yawn, I've seen this a thousand times". But give it a few more minutes and let that Bob Byington magic start, as each main character starts responding in weirder and weirder ways.
And yes, I'm not normally once to comment on the specifics of the acting, but Ms Wheless is riveting! She doesn't say much throughout the movie, so much of the time she's on-screen we're just seeing her facial expressions and body language. And remember -- not even normal person facial expressions and body language, but martian facial expressions and body language. And she does it so well; you cannot take your eyes off her. I do hope she joins Byington's band of merry misfits and stars in a few more of his projects.
It's hard to call this movie (and all his stuff) comedy; it's not exactly laugh-out-loud funny, it's more like "let's show how crazy the human condition is by telling a story with a few of the characters as Martians who behave in ways that are both rational and totally unlike how a real human would behave".
If that appeals to you, watch the movie! Don't let the first few minutes fool you! Yes, everything starts like a normal "troubled marriage drama" and you figure, "yawn, I've seen this a thousand times". But give it a few more minutes and let that Bob Byington magic start, as each main character starts responding in weirder and weirder ways.
And yes, I'm not normally once to comment on the specifics of the acting, but Ms Wheless is riveting! She doesn't say much throughout the movie, so much of the time she's on-screen we're just seeing her facial expressions and body language. And remember -- not even normal person facial expressions and body language, but martian facial expressions and body language. And she does it so well; you cannot take your eyes off her. I do hope she joins Byington's band of merry misfits and stars in a few more of his projects.
Want more comedy voices like this
ianthomascessna-482368 July 2020
I got to watch this movie last year in Italy at a small film festival in Torino. It's nice to see Amazon supporting this kind of work. I think this kind of movie needs to be seen with an audience, but still held up watching it the second time from home. Nick Offerman tends to make me laugh.
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