DRAMA
Starting over is hard to do, especially if you have just spent the last three years in prison. That's the challenge facing Sherry Swanson (Gyllenhaal), a young single mother who left her small daughter in the care of her older brother and his wife while serving time on a drug charge. Now that she's out, she must stay clean, find a job and try to reestablish relationships with her child and family. Easier said than done, especially for Sherry, for whom self-discipline doesn't come naturally. Sherrybaby is the moving chronicle of how Sherry slowly, and only after several missteps, comes to understand that being an adult is hard work and sometimes means putting others' needs ahead of your own. Gyllenhaal gives a gritty, believable, deeply felt performance and receives sturdy support from Giancarlo Esposito as a tough but sympathetic parole officer and Brad William Henke as her caring brother. (R)
