Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore stand in a bathroom, Moore putting on makeup, Portman taking notes
Screenings
Part of the series MoMA Contenders 2023

May December

  • This is a past program
With special guests director Todd Haynes, screenwriter Samy Burch, and actor Charles Melton

In May December, popular television actor Elizabeth (Natalie Portman) heads to Savannah, Georgia, to research a part in a new film that follows a scandalous tabloid romance. That love affair — between Gracie (Julianne Moore) and Joe (Charles Melton) — was once a fixture of the gossip pages. After all, Joe is significantly younger than Gracie, who served time in prison when they were caught together. When she was released, the pair were married, and they now have three children together who are about to graduate from high school. At first glance, their untraditional marriage looks more predictable than Elizabeth expected. But soon, her observation brings long-dormant feelings to the surface, and the decades-old scandal reveals deeper and deeper layers. From first-time screenwriter Samy Burch, May December is a deliciously witty film about performance and exploitation that juggles surreal melodrama with humane perception. Post-screening conversation moderated by Museum of Modern Art Celeste Bartos Chief Curator of Film Rajendra Roy.

May December. 2023. USA. Directed by Todd Haynes. Screenplay by Samy Burch. With Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, Charles Melton. DCP. 113 min. Courtesy Netflix

Tickets

$10 Hammer members | $20 general admission 
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This film program is organized by Rajendra Roy, The Celeste Bartos Chief Curator of Film, and Sean Egan, Producer, Film Exhibitions and Special Projects, The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
 
The Hammer Museum's presentation is made possible by The Billy and Audrey L. Wilder Foundation.
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