NEW YORK – Kate O’Flynn may want to start clearing more space on the mantel.
A week after scooping up an Emmy Award for Apple TV’s horror-comedy sensation “Widow’s Bay,” the English actress is already back in the awards race for her new slice-of-life dramedy “Tender Loving Care,” which touched down at the New York Film Festival Monday, Sept. 28, following rapturous reception in both Toronto
and Telluride.Written and directed by Mike Leigh, “Tender Loving Care” (in theaters Dec. 4) follows a devoted social worker named Amy (O’Flynn), who moves in with her lifelong best friend, Rose (Alice Bailey Johnson), after a breakup. Amy’s warmly affectionate parents, Birdie (Marion Bailey) and Geoff (Paul Jesson), continually worry for their daughter’s happiness,
even as they’re faced with new challenges when Geoff starts to show early signs of dementia.
Gently wry and devastating, the bittersweet family drama explores the stark realities of caregiving and aging, all while budgets for health and social services are slashed across Britain. During a post-screening Q&A, O’Flynn explained that ample research went into playing Amy.
“It’s very much through a character lens, so we weren't thinking in terms of society,” O’Flynn says. “We came upon Amy going into social work just based on an instinct; it felt like the essence of her. And then it was a whole journey into social services. … We just talked to as many people as we could. We read about it, listened to podcasts, and it became clear how impossible a job it is. Not only because of the cuts to all the services around it, but just the range of skills required to do that job, and how undervalued and underpaid it is.”
“There are people out there who believe in what they're doing and believe they can make a difference, and it's very, very important that those people are acknowledged,” Johnson adds. “Sadly, as a society, we don't always take care of each other, but there are definitely people out there that are trying.”
Many Oscar pundits are already predicting that O’Flynn and Bailey could be formidable contenders in best supporting actress and best actress, respectively. Leigh’s leading ladies have a good track record with the Academy, with Imelda Staunton (“Vera Drake”), Brenda Blethyn and Marianne Jean-Baptiste (“Secrets & Lies”) all receiving nods for his films.
Voters may also wish to honor Leigh, 83, the beloved British auteur best known for “Naked,” “Life is Sweet,” “Another Year,” and “Happy-Go-Lucky.”
The “Hard Truths” filmmaker received a long and enthusiastic standing ovation following Monday’s New York premiere. He recently revealed that “Tender Loving Care” could be his last movie due to his struggles with the autoimmune disease myositis, although he drolly waved off concerns at the Q&A.
“All it is is that I'm suffering from this condition, and it's difficult to get around and do things,” Leigh says. “Filmmaking is a practical business. When we managed to make this film, everybody here – and everybody else involved – was incredibly helpful and supportive and moved me around and sat me down and stood me up. That's all it is. And I'm overwhelmed: I didn't really expect that it would become a kind of talking point.
“There’s a moral in it,” Leigh quips. “Keep your mouth shut.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Widow's Bay' Kate O'Flynn could pull off rare Emmy-Oscar double win
