The film stars Anna Paquin, Jean Reno, Mark Ruffalo, J. Smith-Cameron, Jeannie Berlin, Allison Janney, Matt Damon, and Matthew Broderick.

Margaret was filmed in 2005 and originally scheduled for release that year by Fox Searchlight Pictures, but was repeatedly delayed while Lonergan struggled to create a final cut he was satisfied with, resulting in multiple lawsuits.

Martin Scorsese and Thelma Schoonmaker contributed to editing a 165-minute version that Lonergan approved, but it was never released due to producer Gary Gilbert's refusal.

Lonergan completed a three-hour extended version with additional footage, a revised score and sound mix, which was released on DVD in July 2012.

[8] The film's title is derived from Gerard Manley Hopkins's poem "Spring and Fall: To a Young Child", which is analyzed in Lisa's English class.

In the poem, the narrator addresses a young girl named Margaret, who mourns the falling autumn leaves as if they were deceased friends.

The narrator informs Margaret that this sense of grief, though it feels profound, is an inescapable part of the human condition.

A 17-year-old Manhattan student, Lisa Cohen, shopping on the Upper West Side, interacts with bus driver Gerald Maretti as she runs alongside his moving bus; he allows himself to become distracted, leading him to fatally strike a pedestrian, Monica Patterson, who subsequently dies in Lisa's arms.

Alongside Monica's best friend, Emily, and cousin, Abigail, Lisa ultimately becomes involved in a wrongful death lawsuit against the Metropolitan Transit Authority, seeking the dismissal of Maretti, who has caused two previous accidents, as well as monetary damages, which would be awarded to Abigail as Monica's next of kin.

The lawsuit reaches a conclusion, with an award of $350,000, but the MTA refuses to fire Maretti, out of concern that it would inflame a labor dispute.

He added that his approach to storytelling in the film aimed for a naturalistic rhythm that feels like real life, emphasizing the necessity of this method for a story about a teenager learning that the world doesn't revolve around her.

The critical consensus states, "A surfeit of ideas contributes to Margaret's excessive run time, but Anna Paquin does an admirable job of guiding viewers through emotional hell.

[20][21][12][22][23] Some critics have cited the film as an example of a great New York City movie and a portrait of a traumatized Manhattan in the wake of 9/11.