To Leslie

To Leslie is a 2022 American drama film directed by Michael Morris in his feature directorial debut, and written by Ryan Binaco.

The film stars Andrea Riseborough as Leslie Rowland, a single mother and alcoholic who squanders all the prize money she received after winning the lottery.

The film received critical acclaim, with Riseborough's performance garnering widespread praise and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress.

Nancy and her boyfriend Dutch reluctantly allow Leslie to stay with them, but lock her out in the middle of the night when she visits the local bar and is spotted by Pete, one of their friends.

Leslie returns to the motel in search of her suitcase, and Sweeney pretends to confuse her for somebody who had called for a job, and offers her the opportunity of cleaning rooms in exchange for a small wage and boarding.

In July 2019, it was announced Andrea Riseborough had joined the cast of the film, with Michael Morris directing from a screenplay by Ryan Binaco.

[2][8] Music supervisor Linda Perry wrote the original song "Angels Are Falling", which is performed by Patty Griffin, for the film.

[11] In September 2022, Momentum Pictures acquired distribution rights to the film, giving it a limited theatrical and on-demand streaming release on October 7, 2022.

The website's consensus reads: "To Leslie's familiar framework is granted extra depth through a stellar Andrea Riseborough and a sensitive and nuanced approach to the cycle of addiction.

"[18] The New York Times praised Riseborough's "deft performance" as Leslie, and described the film as a "deceptively simple yet heart-wrenching character study.

"[19] The Hollywood Reporter called the film "a stirring character study" that "recalls the grit of 1970s American indie cinema at its most indelible," and praised Riseborough's performance: "Leslie is played to riveting perfection by Andrea Riseborough, who appears in nearly every scene and delivers a performance that's extraordinary in its moment-to-moment sparks of hope against hope and slow-dawning self-awareness amid the despair, dissembling and self-delusion.

"Whether or not Riseborough pulls off a longshot victory at the Oscars, she's created a portrayal that plays like a classic country song you can't get out of your head and heart.

[31][4] After the nomination was announced, there was speculation within the media and the film industry that the tactics may have violated an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences rule against directly lobbying voters.

However, there were no reports that Riseborough had done so, or that any Academy members had lodged formal complaints about the campaign's behavior; consequently, Clayton Davis of Variety and Pete Hammond of Deadline Hollywood both predicted that the nomination would be unaffected.

[30][37] On January 31, the Academy concluded its review by pledging to address "social media and outreach campaigning tactics" which they said caused "concern", but confirming that Riseborough's nomination would be retained.

Andrea Riseborough 's performance garnered critical acclaim, earning her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress .