Come Early Morning

Lucy Fowler, a construction firm employee, has a habit of drinking on weekends, having a one-night stand, and, come early morning, waking up and leaving quickly, checking out and paying for the motel room.

Through her grandmother, she finds out that her father, a shy man who has nothing to say to her, is back in town, and eventually she goes to his new church. During a visit to her local bar, called The Forge, she runs into a woman who slept with her father. A brawl begins and she is rescued by Cal Percell, a new guy in town. She attends church with her father on Sunday morning with a beaten up face.

Carting around a jukebox she bought from the bar, she has a beer with Cal and gives him an invitation to ask her out. She kisses him sober, but still has demons to confront.

She has sex with him that night and tries to leave the next morning without him noticing but he wakes up and gives her a ride. Eventually she apologizes.

• Ashley Judd as Lucy Fowler
• Jeffrey Donovan as Cal Percell
• Tim Blake Nelson as Uncle Tim
• Laura Prepon as Kim
• Scott Wilson as Lowell Fowler
• Stacy Keach as Owen
• Diane Ladd as Nana
• Ray McKinnon as Preacher Toby
• Nancy Wilder as Michelle

Joey Lauren Adams initially wrote the film with plans of acting in it, but she ultimately chose to direct instead.{{Cite web |last=Fischer |first=Paul |date=2007-11-21 |title=Joey Lauren Adams for "Come Early Morning" |url=https://www.darkhorizons.com/joey-lauren-adams-for-come-early-morning/ |access-date=2022-10-19 |website=Dark Horizons |language=en-US |archive-date=October 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221019200946/https://www.darkhorizons.com/joey-lauren-adams-for-come-early-morning/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Come Early Morning Production Notes {{!}} 2006 Movie Releases |url=https://madeinatlantis.com/movies_central/2006/come_early_morning.htm |access-date=2022-10-19 |website=Made in Atlantis |language=en-US |archive-date=September 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240909150013/https://madeinatlantis.com/movies_central/2006/come_early_morning.htm |url-status=live }}

Filming was completed in five weeks. The film was shot in Adams' hometown of North Little Rock, including Little Rock, Lonoke, and surrounding counties.

The film premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, where it competed for the Grand Jury Prize for Dramatic Feature.{{Cite web |last=Simon |first=Brent |date=2006-11-09 |title=Come Early Morning |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/11/09/come-early-morning |access-date=2022-10-19 |website=IGN |language=en |archive-date=October 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221019200941/https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/11/09/come-early-morning |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=McCarthy |first=Todd |date=2006-01-23 |title=Come Early Morning |url=https://variety.com/2006/film/markets-festivals/come-early-morning-1200519169/ |access-date=2022-10-19 |website=Variety |language=en-US |archive-date=October 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221019200941/https://variety.com/2006/film/markets-festivals/come-early-morning-1200519169/ |url-status=live }} It received a limited theatrical release from Roadside Attractions on November 10, 2006.{{Cite news |last=Holden |first=Stephen |date=2006-11-10 |title=Beware of a Prince Who Serves You Frog |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/10/movies/10morn.html |access-date=2022-10-19 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=October 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221019200941/https://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/10/movies/10morn.html |url-status=live }}

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an 84% rating based on 49 reviews.{{Cite web |title=Come Early Morning |url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/come_early_morning/ |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=February 16, 2015 |archive-date=September 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240909150957/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/come_early_morning |url-status=live }} The site's critics consensus reads, "A quiet but moving film anchored by the unexpected depth of Ashley Judd's performance." On Metacritic, the film has a score of a score of 64 based on 16 reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.{{Cite web |title=Come Early Morning |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/come-early-morning |website=Metacritic |access-date=October 19, 2022 |archive-date=September 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240909150558/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/come-early-morning/ |url-status=live }}

Positive reviews praised Adams' directing debut, with plaudits in particular for Judd's performance.{{Cite web |last=Ebert |first=Roger |date=January 23, 2006 |title=Come Early Morning: Roger Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival |url=http://archive.ebertfest.media.illinois.edu/nine/comeearly.html |access-date=2022-10-19 |website=Roger Ebert's Film Festival |archive-date=October 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221019200948/http://archive.ebertfest.media.illinois.edu/nine/comeearly.html |url-status=live }} Jessica Reaves of the Chicago Tribune remarked, "Judd is the best thing in this movie" and that her role is handled with "aplomb and admirable nuance."{{Cite news |last=Reaves |first=Jessica |title=Movie review: 'Come Early Morning' |work=Chicago Tribune |url=http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/movies/mmx-061110-movies-review-morning%2C0%2C1380005.story?coll=mmx-movies_top_heds |url-status=dead |access-date=2022-10-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070302172435/http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/movies/mmx-061110-movies-review-morning,0,1380005.story?coll=mmx-movies_top_heds |archive-date=March 2, 2007}} Stephen Holden of The New York Times said, "[Adams] knows how these people speak and has a finely tuned awareness of their relationship to an environment where beer flows like water and the houses have cheap furniture and aluminum siding." He added, "Ms. Judd plays [Lucy] with a vindictive edge that risks making her unsympathetic. And that takes courage."

Tasha Robinson of The A.V. Club said Judd's performance calls to mind her first significant role in Ruby in Paradise, but "she's rarely appeared as raw and vulnerable as she does in Come Early Morning."{{Cite web |last=Robinson |first=Tasha |date=2006-11-09 |title=Come Early Morning |url=https://www.avclub.com/come-early-morning-1798202191 |access-date=2022-10-19 |website=The A.V. Club |language=en |archive-date=October 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221019200945/https://www.avclub.com/come-early-morning-1798202191 |url-status=live }} TV Guide noted "the film has a worn, live-in feel, and its unhurried narrative captures the subtle rhythms of small-town life. Nothing much happens on the surface, but worlds of hope, hurt and determination lie right behind the characters' eyes, waiting to be discovered."{{Cite web |title=Come Early Morning review |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/come-early-morning/review/2030124435/ |access-date=2022-10-19 |website=TVGuide.com |archive-date=October 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221019200941/https://www.tvguide.com/movies/come-early-morning/review/2030124435/ |url-status=live }}

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.comeearlymorningthefilm.com/ Official site]
• {{IMDb title|0457308|Come Early Morning}}
• [https://www.allmovie.com/movie/come-early-morning-v325276 Come Early Morning] at AllMovie

Category:2000s American films

Category:2000s English-language films

Category:2006 directorial debut films

Category:2006 films

Category:2006 independent films

Category:2006 romantic drama films

Category:American romantic drama films

Category:Bold Films films

Category:Films shot in Arkansas

Category:Roadside Attractions films

Category:English-language independent films

Category:English-language romantic drama films