When I'm a Moth
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Use American English|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox film
| name = When I'm a Moth
| image =
| caption =
| director = Zachary Cotler
Magdalena Zyzak
| producer = Zachary Cotler
Magdalena Zyzak
| screenplay = Zachary Cotler
| story =
| starring = Addison Timlin
| music =
| cinematography = Lyn Moncrief
| editing =
| studio = The Winter Film Company
| distributor =
| released = {{Film date|2019|04|12|San Francisco Film Festival|2021|08|27|Dark Star Pictures}}
| runtime =
| country = United States
| language = English
Japanese
| budget =
| gross =
}}
When I'm a Moth is a 2019 American independent drama film directed by Zachary Cotler and Magdalena Zyzak and starring Addison Timlin as Hillary Clinton, then Hillary Rodham.{{cite web|title=Actress chosen to play young Hillary Clinton in film|date=14 March 2017|website=WJLA-TV|url=http://wjla.com/news/entertainment/actress-chosen-to-play-young-hillary-clinton-in-miniseries|accessdate=25 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180126070857/http://wjla.com/news/entertainment/actress-chosen-to-play-young-hillary-clinton-in-miniseries|archive-date=26 January 2018|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Jacobs|first=Matthew|title=Get Ready To See A Young Hillary Clinton Gut Fish In An Upcoming Movie|date=14 March 2017|website=HuffPost|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hillary-clinton-movie-addison-timlin_us_58c7eda7e4b0598c6699a6bc|accessdate=25 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170811100629/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hillary-clinton-movie-addison-timlin_us_58c7eda7e4b0598c6699a6bc|archive-date=11 August 2017|url-status=live}} The film is set in 1969 and depicts Rodham during the summer she worked in Alaska following her graduation from Wellesley College.{{cite magazine|last=McCluskey|first=Megan|title=Biopic Actor on Playing Young Hillary Clinton: 'She's Not Afraid of Being Intimidating'|date=15 March 2017|magazine=Time|url=https://time.com/4702842/hillary-clinton-biopic-actress/|access-date=25 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180109120913/http://time.com/4702842/hillary-clinton-biopic-actress/|archive-date=9 January 2018|url-status=live}} Cotler has stated that the film is "not a biopic".{{cite magazine|last=Gettell|first=Oliver|title=Addison Timlin to play young Hillary Clinton in When I'm a Moth|date=13 March 2017|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|url=http://ew.com/movies/2017/03/13/addison-timlin-young-hillary-clinton-when-im-a-moth/|accessdate=25 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190415032906/http://ew.com/movies/2017/03/13/addison-timlin-young-hillary-clinton-when-im-a-moth/|archive-date=15 April 2019|url-status=live}}
Cast
- Addison Timlin as Hillary Rodham
- TJ Kayama as Ryohei
- Toshiji Takeshima as Mitsuru
Production and release
The film was shot in late 2016.{{cite web |last=Donnelly |first=Matt |date=13 March 2017 |title='Californication' Alum Will Play Young Hillary Clinton in 'When I'm a Moth' (Exclusive) |url=https://www.thewrap.com/addison-timlin-cast-young-hillary-clinton-when-im-a-moth/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180126125514/https://www.thewrap.com/addison-timlin-cast-young-hillary-clinton-when-im-a-moth/ |archive-date=26 January 2018 |accessdate=25 January 2018 |website=TheWrap}} Its world premiere was on April 12, 2019, at the San Francisco Film Festival.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/im-a-moth-review-1196496|title='When I'm a Moth': Film Review | San Francisco Film Festival 2019|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=13 April 2019 |access-date=September 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190414163228/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/im-a-moth-review-1196496|archive-date=April 14, 2019|url-status=live}} It was released by Dark Star Pictures on August 27, 2021 after a delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web |date=20 August 2021 |title='Check Out the Bewildering Trailer for Indie Hillary Clinton Movie' |url=https://www.thewrap.com/check-out-the-bewildering-trailer-for-indie-hillary-clinton-movie-when-im-a-moth-exclusive-video}}
Reception
The film received polarized reviews, attracting praise from independent critics,{{Cite web|url=https://www.starkinsider.com/2019/05/film-review-when-im-a-moth-a-fascinating-film-inspired-by-a-line-or-two-from-hillary-clinton-memoir.html|title='Film Review: 'When I'm a Moth' a fascinating film inspired by a line or two from Hillary Clinton memoir'|date=6 May 2019 }}{{Cite web|url=https://villainmedia.com/5-reasons-you-have-to-watch-when-im-a-moth|title='5 REASONS YOU HAVE TO WATCH 'WHEN I'M A MOTH!'|date=26 August 2021 }}{{Cite web|url=http://www.searchmytrash.com/movies/whenimamoth(2019).shtml|title='When I'm a Moth: review by Mike Haberfelner'}}{{Cite web|url=http://screen-space.squarespace.com/reviews/2021/8/25/when-im-a-moth.html|title='When I'm a Moth'}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.digitaljournal.com/entertainment/review-addison-timlin-is-transformative-as-hillary-rodham-in-when-im-a-moth-film/article|title='Review: Addison Timlin is transformative as Hillary Rodham in When I'm a Moth'|date=25 August 2021 }} and largely negative responses from more mainstream publications.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/im-a-moth-review-1196496/|title=''When I'm a Moth': Film Review - The Hollywood Reporter'|website=The Hollywood Reporter |date=13 April 2019 }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/when_im_a_moth|title='Rotten Tomatoes: When I'm a Moth|website=Rotten Tomatoes }} The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 36% based on 11 reviews.{{Cite web |date=2021-08-27 |title=When I'm a Moth - Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/when_im_a_moth |access-date=2023-12-09 |website=www.rottentomatoes.com |language=en}}
Several critics questioned the premise of the film, with Caryn James of The Hollywood Reporter calling the movie "pointless."{{Cite web |last=James |first=Caryn |date=2019-04-13 |title='When I'm a Moth': Film Review {{!}} San Francisco Film Festival 2019 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/im-a-moth-review-1196496/ |access-date=2022-03-25 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Harvey |first=Dennis |date=2019-04-27 |title=Film Review: 'When I'm a Moth' |url=https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/when-im-a-moth-review-1203195128/ |access-date=2022-03-25 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2021-09-16 |title="When I'm a Moth" |url=https://www.susangranger.com/?p=13653 |access-date=2022-03-25 |website=Susan Granger |language=en-US |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220112205635/https://www.susangranger.com/?p=13653 |archive-date= Jan 12, 2022 }} Dennis Harvey of Variety called the film "an insufferably pretentious arthouse drama." Other critics disagreed, with reviewers at Hammer to Nail and Screen-Space considering the film an "experiment" and an attempt to analyze how Hillary Clinton is seen in America respectively.{{Cite web |title=WHEN I'M A MOTH - Reviews - Screen-Space |url=http://www.screen-space.net/reviews/2021/8/25/when-im-a-moth.html |access-date=2022-03-25 |website=www.screen-space.net |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Reed |first=Christopher |date=2021-09-01 |title=WHEN I'M A MOTH |url=https://www.hammertonail.com/reviews/when-im-a-moth/ |access-date=2022-03-25 |website=Hammer to Nail |language=en-US}}
Some critics liked the script,{{Cite web|url=https://www.starkinsider.com/2019/05/film-review-when-im-a-moth-a-fascinating-film-inspired-by-a-line-or-two-from-hillary-clinton-memoir.html|title='Film Review: 'When I'm a Moth' a fascinating film inspired by a line or two from Hillary Clinton memoir'|date=6 May 2019 }} others considered it "pretentious."{{Cite web |date=2021-08-27 |title=Screen Grabs: The dazzling longevity of Fellini's '8 1/2' |url=https://48hills.org/2021/08/screen-grabs-the-dazzling-longevity-of-fellinis-8-1-2/ |access-date=2022-03-25 |website=48 hills |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2021-08-27 |title=When I'm a Moth Review |url=https://popculturemaniacs.com/when-im-a-moth-review/ |access-date=2022-03-25 |website=Pop Culture Maniacs |language=en-GB}} Nonetheless, the cinematography was largely praised, with Film Threat calling it "beautiful."{{Cite web |date=2021-08-31 |title=When I'm a Moth {{!}} Film Threat |url=https://filmthreat.com/reviews/when-im-a-moth/ |access-date=2022-03-25 |language=en-US}} The "atmosphere" created was considered a highlight by Less Hat, Moorhead and Movie Nation.{{Cite web |last=Moorhead |first=M. v |date=2021-08-27 |title=Less Hat, Moorhead: HILLARY ELEGY |url=http://mvmoorhead.blogspot.com/2021/08/hillary-elegy.html |access-date=2022-03-25 |website=Less Hat, Moorhead}}{{Cite web |last=Moore |first=Roger |date=2021-08-21 |title=Movie Review: Young Hillary, in Alaska, pondering and questioning and gutting salmon — "When I'm a Moth" |url=https://rogersmovienation.com/2021/08/21/movie-review-young-hillary-in-alaska-pondering-and-questioning-and-gutting-salmon-when-im-a-moth/ |access-date=2022-03-25 |website=Movie Nation |language=en}} Addison Timlin's performance was also largely praised,{{Cite web |title=WHEN I'M A MOTH - Reviews - Screen-Space |url=http://www.screen-space.net/reviews/2021/8/25/when-im-a-moth.html |access-date=2022-03-25 |website=www.screen-space.net |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Reed |first=Christopher |date=2021-09-01 |title=WHEN I'M A MOTH |url=https://www.hammertonail.com/reviews/when-im-a-moth/ |access-date=2022-03-25 |website=Hammer to Nail |language=en-US}} though Film Threat's review stated, "It's difficult to determine whether Timlin's aggravated rigidity is intentional or if she just can't act."{{Cite web |date=2021-08-31 |title=When I'm a Moth {{!}} Film Threat |url=https://filmthreat.com/reviews/when-im-a-moth/ |access-date=2022-03-25 |language=en-US}}
References
{{reflist}}