Depression is a raw and complex issue that plagues millions of people across the world every day; an invisible demon perched atop shoulders that manages gnaws at happiness from the inside out. It’s a crippling condition, and one which will underpin Adam Salky’s low-key drama, I Smile Back.
Due to screen at TIFF later this week, Broad Green Pictures has revealed a new, emotional trailer for the film, showcasing an emphatic performance by Sarah Silverman. The comedian-cum-actress is set to play Laney, a woman who seemingly has everything – a loving family, suburban home, white picket fence – but begins to slide toward a downward spiral that involves alcoholism, adultery and drug abuse. Completely disillusioned with life itself, the unsettling footage has Laney travel through her day in a daze, only responding to stimulus that involves reckless, mentally damaging behaviour.
It’s a scenery-chewing turn that has caught the attention of critics, praising Silverman’s delicate and multi-faceted portrayal of a mother on the brink, and we’re intrigued to see how her performance pans out over the course of the I Smile Back. Josh Charles, Thomas Sadoski, Mia Barron, Terry Kinney, and Chris Sarandon complete the cast.
Following its debut at Sundance, I Smile Back is one of the many attendees at the ongoing Toronto International Film Festival. It’ll make its bow in theaters on October 23.
I Smile Back explores the life of Laney (Sarah Silverman), an attractive, intelligent suburban wife and devoted mother of two adorable children. She has the perfect husband (Josh Charles), a pristine house, and a shiny SUV for carting the children to their next activity. However, just beneath the façade lie depression and disillusionment that send her careening into a secret world of reckless compulsion. Only very real danger will force her to face the painful root of her destructiveness and its crumbling effect on those she loves.
