Miss Jessica Is Pregnant

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Miss Jessica Is Pregnant

R

1967

1h 22m

Drama

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Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

6 Reviews

88%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Jessica, the daughter of a coal miner, has a fling with her half brother Carl and becomes pregnant.

Richard Brody

The New Yorker

Blending fervent quasi-documentary curiosity with expressive fury, Anderson-working with nonprofessional actors-embeds practical details of the town's history and struggles in the tense, myth-drenched drama of liberation and retribution.

Nov 19, 2018

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Ross Lipman

Sight & Sound

This wasn't just a nice, obscure film that would speak to a few cinephiles like ourselves, but a compelling and beautiful drama that held its own with the very best of independent cinema.

Jul 10, 2018

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Ben Sachs

Chicago Reader

The documentary-style portraits of the characters' impoverished neighbors display the influence of Italian neorealism, and the shadow-heavy photography at times evokes German expressionism.

Oct 8, 2015

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David Bax

Battleship Pretension

Andersons truly independent and recently restored film feels like a miracle of a discovery.

Feb 4, 2022

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Mattie Lucas

From the Front Row

The resurrection of an important piece of American independent cinema, a jagged, piercing look at small town life and the ruinous effects of economic depression that feels more relevant than ever.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jun 17, 2020

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Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

'Spring Night, Summer Night' is, unlike most ordinary movies, a snapshot of what the American Dream really looks like.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jun 6, 2020

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Kevin L

'Melancholic'? More like melons and cowlicks. This cornpone catastrophy did very little for me. Besides holding up an awful stereotype of rural people, there's little quality in the writing, with poor dialogue. Worst than that is the acting. Just because you use locals who may know the local culture/traditions, lifestyle, drudgery, it doesn't mean they can show it well or accurately in front of a camera. Some credit to Hall and Mae for acceptable performances. But director Joseph L. Anderson brought nothing original or particularly realistic aside from the locations in southern Ohio. I've seen this described as 'a snapshot of what the American Dream really looks like.' ??? Then I see it mentioned as 'documentary style', which I think reflects more of the poor acting, and as a 'a miracle of a discovery'. Jeebus, really? 2 low stars

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

10/05/23

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william k

Intense, realistic smalltown melodrama is fascinatingly offers poetic cinematography and convincing amateur performances.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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J.L. Anderson

Director

Larue Hall

Jessica

Marjorie Johnson

Mother

John Crawford

Father

Ted Heim

Carl

David Ayres

Gas Station Owner

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Synopsis

Jessica, the daughter of a coal miner, has a fling with her half brother Carl and becomes pregnant.

Director: J.L. Anderson
Producer: J.L. Anderson, Franklin Miller
Screenwriter: J.L. Anderson, Franklin Miller, Doug Rapp
Production Co: Triskele
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 19, 2018
Runtime: 1h 22m