There’s finally a way to watch the definitive version of Kenneth Lonergan’s 2011 film Margaret, which has been hailed by many as “forgotten masterpiece.” Previously, the only way to watch the extended cut of the film was on DVD. Margaret stars Anna Paquin, Mark Ruffalo, Matt Damon, Allison Janney, Jean Reno, and J. Smith-Cameron.
The film centers around Paquin as Lisa, a stubborn teenager who flirts with her math teacher, defies her stage-actress single mom and causes a fatal bus crash. The incident sends Lisa down a destructive and existential path.
The original cut of Margaret was seen as a misstep for Lonergan when it had a limited run back in 2011, but the film saw a relaunch in 2012, which gave critics a chance to reevaluate the star-studded drama.
“To me, ‘director’s cut’ means that what was released before was somebody else’s cut,” said Lonergan in a 2012 interview with IndieWire. “That, to me, always implies that what was released wasn’t what the director wanted. That’s just not what happened. The cut that was released was the cut I delivered. They’re both the director’s cut; they’re just different cuts. One of them was just free from the constraints of worrying about the time.”
The film also features performances from Matthew Broderick, John Gallagher Jr., Kieran Culkin, and even Lonergan himself as Lisa’s father. Both cuts of Margaret are currently available on HBO Max.
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