Adrienne (2021)

As the muse of Hal Hartley’s indie classics The Unbelievable Truth and Trust, and as the writer-director of the critically acclaimed Sundance Film Festival hit Waitress, Adrienne Shelly was a shining star in the indie film firmament, until her brutal murder in 2006 robbed the world of her singular talent, and her family of a beloved wife and mother.

Directed and produced by Shelly’s husband Andy Ostroy (who produced Shelly’s script for Serious Moonlight – starring Meg Ryan, Timothy Hutton and Kristen Bell – after her death), Adrienne takes viewers on Ostroy’s poignant journey to share Adrienne’s life story and honour her legacy, while giving a rare window into how a family navigates unfathomable tragedy.  

The film also features actors Keri Russell, Cheryl Hines and Nathan Fillion, who all starred in Waitress, along with Paul Rudd and others recalling their personal experiences with Shelly. Director Hal Hartley, singer/composer Sara Bareilles, retired NYC homicide detective Irma Rivera-Duffy, and forensic pathologist Dr Michael Baden, family members and friends also feature.

The documentary film is co-executive produced by Emmy winners Nancy Abraham (Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union, A Choice of Weapons, Allen v. Farrow), Marc Levin (Brick City, Thug Life in D.C.) and Lisa Heller (Exterminate All the Brutes, The Crime of the Century, The Vow, McMillions).