Mrs. Harris

Mrs. Harris is a 2005 drama television film written and directed by Phyllis Nagy.^[1] Based on the 1983 non-fiction book Very Much a Lady by Shana Alexander, the film explores the complex and volatile relationship between Herman Tarnower, a prominent cardiologist and author of The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet, and Jean Harris, the headmistress of an elite girls' school. The film is a co-production of the United States and the United Kingdom, and was produced by Killer Films, Number 9 Films, and John Wells Productions for HBO Films.

Mrs. Harris
Original poster
Genre	Drama
Based on	Very Much a Lady by Shana Alexander
Written by	Phyllis Nagy
Directed by	Phyllis Nagy
Starring	Annette Bening Ben Kingsley
Music by	Alex Wurman
Country of origin	United States United Kingdom
Original language	English
Production
Executive producers	Elizabeth Karlsen Pam Koffler Christine Vachon John Wells
Producer	Chrisann Verges
Cinematography	Steven Poster
Editors	Curtiss Clayton Lee Percy
Running time	95 minutes
Production companies	HBO Films John Wells Productions Killer Films Number 9 Films
Original release
Network	HBO
Release	September 16, 2005 (2005-09-16)

It stars Annette Bening as Harris and Ben Kingsley as Tarnower, with supporting performances by Cloris Leachman, Chloë Sevigny, and a cameo appearance by Ellen Burstyn—who had previously portrayed Harris in the 1981 television film The People vs. Jean Harris. Mrs. Harris premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 16, 2005, and was later broadcast on HBO on February 25, 2006.

Mrs. Harris received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised Bening and Kingsley's performances, particularly for their emotional depth and nuance. It earned multiple award nominations, including a leading seven at the 58th Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Television Movie, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie (for Kingsley), Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie (Bening), and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie (for both Burstyn and Leachman).

Plot

On a stormy March night in 1980, Jean Harris, the headmistress of a Virginia girls' school, arrives at the home of her former lover, renowned cardiologist Herman Tarnower, in Purchase, New York, after a long drive. Intending to confront him and end her life on his estate following his growing attachment to his younger secretary, Lynne Tryforos, Jean instead becomes involved in a physical struggle during which Tarnower is shot. She initially leaves to seek help but returns when she sees police arriving at the house.

Told through a nonlinear narrative structure, the film interweaves flashbacks and flashforwards to depict the history of Jean and Herman's turbulent relationship. Their romance, which began with promise, gradually deteriorates as Herman's domineering personality and serial infidelity take a psychological toll on Jean. Despite his engagement gesture—a flashy ring she deems inappropriate for her professional image—Herman refuses to marry her, citing his unwillingness to take on a paternal role for her two sons. As their relationship sours, Herman continues to manipulate Jean, maintaining emotional control and prescribing her a regimen of medications that lead to dependency.

As the story progresses to Jean's trial for murder, a second depiction of the shooting is shown, contrasting the earlier portrayal. In this version, Jean is seen deliberately shooting Herman multiple times, contradicting her courtroom claim of accidental discharge. Her refusal to allow her attorney to present Tarnower's manipulative behavior as part of her defense undermines a plea of emotional disturbance. She is ultimately convicted and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women in Westchester County.

Cast

• Annette Bening as Jean Harris
• Ben Kingsley as Herman Tarnower
• Cloris Leachman as Pearl Schwartz
• Bill Smitrovich as Joel Arnou
• Chloë Sevigny as Lynne Tryforos
• Frances Fisher as Marge Jacobson
• Michael Gross as Leslie Jacobson
• Cristine Rose as Suzanne
• Mary McDonnell as Vivian Schulte
• Philip Baker Hall as Arthur Schulte
• Robert Cicchini as Detective Siciliano
• Michael Paul Chan as Dr. Louis Roh
• Ellen Burstyn as Former Tarnower Steady
• Nan Martin as Mama Tarnower
• Lisa Edelstein as Forensic Psychologist
• Brett Butler as Tarnower Ex #1
• Lee Garlington as Tarnower Ex #2
• Jessica Tuck as Wife #1
• John Rubinstein as Tarnower's Best Friend
• Larry Drake as Harris Defense Team Psychiatrist
• Heidemarie Fuentes as Crying Court Room Spectator (uncredited)
• Michael C. Moore as Jimmie Harris

Production

Development

Mrs. Harris was adapted for television by playwright and screenwriter Phyllis Nagy, who also made her directorial debut with the film. The project was initiated when executive producer Elizabeth Karlsen brought Nagy in to discuss potential directors. In an interview with Creative Screenwriting, Nagy recalled, "After I finished the first draft of that script, and Liz Karlsen brought me in to talk about directors, I knew she was going to ask me who I thought could direct this. I thought to myself, 'Well, I want to direct it.' But I didn't say that." When Karlsen rejected the other names Nagy suggested, she proposed that Nagy direct it herself—a decision Nagy described as both unexpected and affirming.^[2]

Casting

The film stars Annette Bening as Jean Harris and Ben Kingsley as Dr. Herman Tarnower, supported by Cloris Leachman as Tarnower's sister and Chloë Sevigny as Lynne Tryforos, his secretary and lover. Ellen Burstyn, who portrayed Harris in the 1981 television film The People vs. Jean Harris, appears in a cameo role as Gerda Stedman, one of Tarnower's former romantic partners. Burstyn's brief appearance—consisting of two lines of dialogue totaling 38 words and lasting 14 seconds—earned her a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie. In response, she quipped, "My next ambition is to get nominated for seven seconds, and, ultimately, I want to be nominated for a picture in which I don't even appear."^[3]

Filming

The film was produced for HBO by Killer Films, Number 9 Films, and John Wells Productions. Production design and visual aesthetics aimed to capture the contrasting environments of Harris's structured professional life and her increasingly chaotic personal relationship with Tarnower. The film used a nonlinear narrative style with flashbacks and flashforwards to parallel Jean Harris's emotional deterioration and the unraveling of her trial.

Critical reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 43% of 7 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.2/10.^[4] On Metacritic, Mrs. Harris holds a weighted average score of 70 out of 100, based on 21 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".^[5] In his review for Variety, Dennis Harvey described the film as "competent rather than inspired" and "an uneven affair", noting that it struggles to settle on a consistent tone. He wrote, "Elements of mystery, social satire (Nagy does have some bright lines up her sleeve), psychological horror story, black comedy, and straightforward tragic love story all jostle without complementing each other or achieving a successful kaleidoscope effect." Nevertheless, he acknowledged that "tale and execution are both colorful enough to hold attention."^[6]

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Nominee(s)	Result	Ref.
2006	Artios Awards	Outstanding Achievement in Casting – TV Movie of the Week	Junie Lowry Johnson	Won	[7]
	Online Film & Television Association Awards	Best Motion Picture Made for Television		Nominated	[8]
		Best Actor in a Motion Picture or Miniseries	Ben Kingsley	Nominated
		Best Actress in a Motion Picture or Miniseries	Annette Bening	Nominated
		Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture or Miniseries	Frances Fisher	Nominated
			Cloris Leachman	Won[a]
		Best Direction of a Motion Picture or Miniseries	Phyllis Nagy	Nominated
		Best Writing of a Motion Picture or Miniseries		Nominated
		Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture or Miniseries		Nominated
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Television Movie	Elizabeth Karlsen, Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon, Chrisann Verges, and John Wells	Nominated	[9]
		Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie	Ben Kingsley	Nominated
		Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie	Annette Bening	Nominated
		Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie	Ellen Burstyn	Nominated
			Cloris Leachman	Nominated
		Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or Movie	Phyllis Nagy	Nominated
		Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries or Movie		Nominated
		Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries or Movie	Libby Goldstein and Junie Lowry Johnson	Nominated
		Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie	Steven Poster	Nominated
		Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or Special	Elaine Ramires and Julie Weiss	Nominated
		Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries or Movie	Elle Elliott, Bunny Parker, and Susan Schuler	Nominated
		Outstanding Makeup (Non-Prosthetic)	Michele Baylis, Julie Hewett, Tina Roesler Kerwin, and Elisa Marsh	Nominated
	Satellite Awards	Best Television Film		Nominated	[10]
		Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film	Ben Kingsley	Nominated
		Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film	Annette Bening	Nominated
	Women's Image Network Awards	Outstanding Made for Television Movie/Mini-Series		Won
		Outstanding Film or Show Directed by a Woman	Phyllis Nagy	Won
2007	American Cinema Editors Awards	Best Edited Miniseries or Motion Picture for Non-Commercial Television	Curtiss Clayton and Lee Percy	Nominated	[11]
	Costume Designers Guild Awards	Outstanding Made for Television Movie or Miniseries	Julie Weiss	Nominated	[12]
	Golden Globe Awards	Best Miniseries or Television Film		Nominated	[13]
		Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film	Ben Kingsley	Nominated
		Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film	Annette Bening	Nominated
	Gracie Awards	Outstanding Director – Entertainment	Phyllis Nagy	Won	[14]
	Producers Guild of America Awards	David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television	Elizabeth Karlsen, Pamela Koffler, and Christine Vachon	Nominated	[15]
	Screen Actors Guild Awards	Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie	Annette Bening	Nominated	[16]
			Cloris Leachman	Nominated

DVD release

Mrs. Harris was released on DVD by HBO Home Video in anamorphic widescreen format on August 1, 2006.^[17] The disc includes audio options in English and Spanish, with subtitles available in English, Spanish, and French. Special features include an audio commentary with Annette Bening, Ben Kingsley, and writer-director Phyllis Nagy, as well as a short featurette titled Mrs. Harris: For the Record, which presents brief interviews with individuals connected to the real-life events, including Jean Harris herself.^[18] The film was re-released on DVD in September 2012.^[19]

Notes

1. Tied with Anna Maxwell Martin for Bleak House.