High Art
1998 film by Lisa Cholodenko
title: "High Art" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1998-films", "1998-american-films", "1998-canadian-films", "1998-directorial-debut-films", "1998-independent-films", "1998-lgbtq-related-films", "1998-romantic-drama-films", "1990s-english-language-films", "american-independent-films", "american-lgbtq-related-films", "american-romantic-drama-films", "bisexuality-related-films", "canadian-lgbtq-related-films", "english-language-canadian-films", "english-language-independent-films", "english-language-romantic-drama-films", "films-about-heroin-addiction", "films-about-photographers", "films-directed-by-lisa-cholodenko", "lesbian-related-films", "lgbtq-related-independent-films", "lgbtq-related-romantic-drama-films", "sundance-film-festival-award–winning-films"] description: "1998 film by Lisa Cholodenko" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Art" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary 1998 film by Lisa Cholodenko ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox film"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | High Art |
| image | High art ver1.jpg |
| caption | Promotional poster |
| director | Lisa Cholodenko |
| writer | Lisa Cholodenko |
| producer | {{Plain list |
| starring | {{Plainlist |
| cinematography | Tami Reiker |
| editing | Amy E. Duddleston |
| music | Shudder to Think |
| studio | {{Plain list |
| distributor | {{Plain list |
| released | |
| runtime | 101 minutes |
| country | {{Plain list |
| language | English |
| gross | $2 million |
| :: |
::callout[type=note] the film ::
| name = High Art | image = High art ver1.jpg | caption = Promotional poster | director = Lisa Cholodenko | writer = Lisa Cholodenko | producer = {{Plain list|
- Jeff Levy-Hinte
- Susan A. Stover
- Dolly Hall | starring = {{Plainlist|
- Ally Sheedy
- Radha Mitchell
- Gabriel Mann
- Patricia Clarkson
- Bill Sage
- Anh Duong
- David Thornton
- Tammy Grimes}} | cinematography = Tami Reiker | editing = Amy E. Duddleston | music = Shudder to Think | studio = {{Plain list|
- 391 Productions
- Antidote Films | distributor = {{Plain list|
- October Films (United States)
- Odeon Films (Canada) | released = | runtime = 101 minutes | country = {{Plain list|
- United States
- Canada | language = English | gross = $2 million
High Art is a 1998 independent romantic drama written and directed by Lisa Cholodenko, and starring Ally Sheedy and Radha Mitchell. It premiered at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award, and saw a limited release in the United States on June 12, 1998.
The film received positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for Sheedy's performance, which earned several accolades, including the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress and the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress.
Synopsis
Sydney (or simply "Syd"), age 24, is a woman who has her whole life mapped out in front of her. Living with longtime boyfriend James, and working her way up at the respected high-art photography magazine Frame, Syd has desires and frustrations that seem typical and manageable. But when a crack in her ceiling springs a leak and Syd finds herself knocking on the door of her upstairs neighbor, a chance meeting suddenly takes her on a new path.
Opening the door to an uncharted world for Syd is Lucy Berliner, a renowned photographer, enchanting, elusive, and curiously retired. Now 40, Lucy lives with her once glamorous, heroin-addicted German girlfriend Greta, and plays host to a collection of hard-living party kids. Syd is fascinated by Lucy and becomes drawn into the center of Lucy's strangely alluring life upstairs.
Syd mentions Lucy to her bosses (without realising that she is famous) but they remain uninterested until they realise exactly who Lucy is. At a lunch, Lucy agrees to work for the magazine as long as Syd is her editor. Soon a working relationship develops between the two and a project is underway which promises a second chance for Lucy's career. But as Syd and Lucy's collaboration draws them closer together, their working relationship turns sexual and the lines between love and professionalism suddenly blur. As Syd slowly discovers the darker truths of Lucy's life on the edge, she is forced to confront her own hunger for recognition and the uncertain rewards of public esteem.
Cast
- Ally Sheedy as Lucy Berliner
- Radha Mitchell as Syd, an assistant editor at Frame
- Gabriel Mann as James, Syd's live-in boyfriend
- Charis Michelsen as Debby
- David Thornton as Harry, an editor at Frame and Syd's boss
- Anh Duong as Dominique, chief editor of Frame
- Patricia Clarkson as Greta, a German actress and Lucy's live-in girlfriend
- Helen Mendes as White Hawk
- Bill Sage as Arnie
- Tammy Grimes as Vera, Lucy's mother
- Cindra Feuer as Delia
- Anthony Ruivivar as Xanderr
- Elaine Tse as Zoe
- Rudolf Martin as Dieter
- Laura Ekstrand as Waitress
- Sarita Choudhury as Joan
Production notes
The photography by Lucy Berliner (Sheedy) was based on Nan Goldin's work. The photographs were made by Jojo Whilden.
Reception
Release
The film premiered at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews. A 4K restoration was released in April 2025.
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 76%, based on 49 reviews, and an average rating of 6.8/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "A surprisingly sultry performance from Ally Sheedy elevates High Art from pretentious melodrama to compelling—if still a little pretentious—romance." On Metacritic, High Art has a score of 73 based on 17 reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
Film critic Roger Ebert praised the film as "masterful", noting "High Art is so perceptive and mature it makes similar films seem flippant. The performances are on just the right note, scene after scene, for what needs to be done."
Emanuel Levy of Variety wrote, "The beauty of Cholodenko’s writing is that she etches the evolving friendship, and the transformation of the two women, step by step, without any cheating," and that she "painstakingly dissects the culture of heroin chic and its implications." Of Sheedy, Levy wrote after years of "’80s teen-angst movies, [she] shakes up her old screen image entirely and emerges as a mature, highly disciplined actress." Levy noted "Clarkson excels in portraying an aging, disenchanted actress, desperately clinging to Lucy – and to drugs", and singled out Mitchell as the film's "real revelation", saying "her scenes with Sheedy are so truthfully touching."
Janet Maslin of The New York Times praised the performances, but said the ending is one of "contrived inevitability."
IndieWire listed it as #7 of The 15 Greatest Lesbian Movies of All Time. In 2022, Autostraddle listed it as #58 of The 200 Best Lesbian Movies of All Time.
Awards and nominations
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References
References
- "High Art". [[IMDb#IMDbPro.
- Von Busack, Richard. "Cold Dish of Careerism". Metro Publishing Inc..
- Tatara, Paul. "Review: 'High Art' clever, but low on ambition". [[CNN]].
- Bergeson, Samantha. (February 8, 2025). "'High Art' 4K Trailer: Patricia Clarkson and Radha Mitchell's Indie Sleaze Romance Gets Stunning Restoration — Watch". IndieWire.
- "High Art". [[Fandango Media]].
- "High Art". [[Fandom (website).
- Ebert, Roger. "High Art Movie Review & Film Summary". [[Chicago Sun-Times]].
- Levy, Emanuel. "High Art". [[Penske Media Corporation]].
- Maslin, Janet. "FILM REVIEW; Jaded Artist and Ingenue In an Arty Spider Web". [[The New York Times]].
- Dry, Jude. "The 15 Greatest Lesbian Movies of All Time, Ranked". [[Penske Media Corporation]].
- Burnett Gregory, Drew. "The 100 Best Lesbian Movies Of All Time". The Excitant Group, LLC.
- "Boston Society of Film Critics Awards 1998".
- Cowan, Noah. "Summer 1998: Cannes Film Festival Roundup". [[The Gotham Film & Media Institute]].
- "High Art (1998) Awards & Festivals".
- "1999, 5th Annual Awards".
- "History – 1998, 24th edition".
- Hernandez, Eugene. ""Affliction" Tops Spirit Award Nominations; "Monster," "Art," and "Sex" Also Nab Numerous Nods". [[Penske Media Corporation]].
- . ["10th Annual GLAAD Media Awards Come to a Record-Breaking Close in Washington, DC"](http://www.qrd.org/qrd/orgs/GLAAD/1999/10th.annual.media.awards.come.to.record.breaking.close-05.09.99). *[[GLAAD]]*.
- "1998 Gotham Independent Film Awards".
- . ["L.A. Film Critics Salute 'Saving Private Ryan'"](https://www.chicagotribune.com/1998/12/14/la-film-critics-salute-saving-private-ryan/). *[[Chicago Tribune]]*.
- (December 19, 2009). "Past Awards".
- "1998 Sundance Film Festival".
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