Overview
A struggling biographer resorts to forgery to reclaim her writing career, leading to unexpected friendships and moral dilemmas.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- sardonic
- melancholic
- witty
- quiet evening
- adult movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly acclaimed the film as a deftly directed, darkly witty, emotionally affecting showcase for Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Lee uses her biographical writing skills to manufacture celebrity letters, finding artistic satisfaction in a fraudulent enterprise that worsens her isolation.
The central plot follows Lee and Jack as they produce and sell fake documents attributed to famous dead writers and performers.
Lee is selfish, lonely, alcoholic, and hostile to social conventions, yet her bond with Jack and attachment to writing reveal her need for connection and recognition.
Bookstores, agents, collectors, and literary acquaintances form the urban network through which Lee seeks money, legitimacy, and belonging.
Films like Can You Ever Forgive Me?, and why
I, Tonya
shared biographical crime comedy, morally compromised protagonist, and darkly witty tone
The Wolf of Wall Street
shared melancholic comedy, outsider protagonist, and strong lead performance centered on difficult real-life behavior
The Talented Mr. Ripley
shared literary setting, criminal deception, and bittersweet character study
The Informant!
shared understated crime drama, social alienation, and morally ambiguous companionship
Movie Details
- Director
- Marielle Heller
- Release Date
- 2018-10-19
- Runtime
- 106 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (1389)
Cast
- Melissa McCarthy
- Richard E. Grant
- Dolly Wells
- Ben Falcone
- Gregory Korostishevsky
- Jane Curtin
- Stephen Spinella
- Christian Navarro
- Pun Bandhu
- Erik LaRay Harvey
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Can You Ever Forgive Me? about?
- A disgraced literary biographer turns her gift for ventriloquizing famous writers into a lucrative forgery scheme, finding precarious friendship and dangerous purpose along the way.
- What is Can You Ever Forgive Me? like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Can You Ever Forgive Me? as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Can You Ever Forgive Me? violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Can You Ever Forgive Me?.
- What did critics think of Can You Ever Forgive Me??
- Critics broadly acclaimed the film as a deftly directed, darkly witty, emotionally affecting showcase for Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant.
- Which films are like Can You Ever Forgive Me??
- Films with a similar feel include I, Tonya, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and The Informant!.
- How long is Can You Ever Forgive Me??
- Can You Ever Forgive Me? runs 106 minutes.
- Where can I watch Can You Ever Forgive Me??
- In United States, Can You Ever Forgive Me? is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
