Director Steven Bernstein's feature debut, which he co-wrote with his son Adam Bernstein and physician Dr. Michael Moss, is based on two true stories and weaves together the fifteen year journeys of two women both struggling to overcome insuperable odds. Annie Parker (Samantha Morton) is on intimate terms with breast cancer, having watched both her mother and sister succumb to it. When she herself is diagnosed with the cruel disease, she bravely struggles to hold herself and her family together, displaying a force of will that contradicts the odds. Meanwhile, geneticist Dr. Mary-Claire King (Helen Hunt) is researching the hereditary link between DNA and breast cancer, a process that finds her scrambling for both funding and the support of her disbelieving colleagues. How the paths of these two women intersect is funny, irreverent, and heartwarming without sentimentality or melodrama. Bernstein, both in his direction and writing, deftly balances the seriousness of the situation with the all too human response, finding unpredictable grace notes of beauty and wit during even the darkest of times. Featuring award worthy performances by Morton, Hunt, and an equally impressive supporting cast including Aaron Paul, Rashida Jones, Alice Eve, Bradley Whitford, and Maggie Grace, Bernstein's film pays tribute to one of the most important scientific discoveries of the 20th century as well as the people forever changed in its wake.
Review of Decoding Annie Parker
