“Hard Truths” (2024). Cast: Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Michele Austin, David Webber, Tuwaine Barrett, Jonathan Livingstone, Ani Nelson, Sophia Brown, Samantha Spiro, Naana Agyei Ampadu, Syrus Lowe, Ruby Bentall, Hiral Varsani, Alice Bailey Johnson, Gary Beadle, Ashna Rabheru, Diveen Henry, Bryony Miller. Director: Mike Leigh. Screenplay: Mike Leigh. Web site. Trailer.

Many of us these days are experiencing a certain inexplicable unsettledness with our lives, a constant sense of frustration and restlessness that seems to defy explanation – or resolution. Because of those conditions, we may also find ourselves becoming increasingly aggravated, with our fuses growing progressively shorter. And, no matter what we might do to try and address these circumstances, it often feels like nothing works, that the irritation is perpetual and unrelenting. As a consequence, coping becomes virtually impossible as we struggle to find a way to keep going, circumstances all too familiar to a middle-aged British housewife in her attempts to keep from losing it, as seen in the new dark comedy-drama, “Hard Truths.”

Homemaker Pansy Deacon (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) is perpetually angry at life, constantly doling out complaints and insults at everyone and everything in her path. In fact, she’s become so adept at this dubious “skill” that she’s practically perfected it as an artform. She routinely laces her criticisms with pointed humor that, at least superficially, comes across as hilarious. But, when one looks at her situation more closely, it doesn’t seem all that funny.

Pansy essentially berates everyone with whom she comes into contact, and the effects of her tongue lashings can be devastating on her targets. This is perhaps best seen in her dealings with her family, such as her husband, Curley (David Webber), a generally good-natured, hard-working bloke who never seems to do enough to satisfy his incessantly irascible wife, treatment that often prompts him to shut down and tune her out. Then there’s Pansy’s 22-year-old habitually unemployed son, Moses (Tuwaine Barrett), who has been so repeatedly beaten down by his mother’s never-ending stream of disparagement that he has virtually cut himself off from life entirely, rarely speaking, doing little to care for himself and often disappearing for hours on end without explanation. But Curley and Moses are not the only ones to incur Pansy’s wrath; even those who try to be friendly, nice or accommodating become victims of her tirades, as seen in a series of incidents involving her doctor (Ruby Bentall), her dentist (Hiral Versani), a furniture store salesperson (Alice Bailey Johnson), a supermarket cashier (Ashna Rabheru) and Curley’s trusty co-worker, Virgil (Jonathan Livingstone). And there are times when Pansy gets back what she dishes out, encouraging her to up her game even more, as happens in confrontations with an irate motorist (Gary Beadle) and a pair of grocery store customers (Bryony Miller, Diveen Henry).

In fact, the only people who don’t take offense at Pansy’s railings are her younger sister, Chantelle (Michele Austin), and her two daughters, Kayla (Ani Nelson) and Aleisha (Sophia Brown). They genuinely try to understand the rage residing within their sister/aunt, offering kindness and support, no matter how challenging that may become. Such attempts at appeasement sometimes help to calm Pansy, but the resulting quietude also frequently carries a certain aura of resentment with it, as if she feels she’s being denied the opportunity to express herself and to relish the one thing that seems to give her any degree of satisfaction. And that, in turn, evokes what appears to be the onset of depression, which raises questions about the state of Pansy’s well-being and mental health.

All of the foregoing naturally begs the questions, “Where is all this coming from?” and “What prompted its emergence?” And those are indeed valid questions. Is it due to the stresses of everyday modern life (which, given prevailing conditions these days, could be seen as understandable)? Are there deep-seeded issues that Pansy is unable or unwilling to address? And has she become so accustomed to thinking and feeling this way that she can’t (or won’t) envision any other way of being? At one point, there are allusions to Pansy’s past, when her mother relegated her the ongoing responsibility of becoming Chantelle’s caretaker, thereby somehow depriving her the joys of growing up, but is this enough to still be setting her off so many years later (and to this degree)? Moreover, if this resentment is indeed the underlying cause, how is it that Pansy is able to keep herself from taking things out on her sister? Is it possible that somewhere deep down inside her consciousness she might see a way to bring herself out of this state of unrelenting anger but can’t bring herself to do so?

Such are the challenges that Pansy must wrestle with. But can she overcome them, or is it too much for her to handle? If she truly wants to find an answer, one will surface, but it must come from within her, specifically the beliefs she holds about herself and the world around her. That’s crucial considering the role that our beliefs play in the manifestation of our existence, the outcome that arises from the conscious creation process, the philosophy that makes this result possible. It’s unclear – in fact, in this case, highly doubtful – that Pansy has ever heard of this way of thinking. But, if she ever hopes to unburden herself of the weight of circumstances pressing down on her, she would be wise to do some soul-searching in the hope that she discovers it and put it to use in her life.

Of course, to understand how to make use of our beliefs in this way, we must understand what they are in the first place – that is, what notions have hold over our thinking and that govern what they manifest. This may not be easy to determine, though, given that our beliefs can become deeply embedded in our consciousness, almost to the point where we don’t readily recognize or understand them or how they hold sway in our existence. Only then can we begin the process of adjusting them to create more satisfactory or amenable forms.

This first step is positively crucial where Pansy is concerned. As her story plays out, it’s apparent she does not have a clear handle over her beliefs and why they’re expressing themselves as they are. And, considering how firmly entrenched they appear to be, she has her work cut out for herself in determining what they are, how they came to be and the ways in which she might want to consider changing them. That’s truly a tall order.

One point on which Pansy seems intractable is the fact that others often seem unwilling to acknowledge her beliefs and their associated feelings for what they are. They keep trying to change her to the way that they think she should be. But that attempt at imposed denial is a source of resentment for her; it’s as if others are trying to willfully and summarily dismiss her right to holding those notions, and she’s incensed by it, clearly dug into the idea that her beliefs and feelings must be acknowledged for what they are, no matter how much others may disagree with them. After all, they represent who she is, and rejecting them out of hand is, in turn, a rejection of her. Is it any wonder, then, why she remains perpetually angry?

This is important for others to recognize, because beliefs and feelings like this don’t know logic. They are what they are and can’t just be willed away because we don’t agree with them. However, by making the effort to try and understand why these beliefs are in place, we create an environment of recognition and acceptance, something that Pansy apparently needs if she’s ever to begin to process of rewriting them to something more suitable, acceptable and satisfying.

Is that too much to ask? Some might say yes without another thought. But those who are willing to take the time to consider this idea may quickly come to realize that it’s not unreasonable, given that it’s something we all likely want for ourselves. Why should Pansy be any different?

To compound matters, if she looks around and sees others getting what she wants, she might not only feel resentful, but also alone. She could well see herself as being purposely excluded. Suppose what any of us might come to believe – and how any of us might feel – if we were in Pansy’s shoes? Understanding this would go a long way toward explaining the relentless anger and periodic depression she experiences. If beliefs and feelings like these are allowed to become so ingrained and remain unacknowledged by others, is it any surprise, then, that they manifest in the form of such open hostility?

Unfortunately, there are so many people experiencing what Pansy is going through these days, and it’s a safe bet that they’re feeling the same kind of marginalization she’s undergoing. While it’s reasonable to believe that they shouldn’t be given carte blanche when it comes to expressing themselves and their discontent, that’s not to suggest that they should be prevented from doing so at all. Venting is vital to them at least until their beliefs and feelings are recognized to an acceptable degree, and that’s especially true when no one is willing to extend such a degree of compassion and understanding. Pansy can certainly relate to this, too, given that the only ones in her life who seem willing to do so are Chantelle and her daughters. Fortunately, they appear to have enough insight to see that something is seriously amiss in Pansy’s psyche and that she needs to be heard and understood if anything meaningful is ever to change.

Sadly, because Pansy’s beliefs and feelings appear to be hanging on so stubbornly, they’re likely to be difficult to abandon – and, consequently, to make alterations in her thinking attainable. Indeed, they can prove to be quite an impediment to invoking change, reinforcing the loneliness and victimhood that she’s experiencing and that are likely to continue being expressed through her antisocial behavior. And it’s because of this that her colorfully creative barbs don’t seem so funny after a while. But, if others are willing to extend to her the same courtesy of acknowledgment that the majority of us so readily enjoy, there may be hope for Pansy yet. The hard truths of life may thus come to be somewhat softened, opening the door to a more agreeable form of existence. For Pansy’s sake – and all the others who find themselves in her circumstances – let us all hope so.

As many of us can attest, the strains of daily living and the ghosts of our past can take their toll on us in myriad ways, leaving us frazzled, frustrated, depressed and perpetually angry. We may not like the emergence of those outcomes, as they can effectively isolate us from others, including those we’re thought to care most about. But those conditions can become so overwhelming that we can’t cope nor allow well-meaning others to step in and help us. Such is the case for Pansy Deacon and her familiars. Some onlookers may contend that such behavior is little more than a way to attract attention and sympathy and that there comes a point where patience and tolerance run out, but this story also draws valuable attention to the need for compassion and understanding in situations like these.

As with many of his other film projects, writer-director Mike Leigh again presents viewers with a character study of an individual who fruitlessly wrestles with her circumstances without direction and ultimately comes no closer to resolving them than where she was when the opening credits rolled. Consequently, some may find this a frustrating, repetitive cinematic experience. Yet, to its credit, the film also paints a realistic, candid portrait to which many of us can probably quietly relate. In telling Pansy’s story, the filmmaker concocts an intriguing mix of comedy and drama, though, as noted above, the laughs generated here may prove to be not so funny as the protagonist’s saga plays out. To that end then, some might argue that “Hard Truths” offers us no easy answers, but isn’t that often the case where working through life’s hard truths is concerned? While the character development here could stand to be a little stronger at times (especially in terms of back story) and some ancillary narrative threads could have been easily eliminated – elements not uncommon in Leigh’s pictures – this is arguably the director’s most intimate, heartfelt and accessible release. In large part that’s thanks to the film’s National Board of Review Award-winning screenplay and its excellent performances, most notably Jean-Baptiste’s award-worthy portrayal, one that deservedly earned her BAFTA and Critics Choice Award nominations. Given the foregoing, this may not be the easiest picture to watch, but it’s sure to provide us with much to reflect upon both for others – and ourselves – as we seek to figure how to assess life and the challenges it presents us.

In addition to the foregoing honors, “Hard Truths” also earned other accolades, including a BAFTA Award nomination for Best British Film and an Independent Spirit Award nod for Best International Film. The picture was also named one of the National Board of Review’s Top 10 independent films of 2024. The release recently completed its theatrical run but is now available for streaming online.

In 1974, the British-American pop band America scored a hit with the single Lonely People by songwriters Dan and Catherine Peek, a thought-provoking number that opened with the line “This is for all the lonely people thinking that life has passed them by.” Sadly, this is a sentiment to which far too many individuals can relate, and one might contend that this would undoubtedly include Pansy Deacon. What’s more, it’s a situation from which she sees no escape, a scenario in which she’s locked in (or, more precisely, one might say in which she’s locked herself in). However, as the song’s hopeful lyrics progress, they take on an optimistic tone, encouraging those who feel left out to make an effort to try and change their circumstances. And, where our beliefs are involved, that’s entirely possible as long as we attempt to adjust what seems like an unalterable fate. It may not be an easy process, but, in all honesty, one has nothing to lose by giving it a shot, especially in light of the alternative. Indeed, as America observed, doing so might truly make it possible to “drink from the silver cup,” a prospect preferable to forever remaining thirsty, lonesome and left out in the cold. All one need do is try.

Copyright © 2025, by Brent Marchant. All rights reserved.