Huievest Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

Livestonth I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

Sameer Callahan It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Edwin The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

flackjacket This movie paved a new road to a previously unknown art form. Something I've never seen before on screen, or in real life.As many have pointed out - it has sub par acting, poor script writing and looks as if it was directed by a high school media student who gets bad grades. But that's all been done before.There was one thing that this movie had that no other movie before ever had. That is, the art of audible smoking.I've known a lot of smokers over the years, both male and female, young and old. And I've never seen (or should I say heard) any of them smoke the way the lead "actress" of this film does. This audible smoking technique runs throughout the film, but the most notable example is the scene in her brother's kitchen where she is standing in front of the wall phone.There's the loud inhale, a brief pause, and then the louder exhale carefully skewing the mouth sideways so as not to blow smoke at the cameraman.Another example is when the biker enters her room. Once again, the loud inhale, a brief pause and then the louder sideways exhale.I've been on earth for over half a decade. Like I said, I've known a lot of smokers. But I've never seen or heard any of them smoke like this.

bowmanblue No mistake, some people may find 'Sherrybaby' a little difficult to watch. But then it's designed that way. It covers many difficult subjects, but manages not to be gratuitous in the process. Maggie Gyllenhaal plays the titular character, Sherry Swanson, who is released from prison and sets about trying to get her life back together and patch things up with the young daughter she lost.However, Sherry has a few personal demons that won't seem to let her go entirely straight. For a start, she's promiscuous, craves hard drugs and isn't slow to use her fists if she thinks she will. All in all this would normally make any 'lead character' pretty unlikable. However, I think most people will still root for Sherry. Because behind all that is a deeply troubled soul who, in her heart, is trying to do good, only her past just won't seem to let her.Plus Gyllenhaal plays the part with just enough balance to show Sherry's bad and good qualities. She's certainly no 'traditional' lead character, but her frailties are there for all to see – and don't we all have some of those? As the story progresses, we learn more about her past and, even though it's not spelt out to us, can put together what made her that way.Sherrybaby is worth seeing if you enjoy poignant film-making that really gets you to root for a damaged character and makes you want to see them succeed despite the odds.I won't go into too many plot points, as I don't want to give too much away, but, as I said earlier, it does deal with numerous 'hard-hitting' topics. Just because you don't see too much (graphically) doesn't mean that it's not lurking beneath the surface.Gyllenhaal didn't get an Oscar nod for her performance, but that doesn't mean her portrayal wasn't Oscar-worthy.

Desertman84 An emotionally stunted ex-convict whose recent release from prison finds her attempting to form a relationship with her young daughter finds that redemption doesn't come easy in this emotional family drama,Sherrybaby. It is the feature debut of award-winning documentary filmmaker Laurie Collyer. The movie stars Maggie Gyllenhaal in the title role together with Brad William Henke,Sam Bottoms,Kate Burton,Giancarlo Esposito and Danny Trejo.When Sherry Swanson was sentenced to three years in prison on a drug- related robbery conviction at the age of 22, she had just given birth to a daughter named Alexis. Placed in the care of Sherry's brother, Bobby, and sister-in-law, Lynette, while her mother was behind bars, young Alexis has grown into an affectionate young girl eager to reconnect with the mother she has never met. Though Sherry at first seems determined to stay on the straight and narrow, increasingly infrequent visits to Alexis and a troubling revelation about her family past soon begin to lead the protective Lynette to take a stand in protecting the vulnerable youngster. Later, when compassionate 12-step veteran Dean makes an effort to help Sherry become the mother she longs to be, the troubled ex-con is faced with the choice of truly living up to her word or potentially losing her daughter forever.This movie which is based on a true story, explodes with manic energy keeps you riveted through parts that might otherwise be difficult to watch.It is itself is a collection of emotional highs and mostly lows for Maggie Gyllenhaal, who elevates it all far above the slim story as she presents us with an indelible character study that will be seared into our minds for a long time to come and makes us care for her character after she gives a tour de force performance in the title role.Overall,it is a disturbing film that should not be missed.

secondtake Sherrybaby (2006)An almost literal slice of life, and highly believable. Maggie Gyllenhaal is everything here, and she acts her heart out. Which is to say, she makes her part so convincing in the nuances and lack of glamor (utterly), she becomes the character, Sherry, a former junkie just released from jail. It's a story of her trying to find the dignity and frankly intelligence to cope and to reintegrate. Around her is a fairly ordinary world, and she uses sex and a little pent up anger to wend her way between her parole officers, her sister-in-law, her halfway house roomies, and a new friend or two. Key to all this is Sherry's little girl, who she clearly loves. But she doesn't have a clue how to be a mother.This must be a painfully common story, and the one drawback is the events float in their slice-of-life as if that's sufficient. It is convincing, but by halfway through it starts to become clear that there is, in fact, no "story" at all. It's just going to be the meandering of this young woman, barely dressed in every scene, never seeing herself for how other people see her, in one big heartbreak. It has an ending, a kind of denouement, but it's very slight. So, this is easy to recommend: try the first ten minutes. If you like getting absorbed, and don't mind that getting absorbed is the only point, then go for it. Gyllenhaal is a wonder, and the cast around her is right on. Director Laurie Collyer is someone to watch. When she gets more cinematically narrative and transforming material, she might pull off a more lasting masterpiece. This is her first full-fledged film (after a well-regarded HBO movie), and it's very smartly made.