Fairyland is a 2023 American coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Andrew Durham in his feature directorial debut. It is based on Alysia Abbott's memoir Fairyland: A Memoir of My Father. The film stars Emilia Jones, Scoot McNairy, Geena Davis, Cody Fern, Adam Lambert and Maria Bakalova.
Fairyland premiered on January 20, 2023 at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.
Premise
Arriving in San Francisco very little, just after the death of her mother in a car accident in 1973, Alysia Abbott is living with her father Steve Abbott, a poet and activist who comes out as gay. Steve’s bohemian lifestyle clashes with the expectations of being a parent from both the outside world and Alysia herself, who occasionally wishes for less of the independence her father gives her. Their bonds and duty to each other are tested in painful and sudden ways. Years later, she discovers a world of artists and writers, but also the AIDS crisis when people around her contract the virus to which her father also falls victim.
Cast
Emilia Jones as Alysia Abbott
Nessa Dougherty as a younger Alysia Abbott
Scoot McNairy as Steve Abbott
Geena Davis as Munca
Cody Fern as Eddie Body
Bella Murphy as Yayne
Adam Lambert as Charlie
Ryan Thurston as Johnny
Maria Bakalova as Paulette
Production
In 2013, it was reported that American Zoetrope had successfully attained the screen rights for Alysia Abbott's memoir Fairyland: A Memoir of My Father, and that Sofia Coppola would adapt the book with Andrew Durham. Coppola would also originally produce the film with her brother Roman Coppola. Durham later assumed the role of the film's sole writer and director while Coppola remained involved as a producer.
In June 2022, it was announced that production had wrapped with Emilia Jones, Scoot McNairy, Geena Davis, Adam Lambert, Cody Fern, Bella Murphy and Nessa Dougherty starring in an ensemble cast. In August 2022, Maria Bakalova was also revealed to be appearing in the film.
Release
It premiered on January 20, 2023 at the Sundance Film Festival.
Reception
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 97% based on 29 reviews, with an average rating of 6.3/10. The critics consensus reads, "Drawing on one family's real-life experiences, the powerfully acted Fairyland pays poignant tribute to love and resilience in the face of adversity and tragedy." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 68 out of 100, based on 9 reviews indicating "generally favorable reviews".