| The Girl | |
|---|---|
&sq=Facebook&lang=en&file=File:The_Girl_(2012_TV_film_poster).jpg) Quad poster | |
| Genre | Biography Drama |
| Based on | Spellbound by Beauty by Donald Spoto |
| Written by | Gwyneth Hughes |
| Directed by | Julian Jarrold |
| Starring | Toby Jones Sienna Miller |
| Theme music composer | Philip Miller |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producer | Amanda Jenks |
| Cinematography | John Pardue |
| Editor | Andrew Hulme |
| Running time | 91 minutes |
| Production company | BBC/HBO |
| Original release | |
| Network | HBO |
| Release | 20 October 2012 |
| Network | BBC Two |
| Release | 26 December 2012 |
| Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) | |
The Girl is a 2012 British television film directed by Julian Jarrold, written by Gwyneth Hughes and produced by the BBC and HBO Films. The film stars Sienna Miller as Tippi Hedren and Toby Jones as Alfred Hitchcock. It is based on Donald Spoto's 2009 book Spellbound by Beauty: Alfred Hitchcock and His Leading Ladies, which discusses the English film director Hitchcock and the women who played leading roles in his films. The Girl's title was inspired by Hitchcock's alleged nickname for Hedren.
The film depicts Hitchcock's alleged obsession with Hedren, the American model and actress he brought from relative obscurity to star in his 1963 film The Birds. Hitchcock becomes infatuated with his leading lady; when she rebuffs his advances, he subjects her to a series of traumatic experiences during the filming of The Birds. Hitchcock's obsession with Hedren continues when she stars in his next production, Marnie. Hedren grows increasingly uncomfortable with his attentions, and decides that she needs to escape the situation. However, she cannot work elsewhere because of her exclusive contract with Hitchcock; this effectively ends her Hollywood career.
The Girl made its television debut in the United States on 20 October 2012 on HBO and aired in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 26 December. Jones and Miller were nominated for awards at the 2013 Golden Globe Awards and the British Academy Television Awards for their roles in the film, which received mixed reviews from critics.