decoding annie parker movie review

Decoding Annie Parker

“Decoding Annie Parker” is the kind of movie a critic ought to feel like a heel for panning. The actual events that the picture, directed by Steven Bernstein , from a script by the director, Adam Bernstein , and Michael Moss , represent medical milestones that have led to significant advances in the diagnoses and treatment of breast cancer. The woman who lends this movie its title, a real-life three-time cancer survivor, is a model of bravery and good humor, among other exceptional qualities. The doctor who proved the genetic predisposition aspect of cancer—that it is, or can be, passed down from grandmother to mother to daughter—is a rightly lauded physician. If there’s going to be a fictionalized movie depicting their struggles, it should be a good one.

But in life and perhaps even more especially in art, there are no guarantees. And despite a potentially inspiring story and sincere efforts from a first-rate cast— Samantha Morton and Helen Hunt are the principles, with the likes of Marley Shelton , Rashida Jones , Bradley Whitford , Aaron Paul , Alice Eve , Corey Stoll , Richard Schiff , and others, providing support—”Decoding Annie Parker” is not a movie to which this critic can give a favorable review. I’d feel more like a heel about it if the movie hadn’t actually irritated me to the extent that it did.

The irritation factor came from the slapdash period depictions, the lazy use of easy signifiers to ingratiate itself to the audience (I like the Turtles as much as the next guy, but shoehorning a feel-good romantic anthem like “She’d Rather Be With Me” into this particular drama is not a constructive use of force), the indifferent-to-bad period production value—the storyline stretches from the ‘70s to the ‘90s, and Aaron Paul’s musician character has a different bad wig for psychedelic rock, glam rock, and punk rock—and the paint-by-numbers character dynamics. Morton’s Annie Parker being the free spirit whose struggle with illness inspires her to undertake sophisticated research and Helen Hunt’s Dr. Mary Claire King being the passionately all-business researcher for whom a personal life isn’t even an option.

The movie crosscuts between their respective life-journeys with little particular sense of urgency, save for a few opportunistic and ineffectual parallel scenes, such as respective Christmas celebrations where the same holiday music is playing on the radio in both Parker’s house (in Canada) and King’s office (in Berkeley, California). The title refers to genetic code, and the discovery of the BRCA1 gene, and the flaw in it that triggers cancer, is the movie’s ultimate discovery. But the event of the title never happens in the movie, at least not at literally as the title promises. Parker’s case does not give King her “eureka” moment, and Parker and King don’t even meet until after the discovery is made and announced. By the time the viewer figures out this is how it’s going down, it’s likely that a sense of cinematic disappointment has already set in. The movie’s main point of value is in Morton’s performance. The ever-intrepid actress is unsparing in depicting the sufferings that are so inextricable from the successful (or even, as it happens, the unsuccessful) treatment of cancer. Such depictions deserve to have been made in the service of a more potent picture.

Glenn Kenny

Glenn Kenny was the chief film critic of Premiere magazine for almost half of its existence. He has written for a host of other publications and resides in Brooklyn. Read his answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

• Bradley Whitford as Marshall
• Corey Stoll as Sean
• Samantha Morton as Annie Parker
• Richard Schiff as Mr. Allen
• Rashida Jones as Kim
• Maggie Grace as Sarah
• Helen Hunt as Mary-Claire King
• Alice Eve as Louise
• Aaron Paul as Paul
• Adam Bernstein
• Michael Moss
• Steven Bernstein

Cinematography

Leave a comment, now playing.

Monster Summer

V/H/S/Beyond

Blink (2024)

Things Will Be Different

It’s What’s Inside

The Platform 2

Intercepted

Latest articles.

Less Sex Scenes, More Sex Shots: Sean Baker and Mikey Madison on “Anora”

Starz’s “Sweetpea” Is Fall TV’s Biggest and Best Surprise

Hulu’s “La Máquina” Delights with Campy Darkness

Chaz Ebert to Speak at Decatur Book Festival with Gregory Berns

The best movie reviews, in your inbox.

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

• For Parents
• For Educators
• Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

• Movie Reviews
• Best Movie Lists
• Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

• Best TV Lists
• Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
• Common Sense Selections for TV
• Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

• Book Reviews
• Best Book Lists
• Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

• Game Reviews
• Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

• Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

• Podcast Reviews
• Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

• App Reviews
• Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

• YouTube Channel Reviews
• YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

• Preschoolers (2-4)
• Little Kids (5-7)
• Big Kids (8-9)
• Pre-Teens (10-12)
• Teens (13+)
• Screen Time
• Social Media
• Online Safety
• Identity and Community

Why Your Kid Should Read Banned Books

• Family Tech Planners
• Digital Skills
• All Articles
• Latino Culture
• Black Voices
• Asian Stories
• Native Narratives
• LGBTQ+ Pride
• Jewish Experiences
• Best of Diverse Representation List

Multicultural Books

YouTube Channels with Diverse Representations

Podcasts with Diverse Characters and Stories

Parents' guide to, decoding annie parker.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 0 Reviews
• Kids Say 0 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Powerful if a bit uneven docudrama about cancer, research.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Decoding Annie Parker is a multi-decade docudrama about two women: the scientist who discovered the breast cancer gene and the cancer survivor who makes it her mission to figure out why her family was so afflicted by the disease. Sex and language are the big content issues here;…

Why Age 16+?

Occasional very strong language: "f--k," "dumbf--k," "f

Several references to sex (or "thumpety, thump, thump," as the main ch

Adults occasionally drink, smoke cigarettes, or smoke pot.

Several deaths due to disease (cancer, HIV), mostly people related to the main c

No overt product placements.

Any Positive Content?

There are several positive messages in the movie, including the idea that resear

Dr. King is a dedicated geneticist who believes there's a connection between

Occasional very strong language: "f--k," "dumbf--k," "f--king," "s--t," "a--hole," "goddamn," and more.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Several references to sex (or "thumpety, thump, thump," as the main character calls it); several brief scenes of a married couple having sex (bare backs, buttocks); and one brief scene of adulterous sex. A woman complains about how her husband won't touch her after her mastectomy.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Violence & Scariness

Several deaths due to disease (cancer, HIV), mostly people related to the main character. A woman battles cancer, surgery, and treatment; she's shown vomiting from side effects.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Positive messages.

There are several positive messages in the movie, including the idea that research -- and not just awareness -- is what's going to help prevent or stop cancer. Without Dr. King's commitment to research, who knows whether it would have been discovered that there's a genetic predisposition to certain kinds of breast cancer?

Positive Role Models

Dr. King is a dedicated geneticist who believes there's a connection between genetics and breast cancer. Despite setbacks and the many years it takes to collect data, she and her staff remain committed to the cause. Annie focuses on finding out why so many women in her family have died of breast cancer and doesn't stop doing her own research for the cause.

Parents need to know that Decoding Annie Parker is a multi-decade docudrama about two women: the scientist who discovered the breast cancer gene and the cancer survivor who makes it her mission to figure out why her family was so afflicted by the disease. Sex and language are the big content issues here; there are several references to and brief glimpses of sex (bare backside, moaning, adultery) and occasional use of very strong language, which tends to be variations of "f--k" and "s--t." Several characters die, mostly of cancer (and in one case, AIDS). Audiences will learn about the scientific method that led to the discovery of the BRCA gene. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

DECODING ANNIE PARKER is the story of two very different women who both want the same thing: to figure out whether there's a genetic cause for breast cancer. In Toronto in the early 1970s, 18-year-old Annie Parker ( Samantha Morton ) was already motherless due to breast cancer when she impetuously married her rock-star-wannabe boyfriend, Paul ( Aaron Paul ). Soon after that, her father dies, then her older sister Joan also succumbs to breast cancer ( Marley Shelton ). Eventually Annie, too, gets a diagnosis, causing her to become obsessed with the idea that it can't be just random bad luck. Meanwhile, in the States, leading research scientist Dr. Marie-Claire King ( Helen Hunt ) works in her lab to study families with multiple cases of the disease in the hopes of discovering a breast cancer gene. It takes decades, but both women weather countless ups and downs to reach their goals.

Is It Any Good?

Cinematographer Steven Bernstein makes his feature-film directorial debut with this informative if slightly uneven depiction of how two different women address breast cancer. One is a researcher, one a survivor; both commit themselves to the notion that breast cancer that runs in family can't be a coincidence. Despite the film's strong language and occasional sex scenes, it feels more like an old-school made-for-TV-movie than a sophisticated feature. The performances are solid and the story powerful, but the execution (especially the division between the two storylines) is spotty and underwhelming at times.

Still, it's emotional and upsetting -- particularly as the Job-like Annie deals with death after death and treatment after treatment. Decoding Annie Parker is a good choice for mothers to watch with their mature teen daughters; they'll have plenty to talk about afterward. Whether it's discussing Annie's heartbreaking life or Dr. King's relentless mission to find the gene, audiences will want to find out more about the real story of BRCA gene research. Although there's a lot of sadness in the drama, ultimately science prevails in a most unsentimental way. The feelings are left to Annie, who never gets her family back but does get the answers she desperately needs.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the need for cancer research. Why do you think Decoding Annie Parker focuses on both a survivor and a scientist, rather than just one or the other?

What's the movie's message? What does it take to be a visionary scientist?

What audience do you think the movie is intended to appeal to? How can you tell?

Movie Details

• In theaters : May 2, 2014
• On DVD or streaming : September 30, 2014
• Cast : Samantha Morton , Helen Hunt , Aaron Paul
• Director : Steven Bernstein
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : Entertainment One
• Genre : Drama
• Run time : 99 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : language and some sexual content
• Last updated : February 27, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

What to watch next.

Terms of Endearment

Biopic movies, drama movies that tug at the heartstrings.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Review: ‘Decoding Annie Parker’ traces discovery of breast cancer gene

• Copy Link URL Copied!

“Decoding Annie Parker,” starring Samantha Morton and Helen Hunt, traces the discovery of the breast cancer gene through the lives of two women — one who carries it, one who uncovers it.

Based on two true stories, this modest indie with major ambitions is directed by veteran cinematographer Steven Bernstein, making a solid feature debut. He uses the barely intersecting lives of Annie Parker (Morton), who lost her mother and sister to the disease before being diagnosed with it herself, and geneticist Mary-Claire King (Hunt), to dissect the search for the BRCA-1 gene in both personal and scientific terms.

Though the film opens as Parker arrives late to a lecture by King — a brief encounter that will bookend the film — their individual travails run on very separate, if remarkably parallel, tracks.

As the title suggests, the emphasis is on Annie. Parker’s battle against breast cancer — she’s fought three rounds with the disease thus far — and her insistent fight to understand it make for a compelling story. The screenplay, written by Bernstein, his son, Adam, and Michael Moss, takes us deep into the personal agonies of a family ravaged by breast cancer.

That the story resonates so deeply is due in large measure to Morton. The actress, who’s building an exceptional body of work playing ordinary women, gives Parker such a humility within a warm humanity that you feel an obligation to stick with her through the mounting horrors.

RELATED: More movie reviews by the Times

The film begins with her childhood, Parker and her older sister trying to play quietly because Mom’s sick and getting sicker. Mom dies, Annie grows up and falls in love with Paul. “Breaking Bad’s” Aaron Paul does a very good job of making Annie’s Paul a lovable loser, then a less-lovable louse.

Then in 1980 Annie discovers a lump. As the losses stack up, Parker becomes convinced the cancer in her family is not random, or not, as one doctor tells her, a run of bad luck.

As Annie is launching her own search for answers with the help of a progressive doctor (Corey Stoll) and his nurse (Rashida Jones), the film shifts the playing field to the focused scientist, rigid and rigorous in her approach and embattled in her own way.

Hunt gives King a steely spine and an unwavering belief that she is right, which helps when grants bypass her and colleagues question her work. Like King’s research assistants, we are soon trailing her as the search for the DNA link to breast cancer goes on in spite of the difficulties.

As good as Hunt is, she’s given little to do beyond sort papers, evaluate data and look steely.

Not surprising given Bernstein’s cinematography background, the film captures the look of the 1980s and ‘90s when much of the story unfolds. But the division between the personal and scientific stories is not a clean one. It gives the film an uneven rhythm as it at times lurches between the two women’s very separate lives. As significant as King’s work is, the power of the film fades any time it moves away from decoding Annie Parker.

[email protected]

--------------------------------

‘Decoding Annie Parker’

MPAA rating: R for language and some sexual content

Running time: 1 hour, 39 minutes

Playing: At AMC Town 8, Burbank; Sundance Sunset Cinemas, West Hollywood; also on VOD

[For the record 6:15 pm May 1: An earlier version of this review said that “Decoding Annie Parker” was playing at the AMC Burbank 16. The correct Burbank theater is the AMC Town 8. ]

More to Read

Review: Nickel Creek awes and amazes at the tiny Largo theater

Oct. 4, 2024

Review: Aren’t tiny restaurants the best restaurants? A former Melrose coffee shop makes the case

Sept. 19, 2024

Review: Gender-swapped ‘Company’ revival dazzles, capturing the spirit of Sondheim

Aug. 3, 2024

Only good movies

Get the Indie Focus newsletter, Mark Olsen's weekly guide to the world of cinema.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

Former Los Angeles Times film critic Betsy Sharkey is an award-winning entertainment journalist and bestselling author. She left the newsroom in 2015. In addition to her critical essays and reviews of about 200 films a year for The Times, Sharkey’s weekly movie reviews appeared in newspapers nationally and internationally. Her books include collaborations with Oscar-winning actresses Faye Dunaway on “Looking for Gatsby” and Marlee Matlin on “I’ll Scream Later.” Sharkey holds a degree in journalism and a master’s in communications theory from Texas Christian University.

More From the Los Angeles Times

Pharrell Williams’ biopic is a Lego movie. He says it shows his ‘soul’s intention’

In Norwalk, a hot new movie theater bucks industry trends: ‘It’s speaking my language’

5 unforgettably bad sequels to stream after you see ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’

Oct. 8, 2024

Commentary: What went wrong with ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’: A creative and box-office flop, explained

Oct. 7, 2024

Most Read in Movies

Review: ‘The Outrun,’ Saoirse Ronan tale of alcoholism and rehab, feels more like montage than movie

Oct. 3, 2024

Patti Scialfa reveals multiple myeloma diagnosis in new Springsteen documentary

Sept. 9, 2024

Pete Davidson is at a facility for mental health treatment as stand-up shows are canceled

July 31, 2024

For 20 years, he’s played ‘Saw’s’ boogeyman. He doesn’t see it as a trap

Oct. 1, 2024

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

• About Rotten Tomatoes®
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening This Week
• Top Box Office
• Coming Soon to Theaters
• Certified Fresh Movies

Movies at Home

• Fandango at Home
• Prime Video
• Most Popular Streaming Movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• 83% The Outrun Link to The Outrun
• 89% V/H/S/Beyond Link to V/H/S/Beyond
• 83% Things Will Be Different Link to Things Will Be Different

New TV Tonight

• 91% La Máquina: Season 1
• 81% Disclaimer: Season 1
• 67% The Franchise: Season 1
• 100% Sweetpea: Season 1
• -- Teacup: Season 1
• -- Abbott Elementary: Season 4
• -- Citadel: Diana: Season 1
• -- Outer Banks: Season 4
• -- Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft: Season 1
• -- Killer Cakes: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• 94% The Penguin: Season 1
• 95% Nobody Wants This: Season 1
• 82% Agatha All Along: Season 1
• 84% The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 2
• 100% Heartstopper: Season 3
• 100% From: Season 3
• 93% Brilliant Minds: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV

Certified fresh pick

• 100% Heartstopper: Season 3 Link to Heartstopper: Season 3
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

100 Best Slasher Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

27 Best Horror Movie Remakes

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Awards Tour

Renewed and Cancelled TV Shows 2024

Weekend Box Office: Joker: Folie à Deux Scrapes Together a Disappointing Debut

• Trending on RT
• Hispanic Heritage Month
• Spooky Season
• Re-Release Calendar
• TV Premiere Dates

Decoding Annie Parker Reviews

This is lamentably short of humour. It's also lamentably short of coherence and seems to have been edited by someone with delirium tremens.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/5 | May 16, 2016

There's a passion to tell this story with an understated urgency and profound empathy that can be felt in every frame of this terrific film.

Full Review | Oct 27, 2014

Samantha Morton gives a fabulous performance.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Oct 23, 2014

I think it's an extremely worthy film... the performances are very good.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Oct 23, 2014

Samantha Morton's audacious portrayal of the title character boosts this mildly inspirational but sentimental true-life drama.

Full Review | Jun 30, 2014

Powerful if a bit uneven docudrama about cancer, research.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | May 9, 2014

Powered by whiplash tonalities, the film's unwieldy, stacked-deck narrative cycles through a series of tableaux that are largely familiar, frequently phony and sometimes, remarkably, even both at the same time.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.9/10 | May 3, 2014

The movie plays like something that is supposed to represent a person's life and struggle, or multiple women's perhaps, more than engage with it.

Full Review | Original Score: C | May 2, 2014

What might have been a great, fascinating real-life medical detective story suffers from a serious plot imbalance and one-sided character focus.

Full Review | May 2, 2014

The movie's main point of value is in Morton's performance.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | May 2, 2014

Decoding Annie Parker is a movie about resilience, about staring doom straight in the face - with a smile, with hope.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | May 2, 2014

An outstanding cast, a likeable narrator, and a thoughtful script take this out of the easy tears of the disease-of-the-week TV movie category.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | May 1, 2014

This is a film that leaves you with a deep appreciation for the fighters of the world, as well as the individuals who tirelessly work to eradicate a disease we'd all like to see vanish forever.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | May 1, 2014

This modest indie with major ambitions is directed by veteran cinematographer Steven Bernstein, making a solid feature debut.

Full Review | May 1, 2014

Tears are shed in "Decoding Annie Parker," but they aren't accompanied by the kind of sad, misty soundtrack music that can leave you feeling used and abused. Instead of jerking tears, the movie edifies.

"Decoding Annie Parker," though uneven in its execution, has at its heart two remarkable women and one remarkable performance.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | May 1, 2014

It sticks mostly to one track, taking audience members on a journey that, sadly, via the movies or their own lives, they already may know a little too well.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | May 1, 2014

Cutting between the parallel stories, Decoding Annie Parker is exasperatingly slow to evolve into a misbegotten portrait of women helping women.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.0/5 | May 1, 2014

The film features a wonderfully nuanced performance from Samantha Morton as Annie.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | May 1, 2014

Decoding Annie Parker is a better living-with-disease drama than medical mystery.

Decoding Annie Parker (2013)

• User Reviews

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews

• User Ratings
• External Reviews
• Metacritic Reviews
• Full Cast and Crew
• Release Dates
• Official Sites
• Company Credits
• Filming & Production
• Technical Specs
• Plot Summary
• Plot Keywords
• Parents Guide

Did You Know?

• Crazy Credits
• Alternate Versions
• Connections
• Soundtracks

Photo & Video

• Photo Gallery
• Trailers and Videos

Related Items

• External Sites

Related lists from IMDb users

Recently Viewed