To Leslie is a 2022 American drama film and the feature directorial debut of Michael Morris. It takes place six years after single mother Leslie Rowlands (played by Andrea Riseborough) wins $190,000 in the Texas Lottery. Now a homeless drunk estranged from her friends and family, she stumbles back into their lives looking for solid ground and maybe — just maybe — a chance to turn her life around. Allison Janney, Marc Maron, Stephen Root, Andre Royo, and Owen Teague round out the supporting cast.
It's worth noting that To Leslie was a typically under-the-radar indie release until late into the 2022-2023 awards circuit, when a "grassroots" celebrity campaign successfully championed Riseborough into a nomination at the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role (her first Oscar nomination of any kind). After that, it saw an early 2023 re-release in select theaters nationwide.
Tropes present:
- The Alcoholic: The central theme, Played for Drama, of course. The first half of the movie explores how alcoholism has alienated Leslie from the people around her, the second half explores her attempt at recovery. Sweeney's wife also had a bout with alcoholism which ended in her shacking up with a preacher.
- Attempted Rape: At one point, Pete starts physically forcing himself onto Leslie without apparent regard as to whether or not she'll acquiesce. She responds by forcing him off and running out of his truck.
- Bar Brawl: Pete and Sweeney engage in one of these while the latter tries to track Leslie down.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: The only reason Leslie is welcomed into Nancy and Dutch's home is because she gave them some money to build it. Of course, this trope applies mostly to Dutch, as Nancy hates having Leslie in her home and insists the two of them put much more money and effort into it than Leslie's contribution.
- Big Damn Kiss: Between Leslie and Sweeney towards the end of the movie.
- Blatant Lies: When James takes her in, Leslie tells him she "doesn't drink like she used to". She lasts one day under his "no drinking" rule.
- The Bully: Nancy and Pete serve this role towards Leslie, but special mention goes to Pete. Whereas Nancy has more personal reasons to hold a grudge, Pete seems more interested in torturing her for fun.
- Distant Prologue: The opening credits and news segment highlighting Leslie's lottery win takes place six years before the story really begins.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: It isn't easy and she makes lots of mistakes on the way, but the film ends with Leslie getting sober, finally opening the diner she used to dream of, in a healthy relationship with Sweeney, and repairing her relationships with people she fell out with — most notably James, who has started to forgive her and is willing to rebuild their relationship.
- A Fool and His New Money Are Soon Parted: The bulk of Leslie's fortune supposedly went towards drugs and alcohol, although it's established that at least some of it went to the people around her.
- Going Cold Turkey: How Leslie initially approaches quitting, which is indeed miserable.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: Leslie tends to be very volatile, especially when drunk (which is often).
- Parental Abandonment: The real reason behind Nancy's scorn towards Leslie is because she abandoned her own son to be a hotshot after winning the lottery. This also weighs heavily on Leslie's own conscience.
- Love Confession: Sweeney towards Leslie:Leslie: Why you so good to me?Sweeney: Well... I think it's pretty obvious by now.
- Never My Fault: Leslie has shades of this. She gets mad when people catch her in her lies and happily mooches off anyone who shows her goodwill. When James' roommate informs him about her stealing, she responds by screaming at him and calling him a coward. It isn't until she admits to Sweeney that she legitimately messed up at her job that she starts to kick her addiction.
- Nice Guy: Sweeney, to a fault. He bends over backwards to help Leslie fight her addiction, experienced from his own ex-wife's battle with alcoholism and motivated by his attraction towards Leslie.
- James also qualifies, legitimately welcoming his estranged mother into his apartment and only ejecting her when she starts lying and stealing.
- No Antagonist: While Leslie starts the movie as her own worst enemy, and Nancy and Pete bully her at every opportunity, the true source of conflict lies within Leslie's substance misuse.
- Rags to Riches/Riches to Rags: From a lower class single mother to a $190,000 lottery winner to a homeless alcoholic.
