Drama

Serena

- Some loves can never let go.

North Carolina mountains at the end of the 1920s – George and Serena Pemberton, love-struck newly-weds, begin to build a timber empire. Serena soon proves herself to be equal to any man: overseeing loggers, hunting rattle-snakes, even saving a man’s life in the wilderness. With power and influence now in their hands, the Pembertons refuse to let anyone stand in the way of their inflated love and ambitions. However, once Serena discovers George’s hidden past and faces an unchangeable fate of her own, the Pemberton’s passionate marriage begins to unravel leading toward a dramatic reckoning.

Release Date : 2014-10-12

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Chockstone Pictures2929 ProductionsNick Wechsler Productions

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles : The Falling

Cast

Character Name : Serena Pemberton

Original Name : Jennifer Lawrence

Gender : Female

Character Name : George Pemberton

Original Name : Bradley Cooper

Gender : Male

Character Name : Galloway

Original Name : Rhys Ifans

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sheriff McDowell

Original Name : Toby Jones

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lowenstein

Original Name : Blake Ritson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Campbell

Original Name : Sean Harris

Gender : Male

Character Name : Vaughn

Original Name : Sam Reid

Gender : Male

Character Name : Agatha

Original Name : Charity Wakefield

Gender : Female

Character Name : Horace Kephart

Original Name : Douglas Hodge

Gender : Male

Character Name : Abe Hermann

Original Name : Kim Bodnia

Gender : Male

Character Name : Rachel

Original Name : Ana Ularu

Gender : Female

Character Name : Buchanan

Original Name : David Dencik

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ledbetter

Original Name : Ned Dennehy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Banker in Boston

Original Name : Christian McKay

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Sloan

Original Name : Bodil Jørgensen

Gender : Female

Character Name : Coldfield

Original Name : Michael Ryan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Doctor

Original Name : Hilton McRae

Gender : Male

Character Name : Doctor Chaney

Original Name : Conleth Hill

Gender : Male

Character Name : Calhoun

Original Name : Philip Zandén

Gender : Male

Character Name : Baby Jacob

Original Name : Kvido Najser

Gender : Male

Character Name : Baby Jacob

Original Name : Tereza Hroudova

Gender : Male

Character Name : Baby Jacob

Original Name : Amelie Vernerova

Gender : Male

Character Name : Toddler Jacob

Original Name : Matej Sonka

Gender : Male

Character Name : Convulsing logger

Original Name : Vladimír Marek

Gender : Male

Character Name : Frizzell

Original Name : Petr Vaněk

Gender : Male

Character Name : Big Bill McComb

Original Name : Petr Drozda

Gender : Male

Character Name : Chopper

Original Name : Filip Kaňkovský

Gender : Male

Character Name : Waiter

Original Name : Todd Wagner

Gender : Male

Character Name : Nurse

Original Name : Helena Dvořáková

Gender : Female

Character Name : Ticket master

Original Name : Raymond Waring

Gender : Male

Character Name : Shay engine driver

Original Name : Jirka Firt

Gender : Male

Character Name : Crying woman at bank

Original Name : Barbara Lukešová

Gender : Female

Character Name : Commissioner #1

Original Name : Jan Monczka

Gender : Male

Character Name : Commissioner #2

Original Name : Pavel Řezníček

Gender : Male

Character Name : Indian man #1

Original Name : Aryan Barvah

Gender : Male

Character Name : Indian man #2

Original Name : Piyasiri Gunaranta

Gender : Male

Character Name : Indian man #3

Original Name : Harpal Singh Bamrah

Gender : Male

Character Name : Crane operator

Original Name : Ivo Zubaty

Gender : Male

Character Name : Upset man at bank

Original Name : Pavel Kříž

Gender : Male

Character Name : Beggar

Original Name : John Comer

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hotel receptionist

Original Name : Alena Dlouhá

Gender : Female

Character Name : Hotel waiter

Original Name : Petr Inenicka

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mother in waiting room

Original Name : Nataša Burger

Gender : Female

Character Name : Child in waiting room

Original Name : Tereza Machacova

Gender : Male

Character Name : Photographer #2

Original Name : Jiří Maria Sieber

Gender : Male

Character Name : Working man at slideshow

Original Name : Bruce Davidson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Wood Cutter (uncredited)

Original Name : Jim High

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lumberjack (uncredited)

Original Name : Mark O'Neal

Gender : Male

Reviews

Wuchak

@Wuchak

2025-05-19

**_Tragic tale of a timber baron and his new wife in North Carolina, 1929-1930_** As The Depression sets-in, Pemberton (Bradley Cooper) brings his wife to his logging ranch in the Smokey Mountains (Jennifer Lawrence) and she has no problem proving her mettle with the guys. She settles in, but treachery soon manifests. Shot in the spring of 2012, "Serena” wasn’t released until 2.5 years later in 2014-2015. It was inspired by the 2008 novel, but is different enough that the two have to be viewed as separate entities in order to appreciate the movie. Here, Serena is mentally unstable and vulnerable underneath her surface strengths whilst, in the book, she is strong and in control until the very last line. She often wears dresses and looks glammed-up whereas the novel makes it a point that she dresses like a man, always wearing trousers. Moreover, Pemberton is much nicer here. There are several other changes as well. As such, I’m reviewing this as a stand-alone story. It’s great for the first half with top-of-the-line locations and cinematography, as well as a compelling enough drama with occasional thrills, including crimes and corruption. It goes without saying that the period piece costumes and sets are superb. At the halfway point, however, it bogs down, turning melancholy and, then, relentlessly downbeat for the final act. Think “Revolutionary Road.” So, I understand the low ratings, but there’s still a lot of gems to mine from the heart-rending proceedings. For instance, the movie stresses the expectations of wedlock, such as total faithfulness and the sense of betrayal when one is (inevitably) let down. Furthermore, with a husband and wife, it’s assumed that an heir is forthcoming and, if that fails to manifest, it can change everything, real or imagined. Think of Hannah’s situation in the opening chapter of 1 Samuel. Lastly, Rhys Ifans’ Galloway is a fascinating character, a sigma male with mystical trappings and a whiff of danger. Too bad there wasn’t enough time to flesh him out more. It runs 1 hour, 49 minutes, and was shot in the Czech Republic at Barrandov Studios, Prague, with establishing shots done at Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina. GRADE: B-