Sarah Polley Explained

Sarah Polley
Birth Name:Sarah Ellen Polley
Birth Date:8 January 1979
Birth Place:Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Years Active:1985–present
Parents:Harry Gulkin (biological father)
Children:3

Sarah Ellen Polley (born January 8, 1979) is a Canadian filmmaker, writer, political activist and retired actress.[1] She first garnered attention as a child actress for her role as Ramona Quimby in the television series Ramona, based on Beverly Cleary's books. This subsequently led to her role as Sara Stanley in the Canadian television series Road to Avonlea (1990–1996). She has starred in many feature films, including The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988), Exotica (1994), The Sweet Hereafter (1997), Guinevere (1999), Go (1999), The Weight of Water (2000), No Such Thing (2001), My Life Without Me (2003), Dawn of the Dead (2004), Splice (2009), and Mr. Nobody (2009).

Polley made her feature film directorial debut with Away from Her (2006), for which she won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Director and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.[2] Her second film, Take This Waltz (2011), premiered at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival,[3] followed by her first documentary film, Stories We Tell (2012). She also wrote the miniseries Alias Grace,[4] based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Margaret Atwood. In 2022, she wrote and directed the film Women Talking, based on the 2018 novel of the same name by Miriam Toews, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.[5]

Early life and education

Sarah Ellen Polley was born on January 8, 1979 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada,[6] [7] the youngest of five children born to Diane Elizabeth Polley (MacMillan). Her siblings are Susy and John Buchan from Diane's first marriage to George Deans-Buchan, and Mark and Joanna Polley from her second marriage to Michael Polley (1933–2018), a British-born actor who became an insurance agent after starting a family with Diane.[8] [9]

Her mother was an actress (best known for playing Gloria Beechham in 44 episodes of the Canadian TV series Street Legal) and a casting director. She died of cancer the week of Polley's 11th birthday in 1990.[10]

Polley suffered from severe scoliosis as a child and underwent a spinal operation at 15 that required her to spend the next year in bed recovering.[11]

Polley was raised by Diane and Michael.[12] During her childhood, Polley's siblings teased her because she bore no physical resemblance to Michael. Polley discovered as an adult that her biological father was actually Harry Gulkin, with whom her mother had an affair (as chronicled in Polley's film Stories We Tell).[13] [14] Gulkin, the son of Russian Jewish immigrants, was a Quebec-born film producer who produced the 1975 Canadian film Lies My Father Told Me, and had met Diane after attending a play in which she acted in Montreal in 1978.[14] [15] [16] [17] When Polley turned 18, she decided to follow up on suggestions from her mother's friends that her biological father might be Geoff Bowes—one of three castmates from her mother's play in Montreal. Meeting with Gulkin as just someone who could provide information about Diane in Montreal, he informed Polley of his affair with Diane. Gulkin's paternity was later confirmed by a DNA test.[18]

Polley attended Subway Academy II, then Earl Haig Secondary School, but dropped out at age 15.[13] By the age of 15 she was living on her own and credits the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty for housing her and developing her work with activism.[19]

Career

Child acting

Her first appearance on screen was at the age of four,[20] as Molly in the film One Magic Christmas. She was in the pilot episode for Friday the 13th – The Series and appeared in a small role in William Fruet's sci-fi horror film Blue Monkey, both in 1987. At age of eight, she was cast as Ramona Quimby in the television series Ramona, based on Beverly Cleary's books.

That same year, she played one of the lead characters in Terry Gilliam's The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. Polley burst into the public eye in 1990 as Sara Stanley on the popular CBC television series Road to Avonlea. The series made her famous and financially independent, and she was hailed as "Canada's Sweetheart" by the popular press.[21] The show was picked up by the Disney Channel for distribution in the United States. At the age of 12 (around 1991), Polley attended an awards ceremony while wearing a peace sign to protest the first Gulf War. Disney executives asked her to remove it, and she refused. This soured her relationship with Disney, but she continued on Road to Avonlea until 1994.[22] The show ran until 1996; Polley did return as Sara Stanley for an episode in 1995 and for the series finale.

In 1994 Polley made her theatre debut at the Stratford Festival playing Alice in Alice Through the Looking Glass, an adaptation of Lewis Carroll's book of the same name.[23] Polley ended her run early, claiming complications from scoliosis. In 2022 she revealed she had in fact been suffering from intense stage fright, something that continued to plague her into adulthood.[24]

Adult acting

Polley appeared as Lily on the CBC television series Straight Up, which ran from 1996 to 1998, winning the Gemini Award for Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series for her role. Polley's subsequent role as Nicole Burnell in the 1997 film The Sweet Hereafter brought her considerable attention in the United States; she was a favourite at the Sundance Film Festival. Her character in the film was an aspiring singer, and on the film's soundtrack, she performed covers of The Tragically Hip's "Courage" and Jane Siberry's "One More Colour" and sang the film's title track, which she co-wrote with Mychael Danna.[25]

In 1998, Polley appeared in the critically acclaimed film Last Night. The following year, she starred as part of the ensemble cast in the film Go. She was cast in the role of Penny Lane in the big-budget 2000 film Almost Famous, but dropped out of the project to return to Canada for the low-budget The Law of Enclosures. Her role in the 2003 film My Life Without Me garnered the Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in 2004. In the same year, she starred in a lead role in the remake of Dawn of the Dead, which was a departure from her other indie roles.

In 2005, she starred in The Secret Life of Words, opposite Tim Robbins and Julie Christie. She was nominated for the European Film Award for Best Actress by the European Film Academy for her role as Hanna.[26]

In 2006, Polley took a role on the acclaimed series Slings and Arrows during its third and final season. Polley's father, Michael Polley, was a regular on the show during its entire three-season run. She served as a member of the 2007 Cannes Film Festival jury.[27]

In 2008, Polley appeared as Nabby Adams in the HBO miniseries based on the life of John Adams. Polley played Elise in Jaco Van Dormael's Mr. Nobody, which was released in 2010. Critical response has praised the film's artistry and Polley's acting.[28] Later that year, she also appeared in a cameo role in Bruce MacDonald's film Trigger.

Though Polley never officially announced her retirement from acting, she has not taken an acting role since 2010, transitioning into a writing and directing career.

Directing

In 1999, Polley made her first short film, The Best Day of My Life, for the On the Fly 4 Film Festival. She also made a second short film that year, Don't Think Twice. Polley attended the Canadian Film Centre's directing program in 2001, and won the Genie Award for Best Live Action Short Drama in 2003 for her short film I Shout Love. She made her feature-length film directing debut with Away from Her, which Polley adapted from the Alice Munro short story The Bear Came Over the Mountain. The movie, starring Julie Christie (with whom she had played in No Such Thing, 2001, and The Secret Life of Words, 2005), debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2006, as part of the TIFF's Gala showcase.

Away from Her was acquired by Lionsgate for release in the US for the sum of $750,000. It drew rave reviews from Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and the three Toronto dailies, both for the performances of Christie and her co-star, Canadian actor Gordon Pinsent, and for Polley's direction. It also earned Polley a 2007 Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, and won the Genie Award for Best Achievement in Direction. At the 2008 Genies, she was also awarded the Claude Jutra Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement by a first-time feature film director.[29]

Polley wrote and directed her second feature, Take This Waltz starring Michelle Williams, Luke Kirby, Seth Rogen, and Sarah Silverman, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2011.

Her documentary film Stories We Tell premiered at the 69th Venice International Film Festival in competition in the Venice Days category, and its North American premiere followed at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival.[30] The critically acclaimed documentary examined family secrets in Polley's own childhood. She was awarded the CAN$100,000 prize for best Canadian film of the year by the Toronto Film Critics Association.[31] In 2017, Polley executive produced the film A Better Man (2017),[32]

In late 2012, Polley announced that she would be adapting Margaret Atwood's novel Alias Grace.[33] Polley first wrote to Atwood asking to adapt the novel when she was 17. They held off for 20 years until she was ready to make the show.[34] In August 2014, during a profile of her work as a director, Polley announced that Alias Grace was being adapted into a six-part miniseries.[35] In June 2016, the series was confirmed with Polley writing and producing. The series premiered in 2017 on CBC Television in Canada; it streams on Netflix globally, outside of Canada.[36] It received positive reviews from critics.

In June 2014, it was announced that Polley would write and direct an adaptation of John Green's Looking for Alaska.[37] In March 2015, she was hired to potentially write and direct a new adaptation of Little Women.[38] Her involvement in the project ultimately never went beyond initial discussion.[39] In her 2022 essay collection Run Towards the Danger, Polley revealed she had been working on a second draft of the Little Women screenplay when she had a traumatic head injury resulting in post-concussion syndrome that left her with symptoms for four years so she was temporarily unable to work until she found effective treatment through University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's concussion program. It was subsequently announced in June that, due to scheduling conflicts, Polley would no longer be directing Looking for Alaska.[40] [41]

In an interview, Polley stated that she takes pride in her work and enjoys both acting and directing, but is not keen on combining the two:

I like the feeling of keeping them separate. I find that really gratifying. I can't imagine combining those. For me, I love the feeling of using different parts of my brain separately.[42]
In a 2015 retrospective of the movie Go, Mike D'Angelo of The A.V. Club commented that Polley's decision to go into directing had "deprived the world of many potentially great performances", calling her a "superb actor".[43] In December 2020, it was announced Polley would direct Women Talking based upon the novel of the same name by Miriam Toews for Orion Pictures.[44] It premiered at the 49th Telluride Film Festival on September 2, 2022, and went into wide release on December 23, 2022.[45] [46] It was released to widespread acclaim, with 90% of critics giving it a positive review on Rotten Tomatoes.[47] Shirley Li of The Atlantic called it "vibrant cinema," while Anna Bogutskaya of Time Out said that it "imagines female emancipation as an honest, raging, caring experience."[48] [49] Polley won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 95th Academy Awards, and the film was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.In 2023, Polley was revealed to be in talks to direct Disney's live action adaptation of Bambi, but in March 2024, it never came in fruition due to reportedly no longer attached as a director.[50] [51]

Writing

Polley has written numerous essays over the years about her experiences as a child star. In 2022, she released her first book of essays, the autobiographical, Run Towards the Danger which contains six essays that examine aspects of Polley's career on stage, screen, and on film, detailing her roles in a Stratford Festival production of Alice Through the Looking Glass, as well as her breakout roles in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen and the TV series Road to Avonlea. The book also revealed for the first time that Polley had been a victim of Jian Ghomeshi who sexually and physically assaulted her when she was 16 and he was 28.[52]

Political and social activism

Following the row with Disney as a twelve-year-old for wearing a peace sign to protest against the Gulf War, Polley dedicated more of her efforts to politics, becoming a prominent member of the Ontario New Democratic Party (ONDP), where Ontario legislator Peter Kormos was her political mentor. In 1996, she gave a nomination speech for Kormos at the ONDP leadership convention which she later referred to as the "proudest moment in [her] life".[53]

In 1995, she lost two back teeth after being struck by a riot police officer during a protest against the provincial Progressive Conservative government of Mike Harris in Queen's Park.[54] She was subsequently involved with the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty. She subsequently scaled back her political activism.[54] She was part of a group in 2001 which opposed the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas. The 3rd Summit of the Americas was held in Quebec City in April 2001.[55] In 2003, she was part of former Toronto mayor David Miller's transition advisory team.

In 2009, Polley directed a two-minute short film in support of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. In advance of the film's airing in Canada during the 82nd Academy Awards, and following news reports that characterized the film as a marketing exercise for the margarine company Becel,[56] [57] [58] Polley withdrew her association with the film. "In December 2009, I made a film to be aired during the Academy Awards that I believed was to promote the Heart and Stroke Foundation. When I agreed to make this film ["The Heart"], I was thrilled, as I was proud to be associated with the work of this incredible organization. However, I have since learned that my film is also being used to promote a product. Regretfully, I am forced to remove my name from the film and disassociate myself from it. I have never actively promoted any corporate brand, and cannot do so now."[59] [60] [61] In response, Becel said it was a "founding sponsor" of the Heart Truth campaign and had commissioned the film "to put heart health on the radar of Canadian women".[62]

In January 2012, Polley endorsed Toronto MP Peggy Nash in the 2012 New Democratic Party leadership race to succeed Jack Layton.[63]

On October 15, 2017, Polley wrote an op-ed piece in The New York Times detailing her experience with Harvey Weinstein and with Hollywood's treatment of women generally, and making a connection between Hollywood's gendered power relations and Polley's not having acted in years.[64]

Personal life

In 2007, Polley discovered the man who raised her, Michael Polley, was not her biological father. The story of her mother's affair with her biological father, producer Harry Gulkin, was chronicled in her 2012 film, Stories We Tell.[13]

On September 10, 2003, Polley married Canadian film editor David Wharnsby, her boyfriend of seven years. They divorced in 2008.[65] On August 23, 2011, she married David Sandomierski. They have three children.[66] [67]

In her 2022 autobiographical essay collection, Run Towards the Danger, Polley said she was sexually assaulted by Moxy Früvous singer Jian Ghomeshi on a 1995 date, while she was 16 and he was 28. Family and friends dissuaded her from coming forward.[68] [69]

Polley is an atheist.[70]

Filmography

Film production

Short

YearTitlewidth=65Directorwidth=65Writerwidth=65Producer
1999Don't Think Twice
2001I Shout Love
2002All I Want for Christmas
2013Making a Scene

Feature

YearTitlewidth=65Directorwidth=65Writerwidth=65Executive
Producer
Notes
2006Away from Her
2011Take This Waltz
2012Stories We TellDocumentary feature
2022Women TalkingAcademy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay

Film acting

YearTitleRoleNotes
1985One Magic ChristmasMolly Monaghan
1986ConfidentialEmma
1987Tomorrow's a KillerKarla
Christy Donaldson
Blue MonkeyEllen
1988Sally Salt
1989Young Celeste (voice)
1994ExoticaTracey Brown
1996Joe's So Mean to JosephineJosephine
Children First!
1997Nicole Burnell
Rosemary (teen)
Butter
1998Jerry and TomDeb
Last NightJennifer 'Jenny' Wheeler
GuinevereHarper Sloane
1999GoRonna Martin
ExistenzMerle
Connie
2000Maren Hontvedt
Love Come DownSister Sarah
Beatrice
Hope Dillon
This Might Be GoodShort film
2001No Such ThingBeatrice
2003Dana Shapiro
My Life Without MeAnn
Dermott's QuestGwenShort film
LuckMargaret
2004Dawn of the DeadAna Clark
Clair
SugarPregnant Girl
SiblingsTabby
2005Don't Come KnockingSky
Hanna
Beowulf & GrendelSelma
2009Mr. NobodyElise (adult)
SpliceElsa Kast
2010TriggerHillary

Television

YearTitlewidth=65Directorwidth=65Writerwidth=65ProducerNotes
2004Episode: "The Harp"
2017Alias GraceMiniseries
2020Hey Lady!8 episodes

Executive producer

Acting roles

YearTitleRoleNotes
1985Night HeatCindy KeatingEpisode: "The Game"
1986The Incredible Time Travels of Henry Osgood
1987Heaven on EarthBecky HawthorneTV film
1987Hands of a StrangerSuzie HearnTV film
1987MaryEpisode: "The Inheritance"
1988–89RamonaRamona QuimbyLead role
1989Lantern HillJody TurnerTV film
1990–96Road to AvonleaSara StanleyMain role (seasons 1–5), guest (seasons 6–7)
1991Johann's Gift to ChristmasAngelTV short
1993The Hidden RoomAliceEpisode: "Dangerous Dreams"
1994Take Another LookAmyTV film
1996Straight UpLilyTV series
1998White LiesCatherine ChapmanTV film
1999Made in CanadaRhondaEpisode: "It's a Science"
2006Slings & ArrowsSophieRegular role (season 3)
2008John AdamsAbigail Adams SmithTV miniseries

Awards and nominations

On October 16, 2010, it was announced that Polley would receive a star on Canada's Walk of Fame.[71] In June 2013, she received the National Arts Centre Award recognizing achievement over the past performance year at the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards, where she was the subject of a short vignette by Ann Marie Fleming entitled Stories Sarah Tells.[72] She was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada on December 30, 2013.[73]

YearAssociationCategoryWorkResult
2008Academy AwardsAway from Her[74]
2023Women Talking[75]
2006ACTRAACTRA Toronto Award of Excellence[76]
2020ACTRA Woman of the Year[77]
2007Alliance of Women Film JournalistsBest DirectorAway from Her
Best Woman Director
Best Woman Screenwriter
Women's Image AwardHerself
Outstanding Achievement by a Woman in 2007
Best Leap from Actress to Director Award
2012Best Woman DirectorTake This Waltz
Best Woman Screenwriter
2013Best DocumentaryStories We Tell
Best Woman Director
Best Woman Screenwriter
2023Critics' Choice AwardsBest Adapted ScreenplayWomen Talking[78]
2006European Film AwardsEuropean ActressThe Secret Life of Words[79]
1988Gemini AwardsBest Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic RoleRamona
1990Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic RoleRoad to Avonlea
1992Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting RoleLantern Hill
1993Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic RoleRoad to Avonlea
1994Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role
1998Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or SeriesStraight Up
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-SeriesThe Planet of Junior Brown
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-SeriesWhite Lies
2007Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic SeriesSlings and Arrows
1997Genie AwardsBest Original SongThe Sweet Hereafter
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
2002Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading RoleThe Law of Enclosures
2003Best Live Action Short DramaI Shout Love
2004Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading RoleMy Life Without Me
2008Claude Jutra Award (Special Prize)Away from Her
2008
2008Best Adapted Screenplay
2023Golden Globe AwardsBest Screenplay - Motion PictureWomen Talking
2000 Independent Spirit AwardsBest Supporting FemaleGo
2023Robert Altman AwardWomen Talking[80]
2012Toronto Film Critics Association AwardsRogers Canadian Film AwardStories We Tell
Best Documentary Film Award
2014Writers Guild of America AwardsBest Documentary Screenplay[81]
2023Best Adapted ScreenplayWomen Talking[82]

Notes and References

  1. Howell, Peter (September 24, 1999)"Nobody's Starlet: Toronto's Sarah Polley is Only 20 but already a veteran actor so secure in her craft she can thumb her nose at Hollywood". Toronto Star. September 4, 1999. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  2. News: Sarah Polley pulls name off heart film. January 11, 2018.
  3. News: TIFF 2011: U2, Brad Pitt, George Clooney Films Featured At 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. July 26, 2011. The Huffington Post. August 25, 2011. December 8, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111208021030/http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/07/26/tiff-brad-pitt-2011-george-clooney-u2_n_909633.html#s316195&title=U2. dead.
  4. Web site: Alias Grace: Miniseries. Rotten Tomatoes. November 26, 2017.
  5. Web site: Sarah Polley wins her 1st-ever Oscar for 'Women Talking' - National Globalnews.ca . 2023-03-13 . Global News . en-US.
  6. Web site: Dunn . Bill . Sarah Polley . Freedom From Religion Foundation . 13 March 2022 . 14 April 2024.
  7. Web site: Sarah Polley . The Talks . 15 March 2023 . 14 April 2024.
  8. Web site: Sarah Polley Biography (1979–) . Filmreference.com . March 27, 2010.
  9. Encyclopedia: Andrew McIntosh. Sarah Polley. The Canadian Encyclopedia. August 17, 2019.
  10. Web site: Stevens. Dana. Stories We Tell: Sarah Polley's compassionate portrait of a complex, flawed woman: her mother. Slate.com. May 12, 2013. May 10, 2013.
  11. News: An Actress with Doubts, but Not About Directing. The New York Times. April 29, 2007. Onstad. Katrina.
  12. Web site: Michael Barton Polley - Obituary. Legacy.com. April 7, 2018.
  13. Web site: Polley. Sarah. Stories We Tell: A post by Sarah Polley. NFB.ca blog. National Film Board of Canada. August 29, 2012. August 29, 2012.
  14. News: Sarah Polley doc Stories We Tell: When blood is thicker than gossip . . 5 October 2012 . 17 March 2014 . Howell, Peter.
  15. News: Venice Review: Sarah Polley Examines Her Own Family In Lovely, Fascinating 'Stories We Tell' . Oliver Lyttelton . August 29, 2012 . . February 3, 2014.
  16. Web site: Sarah Polley reveals personal secret in new documentary . Jonathan . Doyle . August 30, 2012 . TheScreeningRoom.ca . September 12, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120902181340/http://www.thescreeningroom.ca/2012/08/sarah-polley-reveals-personal-secret-in-new-documentary.html . September 2, 2012 .
  17. Web site: Truth and Lies: A Q&A With Montreal Film Producer Harry Gulkin . Ezra Glinter . January 14, 2011 . . February 3, 2014.
  18. Web site: Sarah Polley on Documenting Family Secrets . Rachel Dodes . May 3, 2013 . Speakeasy . . February 3, 2014.
  19. Sarah . Polley . realsarahpolley . 1332321805789487105 . OCAP took me in when I was 15, living on my own, with no community . November 28, 2020.
  20. Web site: Sarah Polley at the Canadian Women Film Directors Database.
  21. News: Taylor. Kate . Sarah Polley's new film reveals her secret parentage. April 28, 2017. The Globe and Mail. August 29, 2012.
  22. Web site: Yahoo! Movies . Movies.yahoo.com . March 27, 2010.
  23. Web site: Production / Event Register: Production Display .
  24. Web site: Polley . Sarah . Caught Through the Looking Glass: Sarah Polley on Grief, Girlhood, and Scoliosis . March 2, 2022 . 28 August 2022.
  25. Web site: The Sweet Hereafter . All Music Guide . January 20, 2019.
  26. Web site: The Nominations . 2006 . . February 3, 2014.
  27. Web site: Festival de Cannes: Sarah Polley . July 21, 2012. www.festival-cannes.fr. Festival de Cannes.
  28. Web site: LAFF Review: Mr Nobody. Fred. Topel. June 27, 2011. July 3, 2011. Screen Junkies. Break Media.
  29. News: Sarah Polley to receive Jutra trophy at Genies. CBC News. January 11, 2018. en.
  30. News: Exclusive: TIFF to host Polley's "Stories," Kastner's "Disco". July 23, 2012. Realscreen. Adam Benzine. August 8, 2012.
  31. News: Sarah Polley doc wins Toronto critics' $100K prize. January 8, 2013. CBC News. January 9, 2013.
  32. News: A Better Man documentary explores aftermath of abusive relationships. Dolski. Megan. April 25, 2017. The Toronto Star. January 11, 2018. en-CA. 0319-0781.
  33. Web site: Sarah Polley to adapt Margaret Atwood's Alias Grace . Melissa Leong . January 4, 2012 . Arts . . February 4, 2014 . dead . http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20120105230947/http://arts.nationalpost.com/2012/01/04/sarah-polley-to-adapt-margaret-atwoods-alias-grace/ . January 5, 2012 . mdy-all .
  34. News: Margaret Atwood: 'I am not a prophet. Science fiction is really about now'. Allardice. Lisa. January 20, 2018. The Guardian. January 21, 2018.
  35. Web site: TABACH-BANK. LAUREN. Flipping the Script. The New York Times. August 13, 2014. September 13, 2014.
  36. Maane Khatchatourian. Netflix Nabs Sarah Polley Miniseries Based on Margaret Atwood True-Crime Novel. Variety. June 30, 2016. June 21, 2016.
  37. Web site: Sarah Polley will adapt and direct John Green's 'Looking for Alaska'. June 26, 2014.
  38. Web site: Amy Pascal, Sarah Polley Team on 'Little Women' Remake at Sony (Exclusive). March 18, 2015. June 29, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181005111953/https://www.thewrap.com/amy-pascal-sarah-polley-team-on-little-women-remake-at-sony-exclusive/. October 5, 2018. live.
  39. Web site: Why it's a perfect time for Greta Gerwig's version of 'Little Women'. The Los Angeles Times. Glenn. Whipp. July 5, 2018. November 10, 2019.
  40. Web site: Why Rebecca Thomas Directing John Green's 'Looking For Alaska' Is A Big Deal. Mendelson. Scott. Forbes. June 20, 2016.
  41. Web site: John Green Dodges Questions About Looking for Alaska Movie Replacement. Teen.com. June 25, 2015. Teen.com. June 20, 2016.
  42. Web site: Exclusive: Filmmaker Sarah Polley . Comingsoon.net . May 3, 2007 . March 27, 2010 . February 21, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140221124405/http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=20149 . dead .
  43. Web site: Putting Timothy Olyphant in a silly Santa hat only makes him more menacing. December 11, 2015 .
  44. Web site: Frances McDormand to Star in 'Women Talking' From Director Sarah Polley. Dave. McNary. Variety. December 17, 2020. July 25, 2021.
  45. Web site: Keegan . Rebecca . Telluride Unveils Lineup of Films to "Fight About" . hollywoodreporter.com . September 2022 . The Hollywood Reporter . January 24, 2023.
  46. Web site: D'Allasandro . Anthony . Sarah Polley's 'Women Talking' Heads To Christmas Corridor . Deadline . November 17, 2022 . January 24, 2023.
  47. Web site: Women Talking . Rotten Tomatoes . January 24, 2023.
  48. Web site: Li . Shirley . When a Single Conversation Can Mean Life or Death . The Atlantic . January 6, 2023 . January 24, 2023.
  49. Web site: Bogutskaya . Anna . Women Talking (review) . Time Out . December 23, 2022 . January 24, 2023.
  50. Web site: Grobar . Matt . 2023-06-13 . Sarah Polley In Talks To Direct Live-Action 'Bambi' For Disney . 2023-06-14 . Deadline . en-US.
  51. Web site: Taylor . Drew . 2024-03-06 . Sean Bailey’s Disney Legacy: Reanimation and Later, Exhaustion Analysis . 2024-07-19 . TheWrap . en-US.
  52. Web site: SIMONPILLAI . RADHEYAN . Sarah Polley is unbearably vulnerable in Run Towards The Danger . 28 August 2022.
  53. Web site: Nominating Peter Kormos for the Ontario NDP leadership was the proudest moment of my life. March 31, 2013 . Polley, Sarah . Twitter . March 31, 2013 . Sarah Polley.
  54. Woman on the Verge — Page 4 . Toronto Life . March 27, 2010 . dead . https://archive.today/20130111105334/http://www.torontolife.com/features/woman-verge/?pageno=4 . January 11, 2013 .
  55. Web site: III Summit. www.summit-americas.org. January 30, 2018.
  56. News: Becel to Debut The Heart at Oscars. July 17, 2010 . Katie Bailey . Strategy .
  57. News: Sarah Polley's new work gets Oscar debut. March 15, 2010 . Gayle MacDonald . The Globe and Mail .
  58. Sarah Polley pulls her name from Heart and Stroke film over Becel sponsorship . March 2, 2010 . May 7, 2010 . Marketing Magazine.
  59. News: The matter with The Heart is product endorsement . https://archive.today/20100407100721/http://www.nationalpost.com/arts/story.html?id=2634726 . dead . April 7, 2010 . March 3, 2010 . March 7, 2010 . Melissa Leong . National Post .
  60. Web site: Sarah Polley strips name from Oscar short . Vancouver Sun . March 3, 2010 . March 7, 2010 . Katherine Monk . Canwest News Service.
  61. News: Polley pulls name from sponsored film . March 2, 2010 . March 7, 2010 . CBC News.
  62. Web site: CTV and Becel React to Polley's Rebuke . March 3, 2010 . March 7, 2010 . Jeromy Lloyd . Marketing . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100306123352/http://www.marketingmag.ca/english/news/pr/article.jsp?content=20100302_171155_1920 . March 6, 2010 .
  63. News: Sarah Polley picks Peggy Nash for NDP leader. February 27, 2012. CBC News. January 4, 2012.
  64. News: Sarah Polley: The Men You Meet Making Movies. October 15, 2017. The New York Times.
  65. News: Whitty, Stephen . Sarah Polley makes only movies she'd see - from indies to zombie flicks. . May 30, 2010 . December 23, 2010.
  66. Web site: Sarah Polley talks of her 'whole new level' of breastfeeding while screening latest film in Colorado . Roberts, Soraya . March 4, 2012 . North Stars . . February 10, 2014.
  67. Web site: Tabach-Bank. Lauren. Flipping the Script. August 13, 2014. New York Times.
  68. News: Itzkoff . Dave . Sarah Polley Is OK With Oversharing . The New York Times . February 17, 2022 . February 18, 2022.
  69. Web site: Sarah Polley breaks silence about traumatic encounter with Jian Ghomeshi . Brend . Yvette . February 28, 2022 . cbc.ca . February 28, 2022.
  70. "When asked what directors she admires, Polley talks about Ingmar Bergman and Terrence Malick (she says his Thin Red Line "single-handedly brought me out of a deep depression. It shifted something in me. I'm an atheist, but it was the first time that it gave me faith in other people's faith")." Woman on the Verge by Mark Pupo, Toronto Life Magazine, October 2006.
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  72. Web site: NFB shorts: Stories Sarah Tells, Canadian Famous and Daniel Lanois. June 10, 2013. Toronto Star. June 13, 2013.
  73. Web site: Sarah Polley, Blue Rodeo founders join Order of Canada. CBC News. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. December 30, 2013. December 30, 2013.
  74. Web site: 2008 Oscars.org Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. March 25, 2023. Academy Awards.
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  77. Web site: 2020-03-04 . ACTRA names Sarah Polley 2020 Woman of the Year . 2024-04-25 . ACTRA National . en-US.
  78. Web site: Critics Choice Awards – Critics Choice Awards. Critics' Choice Awards. March 25, 2023.
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  80. Web site: Sharf. Zack. March 4, 2023. Everything Everywhere Dominates Spirit Awards With 7 Prizes, Including Best Feature (Full Winners List). March 25, 2023. Variety.
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