FRANCES FERGUSON: A Realistic And Whimsical Examination Of Scandal

Bob Byington’s Frances Ferguson is an exploration of a sex scandal through the point-of-view of the felon, Frances Ferguson (Kaley Wheless), a substitute teacher who becomes too interested in one of her students. We get a glimpse into her life before this instance, but the film largely explores how her life changes afterwards. Told through a somewhat whimsical narrative provided by Nick Offerman, Frances Ferguson tells a dark story while maintaining a more lighthearted tone. Kaley Wheless gives a memorable performance as Frances, and she expertly fits within the realistic, yet tonally unique world created in the film.

The Combination of Realism with a Whimsical Tone

Frances Ferguson combines moments of realistic tension and examinations of life with a whimsical tone. Hearing Nick Offerman’s narration, especially when it offers commentary on the actions of the main characters, brings the dark story into focus. The audience understands where the film is heading in terms of its tonal choices. Music, on-screen text, and narration work together to capture a style, while the actions and personalities of the characters keep the film grounded in reality. Even when the text on screen was in a bad font, this added to the film, in both its realism and its whimsy.

When Frances Ferguson began, I felt the film dealt heavily in a realistic world, but the more it went along, the more I appreciated the more whimsical aspects, such as the narration, which sounds literary at times. Separating the sections of her journey with simple captions helped the pacing of the film, while also offering a realistic glimpse into the steps which come when someone is facing trial and subsequent jail-time.

The use of music also separates the tone of the film from its dark subject matter, which works perfectly to offer a different point-of-view on a common story. Bob Byington’s previous works offer a similar tone, and if you are a fan of the work he has done in the past, you will appreciate how he utilizes those tonal choices in a story focusing on scandal and life-altering mistakes.

Finding Dark Comedy Through Unlikable Characters

One aspect of Frances Ferguson I found intriguing is how many of its characters come across as unlikable, yet this draws me even further into the film. Some of the best comedic moments come from the unlikable natures of each character being respected and not hidden from the audience.

Kaley Wheless captures comedic moments through Frances’s dissatisfaction with life, and the people around her. Her performance captures the tone of the film perfectly, and works to create a dissonance between the story of the film and its lighter tone, which shines through in her performance as well as in Nick Offerman’s narration.

By having the characters around Frances come across as more unlikable than her, even though she is the felon of the story, offers a chance for the audience to connect to her struggles and appreciate how she interacts with everyone in her life. She shows her hatred for her husband and mother, which lets the audience go along on this journey with her, noticing just how terrible everyone in her life is, while also understanding she has made decisions which are just as bad as the people around her.

The film seems to make light of a serious situation, but by putting more focus on what happens after her relationship with her student, the film does not paint that relationship in a good light. Most films about teachers getting into relationships with students spend most of their run-time exploring the relationship, sometimes painting them in an unrealistic way. The description of a film focusing on the felon in a case such as this brings to mind a completely different film than what is presented. Frances Ferguson shows the aftermath of making poor decisions, and also explores how every other bad decision Frances made in her life comes to light when she is arrested.

By only showing the teenage boy she enters into a relationship with briefly, the film rightfully puts more focus on the consequences of the crime, and less on the actual act itself. We are not shown a romanticized depiction of this relationship. The relationship that pushes Frances into new directions is barely shown in the film at all. Consequences are given more attention, but I did find it strange how much the film deals with the improvements in Frances’s life after her time in jail.

Frances Ferguson: Conclusion

Frances Ferguson captures the darkness of scandal, while finding the comedy and lightheartedness within such a dark subject matter. Kaley Wheless gives an extremely memorable performance, perfectly capturing the tiredness of her character at everyone and everyone in her life. She gives life to a character who could come across as completely unlikable. Frances Ferguson combines the unsettling feeling that comes from its subject with the desire to watch someone overcome the endless hatred for their life. Watching this film made me feel uncomfortable, yet kept me interested in seeing where her life goes as the film progresses.

Do you think the tone of Frances Ferguson works with or against its subject matter? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Frances Ferguson premiered at the SXSW Film Festival on March 10, 2019. For all domestic and international release dates, see here.