‘Miller’s Girl’ is Jade Bartlett’s gift to the world of cinema, encompassing themes of adolescent attachments, through the comprehension of the even-thin line of teacher-student relationships. Featuring compelling performances by the lead duo Jenna Ortega and Martin Freeman, the erotic thriller movie revolves around a young 18-year-old Cairo Sweet, a student of extraordinary academic talent bestowed with the gift of writing. She begins attending Jonathan Miller’s literature classes and is enamored by his intellect and affection.
Miller is ever so excited and impressed with Cairo that he begins providing extra care to nurture her talent. He offers her a special essay assignment; however, her submission is steeped in inappropriate motives between a teacher and a student. It is meant to convey her true feelings towards him. The essay causes an unstable stir that puts Miller’s job and marriage at stake. Through a compelling narrative, the film explores numerous themes of teenage sexual desire and the unfiltered effects of rejection, making one wonder whether it is based on a true story. Spoilers ahead.
Miller’s Girl is Not A Representation of Reality
‘Miller’s Girl’ is not based on a true story, despite it drawing some minute parallels from other teacher-student movies. However, intimate teacher-student relationships have certainly existed in numerous cases in reality. The movie isn’t just about that, though, as it is the product of the creative imagination of writer-director Jade Bartlett. Apart from the fact that its theme primarily sets up an intimate teacher-student relationship, what it really does is peer deeper into each character’s psyche. Cairo is an ambitious, gifted, and brilliant young student whose knowledge and understanding of literature are far more advanced than those of her peers.
She is well-read and quotes literary sources a high-school student would not be that well-versed in. Cairo is special on all academic fronts, and her aspirations are to take her out of Tennessee, the state they reside in. She despises staying put there as, in her eyes, the state offers nothing more than a last-ditch option for furthering her scholarly desires. As the movie unravels her innermost wishes, several mysterious traits emerge, one of which is firmly inspired by her passion for steamy romantic motifs. Miller, a literature teacher and published author, catches wind of her ingenuity and is honestly excited by the prospect of having someone as brilliant as her in his class.
Miller initially sees Cairo as a protégé, a mark of hefty talent. However, when she reveals that she’s actually read the book that he’s written, Miller’s interest is piqued, and as things are portrayed, his involvement broadens further. He now sees Cairo as something more than a student, a friend perhaps, or maybe much more. Cairo is already attracted to Miller and wants to bed him. Miller, on the other hand, doesn’t want to cross the line but is also attracted to Cairo. At the end of the film, we see the emergence of a villain archetype through Cairo’s actions and emotions.
However, director Jade Bartlett looks at it in a slightly different hue. She revealed that ‘Miller’s Girl’ is an entanglement of both victim and villain. She initially began writing ‘Miller’s Girl’ as a theater play, but when she conceived this idea, the MeToo movement intensified globally. The revelations of the movement inspired a change in direction. Bartlett revealed that while Cairo Sweet is assumed to be the gray one, it isn’t what it seems. She is, in fact, pushed to pursue her desires by a man who is seemingly unsatisfied with the mediocrity of his life, which, in this case, is Jonathan Miller.
Cairo, according to the director, is a representation of the prevalent misogyny. When women are treated poorly by men, they tend to transform their hatred and sorrow into characteristics that would classify them as evil. No character in the film is guiltless, in Bartlett’s opinion. All players in this tale have complicated relationships, and it isn’t something you can easily point out. Her film’s primary motive is to paint a picture of these characters and their complexities, whether it be the emergence of a villain or the rattling mediocrity of one’s ambitionless life.
The film, while intended to push people into asking questions, is ultimately an origin story of a villain, or two, depending on how you see it. The characters in the film are assumed to pursue more vicious deeds after the movie is over, adding an element of mystery to the already intriguing narrative. According to Bartlett, both Cairo and Miller go on to have illustrious writing careers, each having their own distinct stories. The characters may eventually meet years down the line and resolve their past issues as adults. Therefore, we reiterate that though ‘Miller’s Girl’ is not based on real people or incidents, it seeks to provide a tale that’s gripping and filled with nuances and perspectives many will relate to.
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