MOVIES . . . LADYBIRD, LADYBIRD

This English drama about the problems of a working-class mother in raising her children shows how hard it is to "legislate love, lust, neglect, despair and real-family values" says TIME movie critic Richard Corliss. Based on a true story, it traces the life of Maggie Conlon, who has had four kids by four men, been battered and had her children snatched from her by Social Services. Maggie gets a break when she meets a Paraguayan refugee, but she is unable to make the most of this relationship. Corliss highly recommends this movie saying it is "more painful to watch than any slasher film, because its emotional violence literally hits home."