Sherrybaby
Sherry Swanson, a young woman who has recently been released from prison and is recovering from a heroin addiction, is trying to rebuild her life on the outside. Above all, she wants to repair her relationship with her young daughter, Alexis. She returns home to Jersey and goes to the halfway house where she will be staying. Before she can reunite with Alexis, she meets with her Parole officer who is very strict and direct with his expectations of her. He tells her that she needs to stay clean and get a job. While doing some chores around the house, Sherry meets the director of the recovery program and Sherry, knowing that he is attracted to her, sleeps with him in the basement. Afterwards, her brother Bobby picks her up to go see Alexis.
Alexis lives with Sherry's brother Bobby and his wife, Lynn. Her daughter immediately recognizes her and calls her "mommy," which warms Sherry's heart. She gives Alexis a few presents and talks to her about why she was away, saying that she stole from people for drugs. The halfway house where she lives proves to be more daunting as Sherry has tension with a fellow housemate, but finds solace in hanging her daughter's artwork she sent to Sherry in prison. She goes to a job interview and says that she wants to work with children as she took classes in prison, and also wants to be a better parent for her daughter. He rebuffs her telling her that a pretty girl like her should be a waitress, but can't since she has a history with alcohol and drugs. Obviously attracted to Sherry, she shows the director of the employment program her breasts and says that she will 'suck his dick' in order to get the job she wants. She does so. After her interview, she goes to an AA meeting and talks about the stress of life outside prison is making her want to use. She also meets Dean, a former alcoholic. He gives her a ride home and he tells her that he recognizes her from when she was a 16-year-old stripper at one of the local spots.
After calling her brother and faced with more excuses as to why she can't talk to Alexis, she gets into an altercation with another housemate. Upset, she leaves the house and catches a ride to her brother's place. She sleeps on their steps and Lynn finds her in the morning. There she sees Alexis getting ready for summer camp. While Lynn finishes getting Alexis ready for camp, Sherry talks to her brother Bobby about moving in because she feels the halfway house is like prison. He tells her that she can stay, but there can't be any drugs in the house. Alexis runs in to say goodbye as she is about to leave and calls Sherry by her name and not mommy, which she had done so earlier. Angered by Lynn's interference with her daughter, she punches the kitchen cabinet. Later that day, Sherry's father, Bob and his wife come over. Sherry is overwhelmingly glad to see her father and acts like a child trying to get his attention from Alexis to her. They share a kiss and an inappropriate embrace which makes the family uncomfortable. They all have burgers around the table together and Bob hands Sherry a beer. She drinks it even though she is on parole. She decides to sing for everyone, obviously for her father's attention. Later while playing with Alexis, Lynn and Sherry have a confrontation. Sherry yells at her and tells her that she is confusing her with the name switches and accuses her of being jealous. Bobby gives Sherry some cash and drives her to a hotel saying that there are too many people in the house. Sherry berates him and reminds him that she is his sister, not a charity case.
While at the hotel, she cuts and dyes her hair brown. She also calls Dean while drinking and asks him to come over. The two sleep together and talk. The next day, she meets with her parole officer and faces a body search. She yells at them saying that she is stronger than they think. Her parole officer tells her that she has gotten a job at a local youth center. She is ecstatic and thanks him. After her first shift with the kids at the center, she goes to Dean's house, but much to her dismay he has another woman in his house. Unknown to Sherry, her parole officer is following her. She goes to a liquor store and comes back. The two talk more and Dean tells her that he does like her. Later at the hotel, Sherry calls Bobby asking to talk to Alexis. He gives her another excuse, but tells her that they are having a birthday party for her. Sherry says that she will be there and hangs up.
Before the party, she goes shopping for presents for Alexis. Dean gives her a ride to Bobby's but they aren't at the house. Flustered, she asks Dean to drive to her father's house. Bobby greets her and asks why she is late. She is greeted by her father who hands her a drink and Sherry then gives her gifts to Alexis. She is happy and thanks Sherry. Another child opens one of her gifts and Alexis yells at him that they are her presents as she starts to cry. Lynn picks her up and brings all the kids to the other room for musical chairs. Upset, Sherry breaks down to her dad saying that everyone is trying to keep Alexis away from her and she doesn't know what to do. Her father tells her to give it some time as she leans on him. He slowly caresses her breasts and kisses her shoulder, insinuating that Bob sexually abused Sherry as a child, which is why she turned to drugs. Her brother sees this and turns away. Disgusted with herself and her father, she flees. Sherry then relapses. She buys heroin and snorts it in her hotel room. She then uses the rest of her money to buy more drugs and shoots up with a stranger. In the morning, she wanders into an AA meeting and meets Dean. He knows that she is messed up and takes back to his place. He burns sage around her and draws her a bath.
The next morning, Dean wakes her and tells her that she needs to stop being so selfish and if so, maybe Alexis with come to her on her own. She goes to work and sings with the kids at the center and goes back to her hotel. Her parole officer is waiting for her and asks what is going on. Sherry tells him that she isn't clean and he berates her about how she wants to be clean, but she doesn't want to do the work and she wants her daughter back, but she doesn't want to do the work. He tells her that she will have to be admitted to a hospital to get clean since she doesn't qualify to be an out patient. He tells her to take the weekend to say goodbye to her family and Monday he will take her in.
Later, she meets with her brother. He tells her that he hasn't forgotten that she is his sister and that he wants her and Alexis to build a relationship. She calls him a snake and says that she can't trust him because of Lynn and his actions against her with Alexis. He reminds her that they love Alexis and the only reason they have her is because of Sherry. She asks to take Alexis out by herself so she isn't afraid of Sherry anymore. He agrees.
Sherry packs her suitcase and goes to pick up Alexis, who is unwilling to go. Sherry holding it together, doesn't argue with Lynn as Bobby packs Alexis into the car. Alexis is insistent on not going and starts to cry, but Bobby reassures her that this her chance to get to know her mother. Sherry drives off and crosses state lines into Delaware with Alexis, which is a violation of her parole. The two stop for food and while going waiting on line for the bathroom, Sherry witnesses another mother yelling and cursing at her child. Sherry grabs her by the hair and tells her that she is lucky to have her kid, threatens her and calls her a bully. As she turns around, Alexis is gone. Sherry finds her in the bath stall crying as she wet her pants. She carries her to the car and changes her pants. Sherry asks Alexis to say that she loves her and she does so.
Realizing that her daughter doesn't actually love her and in some ways is scared of her, Sherry drives back to Jersey and drops Alexis off with Bobby and Lynn. She talks with Bobby outside and tells him that she actually can't take of Alexis by herself. She asks him to help and he agrees. Sherry then drives off.
realism