The Uncommon Thread by R. Scott Anderson

He becomes gravely ill and has hallucinations of his mother. As he readies a wedding gown for a Belgian princess, Reynolds collapses, damaging the dress and forcing his staff to work all night to repair it. Alma retaliates by poisoning Reynolds's tea with wild mushrooms gathered outside the country house. When Alma tries to show her love for Reynolds by preparing a romantic dinner, he lashes out, saying he will not tolerate deviations from the routines he has worked hard to perfect. Cyril initially distrusts Alma but comes to respect her willfulness and determination.Īt first, Alma enjoys being a part of Reynolds's work, but he proves aloof, hard to please, and finicky as a result, they start to bicker. Their relationship blossoms, and she moves in with him, becoming his model, muse, and lover, although the physicality between the two is very subtle. The superstitious Reynolds is haunted by the death of their mother and often stitches hidden messages into the linings of the dresses he makes.Īfter designing a new gown for a revered client, Lady Harding, Reynolds visits a restaurant near his country house and meets a foreign waitress, Alma Elson. Cyril, his sister, manages the day-to-day operations of his fashion house and tries to protect him from anything that might distract him from his work. His clients view him as a genius whose creations enable them to become their best selves but his creativity and charm are matched by his obsessive and controlling personality. In 1954 London, fashion designer Reynolds Woodcock creates dresses for members of high society, even royalty. It also earned four nominations at the 71st British Academy Film Awards, winning for Best Costume Design, and received two Golden Globe nominations. Īt the 90th Academy Awards, the film was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor for Day-Lewis, Best Supporting Actress for Lesley Manville and Best Original Score, and won for Best Costume Design.

It was chosen by the National Board of Review as one of the top ten films of 2017, and is considered one of the best films of the 2010s.

The film received acclaim for its acting, screenplay, direction, musical score, costume design, and production values.

Phantom Thread premiered in New York City on December 11, 2017, and was theatrically released in the United States on December 25, 2017. It is Anderson's second collaboration with Day-Lewis, following There Will Be Blood (2007), and his fourth with composer Jonny Greenwood. The film is the first Anderson film shot outside the United States, with principal photography beginning in January 2017 in Lythe, England. It marked Day-Lewis's final film role to date. Set in 1950s London, it stars Day-Lewis as an haute couture dressmaker who takes a young waitress, played by Krieps, as his muse. Phantom Thread is a 2017 American historical drama film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, and starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Vicky Krieps and Lesley Manville.

The Uncommon Thread by R. Scott Anderson