Adult Life Skills

Adult Life Skills
British release poster
Directed by Rachel Tunnard
Written by Rachel Tunnard
Produced by Michael Berliner
Starring
Cinematography Bet Rourich
Music by Micah P. Hinson
Production
company
Creative England
Distributed by Lorton Distribution
Release dates
  • 17 April 2016 (Tribeca Film Festival)
  • 24 June 2016
Running time
 96 minutes
Country United Kingdom
Language English

Adult Life Skills (formerly known as 'How To Live Yours') is a 2016 British comedy film funded by Creative England, and the feature debut of writer-director Rachel Tunnard. The feature-length version of the BAFTA-nominated short Emotional Fusebox, it premiered at the London Film Festival in 2014. It tells the story of 29-year-old Anna (portrayed by Jodie Whittaker) who moves into her mum's shed and refuses to move out after the death of her twin brother.

It premiered at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival in April 2016 and won one of the top awards, the Nora Ephron prize for best female director.

Plot

Since her twin brother Billy died, Anna is stuck. She is approaching 30, living like a hermit in her mum Marion's garden shed. She spends her days making videos, using her thumbs as actors, but shows them to no one. A week before her birthday, her mum gives her an ultimatum: She must move out of the shed, get a haircut, and stop dressing like a homeless teenager. When Anna's school friend comes to visit, her self-imposed isolation becomes impossible to maintain. Soon she is entangled with Clint, a troubled eight-year-old whose mother is seriously ill, and the local estate agent, Brendan, whose awkward interpersonal skills continually undermine his attempts to seduce her.

Cast