Monster
Directed by	Patty Jenkins
Produced by	Charlize Theron Mark Damon Clark Peterson Donald Kushner Brad Wyman
Written by	Patty Jenkins
Starring	Charlize Theron Christina Ricci Bruce Dern Lee Tergesen Annie Corley Scott Wilson
Music by	BT (original)
Cinematography	Steven Bernstein
Editing by	Jane Kurson Arthur Coburn
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date(s)	December 26, 2003 (US)
Running time	109 min.
Language	English
Budget	$8 million
IMDb profile

Monster is a 2003 film about the life of female serial killer Aileen Wuornos, a former prostitute who was executed in 2002 for killing seven men in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The role of Aileen Wuornos was played by South African actress Charlize Theron, and her lover Selby Wall was played by Christina Ricci. (Wuornos' lover's name was actually Tyria Moore, but her character's name, age, and appearance in the film were changed for legal reasons.) The film was written and directed by Patty Jenkins. Download high resolution version (475x705, 67 KB)Monster movie poster. ... Patty Jenkins is an American film director and writer who grew-up in Lawrence, Kansas. ... Mark Damon is an american film actor and producer, born in Chicago, on april the 22th, 1933. ... Donald Kushner is an American film producer. ... Brad Hibbs Wyman (born May 13, 1963 in Los Angeles, California) is an American film producer, best known for producing Monster. ... Charlize Theron (born August 7, 1975) is an Academy Award winning South African actress and former fashion model. ... Christina Ricci (born February 12, 1980) is a Golden Globe and Emmy Award-nominated American actress. ... Bruce MacLeish Dern (born June 4, 1936) is an Academy Award-nominated American screen actor. ... Lee Tergesen (born July 8, 1965 in Ivoryton, Connecticut) is an American actor. ... Scott Wilson (born on March 29, 1942 in Atlanta, Georgia, (USA) is an American actor. ... Brian Wayne Transeau (born October 4, 1971 in Rockville, Maryland) is a trance musician, better known by his stage name, BT. He has been called the Father of Trance for his pioneering in the trance genre [1],[2] and Prince of Dance Music for his multi-instrumentalist skills [3], and... Steven Bernstein is a jazz trumpeter from New York City. ... The Columbia Pictures logo from 1993 to the present Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. ... December 26 is the 360th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar, 361st in leap years. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... // February 24 - The Pianist, directed by Roman Polanski, wins 7 Cesar Awards: Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Sound, Best Production Design, Best Music and Best Cinematography. ... Film is a term that encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. ... Serial killers are individuals who have a history of multiple slayings of victims who were usually unknown to them beforehand. ... Aileen Carol Wuornos (born Aileen Carol Pittman) (February 29, 1956 – October 9, 2002) was an American prostitute and convicted serial killer who was sentenced to death by the state of Florida in 1992. ... Whore redirects here. ... The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... Charlize Theron (born August 7, 1975) is an Academy Award winning South African actress and former fashion model. ... Christina Ricci (born February 12, 1980) is a Golden Globe and Emmy Award-nominated American actress. ... Tyria Moore at Aileen Wuornos trial . Tyria Moore (born 1965) is an American woman best known for her relationship with serial killer Aileen Wuornos. ... The term writer can apply to anyone who creates a written work, but the word more usually designates those who write creatively or professionally, or those who have written in many different forms. ... The film director, on the right, gives last minute direction to the cast and crew, whilst filming a costume drama on location in London. ... Patty Jenkins is an American film director and writer who grew-up in Lawrence, Kansas. ...

Much of Theron's preparation for the role is credited to Nick Broomfield's 1992 documentary, Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer, which Theron reportedly watched clips of between takes. Nick Broomfield with his famous sound boom and half-on headphones. ... Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to document reality. ...

Characters

The main characters include:

• Aileen - (Charlize Theron) a prostitute from Michigan who moved to Florida.
• Selby - (Christina Ricci) Her girlfriend; based on Wuornos' real-life girlfriend Tyria Moore.
• Thomas - (Bruce Dern) An old barfly in whom she confides occasionally.

Aileen Carol Wuornos (born Aileen Carol Pittman) (February 29, 1956 – October 9, 2002) was an American prostitute and convicted serial killer who was sentenced to death by the state of Florida in 1992. ... Charlize Theron (born August 7, 1975) is an Academy Award winning South African actress and former fashion model. ... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Area  Ranked 11th  - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 491 miles (790 km)  - % water 41. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami Area  Ranked 22nd  - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] km²)  - Width 361 miles (582 km)  - Length 447 miles (721 km)  - % water 17. ... Christina Ricci (born February 12, 1980) is a Golden Globe and Emmy Award-nominated American actress. ... Tyria Moore at Aileen Wuornos trial . Tyria Moore (born 1965) is an American woman best known for her relationship with serial killer Aileen Wuornos. ... Bruce MacLeish Dern (born June 4, 1936) is an Academy Award-nominated American screen actor. ...

Plot

After moving to Florida, Wuornos, a prostitute, meets Selby in a bar. Selby likes Aileen almost immediately; she likes that Wuornos is very protective of her, even though she notices that the older woman is severely disturbed. They have a small encounter at a roller rink and quickly become committed to one another, and move into a motel together. Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami Area  Ranked 22nd  - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] km²)  - Width 361 miles (582 km)  - Length 447 miles (721 km)  - % water 17. ...

After being raped and brutalized by a john, Wuornos murders the man with his own gun and decides to quit prostitution. Eventually, it becomes hard to pay the bills, so Wuornos tries to find legitimate work. This is not an easy task; she has no qualifications, is uncultured, and has a very bad temper, which she often displays during job interviews. Desperate for money and resentful of the men who come to her for sex, she commits several murders, each more brutal than the last, robbing her victims after killing them. A john (U.S.) or a punter (U.K.) is a male client of a prostitute, particularly in the case of street prostitution. ...

Wuornos is eventually arrested and speaks to Selby one last time, while in prison. Selby reveals incriminating information over the telephone and Wuornos realizes Selby is with the police. To protect Selby, Wuornos states she committed the murders alone. During Wuornos' trial, Selby testifies against her.

Aileen Wuornos was convicted and sentenced to death.

Acclaim

An overwhelming majority of film critics praised Monster. Most gave especially high praise to Theron's performance as the protagonist and her boldness in taking the role of an unattractive, mentally ill woman. For the role, Theron gained 30 pounds and wore prosthetic teeth. Ricci's performance was also heavily acclaimed, and Theron thanked Ricci during her Oscar acceptance speech. A protagonist is the main figure of a piece of literature or drama and has the main part or role. ... A mental illness or mental disorder refers to one of many mental health conditions characterized by distress, impaired cognitive functioning, atypical behavior, emotional dysregulation, and/or maladaptive behavior. ... A United States soldier demonstrates Foosball with two prosthetic limbs In medicine, a prosthesis is an artificial extension that replaces a missing part of the body. ... Types of teeth Molars are used for grinding up foods Carnassials are used for slicing food. ...

Many critics called her performance (and her makeup in the film) a "transformation" [1]. The film won Theron the Academy Award for Best Actress, Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Drama and the SAG Award. The Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the awards given to actresses working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; nominations are made by Academy members who are actors and actresses. ... The Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and television programs, given out each year during a formal dinner. ... 1944 - Jennifer Jones, The Song of Bernadette 1945 - Ingrid Bergman, Gaslight 1946 - Ingrid Bergman, The Bells of St. ... The Screen Actors Guild (S.A.G.) is the labor union representing over 120,000 film actors in the United States. ...

External links

• Monster at the Internet Movie Database
• Monster at Rotten Tomatoes
• Monster at Metacritic
• Monster at Box Office Mojo
• Charlize Theron interview for Monster
• Christina Ricci interview for Monster