The Picture House ambassador Hayley Atwell hosts Film Study for Adults! Hayley brings her in-depth knowledge of film —and a slate of exciting guests, all with unique perspectives on film and the industry — to TPH members for fascinating discussions.

In the next Hayley Atwell Selects, we’ll discuss Eve’s Bayou with Academy Award-nominated actress Cynthia Erivo. Cynthia was nominated for her role in Harriet, whose director, Kasi Lemmons, is also the director of Eve’s Bayou. The Picture House is excited to welcome Cynthia, the first recipient of our Cicely Tyson Award, as part of the film study program.

Eve’s Bayou Synopsis

Over the course of a long, hot Louisiana summer, 10-year-old Eve Batiste (Jurnee Smollett), discovers that her family’s affluent existence is merely a facade. The philandering of her suave doctor father, Louis (Samuel L. Jackson), creates a rift, throwing Eve’s mother, Roz (Lynn Whitfield), and teenage sister, Cisely (Meagan Good), into emotional turmoil, while Eve seeks refuge with her quirky psychic aunt, Mozelle (Debbi Morgan).

This class will function much like a book club, attendees should watch the assigned movie at home through available streaming services and arrive at class online for a robust discussion led by Hayley and Deborah.

Price: $25

Date: April 10

Time: 11:00 am (ET)

Place: Online

Purchase Here

Hayley Atwell is an Olivier-nominated actress who made her name in acclaimed British television series including The Line of Beauty, Any Human Heart, and the adaptation of Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Mini-Series. She recently starred in the BBC production of Howard’s End from Academy Award-winning screenwriter Kenneth Lonergan.

Hayley played Peggy Carter in Captain America: The First Avenger. In 2015, she was given her own show, Agent Carter, the first-ever Marvel spin-off to be fronted by a woman. She reprised the role in several films including Captain America: The Winter Soldier andAvengers: Endgame, as well as in the animated series What If? Her other film credits include The Duchess, Christopher Robin, and Blinded by the Light. She will star opposite Tom Cruise as the female lead in the next two Mission: Impossible films.

Cynthia Erivo is a Grammy® Emmy® and Tony® Award-winning actress, singer and producer, as well as an Academy Award®, Golden Globe®, and SAG nominee. Erivo burst onto West End and Broadway stages in “The Color Purple,” and has since taken the world by storm.

Erivo can be seen as Aretha Franklin in National Geographic’s Emmy-winning global anthology series Genius: Aretha. She recently starred in the HBO series The Outsider, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. The series follows an unorthodox investigator and a seasoned cop investigating a gruesome murder of a local boy.

Erivo also starred in Kasi Lemmons’ Harriet, where she brought the legacy of Harriet Tubman to the big screen.  Focus Features released the film in theaters on November 1, 2019, and Erivo’s performance was met with critical acclaim. Additionally, Erivo lent her voice to the movie’s title song, “Stand Up,” which she co-wrote. “Stand Up” won “Best Original Song” at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards. Both Cynthia and “Stand Up” were nominated for Academy Awards in the categories of “Best Actress” and “Best Original Song” respectively. Additionally, “Stand Up” received a nomination for a Grammy Award in the category of “Best Song Written for Visual Media.” The film also garnered ten NAACP nominations as well as AAFCA and Society of Composers & Lyricists Award wins.

In addition to her illustrious acting career, Erivo is a Grammy®-nominated songwriter and performer, often headlining sold-out shows, symphonies, and music spaces including the Kennedy Center Honors, the 2020 Academy Awards, the 2017 Governor’s Ball and the 2017 Grammy Awards. Her debut album, Ch. 1 Vs. 1, with Verve/Universal Music Group, was released in 2021.

In August 2020, Erivo launched her production company, Edith’s Daughter, and announced her first-look deal with MRC Television & Civic Center Media. Edith’s Daughter focuses on projects that express the beauty in the stories and people who are often overlooked and underrepresented.