To the Stars

To the Stars is a 2019 American drama film directed by Martha Stephens from a screenplay by Shannon Bradley-Colleary. It stars Kara Hayward, Liana Liberato, Shea Whigham, Jordana Spiro, Lucas Jade Zumann, Adelaide Clemens, Malin Åkerman and Tony Hale. It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2019. It was released on April 24, 2020, by Samuel Goldwyn Films. Plot Iris Deerborne is a teenager living in a rural Oklahoma town in 1960. The shy and mousey Iris is emotionally abused by her mother Francie, who wishes her daughter were more glamorous. At school she is bullied by many of the other kids, especially Clarissa Dell, the popular but insecure "queen bee" of the school. Iris shares a mutual attraction with Jeff Owings, a fellow student who works for her father, but is too shy to act on her feelings. Iris frequently sneaks out at night to swim in a local pond, wishing that she could "disappear".