Watch American Venus

American Venus is a poignant drama that explores the complicated relationship between a mother and daughter, as well as the intense pressures of competitive sports. The film opens on Jenna Lane (Jane McGregor), a talented tennis player who is about to turn professional. Her mother, Ruth (Rebecca De Mornay), is a former tennis star who is both fiercely supportive of her daughter and intensely ambitious for her.

As Jenna prepares to compete in her first professional tournament, the film flashes back to her childhood, where we see her intense, demanding mother pushing her to be the best. Ruth sacrifices everything to support Jenna's tennis career, including her marriage to Jenna's father, a former football player who feels neglected and disconnected from his wife and daughter.

As the tournament unfolds, Jenna struggles with the pressure of performing at a professional level, and with Ruth's constant demands for perfection. The competitive world of professional tennis is portrayed as cut-throat and unforgiving, with players and coaches constantly jockeying for position and looking for any edge they can find.

The film's central conflict is between Jenna's desire to be her own person and Ruth's desire to control every aspect of her daughter's life. Jenna begins to rebel against her mother's authority, first by taking up with a disreputable coach who encourages her to party and let loose, and later by falling for a handsome fellow player named Paul (Matt Craven).

As the tournament reaches its climax, Jenna's struggles and tensions with her mother come to a head. She must decide whether to continue obeying her mother or to break free and pursue her own dreams, even if it means sacrificing her tennis career. Meanwhile, Ruth is forced to confront her own demons and to come to terms with the sacrifices she has made to support her daughter.

American Venus is a well-crafted, deeply emotional film that explores a complex mother-daughter relationship in the context of a competitive sport. The film is beautifully shot and features superb performances by both De Mornay and McGregor, who capture the intensity and struggle of their characters' relationship.

Ultimately, American Venus is a film about finding one's own voice and identity, even in the face of intense pressure and expectation. It is a powerful story that will resonate with anyone who has ever struggled to reconcile their own desires with those of the people they love.

American Venus is a 2007 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 21 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 4.2.