The Tale
2018 · 115 min · Director: Jennifer Fox
Show plot summary (may contain spoilers)
Jennifer Fox faces a host of life-altering questions after a short story from her middle school days forces her to re-examine her first sexual relationship and the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive. An accomplished documentarian working in New York, Jennifer is completing her latest project, about the lives of women around the world. She receives a series of phone calls from her mother, Nettie, who has found a short story Jennifer wrote at the age of 13 for school. In it, she describes various encounters with her riding instructor Mrs. G and her running coach Bill while away at summer camp. Nettie is unnerved by the implications of her daughter's writing, but Jennifer is nonplussed. She has always looked back with fondness on the time she spent with the two charismatic adults. Egged on by Nettie and encouraged by her supportive fiancé, Jennifer yearns to know more and sets out on a journey to find the real people 30 years later - the children, now adults, who also attended the camp back then-and eventually the coaches themselves. But the more she learns, the more her memories shift and the more questions she unearths. As her frustration mounts, she finds herself turning inward to get to the truth, imagining conversations with her 13-year-old-self and even Mrs. G and Bill in an effort to understand how and why events occurred so long ago.
Emotional fingerprint
The Tale (2018) — Movie. Top emotional signals: Sadness 30%, Empathy 28%, Confusion 20%. Source: AI estimate. Shares describe emotional signal, not percentages of people. Your experience may differ. How we measure
- Sadness30%
- Empathy28%
- Confusion20%
- Anxiety12%
- Inspiration10%
AI estimate · no viewer votes yet
How we measure
AI estimate
Share of emotional signal, not the percentage of people or a probability of enjoyment.
Each viewer contributes one response, split equally across their selected emotions. When available, an automated estimate supplies a prior that is blended with those responses. Counts include distinct viewers, not automated estimates or archived anonymous votes. Fewer than 3 viewers is an early estimate; more responses do not guarantee certainty.
Why it feels this way
The strongest emotional signals are Sadness, Empathy, Confusion. Genres: Drama, Mystery, Biography. AI estimate.
Is it worth watching?
Consider this title if you are looking for Sadness, Empathy and Confusion. Its IMDb rating of 7.2/10 suggests a generally positive audience reception. For these leading emotions, its Feel Score is 73/100.
How did it make you feel?
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Pick up to three · 0/3
Emotional journey
- Sadness
- Empathy
- Disturbing
Not enough subtitle evidence
No dominant emotion
Dominant emotion: Empathy
Dominant emotion: Hope
Dominant emotion: Sadness
Dominant emotion: Disturbing
Dominant emotion: Tension
Dominant emotion
| % | Approximate minute | Dominant emotion | Overall intensity | Sadness | Empathy | Disturbing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 % | ≈ 3′ | Empathy | 30 % | 11 % | 21 % | 4 % |
| 7.5 % | ≈ 9′ | Hope | 31 % | 12 % | 22 % | 8 % |
| 12.5 % | ≈ 14′ | Empathy | 34 % | 18 % | 27 % | 16 % |
| 17.5 % | ≈ 20′ | Sadness | 38 % | 25 % | 31 % | 21 % |
| 22.5 % | ≈ 26′ | Sadness | 39 % | 25 % | 30 % | 23 % |
| 27.5 % | ≈ 32′ | Disturbing | 39 % | 19 % | 26 % | 25 % |
| 32.5 % | ≈ 37′ | Hope | 42 % | 20 % | 29 % | 25 % |
| 37.5 % | ≈ 43′ | Sadness | 49 % | 31 % | 38 % | 31 % |
| 42.5 % | ≈ 49′ | Tension | 61 % | 41 % | 49 % | 50 % |
| 47.5 % | ≈ 55′ | Disturbing | 75 % | 49 % | 60 % | 70 % |
| 52.5 % | ≈ 60′ | Disturbing | 76 % | 53 % | 64 % | 70 % |
| 57.5 % | ≈ 66′ | Sadness | 69 % | 50 % | 59 % | 59 % |
| 62.5 % | ≈ 72′ | Disturbing | 63 % | 41 % | 50 % | 55 % |
| 67.5 % | ≈ 78′ | Disturbing | 61 % | 38 % | 48 % | 56 % |
| 72.5 % | ≈ 83′ | Disturbing | 69 % | 46 % | 56 % | 65 % |
| 77.5 % | ≈ 89′ | Disturbing | 77 % | 55 % | 65 % | 73 % |
| 82.5 % | ≈ 95′ | Empathy | 78 % | 63 % | 70 % | 66 % |
| 87.5 % | ≈ 101′ | Sadness | 81 % | 73 % | 76 % | 65 % |
| 92.5 % | ≈ 106′ | Sadness | 79 % | 63 % | 65 % | 57 % |
| 97.5 % | ≈ 112′ | Hope | 67 % | 37 % | 38 % | 30 % |
Man in a hole
Rags to riches: The emotional tone rises from negative to positive.
Riches to rags: The emotional tone falls from positive to negative.
Man in a hole: The tone falls, then recovers.
Icarus: The tone rises, then falls.
Cinderella: The tone rises, falls, then rises again.
Oedipus: The tone falls, rises, then falls again.
AI reading of the film’s English subtitles (dialogue and sound cues) — not viewer votes. How we measure ↗
Afterward Reveal viewer responses · may contain spoilers
Viewer responses about feelings after the title ended, separate from feelings while watching. No AI estimates.
0 responses so far
Feeling details appear after at least 3 viewers respond, to protect privacy.
Cast
Jenny (13 Years)
Aaron
Jenny (15 Years)
Grandmother
Dr. G.
Raymond (Ray)
Young Becky
Joe
Samantha
Student #1
Details
- Directed by
- Jennifer Fox
- Written by
- Jennifer Fox
- Type
- Movies
- Released
- 2018
- Runtime
- 115 min
- Country
- United States, Germany
- Ratings
- Feels mostly
- Sadness
- Data updated
Where to watch
Rent
Feels similar
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