Ally Sheedy continued to act regularly throughout the 1980s and '90s, appearing in the likes of "St. Elmo's Fire," "Short Circuit," and "Fear," to name a few. She was a solid performer over all of those years, but critics and audiences saw her in a completely different light when she took on the role of Lucy Berliner in 1998's "High Art."
The film follows Sydney (Radha Mitchell), whose life is seemingly on the straight and narrow until an unexpected encounter with Lucy Berliner (Sheedy). Lucy's a renowned photographer, and seeing how Sydney works at a high-end photography magazine, the two can help each other in more ways than one. The movie earned immense praise, and Sheedy won Best Female Lead at that year's Film Independent Spirit Awards.
It remains some of Sheedy's best work, as the actress is quick to say herself. She told The Independent, "It was the role of a lifetime. I identified with that character in so many ways. It was almost all women on the set, and everything came together and worked beautifully. It was one of those experiences that made me feel, 'Ah, you know, I'm glad I've done this with my life.'" Sheedy has another significant role on the way as a mother to an alcoholic on "Single Drunk Female," and now, a new generation can receive an introduction to an immeasurable talent.
