Sienna Miller Turned a Mother’s Grief Into a Love Story at Last Night’s Screening of American Woman

“Thank you all so much for coming. I’m terrible at this speaking thing,” said Sienna Miller, clad in glittering Gucci as she introduced her film American Woman at a special screening last night, hosted by Anna Wintour with Gucci and the Cinema Society. “But I’m so grateful. Anna, I love you very much; thank you for doing this, and to Gucci. Such a hard thing for a small film to have another lease on life. It really does mean the world, and seeing so many people in this room as well.” A quick survey of the room from my ruby red seat at the Metrograph theater revealed Emily Blunt in the mix.

For a film illustrating a mother’s grief after her daughter disappears, I prepared myself knowing this would be an emotional journey. Speaking to Miller, she assured there’s a happy ending. “It is a lot more humorous than you might anticipate, and while bad things do happen within the story, it’s really about the triumph and nature of women and of the human spirit. This is a woman who has incredible resilience, and at the end, you’re left feeling inspired. It’s a real character story.” A beautiful one at that. And the British-American Miller nailed the role of Deb, a chain-smoking, small-town Pennsylvania girl with a penchant for strappy boots and bad men. “I fell in love with her completely,” said the actress.

There were sporadic moments of cheers and sniffles in the theater—especially over the bond between Miller and Christina Hendricks, who plays Deb’s protective sister.

As soon as the credits rolled, guests hopped out of their seats and braved the cold walk to the after-party at the recently opened Omar’s/La Boîte. Down the mirrored staircase we went to discover a zebra-themed space outlined with cozy booths. Tunes were spun by DJ Misfit Dior, and a disco ball in the back of the room subtly encouraged some dancing.

Miller soon entered the club, shortly thereafter followed by her costar Aaron Paul, who plays her husband. The dynamic between the two onscreen was palpable—Deb pushed Miller out of her comfort zone. “This is an opportunity to grow and change and show different things,” said Miller. “It was really daunting, sitting in the space and imagining what it would be like to lose a child, as a mother myself. But it’s much more about humans surviving these things, and you will laugh too!”

American Woman is available on Amazon.