Blue Moon

In 1943, on March 31, lyricist Lorenz Hart spends a long evening at Sardi's while his former partner Richard Rodgers celebrates the opening of Oklahoma!. The film zeroes in on that night, showing Hart wrestling with self-doubt, old friendships, and the sense that the world that once celebrated him has moved on. Conversations and small gestures reveal the erosion of his confidence and the persistence of his wit, while nearby faces and memories keep pulling him back into earlier triumphs. Rather than covering a whole life, the movie keeps the focus tight, letting mood, atmosphere, and performance carry the weight of its story.

Directed by Richard Linklater and released in 2025, Blue Moon adapts material by Robert Kaplow and assembles a strong ensemble, led by Ethan Hawke as Lorenz Hart with Margaret Qualley, Bobby Cannavale, Andrew Scott, and Jonah Lees in supporting roles.

The film opened in a limited theatrical run, aimed at specialty and festival audiences. Commercial figures were modest and not widely reported, reflecting a release strategy centered on critics and cinephile viewers rather than wide mainstream distribution.

Blue Moon has encouraged renewed curiosity about Hart and that era of Broadway songwriting, prompting pieces in theater journals and conversations on social platforms. Scenes set in Sardi's and the film's intimate nighttime atmosphere have circulated among film and theater communities, sparking discussion about historical portrayals and how creative partnerships are remembered.

Critical and audience response has leaned mixed to positive, with a 6.745/10 rating from 96 votes. Reviewers singled out Hawke's layered performance and Linklater's patient, observational pacing, while some found the film deliberately restrained. The story highlights themes of aging, friendship, creative loss, and the uneasy divide between private struggle and public acclaim, anchored by strong ensemble work and period detail.