Girl Most Likely

Imogene is a once promising New York playwright who finds herself stuck in a shrinking career and a faltering love life. In a misguided bid to win back a former boyfriend, she stages a suicide as a dramatic gesture designed to reset his perception of her. The gamble backfires in spectacular fashion, and she ends up in the care of her mother Zelda, a gambling addict who lives in a chaotic, money-strapped world far from the Manhattan skyline. Suddenly Imogene is stranded in a place she swore she’d never return to, facing rent, relationships, and a family history she thought she left behind. Through a series of awkward encounters, unexpected allies, and comic missteps, she begins to question what she really wants.

Directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, Girl Most Likely arrived in 2012 as a small scale comedy with a sharp eye for messy family dynamics. The screenplay is an original work by Michelle Morgan, crafted specifically for this cast, without adaptation from a prior novel or stage piece.

Critics offered a spectrum of responses, with many praising Kristen Wiig for folding warmth and wit into a prickly, flawed heroine, while others felt the tonal swings undercut the premise. The film explores reinvention, female agency, and the tension between public image and private longing, all set against a backdrop of family ties and urban whimsy.

Awards: The film did not attract major nominations at the Oscars, Globes, or Emmys. Yet several reviewers commended the supporting cast and the zippy dialogue, and a small but devoted audience grew around its offbeat charm, contributing to Wiig's continued diversification as a screen performer.

Cultural impact: Within indie film circles, Girl Most Likely is remembered for Wiig's transition from sketch comedy to a more intimate character study and for its quirky, idiosyncratic humor. It appears in conversations about early 2010s festival fare and the kind of film that rewards patient viewing and a taste for imperfect, relatable heroines.