How to Watch Netflix's 'May December'
Before we had phrases like "power imbalance," we coated questionable relationships with flowery terms like "May-December." The phrase, which comes from a 1938 tune called "September Song," describes a relationship with a hefty age gap, and the song's lyrics outline, "It's a long, long time from May to December." Today, the phrase lands with a sour taste, triggering a recoiling at the romanticization of what is plainly abusive. As such, there was no title more fitting for Todd Haynes’ latest film, which just so happens to be one of the darlings of this year's awards circuit. Enter May December.
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Ripped from the salacious tabloids of the late '90s and rejiggered with tact for the awards crowd, the film stars Academy Award winners Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman along with Charles Melton in one of his first big acting roles post-Riverdale. The movie has been top of mind in the film community since the spring of 2023 and has been dubbed a complete knockout. Here’s what you need to know about May December, from its origin story to its streaming date.
What is May December About?
May December is loosely based on the true story of Mary Kay Letourneau, a name that was printed across headlines back in 1997. Letourneau was a school teacher who was convicted on two counts of second-degree rape of a child, stemming from her relationship with (read: abuse of) her then 12-year-old student, Vili Fualaau. Letourneau taught Fualaau first in his second-grade year and then again in his sixth-grade year when the abuse began.
Letourneau was arrested in 1997 and pleaded guilty, but gave birth to a daughter while awaiting sentencing. In the end, she served three months in a county jail and was forbidden from contacting Fualaau, any of her five children, or any other child under 18. Letourneau and Fualaau continued their relationship, which landed her back in jail for a second time in 1998, where she once again learned she was pregnant with another child by Fualaau. She spent two years in prison, remaining in contact with Fualaau all the while—behavior that ultimately sent her into solitary confinement.
In August 2004, Letourneau was released from prison and registered as a sex offender. By May 2005, Letourneau and Fualaau were married, the exclusive of which was printed across Entertainment Tonight and other media, boosting the buzz around this sordid love affair. The couple stayed together for many years, all the while Fualaau asserted he was not a victim and took pride in the relationship. However, the couple separated in 2019 and Letourneau died in July 2020 of colorectal cancer, leaving her estate to Fualaau.
So, that’s the source material May December is loosely based on—emphasis on "loosely." The dark comedy, which comes from Velvet Goldmine and Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story director Todd Haynes, stars Julianne Moore as the May, and Charles Melton as the December. Natalie Portman, who stuns in her performance, plays an actor observing the couple in preparation for an indie film that will depict their story.
For what it's worth, Fualaau recently had an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in which he said no one from the production team contacted him before making the film. He was reportedly "offended by the entire project and the lack of respect given to me—who lived through a real story and is still living it."
How Can I Watch It?
May December had a short theatrical run, but the good news is the film is already on Netflix. The streamer won the rights to the project following its premiere at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in May of last year and is barreling ahead amid the 2024 awards season with this project.
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