'Ammonite' film review: Missed opportunity to highlight a pioneering woman in science

Two 19th century women have an unexpected romance in the biographical drama 'Ammonite' (streaming on demand starting Dec. 4). What could have been a thorough look into the obstacles facing women in science is sidelined by a romance … that may not have happened.

In short: In 1840s England, acclaimed but overlooked fossil hunter Mary Anning (Kate Winslet) and a young Charlotte Murchison (Saoirse Ronan), sent to convalesce by the sea, develop an intense relationship. Gemma Jones, James McArdle and Fiona Shaw also star.

Most everyone is familiar with the tongue twister "she sells seashells by the seashores." But few people know that line is part song inspired by Anning's life as an accomplished scientist who sold the fossils she arduously discovered to make ends meet. Anning is often included in listicles summarizing influential paleontologists. 'Ammonite' comes so close to celebrating Anning's work, but the film gets tripped up on a romance that may or may not have actually happened.

Writer-director Francis Lee has had to respond to accusations that 'Ammonite' fabricated the romantic relationship between Anning and Murchison. The historical accuracy of their real-life relationship is outside of this review's purview. It should be noted that there is little to no evidence that such a romantic relationship occurred, which opens the film up to a discussion on the limits any film should take liberties with historical fact. The scope of this review will only consider the merits of 'Ammonite' as it is, and leave the ethics of storytelling for another day.

The always excellent Ronan is tragically underutilized in 'Ammonite.' Her character has very little to do for the film's first half - other than be sickly and live under her husband's direction. Charlotte dutifully follows her husband around as a wife adhering to the "better seen, not heard" way of life. This seems to establish a potential starting point for a character arch - but 'Ammonite' denies Charlotte much character growth. Her disposition improves, but it's always in the context of Anning - and never for herself. Meanwhile, the women's relationship is hardly transformative for Mary. If anything, it's a gentle thawing of her aloof nature that keeps people at a distance. This small development would have been fine, if the story provided Mary development or growth on any other front. But her place in the world as a female, as an archeologist and a female archeologist are largely unchanged.

The film leads up to a conclusion ... that doesn't make a lot of sense. Anning is given an opportunity - but the film fails to establish an internal conflict for her to reconcile. Choice only becomes a salient story point if a character is forced to make a difficult decision - this is achieved by firmly setting up what a character values and what they would be sacrificing if they choose A over B. Anning is presented an opportunity that is actually a choice - but the film, to that point, doesn't make a strong case for A ... and only makes a middling case for B (in this instance, 'B' being a potential future with Charlotte).

Mary Anning deserves her rightfully earned place among highly regarded scientists. And 'Ammonite' hints at Anning's struggles as a woman living in obscurity, despite her remarkable discoveries. Her work is prominently featured in museums - but she toils in isolation, relegated to a life of selling her seashells ... by the sea shore. (Sorry - could not resist.) Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of 'Ammonite' is it flirts with the notions of who gets credit for discoveries, Annings limitations as a female scientist in the 1800s and the lowered ceiling for potential notoriety that women pioneers have historically been subject to.

Now time to circle back to the issue of fictional liberties in biographical stories. Lee's script has no reservations in making some very strong assertions about Anning and Murchison's personal lives. Yet, the film outright denies Charlotte Murchison her own place in scientific history. She was not merely the obedient young wife who clung to the arm of her husband - it was Charlotte who history remembers as the more scientifically literate of the two. The film would have audiences believe that her husband was the burgeoning scientist and Charlotte was just a meek woman of means.

'Ammonite' is a misguided film that invests the wrong emphasis in the real-life relationship between Mary Anning and Charlotte Murchison. The film implies that it might spend some time looking into why Anning is largely overlooked in history or how their meeting influenced their scientific legacies. But this film is happy to be a shallow drama about the time one aloof woman had a fling with a sickly girl. Thematically, anything 'Ammonite' attempts was better explored in 'Portrait of a Lady on Fire.' While Lee's own 'God's Own Country' was a better version of 'Brokeback Mountain' than Ang Lee achieved, this 2020 drama is a missed opportunity.

Final verdict: 'Ammonite' should be lauded for finally telling the story of a pioneering paleontologist in her own right, even if the relationship that drives the plot isn't the strongest aspect of the film.

Score: 2.5/5

'Ammonite' is now playing in select cities and streams on demand starting Dec. 4. This biographical drama is rated R for graphic sexuality, some graphic nudity and brief language and has a running time of 117 minutes.