Decoding Annie Parker is an upcoming
drama film written and directed by Steven Bernstein. It is about the discovery of the gene responsible for many breast and ovarian cancers, the
BRCA1 gene, and tells the story of Annie Parker, a sharp witted, funny and irrepressible young woman who watches her mother, then sister, fall victim to breast cancer. When, later, she herself is diagnosed with the disease, she is resolved to fight back against immeasurable odds. The film is also the story of
Mary-Claire King, the geneticist whose discovery of the BRCA1 gene and its link to breast cancer forever changed the understanding of human disease. Hers is considered one of the most important scientific discoveries of the 20th century. These two women are separated by thousands of miles, by circumstance, background and education, and yet, as told in the film, their two lives gradually intertwine over 15 years until a final, singular and life changing reckoning.
Starring:
Helen Hunt,
Samantha Morton,
Aaron Paul,
Richard Schiff,
Bradley Whitford,
Bob Gunton,
Alice Eve and
Maggie Grace. Filming began in October 2011 and wrapped in November 2011.