Check out the film adaptation of the National Book Award–winning novel the day before it hits theaters. Followed by a talkback with the directors and author Sigrid Nunez.

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The Friend is based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Sigrid Nunez and stars Naomi Watts and Bill Murray. Writer and teacher Iris (Watts) finds her comfortable, solitary New York life thrown into disarray after her closest friend and mentor (Murray) leaves her his beloved 150-pound Great Dane. The dog, named Apollo, immediately creates problems for Iris, from furniture destruction to eviction notices, as well as more existential ones. As Iris finds herself unexpectedly bonding with Apollo, she begins to come to terms with her past and her creative inner life in this story of healing, love, and friendship.

Following the film, directors David Siegel and Scott McGehee will join Sigrid Nunez to discuss adapting her novel to film. Moderated by film critic Caryn James.

To join the event in person | Doors will open 30 minutes before the program begins. For LIVE from NYPL events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. Please arrive early to avoid disappointment; we will do our best to accommodate everyone. Booked seats that have not been claimed will be released shortly before start time, and seats may become available then. A standby line will form 30 minutes before the program.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

David Siegel & Scott McGehee have been collaborating as a writing, directing and producing team since 1990. Their films have won numerous accolades and have been selected at festivals including Cannes, Sundance, Telluride and Toronto. Feature credits include 1993’s Suture; The Deep End (2001), which garnered Tilda Swinton a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress; What Maisie Knew (2013), an acclaimed adaptation of the Henry James novel; and Montana Story (2022), the first film created under their new production banner, Big Creek Projects. Most recently, they wrote and directed The Friend (2025), starring Naomi Watts and Bill Murray. They live and work in New York.

Sigrid Nunez has published nine novels, including A Feather on the Breath of God, The Last of Her Kind, The Friend, What Are You Going Through, and, most recently, The Vulnerables. Nunez is also the author of Sempre Susan: A Memoir of Susan Sontag. The Friend, a New York Times bestseller, won the 2018 National Book Award and was a finalist for the 2019 Simpson/Joyce Carol Oates Prize. In France, it was longlisted for the 2019 Prix Femina and named a finalist for the 2019 Prix du Meilleure Livre. It was also a finalist for the 2020 International Dublin Literary Award. In 2024, The New York Times listed The Friend among the 100 Best Books of the 21st Century. A collection of Nunez’s short fiction will be published in 2026 under the title It Will Come Back to You.

Caryn James is a film and television critic for the BBC, and a contributor to The Hollywood Reporter and other publications. She is also Adjunct Associate Professor of Film at Columbia University. She was previously a film critic and chief television critic for The New York Times and has appeared on CBS Sunday Morning, MSNBC, and other television programs as a film commentator. She is the author of the novels Glorie and What Caroline Knew.

READ THE BOOK:

• Borrow: NYPL Catalog


• E-Book app: SimplyE, available on iOS and Android

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If you have symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or suspect you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive, please stay home.

ACCESSIBILITY

In-Person | Assistive listening devices and/or hearing loops are available at the venue. You can request a free ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or CART (Communication Access Real-Time Translation) captioning service by emailing your request at least two weeks in advance of the event: email accessibility@nypl.org or use this Gmail template. This venue is fully accessible to wheelchairs. 

CONNECT

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LIVE from NYPL is made possible by the continuing generosity of Celeste Bartos, Mahnaz Ispahani Bartos and Adam Bartos, the Margaret and Herman Sokol Public Education Endowment Fund, and the support of Library patrons and friends.

Courtesy David Siegel
Courtesy Scott McGehee
Sigrid Nunez © Marion Ettlinger
Courtesy Caryn James