A one-time movie star struggles to find meaning as her days as an actress are behind her in this arty independent drama. Colleen West (Ellen Barkin) is an actress whose career has gone into a slump after a long run of success.

Convinced time is passing her by, the beautiful but damaged Colleen has decided to retire, and chooses to end her career with a role in a stage production. Colleen falls into an affair with Harvey West (Luke Grimes), her handsome and significantly younger co-star, but the two have practically nothing in common, and before long Colleen finds herself isolated, living in a small cottage where she has to deal with her chatty neighbor Shelly (Melora Walters) and disinterested brother Rick (Bob Einstein). Meanwhile, Colleen periodically finds herself trying to explain herself and her life to a mysterious woman named Marion (Theresa Randle) as she looks back on the shambles fate has made of her existence. Strikingly photographed in black and white, Shit Year was the second feature from writer and director Cam Archer, and received its world premiere at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.

Mark Deming, Rovi