The film traces the lifelong relationship between playwright Lillian Hellman and her childhood playmate, Julia, a wealthy girl who turns her back on her upbringing to forge her own path. In the 1930s, while the adult Hellman (Jane Fonda) struggles to establish herself as a playwright with the help of her lover, Dashiell Hammett (Jason Robards), Julia (Vanessa Redgrave) battles the exigencies of the Nazi regime. Visiting Julia in Germany, Lillian realizes how much her friend’s idealism has cost her, both physically and financially. Nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.