Grandma (B or 3/4 stars)
'Grandma' (written & directed by Paul Weitz) covers quite a few topics & themes: abortion, homosexuality, family reconnection, & aging. It also unfurls in several tones: humor, drama, grit, warmth, poignancy. Sounds like a lot, right? Well, it is. I enjoyed this 75 minute film, but that's A LOT to pack in to a relatively short running time and, the result is an amiable, well-acted, if simultaneously choppy affair. Lily Tomlin (yay!) plays 70-ish yr. old Elle Reid, a once-celebrated poet/professor who has lost her way since the death of her beloved lifelong partner, Violet. Even a seemingly loving relationship with the much younger Olivia (Judy Greer) hasn't helped too much, & cantankerous Elle winds up 'ending it' in cruel fashion; her anger becomes her hidden fear of aging, as evidenced in a soul-bearing shower scene.
Later that day, Elle's teen granddaughter, Sage (Julia Garner, a cutie), arrives at her doorstep, asking to borrow $630 for an abortion scheduled before sundown. Elle doesn't have that kind of $$ -- having just paid off her debts, leaving her with little, & cut-up her credit cards {to make a wind chime}. Grandma Elle questions Sage's decision (without judgment), but the teen is staunch in her decision, & has not told her domineering mother/Elle's estranged daughter, Judy (Marcia Gay Harden). Knowing how difficult her daughter can be, Elle sucks it up, digs out her old car, & agrees to help Sage. How to get that $$? Well. Though temporarily broke, Elle & Sage spend the rest of the day trying to get their hands on the $$ as their unannounced visits to old friends (transgendered actress, Laverne Cox) & old flames (a stellar Sam Elliot) end up digging up old secrets; all the while, confronting her own personal demons.
Lily Tomlin is just great as the I-know-who-I-am, confident, yet combative old crow. But beneath the sarcasm, wit, & bite is a caring individual who loves deeply and must overcome her own pain/heartaches. Yes, Tomlin is wonderful, elevating a movie that definitely has its share of issues. Now, the script isn't necessarily the issue I mention. It is unafraid to tackle difficult, even controversial subjects. As mentioned above, said subjects involve abortion, aging, & homosexuality. My big issue is with the way the scenes involving these subject matters unfolded. Simply put, several were tonally-off, and just so choppy.
The opening fight btwn. Elle & Olivia was choppy & exposition-heavy. The fight btwn. Elle & Sage's baby-daddy (Nat Wolff), while humorous in its end, was choppy {and irksome}. The scene in a cafe was funny, but superfluous with respect to the plot. The scene involving Laverne Cox was a little bizarre and, again, felt tonally 'off'. The sequence involving Elle & the Sam Elliot character was good, but it needed more heft, more time. Really, with a running time of 75 minutes, this film needed a good extra 20-25 minutes to cut the superfluous stuff, but add flesh & complexity to some of the other scenes that needed it.
As for the performances, I've already mentioned Tomlin (award accolades wouldn't be unwarranted), but I also must commend Julia Garner for bringing a sweetness, but also some vigor & verve that her cinematic grandma would be proud of. And Marcia Gay Harden is always a welcomed presence. So yeah, 'Grandma' is not without fault (too many choppy scenes that needed more heft and less contrivance), but I admired the edgier topics, I enjoyed the heart, I laughed at the humor, & I reveled in Lily Tomlin, a formidable actress continuing to show her range at the ripe old age of 75.
Later that day, Elle's teen granddaughter, Sage (Julia Garner, a cutie), arrives at her doorstep, asking to borrow $630 for an abortion scheduled before sundown. Elle doesn't have that kind of $$ -- having just paid off her debts, leaving her with little, & cut-up her credit cards {to make a wind chime}. Grandma Elle questions Sage's decision (without judgment), but the teen is staunch in her decision, & has not told her domineering mother/Elle's estranged daughter, Judy (Marcia Gay Harden). Knowing how difficult her daughter can be, Elle sucks it up, digs out her old car, & agrees to help Sage. How to get that $$? Well. Though temporarily broke, Elle & Sage spend the rest of the day trying to get their hands on the $$ as their unannounced visits to old friends (transgendered actress, Laverne Cox) & old flames (a stellar Sam Elliot) end up digging up old secrets; all the while, confronting her own personal demons.
Lily Tomlin is just great as the I-know-who-I-am, confident, yet combative old crow. But beneath the sarcasm, wit, & bite is a caring individual who loves deeply and must overcome her own pain/heartaches. Yes, Tomlin is wonderful, elevating a movie that definitely has its share of issues. Now, the script isn't necessarily the issue I mention. It is unafraid to tackle difficult, even controversial subjects. As mentioned above, said subjects involve abortion, aging, & homosexuality. My big issue is with the way the scenes involving these subject matters unfolded. Simply put, several were tonally-off, and just so choppy.
The opening fight btwn. Elle & Olivia was choppy & exposition-heavy. The fight btwn. Elle & Sage's baby-daddy (Nat Wolff), while humorous in its end, was choppy {and irksome}. The scene in a cafe was funny, but superfluous with respect to the plot. The scene involving Laverne Cox was a little bizarre and, again, felt tonally 'off'. The sequence involving Elle & the Sam Elliot character was good, but it needed more heft, more time. Really, with a running time of 75 minutes, this film needed a good extra 20-25 minutes to cut the superfluous stuff, but add flesh & complexity to some of the other scenes that needed it.
As for the performances, I've already mentioned Tomlin (award accolades wouldn't be unwarranted), but I also must commend Julia Garner for bringing a sweetness, but also some vigor & verve that her cinematic grandma would be proud of. And Marcia Gay Harden is always a welcomed presence. So yeah, 'Grandma' is not without fault (too many choppy scenes that needed more heft and less contrivance), but I admired the edgier topics, I enjoyed the heart, I laughed at the humor, & I reveled in Lily Tomlin, a formidable actress continuing to show her range at the ripe old age of 75.