Tag: julie hagerty

MARRIAGE STORY – Review

Ah, this film’s poster promises the adored end result of many a typical “rom-com’, or even a full-fledged “hearts and flowers” love story (with part of that in the title itself). There are two “A” list actors (each part of major “tentpole” franchises) happily nuzzling each other while an adorable child (perhaps the product of their screen coupling) seems to be giggling in the photo’s lower half. But looks, along with movie “ballyhoo” can be most deceiving. Especially with one of our most acclaimed “indie” writer/directors is given the big credit above the title. Just what is his “take” on the institution in this very modern MARRIAGE STORY?

Said story certainly begins on an uplifting note as we’re dropped right in the middle of two montages that deliver “warm fuzzies” that most greeting card commercials try to elicit. Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) narrates the snippets that support her remarks concerning the strengths of Charlie (Adam Driver) as husband and father, followed by his singing (well speaking) of her praises. And where is this “admiration society” meeting taking place? Well, it’s the office of a marriage “mediator”, because these two are separating. Nicole storms out, loudly proclaiming these lists are bull…um…nonsense. They try to go back to their jobs, which is tough since they work together. She’s part of an avant-guard off, off-Broadway theatre troupe and he’s the founder/director. Nicole makes it clear that after the production opens and is “on its feet” she plans to return to LA with their nine-year-old son Henry (Azhy Robertson). Her mother (Julie Hagerty) and sister (Merritt Wever) live out there so they can help with Henry while she tries to return to movies or TV (prior to NYC she starred in a hit teen comedy flick). At the suggestion of some new industry friends, Nicole talks to, and soon hires, high-profile family attorney Nora (Laura Dern) to work on the divorce and the custody agreement. When Charlie flies out for a visit, he’s blindsided by her news (“I thought we were leaving out the lawyers”). After a brutal meeting with legal “pit bull” Jay (Ray Liotta), Charlie finally finds a lawyer Nicole hadn’t contacted, a semi-retired entertainment attorney now family lawyer Bert Spitz (Alan Alda). As Charlie attempts to establish a California residence while flying back and forth to NYC (his new play may be headed uptown), he and Nicole realize that their marriage can’t be saved, but, for the sake of Henry, will they still be able to remain a family?

This is a film filled to the brim with superb performance, with Ms. Johansson delivering perhaps the best dramatic work of her twenty-plus years in movies. For about the last half of that time she has mainly bounced from “rom-com” heroine to SF/fantasy femme fatale (we’ll get to see her Marvel work one more time in this May’s Black Widow prequel), however she goes through the full range of emotions as the often conflicted, eventually determined Nicole. At first, she seems to be a cliche “flighty” actress, rejecting counseling, and discarding her family over career ambitions. Then there’s her riveting revealing confessional to her possible lawyer Nora. It’s a powerhouse one-take “no cuts” several-minute monologue in which she truly “bares all”, going from being an exposed “raw nerve” to focused “crusader”, liberated by finally giving voice to her frustrations and disappointments. We get another sample of her considerable skills much later as she goes “toe to toe” in another long dialogue (like a mini two-act play) with the equally talented Driver. His character Charlie changes as well, starting as the victim, a “good dad” “sucker-punched” until we see his often stubborn selfish nature as his artistic goals are nearly smothering his partner. Driver also puts a fresh spin on the “fish out of water” riffing on the East-Coaster aghast at the shallow trappings of “La La Land”. At times he’s a clueless lost traveler in a confusing tangle legal web. He’s pretty funny too, as he fails to predict his son’s impulses and especially when a sight gag goes terribly wrong. Also bringing the funny, Hagerty as Nicole ditzy mother (she doesn’t understand that she can’t remain pals with her kids’ exes), Wever as the jittery, flustered sister (she ‘s gotta’ serve “papers” to Charlie), and Wallace Shawn as the most senior member of Charlie’s acting troupe (look at the faces of his much younger costars as he repeats another story about his “glory days”). And of course, there’s comedy icon Alda whose mild-mannered Bert is almost eaten alive by the legal sharks led by the formidable Dern who is truly a barracuda in high heels, in one great scene she roars back at society’s double standards that shackle her gender. Equally fearsome on the flip side is Liotta whose Jay is pure macho swagger in a thousand-dollar tailored suit.

Noah Baumbach expertly brings his moving, unpredictable script to vivid life with no false steps or cardboard villains. Though they’re battling in the courtrooms, Nicole and Charlie still share moments of kindness and compassion, all for the best of reasons, namely the well-being of son Henry. Though they clash there’s still the underlying respect so that Henry never hears a “burn” from one parent about the other. There’s no flashy camerawork, though Baumbach knows just when to cut in for a telling look or glance. But his biggest strength is as a guide to the cast through the emotional minefield of a disintegrating relationship. Everything is real with no easy fixes or reconciliations. It’s the end of a romance, but the partnership begins to morph into something else. In that way, the tale of these two (three really) is actually hopefull. Though often unbearably raw, MARRIAGE STORY is an uplifting modern ode to a family’s resilience.

3.5 Out of 4

MARRIAGE STORY opens everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Tivoli Theatre

INSTANT FAMILY – Review

So the family’s all together for the big holiday, well why not head over to the multiplex to enjoy a family film? And hey, “family” is even in the title. That’s what the studios are counting on, hoping audiences will go for a breezy all-ages comedy in between those somber awards contenders. Most of the time, the studios will go a couple of different ways with a “family” comedy/drama. Either it’s a multi-generational gathering of uncles and cousins like PARENTHOOD and more recently, the reviled LOVE THE COOPERS, or it’s about a family with lots and lots of kids like CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN (original and remake) along with blended families like YOURS, MINE, AND OURS (ditto), which begat that iconic TV show and its feature film THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE. But this new flick has fewer kids and a message. The filmmakers want to give us a look at the foster parenting system (which often leads to adoption), and perhaps inspire viewers to get involved. The movies have tackled the subject, usually in “tearjerkers”, notably in 1941’s PENNY SERENADE. The kids here aren’t the typical movie kids looking for parents. They’re not plucky orphans like ANNIE, because, well, they’re not technically orphans. Lots of heart-tugging and comic complications occur when they join a couple and become an INSTANT FAMILY.

Pete (Mark Wahlberg) and Ellie (Rose Byrne) are a fun-loving married couple in their thirties (can we still call them “yuppies”) who work together as “house flippers” (buying run-down homes, fixing them up, and selling them for profit). As they’re showing off their newest property to Ellie’s pregnant sister and her hubby, a causal comment gets them pondering. Ellie and Pete think that maybe they should start a family. Or maybe not, as Pete wonders if he could keep up with a newborn. This prompts Ellie to consider fostering a child. After scanning and viewing countless adorable tykes online, they call the local fostering center. There the duo meets another duo, social workers Karen (Octavia Spenser) and Sharon (Tig Notaro), who welcome them into a class for prospective foster parents. After several sessions with the other couples, it’s time to meet the kids at a big foster parenting picnic, sort of a mix and match. Pete notices that the tots and pre-teens are getting all the attention while the teenagers are left to mingle amongst themselves (as Pete crudely comments, “People are avoiding them like they’re dipped in s#*t!”). One of the teens, Lizzy (Isabela Moner) overhears this and fires back with a snarky retort. That seals it for Ellie and Pete, they want to foster her. Ah, but there’s a hitch! Lizzy doesn’t want to be separated from her two younger siblings. A “package deal”. No problem as the couple takes in Lizzy, her twelve-year-old shy, insecure brother Juan (Gustavo Quiroz) and high-spirited six-year-old sister Lita (Julianna Gamiz). This “instant family” endures many highs and lows as Ellie and Pete hone their parenting skills. The main challenge is Lizzy who pushes back against the duo. Then things get really complicated when the kids’ birth mother is released from a court-ordered drug rehab program. Will the kids go back to live with her? And will Pete and Ellie be able to let go and do what’s best for the trio?

Wahlberg and Byrne have an effortless chemistry, making you wonder why these two talented actors haven’t been paired up before. As the energetic, firmly focused Pete, Wahlberg has smoothed out some of the rougher edges of his usual screen comedy persona, as in the often coarse TED and DADDY’S HOME, film to give us an affable everyman, a “good Joe” eager to accommodate though his enthusiasm often gets the better of him. The same can frequently be said for Byrne’s Ellie who’s just as smitten with these new additions to her life. And she can “go off the deep end” at times adding a little bit of zany spice to the couple’s partnership (they each know just when the other is losing focus). The duo has a formidable sparring partner in Moner as the strong-willed teen Lizzy. She’s not as easily won over as her siblings and rankles when the “pretend parents” doubt her method of dealing with the wee ones (Lizzy’s been their protector for seemingly quite a while). But Moner also shows us the vulnerable side of Lizzy, as she starts to let her guard down and embrace this home before “catching herself’ and “shutting that door”. It’s a complex role that this impressive young actress handles with great skill. There’s another great duo in addition to Pete and Ellie, and that’s Spenser and Notaro as the Oscar and Felix of social workers, Karen and Sharon. Spenser “shoots from the hip” with a boisterous “no B.S.” attitude while Notaro is the quieter, “by the books” guide to fostering challenges. Though their methods differ, both are committed to the same goal and provide some of the film’s best laughs. Speaking of inspired match-ups, kudos for casting the stars of the two biggest comedy hits of 1980 as Ellie’s parents, Julie (AIRPLANE!) Hagerty and Michael (CADDYSHACK) O’Keefe. Hagerty has an ethereal child-like, loopy air as Jan in stark contrast to Margo Martindale as Pete’s “steamroller” mother, Sandy. This “force of nature” provides another source of comic conflict as she tries to get everything and everyone back on track. Quiroz is endearing as the jittery Juan who over-apologizes as he frets over any misstep, while Gamiz is adorable and often exasperating as “I only eat chips” Lita. Aside from Notaro, several other stand-up comedy stars pop up in supporting roles, such as Tom Segura as trouble-maker Russ and particularly Iliza Shlesinger as the single parent foster candidate October, who has a very specific list of requirements for his desired child.

Comedy film veteran Sean Anders (HORRIBLE BOSSES 2 and the DADDY’S HOME flicks) gets the most of the slapstick situations and keeps the pacing fast and frantic for funny “throw-downs” and verbal fights. But he handles most of the dramatic scenes with equal ease. making a simple scene of Ellie gently brushing Lizzy’s hair very moving and warm. The film’s main flaws seem to come from the script he co-wrote with John Morris. As we many comedies, especially domestic life sagas, the story feels like several episodes of a TV situation comedy crammed together, though with the fostering classes and at home adjustments and problems, it could be two separate sitcoms thrown in a mixer. There are the wacky potential parents butting up against Ellie and Peters’ challenges and triumphs. Big conflicts are brought in (Lizzy is “sexting”), then quickly dismissed with a gag and forgotten. The birth mother is introduced for the climactic final act, but she has little to do other than acting uncomfortable and staring listlessly. The biggest misfire is the film’s big emotional finale. As the principals are pleading and pouring their hearts out, the wacky down-the-street neighbor wanders in, almost as if from another movie, to sabotage the pathos with some awkward (I really enjoy this comic actress, but her annoying role baffled me) asides. This scene is immediately followed by an uplifting epilogue that brings in almost the entire cast for a feel-good finale that would’ve seen cloying and contrived in a 60’s sitcom. I will give them points for discussing the “white savior” aspect of this and even name-checking THE BLIND SIDE, but this doesn’t excuse the many loopy bits of whimsy (who tries to douse a fire with ketchup when several glasses of water are within reach). This movie is full of good intentions as it encourages childless couples to consider the foster system, but it doesn’t make for a consistent comedy or drama. INSTANT FAMILY isn’t instantly forgettable, but it’s not the movie that the noble subject deserves.

2.5 Out of 5

WAMG Interview: Sean Anders – Director of INSTANT FAMILY

Sean Anders made a name for himself in Hollywood as a writer of rowdy raunchy comedies for the last dozen or so years. For the past decade, he’s become a double threat by directing several of his screenplays, such as THAT’S MY BOY, the two DADDY’S HOME flicks, and the second HORRIBLE BOSSES movie. With this Friday’s new release INSTANT FAMILY, Anders goes for the hat trick as co-writer, director, and producer. Plus he’s gotten a PG-13 rating rather than his usual R. As you’ll read here, this is in service of a story that’s close to his heart. Recently Mr. Anders visited St. Louis to promote the film. I was able to ask him a few questions, along with 590 the Fan and KSDK.com’s Dan Buffa, on October 30.

Jim Batts: This is one of the few comedies that could also be called a “message” movie. I believe Sam Goldwyn is credited as saying, “If you want to send a message, use Western Union” (if anyone remembers telegrams). But this film works. Was your original idea to do a comedy promoting foster parenting, or did this occur to you as you made your own “instant family”, thinking “Hey, this is funny. It should be in a movie.”?

Sean Anders: A little bit of both, really. After hearing several of the hilarious and sometimes heartbreaking stories, my writing partner John Morris pushed the idea of turning this into a film. I jumped at the chance to put the word out about the experience of taking these kids in, and how that can change your life because most people just don’t know about this. Fortunately, I’ve kept in contact with my old social worker who in turn put me in contact with several other families who shared their stories and situations, many of these found their way into the film.

JB: Much of the film cuts back and forth between Pete and Ellie’s (Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne) homelife and the parenting classes they attend with several hopeful parents. Was there ever a thought of doing an initial film just about the classes and saving the introduction of the kids for a sequel?

SA: Not really, because we wanted to show the entire scope of the fostering experience. Bringing the kids in was important because a lot of folks that might be thinking about getting involved were sometimes afraid of the kids who have sent so much time in the system. We want to show that many of these fears are unfounded. That’s why we cast several foster families in the big crowd sequences.

JB: The film has autobiographical elements, though Pete and Ellie are not in the entertainment business, but rather are “house flippers”. Did you go through several possible occupations, or was the thought that the couple was “flipping” their lives?

SA: The house flipping has been a hobby for my wife and I. Just like the movie couple, we like to relax at night and watch the cable “house renovation” shows that we’ve DVR’d. But yes, that part of the story lends itself to that metaphor! They’re having a great life together, but something seems to be missing.

JB: Wahlberg and Byrne have such terrific chemistry, you’d think they had played a couple onscreen before. Was the process of pairing them a long one, or was she in mind when you and John wrote the screenplay?

SA: Well, John and I had a long list of ideas for possible Ellies for Pete (Mark was on board from the onset). We needed someone who could handle the comedy and drama, plus an actress who would ask all the right questions about the story and the character. Rose fit the bill, and then some. I recall the first scene she shot with Mark was the one in which they look at the foster child website. After we cut, a couple of crew members remarked about their chemistry. They seemed like a couple who’ve been married several years.

JB: Isabela Moner (as the elder of the trio, Lizzy) delivers a powerful performance. Were you thinking of making the oldest child a male before meeting her, or was the dynamic always older girl, middle boy, and youngest girl?

SA: No, we always wanted that dynamic as it was very close to our own reality. Lizzy is a powerful force, trying to keep the kids together for the birth mother. She reflects many of the conflicts, showing that everything doesn’t “fall into place”. We were turned down by the teen foster child in own first attempt at adoption.

JB: Pete and Ellie aren’t the only terrific comedy team in the film. Karen (Octavia Spencer) and Sharon (Tig Notaro) are an inspired Oscar/ Felix pairing. And then there’s the casting of Ellie’s parents. Were you intending to reunite two of the stars of two comedy classics from 1980 as a gift to film fans of that era?

SA: That’s one of the great happy coincidences in movie making. Growing up, I was a big fan of both AIRPLANE! and CADDYSHACK, so I, and the rest of the cast and crew, were delighted to pair Julie Hagerty and Michael O’Keefe for the first time in a film. It’s not just nostalgia, as they are great together.

JB: Hagerty’s Jan is flighty and soft-spoken. Did you cast her to specifically as the opposite of Margo Martindale’s “steamroller”, Grandma’ Sandy?

SA: No, Jan and Sandy were always written that way. Julie saw and played Jan with almost a child-like quality, while we and Margo saw Pete’s mother as this bombastic “force of nature”.

JB: The Christmas “box” sequence is somehow both funny and tragic, something you’d usually associate with toddlers. Was this culled from a holiday at home, or did it come from interviews and research?

the interviewee earns a prize from the interviewer!

SA: This happened with my own son, Not only at the holidays but as we began to order more and more items from Amazon. He had to go grab those grinning boxes. And this came up in several stories from the families we talked to.

JB: Another remarkable scene that is unexpectantly moving is when Ellie brushes Lizzy’s tangled hair. The teen feels as though she’s about to bond with her foster parent, then fights the feelings, that she must remain loyal to her birth parent.

SA: Yes, this was a real human moment, where we wanted to go for the emotion rather than the “gag”. I was lucky to have a friendship with the late, much missed, filmmaker John Hughes. He gave me some great advice about screenwriting, “It’s not the size of the laugh, it’s how it feels”. Does it ring true? That’s more important. That’s one reason the message in the movie means more than getting laughs. I want people to come away from this movie with a better understanding of foster families and to erase the stigma around these kids. They aren’t weird misfits or monsters, they’re just good kids that deserve a chance. My hope is that more people will do the research and get involved. It’ll not only change their lives, but it’ll also bring joy to yours.

JB: Thank you for your time, Mr. Anders. And best of luck.

INSTANT FAMILY opens everywhere on November 16

 

SLIFF 2014 Review – A MASTER BUILDER

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A MASTER BUILDER screens as part of the 23rd Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival on Saturday, November 22 at 2:30 PM at Landmark’s Tivoli Theatre. Get ticket information here.
It’s the reunion over thirty years in the making. Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn, the stars of Louis Malle’s 1981 cult hit MY DINNER WITH ANDRE, are together again (briefly) in Jonathan Demme’s version of Henrik’s Ibsen stage classic, that’s been adapted for the screen by Shawn. Oh, and he’s the title character, celebrated architect Havald Solness, who, as the film begins, appears to be on his deathbed. He’s hooked up to machines as sister/nurses scurry about in his opulent estate. As he drifts in and out of sleep, his aging mentor Knut (Gregory) pleads with him to give his work requests to Havald’s eager young intern Ragnar (Jeff Biehl), in order to start his own business and finally marry the old master’s secretary Kaia (Emily Cass McDonnell). But even in his weakened state, Havald is cantankerous and egotistical. Once the trio leaves, Havald’s brusk wife Aline (Julie Hagerty) brings her doctor (Larry Pine) in for a visit. But the cure to make Havald spring back to life lies not in the doctor’s bag, instead it’s provided by a visitor to his home. Twenty-something free spirit Hilde (Lisa Joyce) glides in through the front door. As a child, she was dazzled by Havald when he designed a building in her village. And now she re-unites with her first crush. Havald invites her to stay in a spare room, an unused children’s bedroom, much to Aline’s dismay. The older architect and young admirer spend the next days discussing, life, art, and family secrets.

Demme films the story in long, leisurely takes in order to capture the intimacy of the dialogue-heavy scenes. And, aside from some shots of Havald’s work, everything takes place inside the spacious mansion. Shawn is full of charm, and a bit of lechery, as the invorgated near-invalid imbued with energy by this unexpected guest. Joyce sparkles as the pixie-like, giggly fan , whose motivations are often a mystery. And Hagerty makes a welcome return to the movies as the wife whose stern distraction hides years of heartbreak. All the actors help bring this iconic work vibrantly into the modern era. Demme has given fans of the stage and screen a compelling and captivating gift.