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Grandma
- Director: Paul Weitz
- Writer: Paul Weitz
- Producer: Paul Weitz et al.
CGiii Comment
Tub-thumping feminism, abortion and an American national treasure...Lily Tomlin. What could possibly go wrong?!?
Erm...practically everything.
One major and over-arching problem, that many have failed to mention...it was written and directed by a man. Men know nothing about abortion and men know nothing about lesbiansim. They may think they do...but, they don't...as Weitz unequivocally demonstrates. For Grandma is nothing but shallow, facetious and (infuriatingly) unrealistic.
Would a fiesty, uber-intelligent, elderly lesbian pay off all her debts, destroy her credit cards...leaving herself with a nest-egg of $43? Surely, she could have phoned her bank and asked for a temporary overdraft?!? Surely, that would be the first option before traipsing off to meet a whole host of potential creditors...well, there wouldn't have been a film if she had!
Would a fiesty, uber-intelligent, elderly lesbian seek out her former paramour after a 30 year absence from his life...to ask for $500 to pay for an abortion...from the man who would have been the father to her aborted baby 30 years ago? Hell, no.
Another little thing...Elle, she tries to sell her First Edition: The Feminine Mystique...the asking price, around the $60 mark. We did a little search (yip, call us anal)...anywhere between $800 and $2500. Now, there are those who would and could call this a 'cheapening' of feminisim...this meteoric book of the movement suddenly becomes trivialised! Or, are we reading too much into it?!?
Is abortion really this trivial...this termination is dictated - solely - by money. A cash 'n' trash mentality...there's no rationale, there's no discussion, there's no depth to this very deep and personal subject. Like Tomlin's character, Weitz bulldozes his way through the entire 78 minutes with no finesse...yip, the China Shop is - well and truly - trashed.
Performance-wise, there's little to fault (apart from the men...but, that's down to the writing). Julia Garner (as pregnant Sage) is the star of the show...her face says more than her mouth...as she looks on in disbelief at her Grandma's ludicrous, incredulous and volatile behaviour...as we did.
A 'comedy' about abortion?!? Well, one thing is for sure...it's not a comedy.
Grandma would have been a very different and much better film had it been written and directed by a someone who knows a thing or two about a woman's mind and a woman's body...i.e. a woman.
Trailer...
The(ir) Blurb...
Self-described misanthrope Elle Reid has her protective bubble burst when her 18-year-old granddaughter, Sage, shows up needing help. The two of them go on a day-long journey that causes Elle to come to terms with her past and Sage to confront her future.
One of the year’s most impactful films centered on an LGBT character was Grandma, which follows outspoken feminist Elle (out actress Lily Tomlin) and her teenage granddaughter, Sage, as they have one afternoon to gather the money necessary for Sage to have an abortion. Elle, who has distanced herself from many friends in her grief over the passing of her partner, Violet, takes Sage on a road trip through her contacts in hopes of acquiring a loan. The visits include a lesbian feminist bookstore, a confrontation with Elle’s recently jilted ex-girlfriend, and a visit to transgender tattoo artist Deathy (played by out actress Laverne Cox). It is notable that while an indie imprint distributed Grandma, it received a wide rollout playing on more than 1,000 screens, making back ten times its production budget and racking up critical acclaim, including a GLAAD Media Award nomination.
'Impactful' - really?!?
A film about buying an abortion...made by men. GLAAD swerves, misses the wall...but - weirdly - hits the tree.
Cast & Characters
Judy Greer as Olivia;
Lily Tomlin as Elle Reid;
Julia Garner as Sage;
Marcia Gay Harden as Judy;
Sam Elliott as Karl;
Laverne Cox as Deathy;
Elizabeth Peña as Carla;
Nat Wolff as Cam;
Sarah Burns;
John Cho as Chau