Tully

Starring: Charlize Theron, Mackenzie Davis, Ron Livingston, Asher Miles Fallica, Lia Franklin, Mark Duplass, Elaine Tan, Gameela Wright
Directed by: Jason Reitman
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
2018

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A woman (Charlize Theron) is unsure when her brother (Mark Duplass) hires a night nanny (Mackenzie Davis) to help her, but soon discovers the additional help is more than she could have imagined.

Review:

Tim: I went into Tully with mixed emotions. I really like director Jason Reitman. I was a big fan of Up in the Air and Juno. However, his first collaboration with Charlize Theron- Young Adult left me feeling disappointed, despite the solid critical reviews (I wasn't a big fan of the film). Fortunately, Tully is a big improvement on that film. It's not good enough to be included in Reitman's best (it has too many flaws), but it's a movie that succeeds significantly anyway. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the movie.

First off, the film does a fantastic job of depicting what life is like for many American families with children. I watched this with a newborn at home myself, so I had firsthand knowledge of how realistic a portrayal it was. I loved that this movie highlighted the unfair expectations on mothers. Fathers contribute, fathers play an essential role- but for many families, it's the mother who holds it all together through a combination of sheer will and love. This movie explores that in detail. It's not always pretty, but mothers daily make a sacrifice that others can barely comprehend. I loved that movie showed what that's like. And, it's not only the work required to hold a family together, it's the constant feeling of guilt that you're not doing enough. This is all on display here and it's presented in a genuine light.

I have to especially highlight Charlize Theron here. The entire cast is great, but Theron goes above and beyond. She fully embraces the lack of glamour that many mothers struggle with. I loved her portrayal of this character. Theron is truly an exceptional actress- there's no doubt about that. I love her range. She's believable in Mad Max: Fury Road, and equally excellent here, where a short jog takes it completely out of her. Her portrayal of a woman trying to desperately hold it all together is fantastic and is a major reason this movie works so well. I also liked Mackenzie Davis. She gives a different kind of performance, but brings great energy to the role. She felt authentic and natural in her performance, and I enjoyed her interactions with Theron. I'm always happy to see Ron Livingston. It was kind of fun to see him in this role. It's a little bit of the "throwaway spouse" role that far too many actresses get. Livingston takes it all in stride- he doesn't get to do anything as cool as Theron or Davis, but he plays the part well and adds to the movie. The supporting cast worked well, especially Mark Duplass.

Now, there is a bit of an unexpected development in the latter stages of the film. Part of me felt like it was a little gimmicky, but mostly I enjoyed it. It felt a little out of place in a movie like this, but it actually makes a ton of sense the more you think about it. The story didn't fully sell me on how believable it was, but I was mostly able to forgive that flaw because it makes a powerful point about motherhood and self-care. I thought it worked slightly more than it didn't.

I enjoyed Tully. It felt like a real look at motherhood. The drama was top notch and I actually laughed out loud several times throughout the film. Diablo Cody is certainly a talented writer. There may be some obvious flaws in the film, but it didn't prevent me from thoroughly enjoying the film.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Juno, Up in the Air, Young Adult