There is a tale to be told as to why I ended up writing about this movie. For a variety of reasons, I had to wait until deadline day to catch a film. I picked one that I thought would be special, and drove 100 miles round trip to see it. It was so bad that I won’t even comment on it. Now, twenty-four hours past my deadline, I picked the earliest movie I could get to, which was a morning matinee of Grandma. I should have called in sick.
To be fair, the movie has a credible story line and a decent cast. Lily Tomlin stars as the Grandma, if you can call her that. The cast includes Julia Gardner as her granddaughter Sage, and several other fine performers namely Marcia Gay Harden and Sam Elliott. Billed as a comedy, there was nothing I saw to laugh about, unless you find profanity humorous. Then you would have been in hysterics.
Further, if you have any problems with homosexuality and/ or abortion, (I understand some do and some don’t) then this is probably not for you. Much of the story revolves around these issues. The young granddaughter comes to her grandmother looking for money to pay for an abortion, unwilling to break the news to her mother who is financially able to help. Grandma lends a compassionate ear, but has no money at the moment or a valid credit card.
Grandma
Entertainment Rating: ★★
Rating: R, like a volcano endlessly spewing lava, the profanity and blasphemy flow in this film, to the point of where it’s disgusting. Sexual innuendos throughout.
Possible Oscar Nominations: None
So they head out to try and raise the money from various sources Grandma knows, but there are countless roadblocks along the way.
There are several engaging scenes including one with Sage’s boyfriend, as our fearless Grandmother takes him to task for failing to help with some money. A former friend and lover of Grandma’s, played by Sam Elliott, provides another moment to be remembered. Unfortunately, these and several other creative and clever parts are inundated with language that would drive some drill sergeants from the room. (Having been a drill sergeant myself I can say that with confidence)
On the positive side, the story has no dull moments, and moves along at a brisk pace as Grandma Elle and Sage seek the help they need. The medical procedure is scheduled for 5:45 in the afternoon, so there are time restraints and some car problems add to the pressure. Throw in some aggressive anti- abortionists along the way, and you can imagine the stress on both of them.
Lily Tomlin is great as Grandma Elle, but the role is spoiled by the profuse language. I doubt this will do well at the box office, which may help send a message to writer and director Paul Weitz about the content of his future works.
