Welcome to Alternative to What: a weekly column that tries to find a great alternative to driving to the multiplexes. Based on releases of that week, the selections will either be thematically related or feature recurring cast and crew. The goal is to help you better understand the diversity of cinema and hopefully find you some favorites while saving a few bucks. At worse, this column will save you money. Expect each installment to come out on Fridays, unless specified.
THIS WEEK:
Ricki and the Flash (2015)
- Alternative To -
Mother's Day (2016)
It is that time of year again. It's that time when everyone pays tribute to the woman who helped raise them: their mother. For many, there isn't much of a cinematic equivalent despite the fortitude of great movie moms. It is likely why director Garry Marshall has decided to tackle it in his latest ensemble cast holiday movie Mother's Day. With the reviews slaughtering it at the box office, I felt that it would be smart to recommend something that mothers actually would like. My initial hope was to recommend The Meddler, though I unfortunately haven't seen it at the point of this publication. However, I have seen another recent mother/daughter movie that's quite endearing if you're in the mood to bond.
Ricki and the Flash is a film that came out last year and somehow never got much attention despite featuring Meryl Streep and her real life daughter Mamie Gummer. The premise was simple: a rock star mom must learn to deal with her daughter's neglect for her. From there, the story evolves to focus on the struggles that Streep faces as she adjusts to adult life while Gummer deals with accepting her mother for who she is. As one can guess, it's a comedy of mismatch, and the payoff is that they learn to just accept each other for their weird idiosyncrasies. Yes, there's more at play, but that's the gist of the story.
What likely works best is that the script is penned by Diablo Cody and directed by Jonathan Demme. While the former likely fills a certain group with dread for having written Juno, I can assure you that she has only matured as a screenwriter and has actually made some endearing characters. Few of her later films are as sweet and human as Ricki and the Flash's sense of camaraderie. Demme's late career work, specifically Rachel Getting Married, definitely helps to add a naturalism to this film that inevitably helps it to feel more organic and real. Even if the film is still largely a safe studio drama, it still manages to be sweet in between its innovative points. As a whole, it's a character study of how different generations learn to deal with each other.
Ricki and the Flash is a film that came out last year and somehow never got much attention despite featuring Meryl Streep and her real life daughter Mamie Gummer. The premise was simple: a rock star mom must learn to deal with her daughter's neglect for her. From there, the story evolves to focus on the struggles that Streep faces as she adjusts to adult life while Gummer deals with accepting her mother for who she is. As one can guess, it's a comedy of mismatch, and the payoff is that they learn to just accept each other for their weird idiosyncrasies. Yes, there's more at play, but that's the gist of the story.
What likely works best is that the script is penned by Diablo Cody and directed by Jonathan Demme. While the former likely fills a certain group with dread for having written Juno, I can assure you that she has only matured as a screenwriter and has actually made some endearing characters. Few of her later films are as sweet and human as Ricki and the Flash's sense of camaraderie. Demme's late career work, specifically Rachel Getting Married, definitely helps to add a naturalism to this film that inevitably helps it to feel more organic and real. Even if the film is still largely a safe studio drama, it still manages to be sweet in between its innovative points. As a whole, it's a character study of how different generations learn to deal with each other.
As long as one doesn't expect the drama to be life altering, the results will be a heartwarming experience. Sure, Streep isn't the best singer nor does the music always feel integral to the plot. However, it still works as an atmosphere movie, and having a film predominantly about the complicated relationships of women is a nice change of pace from the general humdrum that is offered for great mom movies. Of course, what makes Ricki and the Flash fun isn't that it makes a big deal about this, but that it actually lets women be as flawed and complicated as anyone else. Despite it all, it's still a safe drama that won't leave any trauma. All it will do is fill your heart with joy.
Which I don't think the same can be said about Mother's Day. Admittedly, I haven't seen it nor do I intend to. However, there's likely a huge disparaging difference between that film and Ricki and the Flash. The older film manages to have heart and innovation as well as the familiar mother/daughter story. It has humanity underneath its gimmick. It may not change the way that we see mothers, or even Streep's career. However, it will likely remind us that mothers on screen are allowed to be more than housemaids or sacrificial lambs. They can be fun and wild just like their daughters.
Comments
Post a Comment