[yasr_overall_rating]
An aging widow from New York City follows her daughter to Los Angeles in hopes of starting a new life after her husband passes away.
It’s a tired old Hollywood cliché: Writer spends the entire movie trying to pound out either a decent screenplay or the great American novel, and just as he (or she) is about to give up, they ditch that project and decide to write something sincere instead. With “The Meddler,” that’s not the story in the movie, but the true story of the movie. Writer-director Lorene Scafaria delivers a heartfelt dramedy that audiences are sure to appreciate. After her first movie, “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World” failed miserably, Scafaria has written from the heart and delivered a masterpiece. Bound to be among Sony Classics’ top 2016 performers, “The Meddler” serves as a lovely Mother’s Day corsage, not just to Scafaria’s mom, Gail, but to mothers everywhere — including the luminous Susan Sarandon in a role that seems to come naturally.
Though many actresses regret the moment they stop being considered for love-interest roles and are sent mother parts instead, Sarandon has actually delivered some of the best roles of her career in the latter mode. But “The Meddler” is an uncommonly special gift for the star from the writer, and from the star to the audience. Marnie Minervini embodies both sides: matriarch and romantic lead, (s)mothering Scafaria’s obvious screen proxy, Lori (Rose Byrne), while fending off the advances of two prospective suitors, played by J.K. Simmons and Michael McKean.
Blessed with a more-than-generous inheritance from her late husband, Marnie blends a guileless naiveté with an instinctively generous spirit. When confronted with a problem, it’s her instinct to help, which manifests itself in all sorts of heartwarming ways — scenes that might seem corny if they didn’t come from a place of truth. Like the $13,000 gay marriage she offers to underwrite for one of her daughter’s friends.
I need to take a moment to explain the circumstances in which I saw “The Meddler.” As in most reviewing situations, I was seeing the movie before it was available to the general public. Happily enough I was offered a +1 ticket to bring a friend with me. My +1 turned out to be my movie and theater enthusiastic 17 year-old daughter Bonnie. Normally the theater would be full during a screening, but that night it was virtually empty with only a handful of reviewers. Bonnie and I settled ourselves into comfortable seats with plenty of room around us. As the lights went down we pulled out our “contraband” dinner and set it up on the seat between us. Humus, flat bread crackers, olives, cheese and chocolate. We spent the movie laughing and crying together at the brilliant movie that is “The Meddler.” I also found myself loading up crackers with goodies and handing them to Bonnie. It’s not as though she couldn’t have done it herself…it’s just that I’ve taken care of her for so long. As a mother you never quite completely stop seeing your children as toddlers. A part of a mother’s psyche needs to take care of your children physically and emotionally. “The Meddler” perfectly shows how and why this happens to a mother.
With no car chases or artificial villains to get in the way, and no treacly contrivances to force unearned emotions, the bright, vaguely sitcom-styled movie is free to make audiences feel good on its own genuine terms.
In theaters now
