‘Tully’ looks at motherhood
Charlize Theron stars in “Tully,” a dramatic comedy from acclaimed director Jason Reitman. It is Certified “Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes and presents an interesting look at the stress of motherhood, mixed with a little bit of comedy. It is rated 14A with a Coarse Language warning. It is 98 minutes in length and will show daily at: 1:15 and 7:10pm.
“A new comedy from Academy Award (R)-nominated director Jason Reitman (“Up in the Air”) and Academy Award (R)-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody (“Juno”). Marlo (Academy Award (R) winner Charlize Theron), a mother of three including a newborn, is gifted a night nanny by her brother (Mark Duplass). Hesitant to the extravagance at first, Marlo comes to form a unique bond with the thoughtful, surprising, and sometimes challenging young nanny named Tully (Mackenzie Davis).” — Focus Features.
I had a chance to view this film with my wife, and we both enjoyed what was presented — a genuine look at the sometimes-harsh realities of parenthood — in particular motherhood. Charlize Theron is amazing in the role of a very pregnant, stressed mother of two children. She put on a lot of weight for the role, apparently with a diet of potato chips (I seem to have had similar results with that diet)! Her son is a very high-needs individual, and the smallest disruptions to his routine often causes him to go off the deep end in a tantrum.
After numerous trips to the principal’s office, her son is asked to seek another educational facility. It is all too much for her, with the birth of her new child — the stress of motherhood kicks into high gear. With little help from her husband who seems to be living on another planet (working, and then spending countless hours with headphones on playing video games), she finds relief from her wealthy brother by way of a night nanny. “Tully” arrives one evening — and life changes dramatically for Charlize and her family. The house gets cleaned. The baby is attended to. Charlize gets much needed sleep — it is all almost too good to be true!
The story takes some interesting twists, and the humour is often subtle. Overall, I enjoyed this peek at the less glamorous and somewhat harsh side of motherhood. Just a warning for some language and content that would not be terribly appropriate for younger audiences. I hope you enjoy it. See you at the movie theatre! Please feel free to contact me with your comments or feedback — even an idea for an article — len@moviemill.com. Hope to see you at the movies!