Grandma
Lily Tomlin (I Heart Huckabees) is misanthropic Elle in this comedy from Academy Award-nominated director Paul Weitz (About a Boy). When her 18-year-old granddaughter, Sage (Julia Garner, Electrick Children) comes crashing through her heavily bordered life, the pair go on a day-long trip to sort out their separate life crises – Elle dealing with the past and Sage bracing for the future.
- Director:
- Paul Weitz ('Admission', 'About a Boy', 'American Pie')
- Writer:
- Paul Weitz
- Cast:
- Lily TomlinJulia GarnerMarcia Gay HardenJudy GreerLaverne CoxElizabeth PeñaNat WolffSam ElliottJohn Cho
Reviews & comments
Variety
pressAn initially breezy family comedy about mothers, daughters and abortions that slowly sneaks up on you and packs a major wallop.
The Guardian
pressPossibly the greatest thing about Grandma is that it passes the Bechdel test with flying colours, better than any film I've seen recently.
Stuff
pressNot for faint-hearted or easily offended, but definitely for those who believe youth is wasted on the young.
SBS
pressGrandma is Lily Tomlin in her first lead role since Big Business in 1988 and that's recommendation enough. It's a mix of the erudite, the tough and the goofy.
Grandmas are supposed to be helpful, bake cookies and give warm hugs, not swear, threaten, smoke dope, verbally and physically assault people, while conniving to raise money for an abortion.
What happens when the grandmother you turn to for help is a hippie lesbian, poetess author, radicalised non-motherly type who shredded her credit cards, is broke and estranged from her own daughter and most other people she knows? A story like this could easily become a fractured disaster except for the extraordinary acting of Lily Tomlin as grandma....
Off the back of the Netflix series Frankie and Gracie I was eager to see if Lily Tomlin would be reprising her role of Frankie (in some form or another). The answer is no; her performance was fresh rich and engaging. I am so glad I saw this movie. In fact there were a lot of very good performances in this movie. I think it will appeal to audiences of all...
Variety
pressAn initially breezy family comedy about mothers, daughters and abortions that slowly sneaks up on you and packs a major wallop.
The Guardian
pressPossibly the greatest thing about Grandma is that it passes the Bechdel test with flying colours, better than any film I've seen recently.
Stuff
pressNot for faint-hearted or easily offended, but definitely for those who believe youth is wasted on the young.
SBS
pressGrandma is Lily Tomlin in her first lead role since Big Business in 1988 and that's recommendation enough. It's a mix of the erudite, the tough and the goofy.
Grandmas are supposed to be helpful, bake cookies and give warm hugs, not swear, threaten, smoke dope, verbally and physically assault people, while conniving to raise money for an abortion.
What happens when the grandmother you turn to for help is a hippie lesbian, poetess author, radicalised non-motherly type who shredded her credit cards, is broke and estranged from her own daughter and most other people she knows? A story like this could easily become a fractured disaster except for the extraordinary acting of Lily Tomlin as grandma....
Off the back of the Netflix series Frankie and Gracie I was eager to see if Lily Tomlin would be reprising her role of Frankie (in some form or another). The answer is no; her performance was fresh rich and engaging. I am so glad I saw this movie. In fact there were a lot of very good performances in this movie. I think it will appeal to audiences of...
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