Grandma

Grandma

Starring Lily Tomlin, Julia Garner, Marcia Gay Harden, Judy Greer

Directed by Paul Weitz

The Story:
Elle (Lily Tomlin) is an aging feminist lesbian who lost the love of her life a while ago, and just broke up with much younger Olivia (Judy Greer), cut up her credit cards, and hardly has a dime to her name, despite her once being one of the most popular feminist writers.  Then her granddaughter Sage (Julia Garner) arrives with news - she's pregnant, and needs $600 for an abortion.  She can't go to her mother Judy (Marcia Gay Haden) because their relationship is already strained.

Since she also doesn't have money, Elle takes Sage on a trek through her past by interacting with friends, former lovers, and anyone else they can find to get the money before the procedure is set to take place.  Along the way, the two bond and we learn why Elle is such a tough person by examining the rough past she faced.

The Synopsis:
Lily Tomlin gives a stellar performance in this small film (a scant 78 minutes, which is great because it really focuses on the characters and not on filler material) which earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Comedy or Musical, and it's no surprise.  The woman has been dominating the big and small screens since her now iconic Ernestine the Operator character from "Laugh-In."  Even though "Grandma" is listed as a comedy, it also hits some high dramatic notes that occur between the pauses of the laughter, making the film a great dramedy that really hits home due to allowing the viewer to let their guard down.

Though the film we meet several of Elle's former acquaintances and friends, and each of them has their own quirky stories.  There's Deathy (Laverne Cox), a tattoo artist; Carla (Elizabeth Pena), a former Elle admirer who wanted to purchase her early works; Karl (Sam Elliott), Elle's ex-husband who has had many wives in his past and harbors deep resentment for Elle; and finally Judy, Elle's daughter and Sage's mother, who is more an abandoned parent than Elle was, berating Sage for her decision and having sex without a condom, even though she provided them for her.  Each supporting character adds to the rich tapestry of the tale, but it's Tomlin's Elle that's the painter, the muse, the heart of the tale.  In her first starring role in 27 years, she proves that she still has the acting chops to take on actresses decades younger.

The story itself is a very political one, even if it doesn't set out to be.  When you focus your tale on lesbians and abortions, it's bound to ruffle some feathers.  Still, "Grandma" doesn't set out to overtly politicize or degrade the themes thrust upon us, but rather handle them in a surprisingly delicate and nuanced manner.  On the surface, it's a great film, but after it ends, it surprisingly sticks with you in a deeply visceral way.   

The Summary:
With a short run-time, "Grandma" allows the viewers to really get involved in a deep character study led by the always amazing Lily Tomlin, in a role she was basically born for.

The Score: A-