Charlize Theron, Mackenzie Davis, Mark Duplass, Ron Livingston, Elaine Tan, Maddie Dixon-Poirier, Asher Miles Fallica, Colleen Wheeler, Lia Frankland, Joshua Pak, Gameela Wright,
Rating: B
Life offers up many challenges, but in comparison to being a full time wife and mother some of those challenges are like a walk in the park. Taking care of an 8-year-old daughter on the brink of change, an autistic son, a fussy baby, a clueless husband, and a house in chaos is enough to drive anyone over the edge. TULLY, the latest film collaboration between famed director Jason Reitman and talented writer Diablo Cody, is an offbeat funny and odd look into the life of a housewife on the brink of madness.
The film opens with Marlo (Charlize Theron) about to give birth to a third child. The suburban housewife is already beaten down with the difficulties of the current state of her household. Once a free spirited adventurous young woman, she finds herself reminiscing about her youth as she deals with the stress of her current life. Once the baby is born, Marlo finds it increasingly difficult to cope with the pressures of motherhood. Sleepless nights, a dirty house, a baby throwing up on her, and a special needs son throwing tantrums are a just a few of the things pulling at Marlo’s sanity. Drew (Ron Livingston) is her well-meaning but rather daft husband who is completely unaware that his wife is about to go postal.
One evening the family is invited to have dinner with Marlo’s Nuevo rich brother Craig (Mark Duplass) and his elitist wife Elyse (Elaine Tan). Over dinner Marlo can’t help but notice the picture perfect family that seems to have it all not to mention that not one thing is out of place in their designer home. Seeing his sister’s condition, Craig offers to hire a nanny for Marlo in an effort to alleviate some of her burden. At first Marlo is offended by what she sees as a suggestion that she is failing as a homemaker, so she refuses the generous offer. Then it happens – Marlo has a complete meltdown and in a moment of desperation decides she needs saving and caves in to her brother’s suggestion.
Tully (Mackenzie Davis), who comes knocking on the door late one night, is a cheerful bohemian young woman who swoops in to rescue Marlo from spiraling out of control. The night nanny is almost too good to be true. Tully cleans and cooks, takes care of the baby, and ultimately becomes a companion for Marlo. Wise beyond her years, the twenty-something-year-old becomes the overwrought mother’s confidant. Marlo finally has someone she can talk to about her troubles, and slowly Marlo begins to transform into a lady appearing somewhat normal.
Charlize Theron gives a stellar performance as the overwhelmed housewife. She steals every scene (and is 99.9% of the movie) as we watch her desperation, exhaustion, and emotional turmoil. Theron even gets us to laugh along with her as she tries to recapture her youth. Playing the spunky happy-go-lucky nanny, Mackenzie Davis is a delight to watch as a sort of modern day Mary Poppins. The young actress charms the audience with her goodwill and smiles. Ron Livingston does a great job portraying a clueless, naive and well-intentioned husband. So much more could have been done with Livingston’s character and the actor is very underutilized in this production.
This latest partnership between Reitman and Cody often feels slow and there are many moments the film feels like it is dragging as it tries to get to the main point. TULLY starts off feeling like a quaint offbeat comedy but does surprise as delves deeper into a woman’s analysis of her life and what real happiness means. There are some memorable one liners that are more food for thought than funny. Although the production is a bit strange at times, the end result is thought provoking as it dives into the difficulties many women face trying to create the perfect life for themselves and their families. TULLY is not going to be what many will expect from the trailers, but will make audiences ponder over the heartwarming look into a mother’s desire to be happy.
