19/24
The central family doesn’t have names
Synopsis
A woman puts her career on hold to become a stay-at-home mom, but her home life soon takes a surreal turn.. It was originally intended to be released directly to streaming on Hulu, but strong reception in test screenings prompted Searchlight Pictures to release it in a wide theatrical release instead.. Referenced in Saturday Night Live: Jean Smart/Jelly Roll (2024). Riding Carousel"Starring Alexander McCabe Written by Alexander McCabe. I was invited to a screening and Q&A with the director. This movie is much more arty and obtuse than I expected.
This was a real annoyance to me
So we just have to call them Mother, Father, Son for short. The mother is a frustrated former artist, complete with MFA. She’s now a frustrated stay-at-home mom with a two-year-old terror. He’s blonde; the mother is red; and the father has brown hair. The father has an important job that involves traveling and goes away for a week at a time. Director Heller is more interested in the magical realism part of the script than giving us details.
I thought the movie was beneath her
I loved the scene she has with her former classmates, all of whom are successful to some extent. She might as well be a fly on the wall at the restaurant. I also loved the mom-dog scenes, which are plentiful. Each of the three main dogs apparently corresponds physically to one of her friends. Amy Adams is absolutely incredible in the role. But I kept picturing Amy Schumer in the role!
Who said Hollywood is all about glamour?
She should be in an obvious Oscar-caliber movie, not this experimental madness. Scoot McNairy is perfect as her lazy hubby. This is an unattractive couple on the big screen. Zoe Chao as one of her mom friends is a dazzling beauty who completely steals every second of her screen time. Mary Holland and Archana Rajan are hilarious as her other mom friends. Jessica Harper is fantastic as the librarian Norma.
Being the supreme leader is a big deal
The director tried to hide the setting, but it was obviously Los Angeles. Apparently it was only filmed there because AA lives there. I didn’t hate the movie, but I was disappointed that Adams chose to make it. However, this seems like a waste of his talent. I also wanted to howl at the sky afterwards.