The Life of ELEANOR THE GREAT

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres from director Scarlett Johansson and Sony Picture Classics is a tale of friendship and stories with ELEANOR THE GREAT.

Eleanor (June Squibb) and roommate/bestie Bessie (Rita Zohar) have a daily routine with one another. From morning coffee to long walks, their friendship has spanned decades, and so have their stories. When their time comes to a close, Eleanor finds herself moving to New York with daughter Lisa (Jessica Hecht) and grandson Max (Will Price). Lisa has decided its time for Mom to check out places where she can make friends and Eleanor isn’t too thrilled about that.

She does give in and wanders into the community center and a group gathered together to share. They are also introduced to Nina (Erin Kellyman) who is writing an article about survivors of the Holocaust and Eleanor realizes she has stumbled into the wrong group. As they talk, she can’t help but tell a story as if she were Bessie about her time in a concentration camp. Captivated by the story, Nina approaches her and asks if they can talk more. Believing her mom has found a group of new friends, Lisa feels less stressed and can focus on Max’s adolescent problems.

Eleanor is also surprised to discover that Nina’s father is none other than Roger (Chitwetel Ejiofor), someone Bessie admired greatly. She does find herself becoming friends with Nina and the young girl encourages Eleanor to continue telling her stories and spending time together. They learn more about one another but secrets have a way of coming out and that’s when friendships are tested and forgiveness feels impossible.

Squibb as Eleanor is absolutely stunning in this role as a woman who clearly has a life and history with her friend Bess. They have shared lives since their youth and that includes all the stories that come with it. Trying to start over again it never easy for anyone, but even less for someone who is under the roof of family that don’t understand her. Squibb gives us all the realities of aging from sensible shoes to feeling distant from the life she loved. There are so many moments of heartbreak and laughter that there never is enough time to recover from one to the other and I’d have it no other way.

Kellyman as Nina is a young woman following in her father’s journalistic footprints in her own way. Meeting Eleanor, she believes there is an important story to tell and will not let up on Eleanor until she agrees. Nina doesn’t understand the cost of it and Kellyman is lovely at showing us exactly what it means to love and lose and still love again. Ejiofor as Roger is a man grieving a loss and forgets that he is not the only one who is trying to find a place to put all the emotions. I love Ejiofor in everything he does, and here we see a man trying to do it all alone.

Hecht as Lisa is a daughter doing ‘her duty’ to bring Eleanor to come and live with them, even though she’s trying to find a way around that. There is a muddled history between mother and daughter as the roles are now reversed. Price as Max is a kid who is doing what kids do nowadays, their own thing with emotions that can fit on the head of a pin if it means dealing with anyone but themselves. Well done Price.

Shout out to Zohar as Bessie is so adorable and charming playing next to Squibb. It is totally believable that these two ladies could be lifelong friends.

Other cast includes Lauren Klein as Vera, Stephen Singer as Rabbi Cohen, Raymond Thomas as Professor Thompson, Tristan Murphy as Charlie, Stephen Bradbury as Ivan, Barbara Andres as Clarice, Samti Steigmann as Sami, Mila Falkof as Rebecca and Elaine Bromka as April.

Sony Pictures Classics brings television, digital content, new entertainment services, independent films and technologies to viewers. Such films as GREED, THE BURNT ORANGE HERESY, THE CLIMB, CHARM CITY KINGS, I CARRY YOU WITH ME and THE FATHER are just a few of the current and upcoming releases. For more information on what Sony Pictures Classics has to offer please visit www.sonyclassics.com.

ELEANOR THE GREAT was nominated for the Un Certain Regard Award and Golden Camera for Scarlett Johansson at the Cannes Film Festival, nominated for the Grand Special Prize and winner of the Audience Award for Scarlett Johansson at the Deauville Film Festival, and a nominee for Best Feature Film for Scarlett Johansson as the CineFest – Miskolc International Film Festival. 

There is so much about this film to love from the relationship of two life long friends, to mother-daughters history, new friendships but ultimate all in jeopardy because of one story that is told. I love the simplicity of the film that allows us to follow along being able to laugh, jaw drop, feel the pull of our hearts and a level of sincere friendship. Squibb is so marvelous of an actress who, at 95 years old, has put herself wholeheartedly into this story that I can not imagine anyone else playing this role.

This is Johansson’s directorial debut and taking on this storyline is so well done from start to credits. A generational story, we are taken on a journey of two stories – no matter how they are told it is love that transcended both. It is filled with complexities and although it might be easily pointed to Eleanor’s fib as the culprit, it is so much deeper than that and should resonate that way.

In the end – stories have a life of their own!