Review of Grandma (2015) by Adam R — 02 Aug 2016

A neat little indie dramedy that all in all works at a purely basic human level. Grandma is a road movie in many respects. Lily Tomlin and Julia Garner play grandmother and pregnant granddaughter respectively, trekking across Los Angeles to reach the abortion clinic while encountering many quirky side characters along the way. The brilliance of director Paul Weitz's writing however is that he gives each of these side characters their own humanity and depth. There's a purpose to each of them and their interactions with the two leads and it works wonderfully. Speaking of which, let's not forget the fantastic acting chops of Tomlin and Garner, who only manage to convey a very believable relationship.

For all the successes in this movie however, it does fall short in some areas. First is the pacing. Despite having relatively high stakes on a more intimate level, there's this strange feeling of passiveness throughout the whole narrative. It's rather off-putting and it does take you out of the film on occasion. Fortunately, the short running time prevents this from being too much of a problem. The other, and this is a big one, is Tomlin's character herself. This isn't a complaint about her acting, she does exceptionally well here, but the writing for her feels a tad forced. It feels like Weitz is writing more of a "spunky old lady" stereotype (complete with swearing, tattoos, and a surly attitude) rather than a real person. Her character would benefit from having her eccentricities toned down. But again, Tomlin's acting makes it forgivable, and the moments where she's allowed to be vulnerable especially work.

In the end, Grandma is a flawed but rewarding indie film that is certainly worth a watch if you're looking for a break from today's big budget franchises.