Review of Grandma (2015) by Steve W — 04 Oct 2015

Paul Weitz writes and directs this micro-budget dramedy about a lesbian grandmother who has to help her pregnant grand-daughter get enough money for an abortion before 5:45PM. The plot is a bit on the incredulous side, with protagonist Elle Reid having cut up her credit cards and being broke right before this crisis happens.

Everyone she knows also just happens to be broke, and the preggo grand-daughter Sage doesn't have a dollar to her name as well. Lily Tomlin is solid in her acerbic and verbally abusive role, but its newcomer Julia Garner and her doe-y eyed stares which match her, as well as Sam Elliot and Marcia Gay Harden.

Elliot does incredibly well, his scenes being the most emotional and powerful, dwarfing everything else that comes after. The humour is on and off throughout, sometimes dialogue is forced or feels flat.

Overall its a decent little effort by all involved, but it easily could have been much better.