FILM REVIEW

'The Meddler': Love's got everything to do with it

Thu, 06/09/2016 - 5:30pm

Anyways, I'm just writing to say “The Meddler” is one fine portrayal of the unconditional love we have for our children. No matter what. For all time. And it depicts the effects of the loss of loved ones, and the struggle those left behind experience as they find their way into the future without them.

Brooklynite Marnie Minervini (Susan Sarandon) has been widowed for almost two years, although she thinks it’s only one year. Her late husband Joe left her set for the rest of her life financially, which is how she managed to follow their adult daughter Lori out to L.A. (the real L.A., not Lewiston-Auburn). Lori (Rose Byrne) writes for TV shows and has yet to recover from not only the death of her father, but the end of a relationship.

Marnie has a tendency to just let herself into Lori's house, leave her innumerable text messages and phone calls (after discovering iPhones), and offer advice, and is almost always packin' bagels. She can't help it; her daughter's in pain, it's what mothers do, they try to fix things, right? She even goes to Lori’s therapist — and ends up being a patient.

And Marnie doesn't stop with Lori. There's the young man, Freddy, who works at the iPhone store — she suggests he would be a good lawyer, he's a Libra, scales, justice, fairness, balance. He should think about it. Then there's Lori's friend Trish, whose mother died when she was young. The retired cop-potential new love, Zipper (J.K. Simmons) — he needs to call his daughter Lizzie, even though Lizzie doesn't want to talk to him.

“I need to get a life … and so do you,” says an exasperated Lori to her mother. Lori suggests Marnie should volunteer at the hospital like she's been talking about, get a hobby …

At their Valentine's Day dinner, Lori tells her mother that she is moving back to NYC for awhile to work on a new TV pilot. Alone. But Marnie can come in a few weeks. Visit the studio and watch the show being filmed. In a few weeks. And who should show up during this dinner but the ex beau, Jacob (Jason Ritter) and his new girl, Jillian (Cecily Strong). Yeah, Lori needs a change of scene — and players in that scene.

Anyways, Lori goes and Marnie volunteers at the hospital, caring for this one elderly woman who she meets when she hears beeping coming from the patient's room. This woman, who cannot speak, becomes Marnie's sounding board/confidant.

Marnie encourages Freddy — you remember Freddy, the young man at the iPhone store? Upon her suggestion Freddy does go to night school — not to be a lawyer, but an engineer (or something). Because he has no car, Marnie drives him to his classes three nights a week and they talk about all kinds of things. One night Freddy talks about his brother who has always made his life miserable. His brother wants to see him. Marnie encourages Freddy to give his brother another chance. Next time Marnie picks Freddy up to bring him to school — guess who's with him? Guess who needs a ride to a house first.

After they drop off Freddy's brother, Freddy discovers a bag of pot on the floor (his brother called shotgun). Freddy is holding it up when a cop car pulls in behind them. Marnie starts eating all of the pot and has a mouthful when the cop knocks on her window. “Are you all right?” he asks. Marnie nods. It's the only time she doesn't speak.

It's also the first time she gets high on marijuana. Great scene follows as Marnie wanders around taking in colors, the texture of flowers, ice cream, and such. It's also how she meets Zipper. In a bakery where she is ogling the pie selections. Takes a ride on Zipper's Harley — that she mistakenly refers to as a motorcycle. Zipper informs her, “There is a difference.” Ain't that the truth? Turns out Zipper has chickens the way some people have cats or dogs. They all have names, and they lay eggs best when listening to Dolly Parton. Zipper brings her back to Lori's house — Marnie is taking care of her granddogs while Lori's in NYC — and he is already smitten.

Before she leaves to visit Lori, she offers to pay for Lori's friend Trish's wedding. A second real wedding to her wife, Danielle (Dani). The two women have an adopted daughter, Tea (TE-ah) who Marnie babysits for. She pays for the wedding, the wedding gown, the bridesmaids’ gowns, the works. She even finds a yacht to hold the event on, and why not, Marnie says, she has the money, Trish needs it, and Lori isn't getting married …

The film is written and directed by Lorene Scafaria, with the character Marnie based on her own mother, and Lori based on her. A better actress could not have been cast for this role than Susan Sarandon. Sarandon is magnificent in this role. Not over the top (well, maybe a few times with the Brooklyn accent). Marnie is a woman brimming over with love — and she gives it generously. Marnie is also a woman who deeply loved her husband, the father of her child, the man with whom she spent 40 years. Sarandon conveys the depth of Marnie's loss with tenderness, and, well, love.

Yes, love has everything to do with it.

“The Meddler” is playing at The Harbor Theatre this week: at 7 p.m. June 10, 11, 13, 14 & 16; and at 2 and 7 p.m. June 12.