Eleanor the Great

Scarlett Johansson’s first film as a director shows the careful attention she has been paying as a performer, starting with the importance of casting. The irreplaceable June Squibb stars as the title character, an outspoken 94-year old who moves from her home in Florida to New York after the death of Bessie (Rita Zohar), her roommate and best friend.

The opening scenes show the ease, comfort, and support of that friendship, as they strap on their velcro-strap shoes, grab Eleanor’s cane, go for a walk and shop for groceries. Bessie collapses in the store, and we see them in the hospital, Eleanor making sure Bessie sees a doctor right away by telling the nurse Bessie is a member of the family who donated the money for a wing at the hospital, despite the fact that it is not true. She also lies to a nosy neighbor, just to annoy her. This comfort with deception appears at first to be harmless but it is an indication of the dangers ahead.

In New York, Eleanor reunites with her recently divorced daughter, Lisa (Jessica Hecht), and college student grandson, Max (Will Price). In contrast to her relationship with Bessie, her connection to her family is prickly, contrary, and sometimes judgmental. Lisa has signed Eleanor up for a singing group at the Jewish Community Center and encourages her to look at assisted living options. Eleanor is not interested. At the JCC, she wanders into a meeting, not realizing it is a support group for Holocaust survivors. When called upon to introduce herself, she uses one of Bessie’s stories. Sitting in on the meeting is a journalism student named Nina (a radiant Erin Kellyman), who is captivated by Eleanor’s story and wants to write about her.

Nina’s mother died six months earlier and her father, a television news reporter (Chiwetel Ejiofor as Roger) has been distant, dealing with his own grief. The dislocation and grief they share leads Nina and Eleanor to become close friends very quickly.

The chemistry between them is palpable, so we want that friendship to continue to be a source of connection and healing for them. But we know, as Eleanor realizes at some level, that the “stolen valor” lie at its foundation must detonate, causing great pain for both of them. What is unexpected is compassion and generosity of the way it is resolved, I suspect the reason Johansson and Squibb were drawn to the story.

Squibb is, as we saw in “Nebraska” and “Thelma,” a treasure and this role gives her a chance to play a character who is fully human, flawed, grieving, and still learning. The British Kellyman has an impeccable American accent and she is a gem, lighting up the screen with her vulnerability and the way she treasures and is reassured by her friendship with Eleanor. Johansson created a space for superb performances by everyone in the cast, including Jessica Hecht as Eleanor’s frustrated daughter and Zohar as Eleanor’s roommate and lifelong friend.

Sqiibb, Kellyman, Johansson, and first-time screenwriter Tory Kamen have made a film about loss, friendship, and compassion. Eleanor may not always be great, but this movie lets us see the parts of her that really are.

Parents should know that this movie includes some strong language, references to the Holocaust, and grief over the deaths of a wife and mother and a friend.

Family discussion: Why did Eleanor lie? Why was it hard for her to be as nice to her daughter as she was to Nina and Bessie? Were you surprised by Lisa’s response?

If you like this, try: “Thelma,” also starring June Squibb