A nighttime nanny (Mackenzie Davis) comes to take care of Marlo (Charlize Theron) and her newborn child in Jason Reitman’s Tully. (Source: Wall Street Journal)
The collaboration between director Jason Reitman and writer Diablo Cody started in 2007 with Juno. The film following a pregnant high schooler trying to make the decision to adopt it to a loving couple earned Cody an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Four years later, they did Young Adult, starring Charlize Theron as a fiction writer returning to her hometown to reconnect with her high-school sweetheart. Now–Theron reunites with the duo in Tully, the latest film about the hardships of motherhood. After going in blind, I’m happy to admit the movie surprised me in every way!
Theron plays Marlo, a mother of three children: 8-year-old Sarah (Lia Frankland), 5-year-old Jonah (Asher Miles Fallica)–who is on the autism spectrum, and newborn Mia. She loves her family very much including her husband Drew (Ron Livingston), although he spends more time traveling for his business job. She spends many sleepless nights trying to take care of her newborn child. As a way to get the much needed sleep, Marlo’s wealthy brother Craig (Mark Duplass) hires Tully (Mackenzie Davis, Blade Runner 2049 and The Martian), a night nanny in her 20s. She reluctantly accepts Tully’s presence, especially noticing she had the time to clean the house and bake cupcakes. They form a bond together, and Marlo begins to look at the bright side of life.
Theron is no stranger to going above and beyond while preparing for her roles. She gained weight for 2003’s Monster, in which she won her first and only Oscar. Here, she put on 50 pounds to play Marlo. Her diet consisted nothing but junk food–from burgers to milkshakes. It took her more than a year to lose the weight. All the hard work she had to endure pulls off brilliantly! Her chemistry with Davis’ quirky title nanny is what makes the movie shine. While Marlo maybe a bit rude, she decides to give in when Tully shows up. She couldn’t imagine what she will do without her. “You can’t fix the parts without treating the whole,” Tully explains to Marlo when she’s there to take care of not only her baby, but Marlo entirely.
With a screenplay filled with razor-sharp dialogue and dark humor, I have never seen a film about parenthood so odd, so delightful, and brutally honest. And better yet, it never feels forced. It’s hard for mothers not to relate the pain Marlo endures in the movie. This is the perfect film for them to watch with their (older) kids. It might be slow early on, but it is something special once Tully picks up the pace.
3.5/4
Dr. Saint, D.D.S. 