Review: ‘Eleanor the Great’ seeks solemn solidarity

When people spend most of their time together, it can be difficult to define where one person ends and the other begins. It’s natural to adopt each other’s mannerisms, ways of speaking or habits. The relationship can be romantic or platonic since closeness is not exclusive to either. Loving someone unconditionally means knowing and accepting the good and the bad. You support them in the dark times and rejoice together during the good ones. Losing that person can create an unfillable hole. In Eleanor the Great, her grief blurs that line even further.

Eleanor (June Squibb) and Bessie (Rita Zohar) were friends for nearly 70 years. After their husbands died, they lived together. And then Bessie passed away, leaving Eleanor alone. She makes the difficult decision to move back to New York to be nearer to her daughter, Lisa (Jessica Hecht), who’s only goal is to convince Eleanor to move into a senior’s residence. In the meantime, to occupy her time, Lisa encourages Eleanor to take a class at the local Jewish Community Centre. Instead, Eleanor inadvertently ends up in a Holocaust survivor support group. A converted Jew herself, Eleanor impulsively shares Bessie’s story at the meeting, attracting the attention of Nina (Erin Kellyman), a journalism student that decides to profile her.

Scarlett Johansson’s feature directorial debut is courtesy of a new voice, writer Tory Kamen. For two filmmakers each stepping behind the camera for the first time, they show the storytelling instincts of veterans. They create a film that sincerely arouses sympathy even though it all begins with a falsehood.

Following Bessie’s death, 94-year-old Eleanor is trying to figure out how she wants to spend her remaining years. She’s still vibrant and independent, so her daughter’s micromanagement is irksome. Eleanor is excited to be invited into a community. She tries to correct her error when she realizes the group’s purpose, but everyone encourages her to stay and she suddenly wants to belong – so, she borrows Bessie’s tale of survival.

Notably, viewers see Bessie recounting her story rather than Eleanor, so they get the true gravitas of her experiences. Her account of enduring is heartbreaking and Eleanor allows her the opportunity to finally unburden herself. Of course, being a good listener is also why Eleanor can recite her story so vividly later.

While Eleanor’s betrayal is harmful, it does spark some very important relationships in her life. She forms a very close friendship with Nina as they are both dealing with the loss of a loved one. Their time together is genuinely heart-warming, while not being cheesy. Yet, audiences and Eleanor wince each time she needs to lie to maintain their relationship.

However, Eleanor’s duplicity has the unexpected effect of bringing her closer to her faith. Now, more than ever, she understands and appreciates its meaning. It’s an ironic consequence of a lie, but adds another layer of complexity to an already meaningful picture.

Following last year’s unconventional revenge movie, Thelma, Squibb continues to garner adoration for her touching roles and inspiring spunk. It’s amazing that she’s still doing some of her best work in her 40-year career. Squibb delivers a heartfelt performance as she carries the entire film on her shoulders without ever faltering.

Human connection is central to the narrative, but it doesn’t always occur as one hopes or expects. These surprises are what makes this film so beautiful.

Director: Scarlett Johansson
Starring: June Squibb, Erin Kellyman and Jessica Hecht