Tully

Writer Diablo Cody made a name for herself about a decade ago with the release of “Juno,” a movie for which she received the Best Original Screenplay Oscar in 2007. Since that time, she has made a group of projects (“Jennifer’s Body,” 2015’s “Ricki and the Flash”) that have yielded mixed results, namely 2011’s “Young Adult,” her first pairing with Oscar--winner Charlize Theron.

Now, with “Tully,” she re-teams with Theron for a mother tale that revisits motherhood and all of the trials and tribulations that just feel plain exhausting. I’m in the clear on this one, since I don’t have that ability to carry a bundle of joy into this beloved world of ours.

“Tully” finds Theron’s finds her Marlo character having to make a change at the suggestion of her brother, Craig (Mark Duplass). He is a wealthy businessman who aids his struggling sister in hiring a nanny for her dilemma in expecting her third child. In walks Tully (Mackenzie Davis, “Blade Runner 2049”) who helps with the daily grind that allows Marlo to get some shuteye.

The husband in Ron Livingston’s (“Office Spacde”) Drew, is a good father because he helps with their eldest daughter’s math dilemmas (re: homework.). Otherwise, their relationship is more of a roommate situation, since he spends his time playing a video game rather than tending to his wife.

Also involved is Marlo’s youngest son, a child with a short attention span and difficulties just fitting in. This element alone digs into her own personal unhappiness. One scene finds her just screaming at the world, just to take a break from the stress that keeps falling on her head.

Director Jason Reitman knows how to spin a well thought adult tale with thanks to the aforementioned Diablo Cody script. Like his work with “Juno” and his own 2009 Oscar nominated “Up in the Air,” Reitman knows the ins and outs of family dynamics. Family has their own ways of dealing with thoughts and issues, but regardless of politics and differences, they still have a way of making things better.

This movie works on a variety of levels, including a nod to 1999’s “Fight Club,” a highly overrated movie that deals with some of gthe same issues of identity.

The movie tries too hard to be more complex than it actually is. “Tully” meanders in spots leading to an ultimately disappointing conclusion. I wanted to like this more, but those weird right turns in the narrative prevented me from liking it more.

Grade: B-
(Review by Ricky Miller)