(3.5 / 4)
Tully is a deceptively simple tale bursting with profound insights into motherhood due to Diablo Cody’s witty screenplay and a transformative performance from Charlize Theron.
Tully is the first film to reunite screenwriter Diablo Cody with director Jason Reitman and actress Charlize Theron since the 2011 dramedy Young Adult. Young Adult was one of my favorite films of that year as I was fascinated by the darkly humorous portrait of the protagonist and the film’s ability to portray this delusional woman in a complex and sympathetic manner. Tully can be thought of as a spiritual successor to Young Adult, as the team applies the same technique of balancing bluntly honest dark humor with emotionally profound messages, this time tackling the intricacies of being a mother in today’s society.
The story centers on Marlo (Charlize Theron), an expectant mother who is already overwhelmed with her two children let alone managing a newborn as well. Marlo is supported by her loving, but somewhat oblivious husband Drew (Ron Livingston) and her wealthy brother Craig (Mark Duplass) who has provided her with perks in her life such as enrolling her children in a prestigious private school, much to her chagrin. As a baby shower gift to Marlo, Craig has offered to pay for a night nanny to help her after the baby is born. Initially, Marlo refuses the offer, but she quickly becomes overwhelmed with caring for her new daughter and as a result tells Drew she is going to accept her brother’s offer. That night, the nanny named Tully (Mackenzie Davis) appears at Marlo’s door, and the remainder of the film explores the relationship between these two women and how it enables Tully to rediscover contentment with the life she has chosen for herself.
It’s impossible to analyze this film without praising Charlize Theron, as the actress does a tremendous job of providing the audience with a glimpse into the enervated mentality of this character. One could argue it’s easy to portray an emotion outright, but to keep that feeling just beneath the surface is far more difficult and Theron manages to do this for almost the entire film with the emotions emerging more readily as Marlo confronts her frustrations head on. Theron’s commitment to the role also deserves to be acknowledged, as the actress agreed to gain almost 50 pounds specifically for this character. This decision definitely contributed to the extent with which Theron embodied Marlo, as there are some scenes in which Theron is almost unrecognizable and it is played to great effect.
Mackenzie Davis is also terrific here as she provides Tully with an ethereal quirkiness that is at times comedically strange, but at other times profoundly comforting. Davis manages to never overdo the level of awkwardness required for the role, which prevents Tully from coming off as overly silly or even possibly annoying. The rest of the supporting cast are great as well, as both Ron Livingston and Mark Duplass provide unique dynamics with Marlo, which help the audience to further gain an understanding of her life and the impact her husband and brother have on her.
The screenplay by Diablo Cody also deserves praise as the dialogue is another star of this film. Little flourishes with the dialogue throughout the film provide layered meanings to events that manage to be simultaneously funny and emotionally affecting. A great example of this is during several scenes with Marlo’s daughter, Emmy, who candidly remarks on aspects such as the appearance of the house or Marlo’s physique. Taken at face value the remarks are the innocent musings of a child, but due to the placement of the scenes, these statements could just as easily be interpreted as Marlo’s impression of society’s judgments of her as well as her misplaced belief about what constitutes a “successful mother.” Many of the exchanges between Marlo and Tully also have this ambiguous quality as words that initially seem innocuous prove to have more symbolism in retrospect.
Tully’s seemingly straightforward story manages to go in some unexpected directions that will leave the viewer unsure of where the film is headed, which makes for a very engrossing experience. I must admit that if I had been told before seeing the film how it progresses I would have had my reservations regarding whether it would work, but the execution is perfect and manages to make what could have been a clichéd story captivating and unpredictable.
Between the sharp dialogue and enthralling performances from Charlize Theron and Mackenzie Davis, Tully proves to be another heartfelt story from director Jason Reitman that deftly balances subtle humor with an honest message. Although outwardly straightforward, Tully is bursting with insights into the importance of taking care of oneself and being reacquainted with one’s past identity in order to be a better caregiver as well as how societal pressures can skew our own appraisals of what success looks like. Despite initially being unsure of my impression of this film, I found myself continuing to ruminate about the layered symbolism present in the film long after it concluded and found that the film’s central themes were all the more powerful due to the subtlety utilized in presenting them.
