Tully | Film Review

Parenthood is no easy feat. For the untold miles of celluloid showcasing the raising of a child as akin to vacationing with angels, the truth is one hell of a haul in the opposite direction. Nighttime feedings, outbursts, injuries, pouting, attitude, accidents, lack of sleep, intentional accidents; the list goes on and on. Yes, there is much reward to having children, selflessly sacrificing your needs for theirs. Unfortunately, the halls of cinematic treasures prefer to paint the picture of parenting as effortless glee and bliss rather than the harsh reality, as movies tend to function primordially as an escape from daily life. A rare exception arrives in the form of Tully.

Expecting her third child any day, Marlo (Charlize Theron) is at her wits end. Her other two children are lovely little humans, although her son Jonah is a very sensitive 6 year-old boy whose attentive needs demand much more than her daughter, but maintaining a household while 9 months pregnant is a strenuous endeavor to say the least. With her husband Drew drowns in work, Marlo’s well-to-do brother Craig steps in and offers to pony up for a “night nanny”.

If this is a fresh concept to you, get in line. As a father of two, this sounds like the best idea in history that I had never heard of. Essentially, a caretaker handles your child at night while the parents – in particular the mother – rest and go about regaining their identities. My kids are both grown and this STILL seems like the best idea since frozen pizza.

At first reluctant, Marlo finally agrees and we are introduced to Tully (Mackenzie Davis), a sprightly free spirit ripe with sage advice and an intrinsic adeptness at nurturing. Each night, Tully arrives to care for Marlo’s newborn baby, affording her the opportunity to recover from the impact of birth. Tully also Mrs. Doubtfire’s up the place, cleaning during the night and whipping up cupcakes for school while the family sleeps. Marlo gradually begins to become more at ease with herself, and her relationship with Tully blossoms.

Reteaming with her Young Adult director (Jason Reitman) and writer (Diablo Cody), Charlize Theron proves once again that there is no role she cannot play with both skill and respect. Much ado has been made about Theron packing on 50 pounds to play a “real mom”, and while that is a pleasant nod to her craft, it’s honestly the least compelling component of her performance.

What clicks with the character of Marlo is the utter lack of gloss or Hollywood sheen. Motherhood is hard and brutal. It is not a weekly dose of nonsensical life advice encased in a 30-minute sitcom wrapper. The devotion Theron puts forth in her willingness to not only exhibit the dark side of Mom-dom, but to completely embrace and revel in it, and that is where Tully knocks it out of the park.

Mackenzie Davis’ Tully is a bright light surrounding every shadow, a joy to behold and a fervent reminder to Marlo of the individual she used to be, seemingly a lifetime ago. She is also a stringent supporter of the binding between a mother and her child. Diablo Cody (Juno) has a knack for writing engagingly quirky characters that, while they may not speak in the manner as the rest of the civilized world, we sure come to wish they would. It’s an extremely unique form of envisioning a character, gifting them with a language and mannerism exclusively their own, unique to the universe they squat in. And Davis delivers this vision with ease.

Our time with Marlo and friends, while emotionally hysterical throughout, could use a bit more fluffing out. Her oldest daughter Sarah is often sidelined or relegated to the background in order to focus on the more audacious aspects of Jonah. While Drew (a perpetually bewildered Ron Livingston) spends a bit too much time seemingly oblivious to his wife’s daily struggles, even occasionally appearing oafish. Everything does come around in the final reel, but these two characters in particular feel a bit slighted in favor of pithier moments.

Overall though, Tully is a beautiful film that focuses on the harsh realities of everyday life to deliver a tale rarely told in cinema: the true plight of a modern mother. Theron’s performance may be heralded as bold, or daring. It is none of those things. And therein lies the appeal. Tully is not implying it is courageous to have a glamourous Hollywood actress portray a “real mom”. It’s saying that true bravery is in being one.

Tully is now playing in theaters nationwide
Starring Charlize Theron, Ron Livingston, Mackenzie Davis, Mark Duplass
Screenplay by Diablo Cody
Directed by Jason Reitman