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A Throwback Rom-Com About One Millennial Trying to Have It All
James L. Brooks’s Ella McCay is wacky and weird—but it doesn’t quite work.
TL;DR
- *Ella McCay* is James L. Brooks's first film in 15 years.
- The movie is set in 2008, a period of both hope and hardship in America.
- The protagonist, Ella McCay, is a 34-year-old lieutenant governor navigating a tumultuous week.
- Ella faces challenges including her boss's departure for Obama's Cabinet, her husband's scandal, her brother's mental health issues, and her father's return.
- The film's narrator praises Ella, positioning the movie as a commentary on Millennial promise and Boomer failure.
- Brooks's signature style of lengthy speeches and one-liners is present, though the film is shorter than his recent efforts.
- The plot weaves together Ella's political maneuvering, personal scandal, and family drama.
- The 2008 setting highlights a time when idealism was perceived to be more potent in American politics.
- The film is interpreted as an apology from Brooks's generation to younger generations for societal turmoil.