15/41
Riding Carousel "Performed by Alexander McCabeWritten by Alexander McCabe
Story
A woman gives up her career to become a stay-at-home mom, but soon her domestic life takes a surreal turn. It was originally intended to be released directly to Hulu for streaming, but the strong reception of test screenings prompted Searchlight Pictures to give it a wide theatrical release instead. Featured Graham Norton Genre: Bruce Springsteen / Amy Adams / Vanessa Williams / Bill Bailey / St. Vincent (2024). I was invited to a screening and a director’s Q&A. This film is much more artistic and goofy than I expected.
The central family is nameless
So we’ll just have to call them mother, father, son for short. The mother is a disaffected former artist with an MFA. She’s now a frustrated, stay-at-home mom with a two-year-old horror. He’s blonde; mom is a redhead and dad has brown hair. That was a real annoyance to me. Dad has some important work that involves traveling and he’s going away for a week.
Amy Adams is absolutely amazing in this role
Director Heller is more interested in the magical realism part of the script than any of the details. I loved the scene she has with her former classmates, all of which are kind of a success. She might as well be a fly on the wall in a restaurant. I also loved the mother’s scenes with the dogs, of which there are a lot. Apparently each of the three main dogs physically matches one of her friends. But I kept playing Amy Schumer in the role!
I felt the movie was beneath her
She should be getting an obvious Academy Award level award, not the experimental lunacy. Scott McNairy is fine as her husband. This is one unattractive couple on the big screen. Who says Hollywood is all about glamour? Zoe Chao is a stunning beauty as one of her mom’s friends, who absolutely steals every second she’s on screen. Mary Holland and Archana Ryan are hilarious as her other moms.
Jessica Harper is fantastic as the librarian Norma
The director tried to hide the setting, but it was clearly LA. Apparently it was only filmed there because AA lives there. I don’t hate this movie, but I’m disappointed in Adams’ choice to do it. Being the head dog handler is a big deal. However, it feels like a waste of her talent. I also wanted to howl at the sky afterwards.
