Tully (Review)
Tully Knows that Self-Care isn’t Optional.
As much as I hate to admit it, I’m not without my “prejudices” when it comes to movies. Unlike so many other of my generation, I was not enamored by Juno and even less so with Jennifer’s Body. So when I heard that there was a new film from writer Diablo Cody, my first reaction was to roll my eyes and sigh loudly. While I might hate to admit that, I don’t mind admitting when I’m wrong because Tully is an absolutely fantastic film.
It feels like there’s a lot of toxicity when it comes to motherhood these days. There’s a stringent list of what you have to do or say in order to be a “good mom.” It’s an impossible ideal that is even more difficult considering that most moms also have to work full time. God forbid you don’t love your little munchkin every waking second of the day, especially when they’re blowing chunks all over you. In a nutshell, Tully combats the modern idea of motherhood. At the center of its story is a mother played by Charlize Theron who is literally at the end of her rope. With two kids already (one of which has special needs) and a bun in the over, Theron is forced to be all she can be no matter what the mental or emotional strain might be. With her hands full already the birth of her third child is the straw that breaks the camel’s back and she finds herself spiraling. Luckily, she’s got a rich brother who can afford to hire a night nanny named Tully, played by Mackenzie Davis.
It’s easy to see with Tully that Diablo Cody has grown up considerably as a writer. Her newfound sense of maturity allows her to not seem so desperate to be quirky or memorable and instead focus on the story and characters. For Tully, she teams again with director Jason Reitman (who previously worked with her on Juno) and this time their partnership proves to be much more fruitful. The film is a thoughtful commentary on the trials and tribulations of motherhood with all the pressure society has to pull it off without batting an eye. The idea of needing help to do something which should come naturally to all women is almost taboo in western culture. Of course, pushing kids off on a babysitter or school is perfectly acceptable, but asking for help is still frowned upon and not just for mothers. There used to be a saying that it takes a village to raise a child, but in Tully, Theron is lucky to even get help from her husband from time to time.
Luckily, there’s Tully. A 20 something night nurse filled with interesting facts and a deep admiration for the concept of motherhood. To her, Theron is a badass for having created life inside her. Tully stresses the miracle of birth and the connection a mother has with her child even when she might feel like she’s failing miserably. The philosophical insight Tully offers is enough to help anyone through an existential crisis and that’s exactly what she’s there for. After all, Theron is an extension of the baby since their lives are so entwined, so when it comes to taking care of her child she has to take care of herself as well. At the end of the day, self-care is the least selfish thing a mother can do for herself and her children. After all, we’ve seen what happens in movies when moms go bad.
Theron is absolutely spectacular in Tully. After her performances in films like Mad Max: Fury Road, Atomic Blonde, and now Tully, I’m convinced that she is one of the best actresses in Hollywood right now. She effortlessly takes on the role of a mother drifting through life in a cloud of exhaustion and shirt covered in spit up. It’s a role that’s not exactly glamorous, but it’s honest about all else and that’s enough to earn my respect every time. Theron abandons all sense of self-consciousness as the film goes on too tired to care about anyone or anything until Tully comes along to breathe life back into her. The message behind it is clear that even the caretakers need to be taken care of from time to time. A message that every son, daughter, husband, and father might benefit greatly from.
As enjoyable as I found Theron and Davis in the film, the rest of the characters suffer from being basic cliches. Her husband is an oblivious buffoon who hardly lifts a finger to help after he gets home from work and her brother isn’t much better. As far as Tully is concerned these aren’t so much characters as personified stressors helping to push Theron towards the edge. The message though behind Tully manages to salvage these relationships though. As the film goes on and Theron slowly gets the wind back in her sails, her partnerships strengthen. I would like to mention the biggest disappointment in the film, but I’m not one for spoilers. Still, I’m a fan of Tully and I’m a fan of it advocating mental health and it’s stance against toxic societal expectations. Hell, I might just be a fan of Diablo Cody’s after this.
