With comedies Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, and Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, writer/director Lorene Scafaria's films have largely been concerned with the lives of young women and the choices they make. Some of those decisions are small, like finding your favorite band's secret show, and some are incredibly important, like how to live out the last days on Earth. Her latest film, The Meddler, is definitely on the smaller end of the spectrum, and the choices being made are coming a bit later than life.
Starring Rose Byrne, Susan Sarandon, and J.K. Simmons, the mother/daughter tale centers on a single woman whose recently-widowed mom relocates to be near her, and of course intrudes in her life in just about every way imaginable. Here's the official synopsis:
With a new iPhone, an apartment near the Grove, and a comfortable bank account left to her by her beloved late husband, Marnie Minervini has happily relocated from New Jersey to Los Angeles to be near her daughter Lori, a successful (but still single) screenwriter, and smother her with motherly love. But when the dozens of texts, unexpected visits, and conversations dominated by unsolicited advice force Lori to draw strict personal boundaries, Marnie finds ways to channel her eternal optimism and forceful generosity to change the lives of others – as well as her own – and find a new purpose in life.
Movies about women of a certain age seem to be all the rage right now, following Grandma, I'll See You in My Dreams, and the upcoming Sally Field film, Hello, My Name is Doris. The Meddler, which opens on April 22nd, looks like it could be another winner from Scafaria.
