GRANDMA (Paul Weitz, U.S.). 78 minutes. Thursday (May 21), 8 pm, TIFF 1 and 3. Rating: NNNN
It’s about time Lily Tomlin played a dyke, but she’s so terrific in Grandma you can almost forgive her for making us wait this long.
She plays aging poet Elle, who has some serious anger issues. When her granddaughter Sage (Julia Garner) shows up pregnant, the two go on a mini road trip trying to raise money so Sage can terminate the pregnancy.
There’s a ton to love here, including the supporting cast (Sam Elliott as one of Elle’s spurned exes, Laverne Cox as a tattoo artist, and Marcia Gay Harden as Elle’s Type A business exec daughter) and the way writer/director Paul Weitz finds the delicate balance between the anguish of abortion and our really wanting Sage to find that cash.
But it’s Tomlin’s furious and infuriating Elle, in her jean jacket and Converse sneakers, who trumps everything.
