Sioux City Journal entertainment critic Bruce Miller says that while the action in 鈥淭helma鈥 may not be all that realistic, it鈥檚 highly entertaining and just the ticket for audiences tired of three-part dramas.
Move over, Diane Keaton. June Squibb鈥檚 in town and she鈥檚 got a better take on retirement life than you, Jane Fonda AND Lily Tomlin.
In her charming 鈥済randma gets scammed鈥 comedy, 鈥淭helma,鈥 Squibb plays a 93-year-old who sends $10,000 in cash to con artists because she鈥檚 convinced her grandson was in an accident.
When relatives point out the error of her ways, Thelma decides to right the wrong. She chooses to 鈥渇ollow the money鈥 and track down those who did her in. With the help of a friend in a retirement community, she drives a motorized scooter to the location and, well, anything鈥檚 possible.
June Squibb and Fred Hechsinger join forces in "Thelma."聽
Magnolia
In writer/director Josh Margolin鈥檚 hands, this is a sweet valentine to grandmas and the grandsons they cherish. Her Danny (nicely played by Fred Hechinger) is just as frustrated with his parents as she. Both are misunderstood. Both think they can make this mistrust go away.
To her credit, Thelma takes along friend Ben (played by the late Richard Roundtree, who was 鈥淪haft鈥 on screen). He tries to convince her some of the moves are risky, but she鈥檚 not deterred. Thelma gets to her destination and then it鈥檚 鈥淗igh Noon鈥 for the thieves.
While bits of action seem over the top, much of the situation is believable. Thelma, for example, has problems with a computer鈥檚 mouse and can鈥檛 quite get the hang of doing business online. Advanced age also doesn't mean dementia's afoot.
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Thelma doesn鈥檛 have the trust of her daughter (Parker Posey) and son-in-law (Clark Gregg) but she doesn鈥檛 solicit it, either.
Richard Roundtree and June Squibb use a scooter to track down thieves who scammed her out of $10,000 in "Thelma."聽
Magnolia
When Thelma and Ben go on the lam, they鈥檙e great fun 鈥 role models for the AARP generation. Danny is a burst of fresh air, too, simply because he鈥檚 capable of more than his parents are willing to admit. He and grandma bond and, in many ways, look after each other.
When the relatives in between discover that bond, they鈥檙e appropriately surprised. (Sometimes when there鈥檚 too much hovering details are overlooked.)
Margolin doesn鈥檛 dress this up with a lot of fancy photography, but he does have a delightful production of 鈥淎nnie鈥 at the retirement home that bears a second look.
A grandmother/grandson road trip would be a great sequel. Now, though, 鈥淭helma鈥 is the one to enjoy.
It鈥檚 a family vacation without the unnecessary relatives.
Movies in a minute with film critic Bruce Miller
Movies in a Minute: "Death of a Unicorn"
Movies in a Minute: "Snow White"
Movies in a Minute: "Novocaine"
Movies in a Minute: "Mickey 17"
Movies in a Minute: "Flow"
Movies in a Minute: "Last Breath"
Movies in a Minute: "Captain America Brave New World"
Movies in a Minute: "Heart Eyes"
Movies in a Minute: "Flight Risk"
Movies in a Minute: This Oscar season, musicals are "pop u lar!"
Movies in a Minute: "Wolf Man"
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Movies in a Minute: "Babygirl"
Movies in a Minute: "The Brutalist"
Movies in a Minute: "Nosferatu"
Movies in a Minute: "A Complete Unknown"
Movies in a Minute: "Nickel Boys"
Movies in a Minute: "Moana 2"
Movies in a Minute: "We Live in Time"
Movies in a Minute: "Smile 2"
Movies in a Minute: "Saturday Night"
Movies in a Minute: "Joker: Folie `a Deux"
Movies in a Minute: "Megalopolis"
Movies in a Minute: "Transformers One"
Movies in a Minute: "Speak No Evil"
Movies in a Minute: "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice"
Movies in a Minute: "Reagan"
Movies in a Minute: "Blink Twice"
Movies in a Minute "Alien: Romulus"
Movies in a Minute: "It Ends With Us"
Movies in a Minute: "Trap"
Movies in a Minute: "Deadpool & Wolverine"
Movies in a Minute: "Twisters"
Movies in a Minute "Maxxxine"
Movies in a Minute "Despicable Me 4"
Movies in a Minute "A Quiet Place: Day One"
Movies in a Minute: "Thelma"
Movies in a Minute: "Inside Out 2"
Movies in a Minute "Bad Boys: Ride or Die"
Movies in a Minute: "Jim Henson Idea Man鈥
Movies in a Minute: "Summer Camp"
Movies in a Minute: "The Blue Angels"
Movies in a Minute: "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes"
Movies in a Minute: "The Fall Guy"
Movies in a Minute: "Challengers"
Movies in a Minute: "Abigail"
Movies in a Minute: "Civil War"
Movies in a Minute: "Monkey Man"
Movies in a Minute: "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire"
Movies in a Minute: "Late Night With the Devil"
Movies in a Minute: "Snack Shack"
Movies in a Minute: "Cabrini"
Movies in a Minute: "A Minecraft Movie"
聽Bruce Miller is editor of the Sioux City Journal.聽
