MOVIE OF THE WEEK March 18, 2022: THE HATER

In a world plagued by political polarization and ideological opposition, The Hater is a refreshing reminder of the power of empathy. The story of fiercely idealistic activist Dorothy (writer/director/star Joey Ally) and her crusade against her childhood-tormentor-turned-smarmy-politico Brent (Ian Harding) promotes understanding of both the dismayed outrage of liberal progressives and the staunch independence of born-and-bred conservatives. The resulting comedy is more likely to provoke thoughtful laughter than knee-slapping guffaws.

Dorothy, a veteran campaign worker and speechwriter who cares deeply about climate change and other environmental issues, loses her job when footage from a protest gets her in hot water. She retreats to her small Texas hometown to lick her wounds, bunking with her irascible grandfather, Frank (Bruce Dern), and unsure what to do next. Inspiration strikes when she finds out that her former school-election rival, Brent, a Republican, is the front-runner in the local state legislature race; an election law loophole means that Dorothy can run against him and then drop out if she wins, leaving him high and dry. But the catch is that she has to do it as a Republican herself, something that goes against every planet-hugging bone in her body.

Her campaign takes off when she becomes the inadvertent hero of a mini-mart robbery, and another childhood classmate, Greta (Meredith Hagner), helps her capitalize on her 15 minutes of gun-toting fame. Suddenly Dorothy is everybody’s darling, and it’s an intoxicating experience — but it also fills her with uncertainty and self-doubt. Is she so different from the people she grew up with? Could she actually do some good if she stayed in the election and won? Is it possible for her to find common ground with the Republicans she’s spent most of her life vehemently despising? As her friendship with Greta deepens and she realizes that even someone like Brent might not be entirely past redemption, Dorothy finds herself questioning many of her core beliefs.

And as if all of that wasn’t enough, she’s also still dealing with her grief over her beloved father’s untimely death several years earlier. Ally tackles all of this with a deft touch, skillfully blending humor and drama in a way that keeps things from getting too heavy but also recognizes the weight of the situations and questions that Dorothy is grappling with. The performances in The Hater are genuine, the script is earnest, and the message is clear: If you keep an open mind and try hard enough, you can probably find common ground with just about anyone — and isn’t that something we could all use a little more of? — Betsy Bozdech

Team #MOTW’s comments:

Loren King A political comedy that’s smart, empathetic, funny and aces the Bechdel test and then some? Welcome to The Hater, writer/director/star Joey’s Ally’s sharply satirical look at political idealism for the MAGA age. Ally plays Dorothy, a twenty-something progressive speechwriter who gets booted from her DC job, and, humiliated, returns to small town Texas to live with her FOX-watching but benevolent grandfather (Bruce Dern). Dorothy soon comes face to face with her old nemesis Brent, the bully who beat her back in grade school when both were running for class president. The smartest girl in the class ridiculed by the dumbest jock will hit home for everyone still angry about 2016. But Ally plays the too-familiar scenario for sharp satire and gentle humor. The Republican Brent is considered a shoo-in for the state legislature so Dorothy concocts a plan to pose as a conservative and run against him then allow the opposing Democrat to win. Of course things spiral out of control and nothing goes according to plan which allows Ally and the terrific Meredith Hagner as Dorothy’s childhood friend and now earnest campaign manager, to engage in some memorable comic scenes. The script is both pointed but gentle with its targets which allows the audience, along with Dorothy, to discover that assumptions are often wrong and that even gun-loving right-wingers can be human especially if they’re played by the irrepressible Nora Dunn.

Nell Minow: Joey Alley makes a promising debut with The Hater, a movie that addresses political divides with good humor and good will. No character is caricatured or dismissed and, like the main character, audiences may appreciate the reminder that it is a mistake to demonize those who don’t agree with you.

Susan Wloszczyna: Joey Alley is a sort of a one-woman band as she makes her feature directorial debut based on her own original screenplay while starring as the main character in The Hater. As Dorothy Goodwin a California resident, a dedicated environmentalist and a liberal speechwriter on a U.S. Senate campaign who loses her job after al protest about a flag goes wrong. This political comedy layers on such hot-button topics as gun control, abortions, climate change as well as support for our veterans. Dorothy soon realizes that her bullying childhood nemesis Brent (Ian Harding), who beat her when they both campaigned for class president, is now running for State Legislature as a GOP candidate. Read full review.

Marilyn Ferdinand Joey Ally is a quadruple threat as executive producer, lead actor, screenwriter, and first-time feature director of the surprisingly nuanced and warm-hearted comedy The Hater. As deadly earnest progressive crusader Dorothy Goodwin, Ally gives a well-modulated performance that goes from aggressive righteousness to pained vulnerability as she gets reacquainted with her small Texas hometown and finds that its residents don’t fit into the neat, conservative boxes to which she had relegated them. Especially strong is Ally’s co-star Meredith Hagner as Texas belle Greta, who finds her voice and courage working as Dorothy’s campaign manager. Because nothing about this film is simple or expected, The Hater undercuts the social media attitude that gives this movie its ironic title.

Leslie Combemale Sometimes you’ve got to write and direct yourself to get a great role, and that’s what Joey Ally has done with Dorothy, the complicated, not altogether likable character at the center of The Hater. Though she has a long way to go working out her personal demons and she has a stubborn inclination to blame rather than reflect, her metamorphosis and character arc is dramatic, allowing powerful catharsis for the audience that sticks with her. The Hater is a movie that reminds you of the friend you think you barely like, until something they do reminds you that they really are wonderful to have around.

Jennifer Merin The Hater is an impressive first feature from Joey Ally, who wrote, directed, produced the film and also stars as Dorothy, a professional left-leaning political speechwriter and activist who is riddled with righteous rage tempered by self-doubt. When Dorothy loses her job following a personal meltdown at a political event, she retreats from D.C. to her Texas hometown, where she is forced to come to grips with her very strained relationship with her aging grandfather (Bruce Dern) and with her very unsettling memories of being a teenage girl bullied by Brent (Ian Harding), the arrogant and very nasty but most popular boy in school. But the film is a sharply effective comedy, and Dorothy’s road to self-esteem and professional redemption is, as it turns out, fueled by renewed friendships and lined with laughs and endearing moments of silly pleasure. If we need an UP at the moment, Joey Ally’s charming first feature fits the bill.

Sandie Angulo Chen: Writer-director Joey Ally stars in her directorial debut The Hater, an entertaining and surprisingly moderate drama about politics, friendship, and the meaning of crossing the aisle in small-town Texas. It’s bold in this politically divisive time to make a movie about a White, liberal speechwriter who discovers important truths about herself while pretending to be a Republican political candidate in Texas, but Dorothy manages to pull it off by centering friendship over hot-button issues. The movie, which co-stars Bruce Dern as Ally’s protagonist Dorothy’s grandfather and Nora Dunn as a local gun-store owner, highlights Ally’s expressive performance, comic timing, and observational humor. Looking forward to her next project.