Female Film Critics 24/375
Nora Ephron said in a 2009 NPR interview that she “…learned to cook from that cookbook [Mastering the Art of French Cooking], and, what’s more, became completely infatuated with the person who’d written it.” Food was a very important part of Ephron’s life and her cinematic career, so it’s fitting that her final film would cover a woman and a topic that has been with her nearly her entire life.
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The concept of motherhood is changing. According to a recent Pew Research study, many young adults have decided not to have children – more women than men. They cite many practical reasons – like the environment and high cost of living – but, above all, for women, it’s all about the sacrifices they must make. So it’s incredibly timely how Amy Adams’ new dark comedy Nightbitch captures both the happiness and horror of motherhood, along with the tedium of suburban domesticity. Known for her sculptures and installations, Mother (Adams) was once an accomplished artist. Then along came Son. Mother dutifully stays home to tend to Son while Husband (Scoot McNairy) goes off to work at a job that often takes him out of town.
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A woman struggling fiercely with the never-ending demands of modern motherhood dares to think — and say — some of the quiet parts out loud in writer/director Marielle Heller‘s thought-provoking Nightbitch. Part satire, part surreal fantasy, and part family drama, it’s bound to resonate with any woman who’s ever found herself wondering “is this really it?” while reading yet another board book or making her umpteenth pot of mac and cheese.
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If there wasn’t already an embarrassment of riches in what’s shaping up to be a stunningly competitive best actress Oscar race, along comes Amy Adams with one of her most vivid performances to date. As a sharp-edged, frightened, feral and devilishly funny stay-at-home mom, called simply “Mother,” who descends from deadened domesticity into the titular canine, Adams should earn another Oscar nomination despite the glut of awards-worthy turns from the likes of Saoirse Ronan, Angelina Jolie, Mikey Madison, Renate Reinsve, Fernanda Torres, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Demi Moore, and on and on.
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Marielle Heller’s messy adaptation of Rachel Yoder’s best-selling novel Nightbitch can’t be saved by Amy Adams. The unnamed Mother (Adams) is having a tough time with motherhood. She’s given up her career to be a stay-at-home mom and caregiver to her young son while her husband enjoys frequent work trips. She’s angry, exhausted, and thinks she might be turning into a dog at night. An odd and quirky premise to be sure, Heller’s adaptation has no bite, inexplicably leaning more into comedy territory than one might expect, especially if you’ve read the source material.
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Some Broadway shows transfer admirably to the big screen. Others don’t. Actor Ben Platt won plaudits for playing the titular teenager in this coming-of-age musical, but now he’s 27 and not quite as believable as an angst-riddled high-schooler.
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Occasionally, there’s a book-to-film adaptation that is an utter disaster. Netflix’ The Woman in the Window is one. Based on A.J. Finn’s 2018 best-seller, it’s set on Manhattan’s Upper West Side in the huge home of Anna Fox (Amy Adams), a child psychologist who became agoraphobic after a traumatic accident.
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“Poverty porn” suffuses Hillbilly Elegy as does self-aggrandizement (see the cards and rotogravure with the credits). Hillbilly Elegy skims the surface of the book to focus on family more than politics, resulting in a tolerable film. Thankfully, it’s not Hee-Haw, but it’s not Barbara Kopple’s iconic documentary, Harlan County, U.S.A. either.
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J.D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis is about his chaotic childhood. It’s been termed “poverty porn,” detailing his mother’s chronic drug addiction, pivoting from personal “down home” recollections to inevitable culture clashes. In the film adaptation, it comes across as a family drama, a resonant slice of rural Americana.
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When J.D. Vance’s 2016 memoir, Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis, landed on best-seller lists just months before Donald J. Trump would become our 45th president, it was treated like portal into the mind set of those in the disenfranchised white underclass who supported him.
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