From Oscar and Emmy Award winner James L. Brooks (The Simpsons, Terms of Endearment), viewers are invited to laugh about life’s funny twists and turns. Emma Mackey (Sex Education, Barbie) plays the titular character, alongside a rambunctious cast containing Jamie Lee Curtis, Woody Harrelson, Rebecca Hall, Kumail Nanjiani, Ayo Edebiri, and more.
Ella McCay is a comedy about the complicated politics that arise when a young woman’s stressful career clashes with her chaotic family life. Set in an unnamed state, the idealistic 34-year-old lieutenant governor juggles familial issues and a challenging work life while preparing to take over the job of her mentor, the state’s longtime incumbent governor, who suddenly accepts a cabinet position in the incoming Obama administration of 2008.
Brooks’ story provides a topical look at politics and life that feels slightly outdated. Looking at this movie through a political lens, the concepts of transitioning of power/positions and personal controversies bleeding into a political figure’s life are one of the big problems every politician will face.
The story being told in both the past and present is a nice touch, adding to the dysfunctional family aura. A disjointed narrative creates a sense of breaks from the current chaos, and makes a comedic movie like this one feel like a mystery waiting to be solved. I truly adore Julie Kavner and her voice as Marge Simpson on The Simpsons; however, the story did not need to be told from Ella’s secretary, Estelle’s, perspective.
It also does not make sense how she narrates Ella’s family life, not being a family. Kavner has an amazing narrating voice, but logistically, it does not work. If anything, it could have been told by Curtis’s Aunt Helen McCay since she is in Ella’s life so much.
I thought having the story take place in an unnamed state was a little jarring because it radiates Rhode Island vibes, which makes sense since it was filmed there. I understand Brooks may not have wanted to face any flak for choosing one state to fit this story, but it did not greatly change my view of the overall story. Rather, it perturbs me every time they refer to the state as “the state” because it sticks out like a sore thumb.
The highs of Ella McCay are with most of the actors. Mackey kills it with her sharp-tongued performance, while also being able to portray someone who is under the influence as hell. The only aspect that still confuses me is how Brooks wrote Ella and Casey McCay. Other characters indicate how they have anxiety and are socially awkward. Whatever it is, Mackey and Fearn play weird, socially strange siblings superbly. Their chemistry is the high point. Mackey does a great job as a pseudo-mother role to both young and older Casey.
“The highs of Ella McCay are with most of the actors.”
Harrelson, Hall, Nanjiani, and Edebiri have small roles in this film but still leave some impact—working more as cameos. Helen and Jack Lowden’s Ryan (Ella’s husband) are other standout roles. I thoroughly enjoyed how women are portrayed in this film; there is a wide array of strong women throughout this movie. In a certain way, the McCay women all have distinct human strengths. Curtis playing motherly roles always brings a sense of toughness and endearment.
On the other hand, Lowden’s Ryan is a caricature of all looks and no brains. He plays the charming lover to Ella really well, moving all suave like he is Prince Charming. Albert Brooks also plays his part well. One of the standout quotes at the beginning of the film is when he says, as Governor Bill to Ella, “You have to make dumb people feel less dumb,” in the context of giving Ella political advice as the new governor. This line feels like the throughline of the movie for both Ella’s professional life and family life.
Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Grammy Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer is known for composing some of the most epic scores for some of the most epic films, such as the Dune movies and The Dark Knight trilogy. But he scores comedic and dramatic films too. With this being Brooks and Zimmer’s fifth film together, the score for Ella McCay emits whimsical, stormy, and hopeful emotions.
My main critique of the film is the wackiness of some scenes. Sometimes, the camera lingers to allow someone to randomly jump and tap a store sign, and then there will be characters who act like they have the mind of a toddler. The cringiness from some of the characters took me out of it at times.
If there is one thing Ella McCay and James L. Brooks nail, it is transporting the viewer into another world that mimics real life. This is a very human flick, with very familial issues when one person in the family tries to fix everything. There are a lot of elements of female empowerment that did not feel forced and developed naturally. Any Brooks fans of Terms of Endearment or As Good as It Gets will adore this comedy.
