Thelma (2024)

[StatisticalOutlier]

Utterly delightful.  June Squibb is getting a lot of well-deserved praise, but the whole cast really brings it.  There's not even the slightest whiff of cutesy acting old people. 

Don't leave before the bonus scene during the credits.

 

[Cress]

It was a fun movie. They made such creative use of the Lifeline bracelet to trick people into thinking they were in different locations. Nice final film for Richard Roundtree.

At first I didn't remember the bonus scene, but then I did. About the trees, right? Nice.

Edited June 28 by Cress

[Bastet]

On 6/26/2024 at 6:36 PM, StatisticalOutlier said:

There's not even the slightest whiff of cutesy acting old people. 

I finally got to see this (it's on Hulu, and I have about ten days left on my subscription), and that is what I loved about it.

This was Richard Roundtree's final role, and what a way to go out.  And for June Squibb to get her first starring role after all this time.

I'm sure this being inspired by the real Thelma (who didn't actually fall for the scam, but almost) led to Thelma being multi-faceted rather than a caricature, but all the characters are treated like people rather than targets/sources of easy laughs.

This was a delight, as it was both fun and moving.  The relationship between Thelma and her grandson was a particular favorite, with both of them having obstacles that people overreact to, treating them like babies -- they're a haven for each other, yet they still fall into that trap sometimes, too.

And, of course, Thelma and Ben.  She doesn't even like him all that much, only goes to him since he's one of the few still alive (and, exhibit A in the terrific combination of humor and poignancy is when she calls her way through her contacts list and learns how many have died since she last spoke with them), and he winds up being a real friend to her, and getting through to her on some things in a way her family has gone about all wrong and thus failed to do.  I like when he tells her "We are not what we used to be."

I'm glad I finally got to see this.