LANDLINE
DIRECTED BY Gillian Robespierre
WRITTEN BY Elisabeth Holm & Gillian Robespierre
STARRING
Jenny Slate, Edie Falco, Abby Quinn, Jay Duplass, Finn Wittrock,
and John Turturro
RUNNING TIME 96 Minutes
RATED R
*****This review is spoiler-free*****
My parents would buy what seemed like all the Disney movies for my siblings and I as we were growing up. 90’s classics such as The Lion King, Toy Story, Pocahontas, etc; if it was Disney, you could bet we had it on VHS. When you’re young, you’re easily amused making about anything of entertainment value. When you’re an adult, the idea of entertainment becomes more complex. Some of us watch movies to get away from life, others of us entertain certain types of movies because we can relate. The reason we enjoy films goes beyond an innocent assessment of entertainment. When we moved to New York, my parents would bring my siblings and I to rent movies every week or so. A lot of my suggestions to rent movies at that time would be Adam Sandler or Jackie Chan movies. Movies like Big Daddy, Rush Hour, Rumble in the Bronx, and my personal favorite, Mr. Deeds. I liked these movies in comparison to Disney movies then because it was a way for me to visualize the world and make note of places I wanted to visit that actually existed. Also, the jokes were better and the scenes were more kick-ass, especially in the Jackie Chan films.
Fast forward a couple of decades to modern day and my favorite films are romantic-comedies. They’re funny, relatable, and contrary to popular belief, realistic. (I know, let me live.) Last week, I was browsing Amazon Prime Video attempting to find something to watch while eating chicken and rice. I came upon an Amazon produced movie called Landline. The movie takes place in the year 1995 in Manhattan. A daughter finds out her father is having an affair and she tells her older sister as they begin to piece the puzzle and learn what it means to grow up and develop their own ideas of love. What interested me about the synopsis is it took place in Manhattan in the year 1995. I love films made with modern day technology that take place in the past. If done accurately, it gives a vivid look into life during that time with technology in which that time could not have offered. Might I add, movies or shows that take place in New York City always seem to have a certain allure to them.
Jenny Slate and Jay Duplass in LANDLINE, an Amazon Studios release. Photo courtesy of Amazon Studios.
The movie begins with a couple, Dana (Jenny Slate) and Ben (Jay Duplass), fornicating in a wooded area in broad daylight in what’s meant to be a relatable, yet awkward situation. The scene shifts to Dana’s family driving back to the city from their family's country house, ending their summer vacation singing along to Steve Winwood’s Higher Love. This is when the audience is introduced to the rest of the main characters. Ali (Abby Quinn) is Dana’s younger sister who is getting ready for senior year of high school. Their parents Alan (John Turturro) and Pat (Edie Falco) offer a sense of mature humor--if there is such a thing-- and familiarity that transcends the 4th wall.
Abby Quinn, Jenny Slate, and John Turturro in LANDLINE, an Amazon Studios release. Photo courtesy of Amazon Studios.
After a few glimpses into their regular life back home in Manhattan, Ali comes home from clubbing and decides to go on the family desktop computer as she sobers up. She comes across a floppy disk labeled ALI’S SCHOOL SHIT ’95. Upon entering the floppy disk, Ali is unexpectedly met with letters made out to a woman named ‘C’ written from her father. It is from this point in the film where each character begins revealing themselves through their troubles, curiosities, and reflections. I love how Dana, Ali, Alan, and Pat each have their own story lines within the plot that intertwine at some point in the film. It’s more than a cookie cutter protagonist vs antagonist film. There’s a bit of duality in the plot as well as the family where each character is a protagonist as well as their own antagonist.
Landline is a courageous film that explores the dark parts of love we shy away from and reminds us there’s more to romance than growing pains and emotions, there’s also a lot of learning and peace in forgiveness as well. Truth be told when life and love calls on us, these lessons are better picked up than ignored.
Two thumbs up, definitely a movie I’d force my parents to rent for me if I were an adolescent in 1995.
Landline - Official US Trailer