June Squibb has waited many decades for her chance at a leading role and the 94-year-old Oscar nominee holds nothing back in the “action” family dramedy, Thelma.
Inspired by his own grandmother’s actual experience, debut director Josh Margolin brings us the story of Thelma Post, a relatively recent widow who loses thousands of dollars in a phone scam when she receives a call from someone claiming to be her beloved grandson Danny (Fred Hechlinger), who has been in an accident and is now in jail and in desperate need for bail money.
Danny is fine, of course, and once the panic settles, Thelma frets as she listens to her daughter Gail (Parker Posey) and son-in-law Alan (Clark Gregg) discuss what comes next. Is it time to move Mom into a home? The family dynamic is a good one, a loving and compassionate crew that don’t take any of this lightly. Gail and Alan aren’t looking for excuses to dump the old lady in assisted living. Their conversation comes from a genuine concern for her wellbeing. That kind of consideration and thoughtfulness is sewn into every beat of the story. It is a refreshing view of the reality of aging for older people and their loved ones.
Richard Roundtree and June Squibb appear in THELMA by Josh Margolin, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by David Bolen.
But while her fate is up for family discussion, Thelma decides her own next move. Those scammers stole her money and she wants it back. Having just watched Mission: Impossible – Fallout with Danny, she channels Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt and sets out across town to track down the bad guys and get herself some justice. Along the way she teams up with reluctant old friend Ben — a brilliant Richard Roundtree in his final role. And the two embark on a dangerous quest, bickering their way through the mean streets of the San Fernando Valley.
Whether Thelma accomplishes her mission or not is ultimately so much less important than the adventure itself. The conversations she has with old friends. The realizations she makes about herself. All of that matters deeply to her story and shows that no one is ever too old to learn and grow.
Switching frequently and deftly from laugh-out-loud funny to bittersweet and wistful, Margolin’s script respects his elders, using a gentle hand to share the sometimes harsh reality seniors face, having fun but never making fun. Thelma and Ben share poignant and vital thoughts together. There is almost a sense that Roundtree takes this as an opportunity to share some final words of wisdom. He is mesmerizing and endlessly cool.
June Squibb has the time of her life here, even doing some of her own stunts. Tom Cruise would be proud. Even more than her action sequences, though, she delivers the type of performance that is powerfully understated. As she has many times before, she hits her comic notes with perfection. But it is in the less funny moments, the fearful ones, the mournful and the melancholy that she uses her own age, wisdom, and experience to show the world she has always been a star.
As 24-year-old, inconsistently employed Danny, Fred Hechinger brings surprising nuance to a kid who could easily be written off as an irresponsible slacker. In addition to his commentary on aging, Margolin gives Danny an uncommon amount of heart and depth. It is also just delightful to watch Hechinger react to June Squibb every time they share the screen. Hechinger is clearly enamored of her and this lends an extra layer of something special each time we see them together.
With Thelma, Josh Margolin establishes himself as a sensitive and insightful filmmaker. This is a special film that will charm audiences, but hopefully give them some things to think about too.
