Displaying items by tag: Rachel McAdams

ARE YOU THERE, GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET

US, 2023, 106 minutes, Colour.

Abby Ryder Fortson, Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates, Benny Safdie, Elle Graham, Amari Alexis Price, Echo Kellum.

Directed by Kelly Craig

This was the title of the very popular novel from 1970, written by Judy Blume. It has continued to be popular, especially with the young readers. 50 years later it is now become a popular film, well reviewed.

The Margaret of the title at the opening of the film is aged 11, having to move to New Jersey from New York, missing her friends. However, as she grows older, she makes many more friends, school, all kinds of issues as the girls near puberty, especially anticipation of their period. In this way, the film will speak to young girls in the audience of this age.

However, Margaret also speaks to God, conversation, requests, puzzles, losing faith in him, questioning, ultimately regaining faith and making communication again.

Margaret also has a challenging faith background, her Christian mother, played well by Rachel McAdams, her father, played by writer-director, Benny safety is Jewish. And Kathy Bates is present as a strong-minded grandmother.

With the difficulties, Margaret is it helped by one of her teachers, Mr Benedict, who listens to her questions and suggests that her year research be on religion, religious issues, different faiths.

This makes the film is significant for the younger audiences, especially the girls in the audience, identifying with Margaret, but having the possibility of opening up their own religious issues as they watch the film.

Abby Ryder Fortson is persuasive as Margaret.

1. The popular book by Judy Blume, 1970s, popular for half a century, the film version?
2. The New York City setting is, the New Jersey settings, the suburbs, homes, school, outings, celebrations? The range of songs from the 1970s, tone, comment?
3. The New York situation, Margaret, 11, happy at school, returning from the camp, her loving parents, her father’s promotion, Sylvia present, her attitude, breaking the news of the move, her parents’ reaction, Margaret’s reaction, Sylvia always sardonic?
4. Margaret’s reaction, not wanting to move, also friends? The transition, the farewell, arriving in New Jersey, the atmosphere, the house?
5. Margaret at 11, no brothers or sisters, devotion to her grandmother, no mention of her mother’s parents, the religious issue, Jewish or Christian, leaving it for Margaret to decide? Her image of God? End of primary school, grade 6? Expectations?
6. Nancy and her arrival, confident, taking over, invitation to Margaret, at school, the next desk, Mr Benedict, the attention to Philip, despising of Norman, criticisms of Laura? Nancy in the club, the creating the rules, the 11-year-old’s perspective, boys, secrecy, wearing a bra, no sox (and Margaret’s blisters)? The meetings, the gossip, the giggling, the issue of wearing a bra, the chant for the bust? Nancy’s brother and Moose breaking in? Margaret and her attraction to Moose, his mowing the lawns?’
7. Barbara, loving mother, absent parents? The story of the parents, evangelical, condemning her for marrying and you? Margaret asking the questions, Barbara telling the story, sending the card, their reply, the coming to visit, the clash with the visit to Florida for Sylvia? Sylvia and her friend arriving? The interactions, the meal, the mother being evangelical, Sylvia’s reaction, the fighting? Margaret’s reaction, not believing in God?
8. Margaret, religion, her comments on her paper for Mr Benedict, his discussions with her, her project, her later writing him the letter, his sympathetic ear?
9. The issue of God, the dialogue of the film, Margaret and her manner of discovering God, talking to God, asking whether God was there, the issuance and the various crises, especially about the period, her friends, the boys, the relationship with God? Her going to the revival meeting with Janie? Earlier taking her to the synagogue, its style, Sylvia enjoying the ceremony, Margaret and the Hebrew? Going to the Christian church, the Gospels? Laura, and going to the confessional?
10. The bond with Sylvia, the phone calls, going to Gilbert and Sullivan in the park, invitation to Florida? Sylvia and her life in Florida, the boyfriend, ringing him to New Jersey?
11. The issue of bras, her wanting to buy one, with her mother, the shop? The other girls and the issues? The issue of periods? Gretchen and the suddenness, the reaction? Laura and her lie about her own, then the crisis in the restaurant? Janie is a good friend, buying the pads? And then her own period, with her mother?
12. The preoccupations about sex, the anatomy book and the discussion, the Playboy photos? The reaction to the boys? Nancy and her attitudes, Philip, the game and spin the bottle, Norman’s house, two minutes in the closet, Margaret with Philip, his kiss, and later disillusioned with him? Her attraction to Moose? The visit to radio city music Hall?
13. The portrait of Margaret’s parents, her father, his job, benign, the accident with the mower, easy-going, relationship with his mother? Barbara, always nice, supporting her daughter, supporting her husband, giving up her artwork, teaching, the household, not good at cooking, volunteering for all the committees at the school? The situation with her parents and their visit?
14. Margaret, coming through the trials, going to the camp, rediscovering God?

SEND HELP

US, 2026, 113 minutes, Colour.

Rachel McAdams, Dylan O'Brien, Edyll Ismail, Xavier Samuel, Chris Pang, Dennis Hayesbert, Thaneth Warakulnukroh.

Directed by Sam Raimi.

More than 30 years ago director, Sam Raimi, acquired a reputation for successful horror films with The Evil Dead, initiating a franchise which still continues. 25 years ago, he directed his first Spiderman film with Toby Maguire, showing his versatility. In the meantime, he has created quite a number of films ranging from sports dramas to creepy thrillers.

There is something of all of this in Send Help. It is a film of many moves moods for the characters – but also for audience response.

The initial setting is an office, talented but dorky worker, Linda, a lively and versatile performance from Rachel McAdama. Her work is stolen by an ambitious fellow worker, promised promotion and then humiliatingly denied it by the smug new young CEO, Bradley, a challenging role for Dylan O’Brien.

Suddenly, the whole tone changes, Linda invited to accompany the group to Thailand but the plane crashing, her survival and then discovering Bradley washed up on the beach. Moviegoers may immediately remember Castaway with Tom Hanks. And there are echoes of those idyllic stranded couples in Blue Lagoon settings.

The audience has seen Bradley and his cronies mocking a video made by Linda, auditioning for Survivor, exercising all the necessary skills. So, we are not surprised when Linda expertly sets up shelter, water, food (and a strangely comic pursuit and conquering of a huge boar). But, of course, Bradley is surprised, his inherent misogyny surfacing, but ultimately his having to depend on her.

The issue is will they come to terms with being cast away, will there be a rescue? Or, will continue to be a Battle of the Sexes with Linda becoming more dominant (and some memories of Kathy Bates and James Carr in Misery)?

Needless to say, Linda relishes becoming queen of the jungle, so to speak. But, Bradley shrewdly opposes her. She even more subtly subdues him. A rescue? Not.

Most of the critical commentary refers to Send Help as horror. And, certainly Sam Raimi draws on some of the horror conventions. But, it is much more than this. On the one hand, it can be seen as a 21^st-century vindication of women, talents and abilities. On the other hand, any men in the audience who are like Bradley, may well be dismayed (or go into denial).

And, where can it end – without revealing an unexpected plot development, the answer is probably that he can end quite cynically.

1. The title, the ironies throughout the film?
2. The world of big companies, offices, international flights and deals? The contrast with life on the island? The discovery of the mansion? And the end with the world of glamour and celebrity? The musical score?
3. The story of Linda, Rachel McAdams performance, initial appearance, gawkish, her age, dedication to work, obsessive? At home, talking to her bird? At the office, awkward interactions, her success with the documentation, done it and taking it over, claiming the work himself, her observing, reactions, resentments? Accosting Bradley, blunt talking, the tuna stain on her lip, her deciding to go to his office, confronting him, plain talk, his reaction? His blunt telling her she did not have the job, the choice of Donovan?
4. The company, the founder, his death, his son taking over, the executive in the sun bossing him around, his friends from college, indoor golf? Male camaraderie? Ridiculing Linda? In fear and misogyny?
5. Bradley inviting Linda to join the trip to Bangkok? On the plane, her work, their watching her audition for survivor, the details of the video, her enterprise, they’re laughing and mocking? Her reaction, not saving the work she had done on her computer?
6. The disaster, the men out the windows of the plane, the crash, the sea, Linda under water, surviving? Bradley surviving on the beach?
7. The castaway themes? Possible idyllic blue Lagoon style? Struggle survival, Triangle of Sadness?
8. Linda, her enterprise, her survival skills, the water, the shelter, branches, binding, fire, fish…? Her strategies and competence?
9. Finding Bradley, his injuries, his leg, unconscious, her caring for him, waking up, water, shelter, food? His negative reaction? His emerging personality, arrogant, misogynistic, suspicious of Linda?
10. Time passing, her enterprise, explorations, managing, Bradley, gradually recovering, begging for food, her demands, her power? His response, walking, starting to work? The food? The suggestion for the raft?
11. The gradual truce, working together, Bradley recovering, Linda enjoying life on the island, in command? The walk on the cliff, her falling, Bradley saving her?
12. Linda, seeing the yacht, not telling Bradley? Her warning him away from the distant rocks? The issue of poison berries? Bradley using them, poisoning Linda, his getting the raft, escaping, the calamity in the waves, stranded again? The contrast with Linda, the poisoned fish, paralysed, pretending to castrate him with the rat? The blood and his terror? Hostilities?
13. The tension, I to beat each other, Linda and the encounter with the fiance, the past introduction to her, the ring? The boat, the Thai captain, her leading them over the cliff, the collapsing rock, the fiance falling, heating the captain over the head, their deaths? Not telling Bradley, her having sick days, her nightmare and the fiance struggling to shore and confronting her?
14. Bradley, walking off, going to the far island, discovering the mansion? The luxuries, Linda story, seeing the caretakers and the food?
15. The buildup to the final confrontation, bargaining, lying, trying to outwit each other, the gun, not firing, Linda and battering Bradley?
16. Linda, her motivations, each exercising power over the other, how genuine her feelings, her mental state, emotions? His wanting to survive, dependence, the experience of dependents, manipulative, betrayal?
17. The atmosphere of the ending, he later, Linda a celebrity, the book, the film, the interviews, her driving away to a future?