Where’d You Go, Bernadette movie review

MOVIE TITLE:     Where’d You Go Bernadette?                 ON DVD and STREAMING NOW!

RATING:     PG-13

LENGTH:     1 hour, 49 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE:  B

IN A NUTSHELL:

I absolutely adore Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett and think she’s brilliant in every movie she does.  She does not disappoint in this movie either.  This quirky dramedy is based on the 2012 Where’d You Go, Bernadette: A Novel by Maria Semple.  I’ve never read it, so I can’t tell you how good the adaptation is; however, I have heard a few things about the differences in the movie.

The film flew under the radar when it was in theaters, but it’s now available on disc and streaming.  It’s worth a look, especially for introspective mothers who feel they have lost themselves while raising their kids. It’s an Amazon Studios production, which is pretty noticeable because of all the product placement and mention of Jeff Bezos.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

• Some profanity and 2 F-bombs, one spoken by a teenager.
• Talk of miscarriages
• Lots of talk of peeing
• Mothers will be more interested in this than their kids
• Some negative representations of PTA

THEMES:

• Mental health, therapy, anxiety, depression
• Belonging
• Parents who are blind to their kids
• Marriage, family, mother/daughter relationships
• Creativity
• Finding purpose
• Helping our loved ones remember who they are
• Identity theft

THINGS I LIKED:

• The movie wouldn’t have been as good without Cate Blanchet.  Billy Crudup was believable in his role as her husband and he did a great job.  I’ve heard that his character in the book isn’t nearly as likable as he is in the movie.
• There are some fun cameos, including Laurence Fishburne, Megan Mullally, and Steve Zahn,
• You get to see some beautiful architecture and a Chihuly glass chandelier.  I had the pleasure of touring the Chihuly glass museum when I went to Seattle last year.  Gorgeous.
• I loved the scene where Elgi is meeting with a therapist at the same time that Bernadette is meeting with an old friend. Their differing advice for Bernadette was insightful.

• I loved the daughter’s narrative observations.
• Stunning views of Antarctica.  Well, technically, the shots were filmed in Greenland.  They were going to use green screen to film those scenes but Cate Blanchett insisted on authenticity.  Good for her!  I loved “being” there!
• There was a great scene toward the end of the movie that made me cry. It was very touching and made me want to be better at being there for my loved ones.
• Keep watching the story unfold during the closing credits.
• Perfect theme song: Time After Time: The Cyndi Lauper Co Llection
• This is Emma Nelson’s first feature film.  She did great and has a bright future in film.
• I loved Kristen Wiig on Saturday Night Life, but her roles in movies since leaving the TV show have not been very good.  I thought she did a really good job in this role and she was both entertaining and touching.
• I usually like Judy Greer in movies, including this one, although I thought she was terrible in Playing With Fire.  Of course, almost everyone was terrible in that disappointing family flick.  You can read my movie review of Playing With Fire here.
• There was a nice balance of humor and drama.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

• I didn’t like Bernadette’s self-absorbed, mean-spirited personality in the beginning.  Director Richard Linklater took too long to help audiences understand the complexity of her character.  The result was a First Act that dragged and annoyed.
• Bernadette griped about Seattle being the cause of her woes so much that it would have been nice to see a little more of the actual city.

FUNNY LINES:

• “Gaylor Street School doesn’t just think outside the box. They think outside the dictionary.” – Kindergarten mom

INTERESTING LINES:

• “I need to know what problems I’m solving with my design.” – Bernadette   (Cate Blanchett)
• “Popularity is overrated.” –    Bernadette
• “Just because you don’t know everything about somebody doesn’t mean you can’t try.” – Bee    (Emma Nelson)
• “The sooner you learn it’s on YOU to make your own life interesting, the better off you will be.” – Bee quoting her mom

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@TrinaBoice