Joyce Glasser reviews Thelma (July 19, 2024) Cert. 12A, 98 mins
It was a long wait, but 94-year-old character actress June Squibb (Oscar nominated for Best Supporting Actress in Nebraska) has finally landed a starring role in a film.
And that’s not all. The film might be a bitter-sweet comedy about ageing and impending loss, but Squibb’s nonagenarian character does not suffer from Alzheimer’s or incontinence, recite homilies from her death bed or escape from a care home: at least not from her own care home!
Former actor Josh Margolin follows the advice for first time feature filmmakers and writes about something close to home. Margolin’s grandmother was sharp and independent and it pained him when she fell victim to a phone scam similar to the one in this film. Thelma is both a tribute to Margolin’s grandmother and his way of enacting revenge.
What makes this the perfect premise is that it’s not only topical, but close to home for many of us, particularly older people who tend to answer phones, including landlines.
Feisty widow Thelma Post (Squibb) lives alone in her comfortable, spacious Los Angeles home, refusing to contemplate the upscale care home where her estranged friend Ben (Richard Roundtree, Shaft) is making the most of life. He’s the star of the home’s drama group, and not only because he’s the only one who can remember his lines.
Though lonely, Thelma is not alone, watched over by her attentive grandson, Danny Markowitz (Fred Hechinger), an aimless, insecure young man who is not exactly in control of his life. Danny’s lack of direction has caused friction with his girlfriend, with whom he has broken up, but he still checks in regularly with Thelma, who is benefitting from his computer tutorials.
One day, while following her routine, of embroidering, reading, watching television and using the computer, she gets a call from scammers pretending to be Danny in hospital, sounding strange because of a broken nose. In a panic she delivers $10,000 to a POB.
Thelma notifies Danny’s parents, Gail (Parker Posey) and Alan (Clark Gregg) of the emergency but they soon learn that the only person in distress is Thelma, feeling humiliated and angry. The police can’t help as she threw away the address she jotted down for delivering the money and there is no recording.
Thelma has kept her overly solicitous daughter at bay, precisely because, when they learn she lost $10,000, they discuss whether she can be left alone any more.
Inspired by Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossibles and reading the paper where she notes that “Tom Cruise shows audiences he’s still got it,” Thelma embarks on her own mission impossible, to show that she’s still got it, too.
This involves digging in the post office rubbish bin and a visit to Ben, who becomes an unwilling accomplice when Thelma escapes on his mobility scooter. He is even more reticent when Thelma informs him they are stopping off at Mona’s (Bunny Levine) to “borrow” a gun the senile old friend is unaware lies buried upstairs, where Mona hasn’t ventured in months.
All along, Gail, Alan, Danny and the care home staff are searching for the missing persons, giving them the slip. Fears grow as the daring duo close in on their target.
Thelma is a tad sugar-coated and some might find the climax, where luck plays an unusually big hand, underwhelming. But what makes it fun, involving and novel is that the adventure is never implausible and the set-backs are just as you would expect from two bungling, elderly amateurs out of their comfort zones.
Moreover, it reveals old age for what it is, a mixed bag. Thelma’s independence comes at the cost of loneliness and vulnerability, while Ben faces regimentation, a hilarious comatose roommate and staff coddling. He had adjusted to a life that Thelma rejects. Then there’s Mona, sitting with dementia in a cockroach-infected pile, prompting Ben to ponder where her meals come from.
Yes, the sleuths get lost, Thelma, falls, and yes, when Thelma panics on shop keeper Harvey’s (Malcolm McDowell) computer she depends on Danny for help, but Thelma surprises even herself by her fast thinking and daring do. No doubt all those hours watching detective series on television have not been a total waste.
And while the film is honest about ageing, Margolin reminds us that all members of the family have problems, and sometimes an elderly parent is not the neediest. If Thelma proves she’s no passive victim, Danny’s low self-esteem is bolstered by his heroic role in the adventure.
