Cook review: 80 for Brady insults actors, audience
“80 for Brady” is a rare film that insults both its audience and its performers.
Movies like this are indicative of Hollywood’s inability to provide decent showcases for older performers. It’s great to see Rita Moreno, Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Sally Field all in one place, but does it have to be in sitcom drivel like this?
What makes it worse is that there really was a group of women friends – five, actually – who dubbed themselves the “Over 80 for Brady” fan club. What a wonderful documentary their story might have made.
Instead, here’s a less-than-average story with a terrible repeated joke from Field’s character who continues to call a handbag by a sexual reference, Tomlin’s strange mental connection to Brady, who winks at her and communicates through a bobble-head (I wish I were making this up, but I’m not) and “action” that revolves around lost tickets.
The year is 2017. The idea is that Tomlin’s character, who has survived cancer, thinks the group of friends should go to the Super Bowl instead of watching it from a living room. And soon they are on their way to Texas.
Hijinks – and not very entertaining ones – ensue. The older audience that’s drawn to this movie deserves far better than this piffle.
One the characters are set up, you’ll know exactly where this is going. It’s hard to believe this came from the pens of Sarah Haskins and Emily Halpern, who wrote the marvelous “Booksmart.”
4 MORE
I’m in the demographic toward which this film is aimed, and I very much wanted to like it. It concerns me that these four actresses couldn’t have reunited in something like “I’ll See You In My Dreams,”or “Living,” both smart dramedies about the challenges of aging and lives in transition.
There’s funny and then there’s silly, and it’s the latter that this leans toward.
If seeing these actors together is enough for you, you’ll enjoy it. If you’d like something positive yet thoughtful, rent “I’ll See You In My Dreams.”
1 star
Rated: PG-13 for foul language and mature themes.
Running time: One hour and 38 minutes.
At Cinemark, Davenport; Regal, Moline; and Palms 10, Muscatine.
Watch the trailer here.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7sMHRqqyanJOewaqx0meaqKVfo7K4v46lppyZnGK7psPSaJqop5tiv6bCyJ6uZnBgYrOwvoybqZqcqWK2r7%2FUpausZZGYwbC%2B0maYrpyZmruksY4%3D