Movie Review: Maggie’s Plan
“The best-laid plans of mice and men often go astray.”
–Robert Burns
Have you ever wanted something so bad, that the logistics of obtaining it turns out to be an epic fail? It’s as if we get in our own way without allowing life to happen naturally. In these days and times the dream of a white picket fence has turned into a house made of straw. Therefore when we can’t have life one way we’re piecing things together to fit our equation of success. This method will eventually fall down and blow away with the wind causing us to ask ourselves, “What the hell was I thinking?”
It is said that you should never judge a book by its cover or a movie by its film still. The new movie Maggie’s Plan had me at the synopsis alone.
Maggie Hardin represents the modern thirty-something woman who somewhat has it all but missing one thing; A family. Actress Greta Gerwig portrays a character that is so relatable yet innocent, gullible, and foolish at the same time. Her story unfolds right from the start and you begin to see the vulnerable sides of this woman. Although empathy begins to set in, it quickly dissipates when temptation arrives.
The actor, Ethan Hawke, portrays John Harding in a comical manner that is believable. There are times when I find him absolutely hilarious and then a total jerk. Somehow it all works. Julianne Moore (Georgette Harding), Bill Hader (Tony), and Maya Randolph (Felicia) are phenomenal. Tony, who plays Maggie’s best friend in the movie, is someone we all need in our corner to set us straight when we get out of our minds.
One aspect of Maggie that I find remarkable is her courage to let go. It is a true testament of a woman when we recognize our wrong, forgive ourselves, and begin life again naturally. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed watching this film. I will be pleasantly surprised if a sequel is not in the works, due to an interesting cliff hanger at the end.
Maggie’s Plan is a romantic comedy filmed in New York City and written/directed by Rebecca Miller. This film is a selection of the Sundance Film Festival 2016, Berlin International Film Festival 2016, Toronto International Film Festival 2015, and New York Film Festival 2015. The Release date is June 3 and the MPAA Rating: R for mature audiences. Married couples and singles should appreciate this film. Enjoy!
Opens June 3, 2016 at Sundance Cinemas Houston
Wide Release June 10, 2016