MovieChat Forums > The Meddler (2016) Discussion > So I went to see this film...

So I went to see this film...

posted 8 years ago by martytamu27
12 replies | jump to latest

And I still haven't figured out what it is about.

It seemed like one long commercial for Apple products.

So theres that.

She makes and egg in the basket toast c reation and eats it, cleans the dish.

......

Then like I couldn't figure out the rest...I mean it seems pretty thin to base an entire movie on whatever it is that was going on...mom, newly ish widowed, daughter newly ish single. apple products, selfie, bad choices with the ex...then finally gives in to the good guy, of course, JK (a role more like his previous and only nails home the point of what an excellent job he did going against type in Whiplash).

good thing I had my Apple iPhone with me to fill in the slow spaces in this movie.

I would ask you guys to shed some light, but no one is discussing

[–] sjr1991 8 years ago

it is a weak script, based on a lot of character cliches -- annoying mother, daughter bereft because her longtime boyfriend has left her -- with a few very real touches about how it feels to be a new widow. My daughter and I saw it tonight, since we are in the same situation, my husband/her father having died just a few months ago. There were moments that made us clutch each other, but mostly afterwards we found the movie annoying.

Someone else on this board has addressed the Apple products issue -- so many people use iphones and ipads that it's realistic to have them all over.

Re the egg: it's one of the fresh eggs that Zipper gave Marnie, and there's a belief that eggs from your own chickens taste fantastically better than eggs from factory farms. (I have no personal experience on this matter.)

Touches that felt real to me:
1. the opener, where Sarandon is lying in bed staring up at the ceiling, awake, but not moving. I know that feeling very well.
2. when she's filling out the form to become a volunteer and staring at the line where she has to circle "married," "single," "divorced," "widowed" -- and she doesn't do anything, just leaves the hospital. She was always able to ID as married, but she can't do that anymore, and she doesn't want to admit to widowed.
3. her skittishness around men her age. She doesn't want to be in a relationship? She doesn't want to replace her dead husband? She doesn't even want to confront her ambivalence?

[–] Hater_Is_Here 8 years ago

My boss was talking about how he was taking his wife to see this. I don't see why. Looks horrible.

[–] GataGris 8 years ago

Thank you for sharing, I thought I was the only viewer that didn't love this film. It's so full of clichés, you can't relate with any of the characters, everything in this movie is presented to us as a drama but suddenly, it becomes sunny and funny. I don't like dramedies at all.

[–] martytamu27 8 years ago

I'm the same way. Pick one or the other. If the comedy is organic and part of their daily lives and interactions tgen that is fine. But not trying to be funny as in a comedy. Mixed with the drama. I feel one of the films that best struck the balance was "Celeste and Jessee forever". Truly heartbreaking and real and the light moments never felt forced and the serious moments felt all too real.

[–] zoesmom 8 years ago

It is a sweet little slice of life movie. It's about people just trying to get along in the world.

And concerning J. K. Simmons, I never thought I would like him. He played
Vern Schillinger on Oz, who was one of the most unlikable characters ever portrayed. He was a in prison, a Nazi, and did horrible things to people just because he could. So seeing him play such a sweetheart in this film is amazing. He is a fantastic actor!

[–] summerchain 8 years ago

I agree. I think that people forget that we all deal with things in general; and most certainly, without a doubt in life. I can relate to this because I know that in life, when death is involved there is a lot of family drama circulating (greed, hate, blame, sorrow, guilt, sadness, remorse.....), and I've been told I do this a lot; but one of MY personal habits/coping mechanisms is I will break out funny memories of the one who passed, and it always makes all laugh. I guess that is just the way I cope. Although some would call it inappropriate it's what gets me through a hard situation. So the dramedy didn't bother me.

Overall cute movie.

[–] Pmdmnym 7 years ago

In this film and the shrink on Law and Order. I adore him!

[–] [email protected] (1288) 7 years ago

Loved OZ! He played one twisted character thats for sure. I love anything Prison related, and OZ was fabulous. But in this movie he was sweet and strong and nice..Only thing is his mustache. Hated the stash!

[–] WarpedRecord 7 years ago

This film is an absolute mess, the kind of thing you'd expect from a novice director and writer but with a decent cast. Fortunately, I had my iPhone to keep me entertained during this snoozefest, but I'm using my iMac to write these comments as I watch better programming on my Apple TV.

[–] leiastarkiller 7 years ago

You should get an iPad! Did you know they have all sorts of apps so they make great baby shower gifts? You can also get speakers that hook right up to your iPhone so you can play music for your chickens. And if you have any questions about any of your fantastic Apple products just head to an Apple Store. There are geniuses there that can show you how to zoom in, use a map, and even more complex problems like how to take a selfie!

*this comment is a paid advertisement for Apple Inc. and so is this movie. You

[–] safeweb310 7 years ago

I'm sorry you didn't like the film. I thought it was very good. My mom lost my dad a few years ago and she reacted very similarly to Susan Sarandon in this film. She didn't weep or mope around but there were certain things that she just couldn't face. In my dad's case, it was the memorial service.In Susan's characters case, it was the headstone. You expect grief to run its course and be obvious but it is not always that way and it is hard to help someone when they don't even realize they are in the middle of the grief process.

[–] rainegrewal 7 years ago

I chose to watch this movie due to its classification as a comedy when I was home sick one afternoon. It's not a comedy. It's a very strange movie. Not compelling in any way. I liked Susan Sarandon's acting as well as JK Simmons -- he's great in everything he does.

Don't know what it was about the movie but I just didn't "get it". Someone thought it was good enough as a script to produce it?!