Release Year: 2016

Rating: 5.2/10 ( voted)

Critic's Score: /100

Director: Chris Kelly

Stars: Jesse Plemons, Zach Woods, Bradley Whitford

Storyline
A struggling comedy writer, fresh off a breakup and in the midst of the worst year of his life, returns to Sacramento to care for his dying mother.

Cast:
Jesse Plemons - David
Zach Woods - Paul
Bradley Whitford - Norman
Maude Apatow - Alexandra
Molly Shannon - Joanne
Madisen Beaty - Rebeccah
Retta - Nina
Kerri Kenney - Aunt Lynne
Paul Dooley - Ronnie
June Squibb - Ruth-Anne
J.J. Totah - Justin
D'Arcy Carden - Jessica
Alison Rich - Melanie
John Early - Gabe
Stephanie Langnas - Wine Bar Patron

Country: USA

Language: English

Release Date: 3 Jan 2016

Filming Locations: Los Angeles, California, USA

Technical Specs

Runtime: 97 min

Author:

Rating: 8/10

If this were a bigger movie, Molly Shannon might soon be getting a few Big League nominations. She might anyway. Who expected Sally O'Malley to inhabit a fully formed married Sacramento mom of three older children, dying of cancer? Miss Shannon is funny and painful and riveting to watch as she shows us her love and rage and pride in her kids and worry about their future, and frustration with her failing body and nice clueless husband, and her wish to just sometimes give up and die already. It takes a deeply skilled actor to hide nothing, be still, and let the camera have it's way with you. Who knew? She gets a lot of help from Jesse Plemons as her struggling gay son David who is hurting from his own heavy baggage. Mr. Plemons' face is our guide to this family, not acting, just letting us tag along and marvel at his devotion to his sick Mom.

A terrific young group of fun talented stars of tomorrow fill in the family and church and choir and other Sacramentoes and the likes of Paul Dooley, June Squibb, Bradley Whitford and an Apatow kid make Director Chris Kelly's already superb script better.

Funny laugh out loud bits and great private one-on-ones that don't feel rushed. No sitcom feel or fake intimacy in Other People. These people matter to one another.

Other People brought back for me those intimate moments in Carmela Soprano's kitchen when another complicated family was trying to have closeness and understanding at the dinner table. Aren't we all?

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