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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Ashland Calendar, June 3, 2016 ... Ashland Kiwanis reaches out to teen moms ... Ticket availability ... Ashland Calendar, June 3, 2016 ... Ashland Kiwanis reaches out to teen moms ... Ticket availability ... MOVIE REVIEW 'The Meddler' is filled with nuance, humanity Comment By Chris Honoré for Revels DailyTidings.com By Chris Honoré for Revels Posted May. 26, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Chris Honoré for Revels Posted May. 26, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News The Meddler ; 100min; Rated PG-13 It’s a truism regarding Hollywood that middle-aged actresses can find getting substantive roles to be a challenge. If they exist at all. But over the last few years, films have emerged that star older women not just as the quintessential backdrop mom or relative, or quirky neighbor, but as characters with emotional depth and complexity. It’s encouraging, for Hollywood has for decades worshipped at the shrine of youth, especially when it comes to women. Films that have featured, of late, mature actresses and displayed a richness and depth are “I’ll See You in My Dreams” with Blythe Danner; “Grandma” starring Lily Tomlin; and, more recently, “Hello, My Name is Doris” with Sally Field. All were strong stories that gave each of the lead actresses scenes that they could chew through while displaying their consummate talent. Which brings us to “The Meddler,” starring Susan Sarandon as Marnie Minervini. She’s a widow of some two years, who follows her daughter, Lori (Rose Byrne), a screenwriter, to Los Angeles from Jersey. Whereas Lori is trying to fashion an independent life (she has recently split from a long-term boyfriend), Marnie can’t help insinuating herself into Lori’s life. Using her just-acquired smartphone, Marnie calls and leaves lengthy messages, or just drops in on Lori, always with bagels. Lori’s sense of loss for her ex-guy friend is self-evident. She has a hole in her life and feels angry and a bit lost and cranky about future male prospects. All the while she is writing a pilot for television involving a three-week trip to New York, leaving her mom home alone. Marnie is also grieving, but in a far more profound way since she lost her husband of decades and feels his absence daily. The difference between mother and daughter is that Marnie covers her emotions with an optimistic, generous patter and can’t seem to prevent herself from reaching out to people with whom she has a very thin connection (like the guy at the Apple genius bar where she bought her phone). But there are moments when Marnie looks off into the distance and we see writ large in her expression a sadness and a loneliness that she goes to great lengths to disguise. Lori, focused on her career and her old boyfriend, is unaware of the meaning behind her mother’s deep need for contact as she struggles with a life that can feel simultaneously full and empty. Sarandon and the writers could have allowed Marnie to become a caricature of the interfering mother and thus generated comedic moments edged with slapstick. Instead, the film is touched by a quiet melancholy and a sense of isolation that Marnie struggles to overcome. While there are moments that will make the audience smile in recognition, “The Meddler” is not a comedy, despite its unfortunate title. Added to the story are moments that can be called romance-lite. A retired L.A. cop (J.K. Simmons), who raises chickens in Topanga Canyon, finds Marnie intriguing and extends a hand, which she at first pushes away. At the same time, she knows that there is still life to be lived and though her moments of self-reflection are never overt, they are ever present. In summary, “The Meddler” is a film filled with nuance and humanity, wonderfully acted, not only by Sarandon but Simmons and Byrne. As an ensemble, they get it just right. By Chris Honoré for Revels DailyTidings.com By Chris Honoré for Revels Posted May. 26, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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