Tully (2018 film)

Tully
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Jason Reitman
Produced by
Written by Diablo Cody
Starring
Music by Rob Simonsen
Cinematography Eric Steelberg
Edited by Stefan Grube
Production
company
Distributed by Focus Features
Release date
  • January 23, 2018 (2018-01-23) (Sundance)
  • May 4, 2018 (2018-05-04) (United States)
Running time
 96 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Box office $15.6 million[1]

Tully is a 2018 American comedy-drama film directed by Jason Reitman and written by Diablo Cody. The film stars Charlize Theron, Mackenzie Davis, Mark Duplass, and Ron Livingston, and follows the friendship between a mother of three and her nanny. It is the fourth collaboration between Reitman and Cody, following Juno (2007), Jennifer's Body (2009), and Young Adult (2011), the last of which also starred Theron.

The film premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival,[2] and was released in the United States on May 4, 2018, by Focus Features. It received mostly positive reviews from critics, praising Theron and Davis's performances and the film's portrayal of parenthood.

Plot

Marlo, a relatable mother of two children, is pregnant with an unplanned third child. Jonah, her son, has a developmental disorder that doctors have been unable to diagnose; she uses the Wilbarger Protocol to brush his skin in an attempt to reduce his sensitivity. When Marlo and her husband Drew visit her wealthy brother Craig’s house for dinner, he offers to pay for a night nanny as a baby shower gift, but Marlo rebuffs him.

Marlo gives birth to a daughter she names Mia, and quickly becomes overwhelmed and exhausted. After Jonah’s principal recommends that he be placed in a different school, Marlo breaks down, and she retrieves the contact information for the night nanny.

That night, Marlo is visited by Tully, the night nanny. Despite an initial awkwardness, Marlo and Tully develop a close friendship over the course of several nights. Tully proves to be an exceptional nanny, cleaning the house and baking cupcakes for Jonah’s class. When Marlo mentions that Drew has a fetish for women in 1950s diner waitress uniforms, Tully puts on a uniform that Marlo had previously purchased and they engage in a threesome with Drew.

One night, Tully arrives to work visibly distressed, and says that she has had a fight with her roommate due to her roommate's anger over Tully bringing home too many hook-ups. Tully impulsively suggests going into the city for a drink, to which Marlo reluctantly agrees, and the pair drive to Marlo’s old neighborhood in Bushwick, Brooklyn. While at a bar, Tully suddenly tells Marlo that she can no longer work for her, explaining that she was only there to “bridge a gap,” and that she feels that she is no longer needed. While driving home, Marlo falls asleep at the wheel, and swerves the car into a river.

Marlo sees herself trapped underwater, and envisions Tully as a mermaid coming to rescue her. She awakens at a hospital with Drew. A staff psychiatrist approaches Drew and informs him that Marlo was suffering from extreme sleep deprivation and exhaustion. When the doctor asks about their nanny, Drew tells her that he doesn't know much about her. A hospital clerk asks Drew for Marlo's maiden name, and he provides it: "Tully". A montage of previous scenes then reveals that Tully does not actually exist but was imagined by Marlo as a means to cope with the stress of her life. Marlo is subsequently "visited" by Tully one last time in her hospital room, where they decide that they have to stop seeing each other, and they part amicably.

Marlo returns home, where Jonah tells her that she no longer needs to brush his skin. She goes to the kitchen to listen to music and prepare the kids’ lunches for the next day. Drew comes in and shares the music with her as he helps her.

Cast

Production

As of September 22, 2016, Tully had begun filming in Vancouver, British Columbia.[3]

Theron said she gained nearly 50 pounds for the role in a period of three and a half months, and ate around the clock to keep the weight on. It took her a year and a half to take the weight off after filming had wrapped.[4]

Release

In May 2017, Focus Features acquired distribution rights to the film and set the release date for April 20, 2018;[5] however, in March 2018, the date was pushed back to May 4.[6]

Tully was released on digital download on July 17, 2018, and on Blu-ray and DVD on July 31.[7]

Reception

Box office

Tully has grossed $9.3 million in the United States and Canada, and $6.2 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $15.6 million.[1]

In the United States and Canada, Tully was released alongside Overboard and Bad Samaritan, and was projected to gross $3–4 million from 1,353 theaters in its opening weekend.[8] It ended up debuting to $3.2 million, finishing 6th at the box office, with a lower figure than Reitman's Labor Day ($5.1 million in 2014). 87% of its audience was over the age of 25. Deadline Hollywood noted an opening of $6.5 million would haven been an ideal debut for the film.[9] It made $2.2 million in its second weekend, dropping to 8th.[10]

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 86% based on 233 reviews, and an average rating of 7.7/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Tully delves into the modern parenthood experience with an admirably deft blend of humor and raw honesty, brought to life by an outstanding performance by Charlize Theron."[11] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 75 out of 100, based on 52 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[12] According to PostTrak, filmgoers gave the film an overall positive score of 73%, with audience members over the age of 25 giving it a 71% and those under 25 giving it an 87%.[9]

David Ehrlich of IndieWire gave the film a "B", calling it "funnier than Juno and almost as ruthlessly honest as Young Adult", and saying: "Tully never pulls at your heartstrings quite as hard as it might, but there’s something beautiful about the way these two women both learn to love themselves, and in a way that also makes it easier for them to love each other."[13] Writing for Rolling Stone, Peter Travers praised the performances and script, giving the film 3.5 stars out of 4 and saying, "When the film takes a sharp turn and veers off-course in its final third, you hold on because Davis and Theron make sure you do. Together these two dynamite actresses cut to the soulful core of a movie that turns out to be funny, touching and vital."[14]

Despite the film receiving positive reviews from critics, maternal advocates criticized it for its portrayal of mental health, which they deemed careless.[15]

References

  1. 1 2 "Tully (2018)". Box Office Mojo. Amazon. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
  2. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 21, 2018). "Charlize Theron, Jason Reitman & Diablo Cody Reteam 'Tully' Is Sundance Secret Screening". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Tully Movie with Charlize Theron Starts Filming in Vancouver". What's Filming. September 22, 2016. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  4. ↑ Calvario, Liz (April 17, 2018). "Charlize Theron Reveals 'Very Long Journey' to Lose 50 Pounds Packed on for 'Tully'". Entertainment Tonight. CBS Television Studios. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  5. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (May 4, 2017). "Focus Features Acquires Reitman-Theron-Cody Reteam 'Tully' For April 2018 Bow". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
  6. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 15, 2018). "Charlize Theron Comedy 'Tully' Moves To First Weekend Of May". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
  7. ↑ @TullyMovie (May 30, 2018). "Academy Award Winner, @CharlizeAfrica stars in the critically acclaimed dramatic comedy, #TULLY. Own it with Exclusive Bonus Content. Digital: July 17 / Blu-ray & DVD July 31 uni.pictures/Tully" (Tweet). Retrieved July 15, 2018 – via Twitter.
  8. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 2, 2018). "Avengers: Infinity War' Ties 'Force Awakens' As Fastest Title To $300M, Will Make Another $100M+ This Weekend". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  9. 1 2 D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 6, 2018). "'Avengers: Infinity War' Is Second-Fastest Pic To $400M With Second-Best 2nd Weekend Ever At $112M+ – Sunday". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
  10. ↑ Busch, Anita; D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 13, 2018). "'Infinity War' Second-Fastest To Half Billion; 'Life Of The Party' No Pizzazz With $18M+". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Tully (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Tully Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  13. ↑ Ehrlich, David (January 26, 2018). "'Tully' Review: Diablo Cody and Jason Reitman Deliver a Modern Fairy Tale About Motherhood — Sundance 2018". IndieWire. Penske Business Media. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  14. ↑ Travers, Peter (May 2, 2018). "'Tully' Review: Charlize Theron's Maternal Meltdown Is Dramedy Gold". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  15. ↑ Tomasi, Patricia (April 25, 2017). "Charlize Theron's Movie 'Tully' Angers Maternal Mental Health Advocates". HuffPost. Oath. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
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