An idealistic young woman juggles her family and work life in a comedy about the people you love and how to survive them. (from IMDb)

Acclaimed As Good as It Gets and Terms of Endearment director James L. Brooks returns for his first directed film in fifteen years, Ella McCay. Brooks spent the last thirteen years writing this film and finally released it to the world last month. Now the film has hit digital to find a wider audience.

When you look at who is in the director's chair or the impressive cast of actors, it's not hard to find interest in Ella McCay. I haven't seen Emma Mackey in much, but I enjoyed her performance in Death on the Nile enough to be interested in her leading the pack here. Also, with veterans like Curtis, Harrelson, and Brooks (among others), everything here looked pretty strong. In actuality, however, Ella McCay lands differently. It's not for lack of trying, but it seems to meander its way through the story, feeling flat and even dull at times. "Lifeless" may even be a good word for it. But again, it isn't for a lack of the cast trying. Mackey is good in the lead, even if there are moments that just feel slightly off. Julie "Marge Simpson" Kavner is good as the narrator, but her performance of secretary Estelle is way too over-the-top to really fit the film. And even Woody Harrelson genuinely feels kind of lost in his role. The film has a quirkiness to it, due to its characters, that never feels "cool" quirky, just awkward "quirky." The movie isn't without its funny moments or even heartwarming ones, but the problem is it never truly feels like a comedy. Dramedy, maybe, but not a comedy. (Like it's being billed as.)

Right out of the gate, the story sets up Ella's life as getting off to a tragic start. When she was a teen, her father left his hospital job in disgrace due to his womanizing ways. And soon, Ella finds herself living in the care of her Aunt Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis giving it her best efforts here), while her mother (Rebecca Hall) ends up passing away due to a terminal illness. Her brother, who doesn't clearly have issues when we first see him as a little boy, ends up being put in military school at the young age of 8, and when we see Ella grown up, she has a nagging concern for her brother, who now exhibits bizarre, anti-social behavior. Meanwhile, Ella's got her political job supporting her state's governor (whatever state that might be; I don't think they ever say), and ends up assuming his position when he gets promoted. This then forces her to confront her seemingly healthy marriage head-on, and things just keep getting more topsy turvy in the midst of all this...

I could be way off, but the direction of Ella McCay's story never felt clear. By showing her past in flashbacks and then bringing us back to the sort-of present and back again makes the story feel a little too disjointed. And when it inexplicably suddenly shifts to a prolonged focus on the life of her younger brother Casey and his bonkers romantic subplot, it starts feeling like the movie is trying to cover way too much ground for one story. Honestly, one of the more interesting plots is Ella's relationship with her deceivingly charming husband, Ryan (Jack Lowden), but their story ends up turning a bit too formulaic and even almost cartoony. Like, if they had Ryan suddenly wearing a handlebar mustache and twirling the end of it, I might not have been too surprised.

As much as Ella McCay falls short, I wouldn't say it's the worst movie by any means; it just significantly lacks. It's definitely watchable - thanks to good performances - but you can't help but feel like a lot of potential was wasted here. It surprised me how much I enjoyed Kumail Nanjiani's performance as Ella's security detail, Nash, when I typically am not much of a fan of his work. But I think the movie could have used more of the pair's relationship in the film. Some deleted scenes hint that their future together could have been more significant, but I kind of see why Brooks ended up cutting those scenes (although, they did add warmth and hope to the story). I was a little surprised that having Ella involved in politics didn't seem to lean to one side over the other, but instead focused on the complexities of the political world itself. That life doesn't particularly interest me, personally, but I think Brooks tried handling it with as much political neutrality as he could. (Even when they reveal Ella's big passion project to rally behind politically, it's a benign cause that I can't imagine anyone wanting to go against.)

The content is definitely of the PG-13 variety. There are 2 uses of the "F" word and a handful of other profanities - although not frequently used throughout the movie. There's a lot of talk about sexual scandal when Ella realizes the apartment she has lunch dates with her husband - for them to find time to be intimate together - is a government-owned establishment, and this is talked about quite a bit. Pretty much every scene featuring her father, Eddie (Woody Harrelson), references his womanizing ways and off-screen indiscretions. Also, there's a theme about forgiveness in the film, and Eddie seeking forgiveness, but the point the film lands on is that sometimes it's best not to forgive -- a clearly non-Biblical view of the topic. I understand how hard it can be to forgive someone when we've been wronged, but it's a truly unhealthy thing for us to do. Lastly, the film features some accidental marijuana use, and a character who seems to be stoned all the time.

Ella McCay is one of those movies that is made by seasoned filmmakers and actors, but just does not work very well in the end regardless. If you're a fan of any of the cast, or the director, or you have an interest in politics (and are relatively easy to please with your entertainment), than Ella McCay isn't a bad movie selection. However, for the rest of the movie-watching public, this is one probably best to just skip over.

A James L. Brooks Film (9:48) - Director James L. Brooks and the cast of Ella McCay talk about the movie - and how Brooks spent 13 years writing it. The movie was shot in the real Rhode Island state building, lending authenticity to the project. They also talk about having the legendary Ann Roth as the film's costume designer, and making Helen's bar as a real location for the movie. (1 "d*mn," 1 "h*ll," 1 "J-sus")

In Good Company: The Cast of Ella McCay (9:57) is focused on Brooks, the director, and each of the main members of the cast. (1 "G-d," 1 "My G-d," 1 "J-sus")

Bloopers (1:47) - This is a cute little montage of the cast messing up lines while filming. (1 "S" word, 1 bleeped "F" word, 1 "bleep-hole," 1 "Oh G-d," 1 "b*stard")

Deleted Scenes - Play All (13:16)

1. You Win, We Lose (1:02) - In this flashback scene, Ryan tries proposing to her at college in their junior year. He then gets her to skip class and we see them swimming together.
2. Forget About the Union Rep (1:03) - After the overtime controversy, the other cop overexplains with too many excuses. (1 "Oh G-d," 1 "Oh my G-d")
3. I Love Girl (1:18) - Ella tries to get Casey to explain his problem in as few words as possible. (1 "J-sus")
4. No More Interruptions (1:17) - Ella's secretary Estelle interrupts her big meeting with info about messages she's received.
5. Make Your Family Whole (1:08) - Eddie receives a letter that Olympia sent him via FedEx telling him to repair his family. (1 "J-sus Chr-st," 1 "h*ll")
6. A Small Concussion (2:48) - Ella's driver, Nash, tries helping her after she hits her head, having her try to remember some random words.
7. Hazel Bottomless (2:50) - While at her aunt Helen's house, she takes a call from her brother and then a call from Nash who asks her to recite the words from the previous scene. (1 "Oh G-d")
8. You Got Him Out (0:48) - Casey shows up at the bar and introduces his girlfriend to Helen.
9. Nice Family (1:35) - Ella invites Nash into the house to meet her family, serving as an alternate ending. A politician sees them through the window and remarks to himself "nice family," which feels a bit cheesy. (1 "Oh G-d")

- John DiBiase, (reviewed: 1/29/26)