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Aug 7, 2015 · “Ricki and the Flash” is a classic, and classically lamentable, good-news/bad news proposition. In the good news department, it’s largely a sturdy, enjoyable domestic comedy drama. It showcases the sort of typically amazingly diverse and eclectic cast only its director Jonathan Demme can and would put together.
Aug 7, 2015 · 65% Tomatometer 200 Reviews 43% Audience Score 10,000+ Ratings It's been a roller-coaster ride for Ricki Rendazzo (Meryl Streep), a one-time wife and mother of three who left her family behind...
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- Jonathan Demme
- PG-13
- Meryl Streep
Aug 7, 2015 · Ricki and the Flash is a half-baked comedy/drama, but the cast (including Meryl Streep's aging rocker) makes it a charming one. In many ways, Ricki (the film) resembles its namesake; both are messy and weird in ways admirable and confusing alike, yet they're so open and unapologetic about what they are that it's difficult not to like them - at ...
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By Max Nicholson
Posted: Aug 6, 2015 11:00 pm
Is there anything Meryl Streep can't do? In her latest film, Ricki and the Flash (directed by Jonathan Demme), the Oscar-winning guru plays an aging, never-was rocker whose decision to leave her family behind and pursue her dream finally catches up with her when her daughter Julie (played by Streep's actual daughter Mamie Gummer), now an adult herself, divorces her cheating husband. In an attempt to get back in the family's good graces, Ricki returns home to see Julie, her one-time husband Pete (Kevin Kline) and their two sons Joshua (Sebastian Stan) and Adam (Nick Westrate).
As with pretty much all her roles, Streep dominates the screen as Ricki, who's unlike anything we've seen from the actress before. Though Ricki may be in her 60s, she doesn't seem to know it and acts accordingly around her civilized ex and kin. It's almost as if she stepped out of yesteryear to melt faces with her grungy fashion sense and gravelly singing voice. "It's like the '80s all over again," Julie remarks upon seeing her mother clad in a cutoff leather jacket, too much jewelry and a head of half-braided hair. It's a fresh and endearing role for Streep, one that's equal parts amusing and cringe-worthy, in all the right ways.
The supporting cast is also solid. Kline's role is smaller than you'd expect, but he makes the most of his screen time. When you first meet his character Pete, you wonder how someone so milquetoast and proper could end up with such a fire starter like Ricki. But as the two go from exchanging awkward pleasantries to arguing at full volume, to eventually finding common ground with their children, it becomes clear that they definitely have chemistry -- or at least they had chemistry, once upon a time.
Gummer, Kline and Westrate also turn in fine performances as Ricki's kids -- particularly Gummer, whose blood-relation to Streep naturally translates onscreen and serves her well in Julie's darker moments. That said, the standout performer here is singer-songwriter Rick Springfield, who plays the lead guitarist of the eponymous Flash, as well as Ricki's love interest. Not only does he lend street cred to the numerous song numbers, but he also delivers some of the film's most emotional moments playing opposite Streep, onstage and off. Gummer and Streep in Ricki and the FlashSpeaking of song numbers, the music in Ricki and the Flash is also a good addition to the story. That said, it can get a little tedious, as the filmmakers insist on showing every single song in its entirety, unabridged (some of which are even repeats). Similarly, while the character dynamics are strong, the script (penned by Diablo Cody) feels somewhat strained at times, particularly towards the end when certain conflicts resolve too easily, without any repercussions. And while Ricki raises some good points about why a mother's rockstar ambitions are "so much worse" than, say, seven-time father Mick Jagger's, the film doesn't quite take those ideas to task. Instead, it favors the dysfunctional family story, which isn't so bad.
Ricki and the Flash offers a breezy, heartwarming, if somewhat manufactured tale about an aging rocker reconnecting with her family. Streep nails the lead role, and she's supported by a solid ensemble cast. The film is also filled with touching moments, including a finale that equates to Ricki's own version of playing Madison Square Garden. What's ...
- Max Nicholson
Ricki and the Flash Reviews. All Critics. Top Critics. All Audience. Verified Audience. Anthony Lane New Yorker. TOP CRITIC. Demme is unrivalled at filming bands at play—and at noticing the...
Aug 3, 2015 · ‘Ricki and the Flash’: Film Review. Meryl Streep rocks out as a bar-band musician who's forced to confront the family she left behind in Jonathan Demme's new film.
Sep 7, 2015 · When former husband Pete (Kevin Kline) calls to say their daughter Julie (Mamie Gummer) is in trouble, California-based Ricki heads to Indianapolis, where festering family feuds and old wounds...
