Marlo, a mother of three including a newborn, is gifted a night nanny by her brother. Hesitant to the extravagance at first, Marlo comes to form a bond with the thoughtful, surprising, and sometime...
“Tully” is about what happens when life doesn’t go the way we want it. Masterfully written by Diablo Cody (“Juno”), the story is not only meant to speak specifically to those in the plight of motherhood, but broadly to everyone who searches for answers in their tumultuous life.
The plot revolves around Marlo (Charlize Theron), a 30-something-year-old mother whose life is like a broken record of the same, annoying routine every single day. She juggles an autistic kindergartner, a shy 4th grader, one incredibly loud newborn, and a dull marriage starkly contrasting the sleek, rich one of her older brother. It is this affluent older brother who gives Marlo the gift of a night-nanny to care for the baby, fully paid by him if she would just accept the offer. When Marlo’s youngest is suddenly dismissed from school, and her baby just won’t shut up, the free-spirited, wise, 26-year-old Tully arrives and immediately proves herself the perfect help for both the baby and Marlo.
In a small, but very talented cast, constantly stealing the spotlight is Theron. Her performance as Marlo is gloriously genuine and brimming with emotion (yes, even when she’s just sitting there, lazily slumped after a day’s work you can feel her exasperation). A complete visual contrast of Theron’s more famous roles, her portrayal of a near-middle-age mother opens us up to empathize and crave peace just as she does. When Tully comes to the rescue, you can literally see the weight lifted off of Marlo with just one shift of expression on Theron’s face. The character is empty of everything but desperate nostalgia for her former glory, and the combination of Cody’s script and Theron’s acting plops us into this tension right alongside her; like any good movie does, “Tully” makes Marlo’s struggle tangible to the audience.
Movies like this require extra attention to the dialogue more than anything — there lies the heart of the story. The many midnight conversations between Marlo and Tully gush with both humor and confessions of inner realities — mainly Marlo’s, of course. We hear her tell of the disillusionment of running face-first into her 30s. She longs for her youth so she can do it all over again and dream up something — anything — more exciting than motherhood. But Tully argues that there is great dignity in this profession; although Marlo’s tedious routine may replay infinitely, it is nevertheless constant and stable — a stability that everyone dreams of having. It’s quite unorthodox to have the youth be the wise voice while the elder has the existential crisis, but it makes for very interesting scenarios and an astute plot twist. When it is clear that Marlo lacks fulfillment, Tully lifts her up to see how loving and being there for her children no matter how difficult it is (and man, does it look difficult) is what her highest aspiration ought to be. So, of course this is a message for those specifically in the midst of tiresome motherhood, but it’s just as relevant for all of us who don’t feel satisfied with the lemons life has given us to work with. Even in a movie about motherhood, Cody manages to spout wisdom that speaks to the entire audience.
There is a delightful twist at the end of “Tully”. As every great twist should be, it is not without clues cleverly sprinkled throughout the movie that, in retrospect, are clear indicators of the big reveal. The ending not only shows us where Marlo looked for redemption from her present troubles, but it is the final push for her to be wholly invested in the present, letting go of all regrets, and living through the tedious broken record because it is her lot in life; she must do it well and with love.
