Movie Review: Thelma

I had been excited to see Thelma since it arrived in theaters a few weeks ago, so I asked my friend Ruth if she would be interested in seeing it with me last weekend. The trailer presents it as a bit of a spoof on action-adventure, car chase movies, but in this case, senior citizens take the wheel to right a wrong. I expected that the movie would be laugh-out-loud funny, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that it also includes thoughtful conversations about different ways to approach aging. Ruth and I were thrilled to experience that the audience as a whole connected deeply to this movie.

Thelma (June Squibb) is a 93-year-old widow who lives alone in her home and occupies her time with simple daily activities. She has a close relationship with her 24-year-old grandson Danny (Fred Hechinger), who is adrift in his own life, lacking confidence in his abilities and a sense of purpose, but who checks on his grandmother frequently and lovingly helps her navigate changing technology. Thelma receives a phone call from someone claiming to be Danny, stating that he is in jail and requesting $10,000 in cash to get him out. Panicked and believing the phone call is real, Thelma notifies family members, gathers the money, puts it in an envelope, and mails it to the address the caller gives her. Back at home, Thelma’s daughter Gail (Parker Posey), son-in-law Alan (Clark Gregg), and Danny help her to see that she was scammed. When she leaves the room, the family also has a conversation about whether or not she is fit to continue living on her own. The family meets with Detective Morgan (Chase Kim) to report the scam, but he gives them little hope of recovering Thelma’s money. Initially feeling frustrated and defeated, Thelma finds her internal determination, draws inspiration from seeing Tom Cruise on the front-page of a newspaper advertising Mission Impossible, puts on her athletic shoes, and goes to work getting her money back. She retraces her steps to a public restroom where she discarded the scammer’s address on a crumpled piece of paper. Luckily, the paper is still there, giving her a location to pursue. Thelma no longer drives, so she asks Danny to give her a ride to the assisted living facility where her friend Ben (Richard Roundtree) resides because she knows that he has an electric scooter that she can use as alternative transportation to track down the scammers. Through some smooth talking and sleight of hand, Thelma acquires Ben’s scooter. He is unwilling to let her go alone, so he impulsively joins her ambitious undertaking. The pair’s hasty exit escapes Danny’s notice, leading him, the rest of the family, and the facility staff to worry that Thelma and Ben have become missing persons, unaware of what they are doing. Thelma and Ben stop at their mutual friend Mona’s house (Bunny Levine) to obtain her gun, and then they proceed to search for the scammers’ address. They find it after the sun goes down — a lamp shop located in an isolated part of town, far from where they started. Thelma boldly enters the shop and confronts the father and son duo who took her money.

Thelma provides an entertaining and insightful look at how to navigate the challenges and vulnerabilities of aging. I loved that the film takes a balanced approach, looking at aging from a variety of perspectives and giving a lot of substance under its humorous surface. It draws its humor from situations that are completely relatable to seniors — as Ruth and I observed from the exuberant laughter from older members of the audience — but the film maintains a dignified, not mocking, perspective. June Squibb’s portrayal of Thelma is absolutely delightful. She is an endearing grandma that any grandchild would love to have. Beyond that, she demonstrates fierce independence, determination, and tenacity — all of which are empowering to watch. She also has to come to terms with the reality that asking for help is not a sign of weakness. Equally enjoyable as Squibb’s portrayal of Thelma is Fred Hechinger’s depiction of Danny. While Danny is absent-minded and unsure of his own strengths, helping his grandmother is where his true talents emerge, and that is heart-warming to watch, even if he doesn’t see it. I wholeheartedly recommend Thelma as a worthwhile family film that people at different stages of life will enjoy and find relatable.

Thelma is rated PG-13 for strong language. Check local listings and online streaming services to find where it is available.