What in the Rachel Dolezal was that? Writer Tory Kamen’s paternal grandmother inspired “Eleanor the Great” (2025). Kamen’s grandmother moved from Florida to Manhattan at ninety-five years old, which was the story presented in the trailer. The intergenerational relationship between the titular character (June Squibb) and NYU journalism student Nina Davis (Erin Kellyman) probably stemmed from their relationship. Interweaving Eleanor’s grief with Nina’s to form a new whole after losing the most special person in their life is an idea that will resonate with moviegoers eager to see the film. Unfortunately, Kamen’s first feature adds a piece of fiction to an otherwise perfect story that is so mind-boggling horrifying and dangerous that it rises to the equivalent of cinematic malpractice and proves that the road to hell is lined with good intentions. Better not to have a first movie than to turn her protagonist into “a psychopath.”
Who does not love Squibb, especially after “Thelma” (2024)? No one, and it probably will not change after “Eleanor the Great.” Eleanor is one of those people who is better with people who are not biologically related and is a complete nightmare to her children. Fortunately, her lifelong best friend, Bessie (Rita Zohar), fits that bill. Zohar and Squibb’s chemistry is pitch perfect. Their scenes are where first-time director Scarlett Johansson shined, and the only reason that anyone is putting up with the early left turn that this story takes. The montage of their routine at home and outside establishes their dynamic, and when Bessie is no longer onscreen, there is a palpable vacuum where she was. Bessie basically had scary dog privilege thanks to Eleanor, who becomes downright irredeemable in her interactions with her daughter, Lisa (Jessica Hecht). Before she reunites with Lisa, Eleanor’s sassiness is endearing and admirable, but when Lisa is eager to get her mother out of her house, it is impossible to blame her. Eleanor’s loneliness is not just from the loss of her friend, but her family actively ignoring her.
Whenever Kellyman appears in a movie, it is always a bright spot from “Solo: A Star Wars Story” (2017) to “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” (2021) or the more recent “Blitz” (2024). Here Kellyman does not play her usual force of nature characters, but a wounded bird looking for a place to land and heal. One question that may plague your thoughts after seeing “Eleanor the Great” is does Nina fail her journalism class? She is young and/or awful at her job. After Eleanor refuses to talk to her, she gets her phone number off the sign in sheet. She asks Eleanor to speak to a few friends, but it becomes a classroom complete with a professor and a camera to record the proceedings. At no point in the film is Nina called out for constantly violating Eleanor’s privacy and not getting enthusiastic consent. She only gets saved because Eleanor is lonely, they have great chemistry, and her father and Eleanor are (checks notes) worse.
I adore Chiwetel Ejiofor like cooked food. His presence in a movie used to be a quality guarantee thanks to his acting, good looks and impeccable career. Welp. While Ejiofor is still an excellent, handsome actor, once the broken clock rule no longer applies, it is time to stop trusting him. He appeared in the worst of the trilogy, “Venom: The Last Dance” (2024), and the overhyped “The Life of Chuck” (2024). As Nina’s dad, a famous television journalist (allegedly) Roger Davis treats his daughter more like he is a professor or supervisor than parent and then has apparently never fact checked a story in his life. No one expects people to read nowadays, but “Eleanor the Great” conflates journalism with editorial so Roger can explain the movie in a televised monologue. It is another therapy speak movie that is as deep as a kiddie pool. When Roger’s wife died, did she bring Google with her because how did he not at least Google someone before doing a story on her?!?
It is time to stop dancing around the most egregious sin that “Eleanor the Great” commits.
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Because of a misunderstanding, brokenhearted Eleanor accidentally attends a support group for Holocaust survivors, ends up passing off Bessie’s stories as her own and never clears it up until she gets outed. In this post-truth era, any fictional story that puts out a narrative that bolsters challenges to the veracity of Holocaust survivor accounts and makes journalism seem as rigorous as a wet brand name paper towel is dangerous, especially when actual Holocaust survivors are in the movie, but not centered or even elevated to supporting characters. Hopefully everyone connected to this project got paid well because this well-intentioned, but unnecessary premise shows a lack of faith in the story of ordinary, older people without adding a sensational twist.
The story could have been about Eleanor keeping Bessie’s story alive and an intergenerational relationship about Eleanor and Nina rediscovering and reclaiming their Jewish women identity in Bessie’s honor. Nope. Considering that Bessie never gave permission to Eleanor to tell her stories to her family, it seems bold for Eleanor to tell it to strangers first. How is it possible that everyone, except the Holocaust survivors, gets their pain focused on and sympathized with? Let’s not engage in oppression Olympics, but seriously?!? Can you imagine surviving the Holocaust and having to sit silently as someone says that they are really upset about anything else! Based on Eleanor’s actions and lie, this story is not about grief, but Eleanor’s real intention is to get attention from Nina, who would not otherwise be interested in Eleanor.
It is almost impossible to enjoy “Eleanor the Great” without repeatedly exclaiming, “What the fuck?” Nobody minds a nepo baby if they have talent, and the story had good bones. Why did not her dad, Robert Mark Kamen, the writer behind, “The Fifth Element” (1997), “Gladiator” (1992), “Colombiana” (2011) and “The Karate Kid,” “Taken” and “Transporter” franchises, at least try to stop her. He was also uncredited for rewriting “The Fugitive” (1993) and “The Devil’s Advocate” (1997). Let’s hope that he did not give her the idea.
If you want to see a movie that creates a high wire act at a support group and handles the challenge well, see “Twinless” (2025) and skip “Eleanor the Great.” If you do see this movie and do not see the parade of red flags, you should be worried that you were groomed to tolerate unacceptable behavior then excuse it at the price of self-abandonment. What is wrong with everyone?!? There should be deprogramming after the press tour ends.
