Diane fills her days helping others and desperately attempting to bond with her drug-addicted son. As these pieces of her existence begin to fade, she finds herself confronting memories she’d sooner forget than face.
Like all movies, “Diane” tells a story but not one with clear intentions, instead, just the passage of time and her minimal growth over a span of undetermined years. I much prefer movies with a clear plot and an obstacle to overcome. Something needs to drive the movie and take me far away from real life. This movie, however, is far too real with all the accompanying drudgery. While “Diane” was well made, the film lacked a purpose and distinction. You may sit through the film once but I highly doubt many would sit through it twice.
Mary Kay Place plays the part of Diane. A selfless woman driven by past sins to care for everyone and putting her own needs last. Of course, the drive for her selflessness remains unseen until much later in the picture. She cares for her cousin Donna (Deirdre O’Connell) who is dying of cancer, an aunt, her drug-addicted son, the community soup kitchen, along with friends and other family members. Do not, however, mistake her for a pushover, she stands up to defend herself while also drowning in everyone else’s sorrows.
Most of her battles deal with her drug-addled son Brian (Jake Lacy). Thank goodness he isn’t my kid! His attitude would have sent me running for the hills. She caters to him without letting him depend on her too completely. During the movie, he cleans up and sobers up once he finds a wife, a fellow abuser, and a zealous Christian. The kind of wife so heavenly minded she is no earthly good. Diane, faithful in Christ, feels no need to go over the top which of course caused issues harming the relationship.
While the years go by, friends and family pass away. Diane attended funerals, lives her daily life and tries to keep herself together. Life has a way of pushing our buttons and breaking us. Thankfully, the movie rewards the audience. Diane’s friends come to her aid as she turns to darkness for a reprieve. She learns to cope, she learns to let go, she learns to forgive herself. While the movie inspires with her inner triumphs, I never quite got into the spirit of following this woman around her day-to-day life. Yes, she’s practically a saint but even a routine can have a little excitement. It’s a good thing I had coffee.
The story focuses on the mundane. Get up, go to visit the dying, feed the hungry, look out the grey window to the grey sky. Wake up and start all over again. The pace never picks up, the story is dull but not lifeless. The film ends without fanfare. The most frustrating aspect was trying to pick out minute clues that time had changed. Just tell us! We aren’t mind readers and the movie doesn’t move at a pace worthy of the passing time.
I want a heroine to not just respect but to root for which is minimally possible with Diane. Yes, I respect this ever patient woman, a giver, a caretaker who has a quiet strength. Her journey, however, left something to be desired with the lack of drive and failure to announce when time shifted. The larger problem though, was Brian, the son played by Jake Lacey. I have stage fright and tend to have verbal vomit when I am nervous and I think I could have acted out his part better than him. He was just so unbelievable, both as a drug addict and a born-again Christian, finally free of addiction. Mary Kay Place played her role with ease and grace. The only other character worth mentioning was Diane’s annoying best friend Bobbie, played by Andrea Martin. Her take on life was delightful, despite her slightly noxious personality.
I suppose if you watch the movie through and pay attention to every monotonous detail, you can find an esoteric meaning. After all, this is an indie film. It’s supposed to bring about some inner truth or something or other. Let me know if you find anything besides an old woman coping with her inner demons and trying to repent through works.
Opens at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth Friday, April 12th
