When 93-year-old Thelma Post gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson, she sets out on a treacherous quest across the city to reclaim what was taken from her.
Rare is the film centers on the lives of the oldest of our country’s citizens that manages to avoid poking fun at them. The poking is often with “no harm intended” on the seemingly shared understanding that old folks and their inherent problems are, well, just funny. With that understanding, I don’t know how 30-somethings will react to “Thelma.” Writer/director Josh Margolin loosely based the film on his grandmother, the real-life Thelma. He expanded an incident that happened to that Thelma into a kind of “what if” storyline that draws the audience into a plot full of twists and turns. It is funny at times, of course. It also portrays a 90-year-old grandmother plunging through a “Mission Impossible” type saga that is strangely believable and thrilling in a way I hadn’t anticipated.
June Squibb, a longtime film actress who is herself ninety-four years old, brings Thelma to life on the screen. She is the sweet, loving grandmother to her unmotivated grandson, Danny, played by Fred Hechinger. However, when she thinks he is in trouble, she is quick to jump into action to help. Unfortunately, she falls victim to a telephone scam, similar scams happening far too often to many senior citizens. Thelma is outraged and determined to recover that money, and at that point, the sweet grandmother turns into a woman-obsessed. As the narrative unfolds, she acquires an unwilling partner, Ben, played by Richard Roundtree (who sadly died in 2023 after the filming was completed but before release), and hijacks his spiffy red two-seater scooter.
Squibb is irresistible in the role of Thelma. She insisted on performing many of the stunts in the film that doubles had been lined up for. She overtakes the big screen with her portrayal of a woman facing the challenges of aging. She charms with a sweet smile, but when the going gets tough in her tale of recovering her stolen money, she is a “woman on fire.” It’s obvious the lines on her face and the white hair have been earned with a tenacity she imbues to a character she surely must like and admire.
Roundtree is the perfect foil to Squibb’s relentlessness. He is grand as the quiet, thoughtful Ben who is comfortable in his assisted living residence. He realizes the accommodations that eventually become necessary for those for whom living alone in a house becomes too much of a burden. Roundtree will be missed greatly. At eighty-two, he was still so handsome and brought a commanding presence to the screen.
Parker Posey and Clark Gregg are excellent as the helicopter parents of Danny, Thelma’s adoring grandson. Hechinger, who plays Danny, is engaging in the role of the ne’er do well grandson who can’t seem to get his life going. His hair needed a little spray, though. It drove me crazy, falling over his face. It must have driven him crazy also, as he was constantly pushing it back where it never stayed.
Malcolm McDowell makes a welcome return to the big screen as Harvey, the villain who is unexpectedly part of Thelma’s age group. He is marvelous as Thelma’s nemesis and exudes maliciousness and a bit of tenderness that finally touches even Thelma.
This film has two stories that are intertwined to deliver both entertainment and a glimpse into the real challenges faced by adults living day to day in the problematic eldest years of life. Ben is haunted when he visits an old friend who sits alone in her house, dressed and ready to go out but unable to resume her previous life filled with parties and dancing. A single roach running across the floor symbolizes her decline and her need to move on to perhaps a brighter situation. That symbol appears again later with the same message, but this time to Thelma herself.
This film is touching and hilarious. It is endearing and also piercing. There is laughter within the words and the actions, but sadness also. I saw so much joy in this film. Squibb as Thelma is captivating and irresistible. Roundtree is fabulous as her comic foil and her loving friend. I fear only the older generation will experience or appreciate this story and these characters. I hope, however, that everyone, no matter their age, will be entertained and touched by the charming characters in Thelma. In a brief epilogue, the audience is blessed by the delightful appearance of the real Thelma. Well done, grandson!
In Theaters Friday, June 21st
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