Eleanor and Bessie live somewhere in the Florida retirement world. They've been best friends for years, and now are roommates after the passing of both their spouses. Eleanor, the ever-spicy June Squibb who always elevates every production, suffers a tremendous loss when Bessie (Rita Zohar) suddenly passes away. Her daughter, Lisa (Jessica Hecht) and grandson Max (Will Price) encourage Eleanor to relocate to their apartment in Manhattan, not realizing the uncontrollable tornado they are unleashing in their midst.
Eleanor the Great is a simple story about family and trust, and first-time Director Scarlett Johansson wrangles all the moving pieces with love and care. Eleanor 'adopts' a young woman, Nina (Erin Kelllyman), who has also suffered a serious personal loss, and is struggling to make sense of her new world. Her dad, Roger, (Chiwetel Elijofor), is too buried in his own grief to help Nina, until she introduces Eleanor's story into his arena. Roger is an anchor on a cable information program, and is so enthused by the story of Eleanor's past - that she's a Holocaust survivor - that he encourages the friendship, sensing that it would work well for a segment about special NY city residents.
The only problem, and one the viewer is well aware of, is that this survivor story is NOT Eleanor's to tell. Eleanor herself gets so wrapped up in her reborn Jewish identity and the bond she feels with the other survivors, that she, with the encouragement of Nina, finds a local Rabbi and convinces him to let her have a Bat Mitzvah. A ceremony she missed as a young girl ... because she was never a 13-year old Jewish girl.
Johansson successfully balances rooting for Eleanor to make friends and succeed in her new enviroment, with keeping the audience in the know that there will eventually be an uncomfortable reveal. Eleanor the Great is a very human film, one that feels akin to putting on an old, comfortable sweater. It's a celebration of finding your identity among the people you choose to be your family.
Florida's Film, Television and the Arts Magazine
