Eleanor the Great — A Film Review
She’s Rude, She’s Messy, and By the End You’ll Love Her Completely.
When we first meet Eleanor, played by the incomparable June Squibb, she is obnoxious, rude, and exhausting. Yes, she’s 90 years old — but age alone doesn’t excuse bad behavior, and the film to its credit doesn’t ask us to look the other way simply because she’s older. Then her best friend dies. And everything changes.
Suddenly every sharp word lands differently. You don’t just tolerate her — you forgive her. When she tells a lie that unravels into something far bigger than she bargained for, you don’t judge her — you lean in and whisper, “Oh, Eleanor… why did you do that?” It’s a transformation reminiscent of Clint Eastwood’s Walt Kowalski in Gran Torino and Tom Hanks as Otto Anderson in A Man Called Otto — yes, the archetype has been visited before, but Eleanor the Great earns its place in that company.
A Story About Being Seen
We Three Tomatoes know this feeling well — that moment when women of a certain age simply become invisible. Eleanor refuses to disappear. Her fierce independence isn’t just stubbornness — it’s survival. This film, directed by Scarlett Johansson in a remarkably assured feature directorial debut, gives Eleanor a voice, a friendship, and a second act most films wouldn’t dare write for a 90-year-old woman.
When Chemistry Is Everything
June Squibb delivers a masterclass in comedic timing and emotional depth. And right there beside her is Erin Kellyman as Nina, the young journalism student who becomes Eleanor’s unlikely confidante. Kellyman brings warmth and quiet emotional strength — the two actresses create something together that neither could achieve alone. Their chemistry is the heartbeat of this film.
Eleanor the Great will make you tear up more than once — and you will be grateful for every tear. Highly recommended. Don’t forget the tissues.
Roni Jenkins is a founding partner in The Three Tomatoes. She shares her social media and digital marketing savvy with the 3Ts. She is a Mom of three young children, is actively involved in several non-profit organization, including UN Women and the National MS Society and loves to run in the mud. She is inspired by her Mom and other women who have paved the way for working moms like her to be able to balance work and life. She is co-author (with her Mom) of a humorous book of quips, “Martini Wisdom.”
