[complextv contentid=“JvZDZ3NzE6LjqPmZMpQqUAVy-3tQrYR6” sitename=“collider” playerid=“26aa5f02d93f4c05a4546f6d5ecb59b7” adsetid=“67a3ff9d3a842ae818bb9de1badc5b0” width=“640” height=“360” keywords=""]-Greta Gerwig, who emerged from the “mumblecore” scene, has made three great films withNoah BaumbachÂthat’s given herself a calling card of wit, infectious over-confidence and warm companionship. She co-wrote two of those films with Baumbauch, the equally charmingÂFrances HaÂandÂMistress America. But 2016 was a pivotal year for the actress in stepping out of that partnership to work with other emerging auteurs. Last year, Gerwig had a small but important role inÂPablo Larrain’sÂJackie, as Jackie Kennedy’s assistant and friendly companion. But her turn inÂMike Mills’Â20th Century WomenÂisÂrevelatory for the actress.InÂ20th Century WomenÂshe plays Abbie, a punk rocker when punk rock was ending in the UK but just starting in Southern California, in 1979 Santa Barbara. She’s also a photographer. But where Gerwig reaches new dramatic highs is from Abbie’s battle with cervical cancer which has left her barren at an age where childbearing would start to enter her life thoughts. As you may gather from the title of the film, Mills' (Beginners) new film is about women, but specifically it’s about how many essays and pop culture moments talk about women sharing a collective experience,Â20th Century WomenÂis about the distinct differences between individual women in generational thought, emotional allowances and whether motherhood defines their being. The story itself is simple. A single mother (Annette Bening) asks two younger women (Gerwig andÂElle Fanning) to help raise her son (Lucas Jade Zumann). The results are touching, intensely human and perfect for the moment.[caption id=“attachment_603161” align=“alignright” width=“360”]Image via A24[/caption]For Gerwig, it’s understandable why she’s appealed to young directors. She has a DIY spark. InÂ20th Century WomenÂshe maintains that but she also fully blossoms into a complete actress, outside the comfort of her own scripts. It’s one of the best supporting performances of the year. And back in December, I got the chance to talk to her about the music in the film, how the cast chose songs as ice-breakers and her repetition of the word “menstruation” for a scene that took hours to shoot.Check out our interview above and also my print interview withMillsabout his punk aesthetics and the necessity for DIY artistic spaces. We’re also giving away tickets toÂ20th Century WomenÂfor multiple citiesâscreening tonight. Find out if yours is onthe list and RSVP; it’s a highlyrecommendedfilm.20th Century WomenÂexpands January 13.
With 20th Century Women, acclaimed filmmaker Mike Mills (the Academy Award®- winning Beginners) brings us a richly multilayered, funny, heart-stirring celebration of the complexities of women, family, time, and the connections we search for our whole lives. Set in Santa Barbara, the film follows Dorothea Fields (Annette Bening), a determined single mother in her mid-50s who is raising her adolescent son, Jamie (newcomer Lucas Jade Zumann, in a breakout performance) at a moment brimming with cultural change and rebellion. Dorothea enlists the help of two younger women in Jamieâs upbringing â via Abbie (Greta Gerwig), a free-spirited punk artist living as a boarder in the Fieldsâ home, and Julie (Elle Fanning), a savvy and provocative teenage neighbor. 20th Century Women is a poignant love letter to the people who raise us â and the times that form us â as this makeshift family forges fragile connections that will mystify and inspire them through their lives.
