Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 1 hour, 37 minutes
Inspired by a real-life storyline that happened to writer and director Josh Margolin’s grandmother, “Thelma” tells the story of a 93-year-old grandmother who is tricked into mailing $10,000 when she thinks her grandson is in trouble. Once she realizes this was all a lie, she tries to figure out a way to get that money back – but she can’t do it alone.
Thelma (Squibb) is very close with her grandson, Danny (Hechinger). When she receives a call from a scammer whom she thinks is Danny telling her he’s been in an accident and needs $10,000 for bail, she follows the instructions and sends the money through the post office. She later finds out Danny is fine and that this is a fairly common scam.
The police cannot help, because she’s already mailed the money. It’s at this point that her daughter Gail (Posey) wonders if living alone is the best thing for Thelma.
When Thelma sees an article about Tom Cruise, who she was recently informed does all his own stunts, she decides she’s going to get her money back. She has the address of where she mailed it to, now she just needs a way to get there, as she no longer drives.
Thelma visits her friend, Ben (Roundtree) and lets him in on her plan. She steals his scooter but doesn’t get very far. After Thelma threatens to test his titanium hip, Ben won’t let her go on this excursion alone. She leaves without letting her family know what she’s doing. They soon worry and try to get her declared a missing person.
“We’re not what we were, and we need to take care of each other,” says Ben.
They have an argument, and something happens to hinder their transportation. Thelma may be in over her head.
After a while, Ben returns to Thelma. She makes some personal confessions. They catch a ride to the address where the post office box is located. They may have tracked down the individual who took her money.
Based on writer and director Josh Margolin’s real-life experience with his actual grandmother who was almost tricked by scammers pretending to be him. While this movie is a bit of a slow burn to start, it’s worth sticking around for. I’m generally not a fan of June Squibb, but this performance was different; it was the first time in her extensive acting career that she played a starring role.
At the age of 94, Squibb did most of her own stunts. It is funny in parts, while also being sad with the characters acknowledgment of realizing that sometimes you need to ask for help and Thelma admitting that a lot of her friends (and her husband) are gone. There is a very sweet relationship between grandson and grandmother. I did wish this was more of an action-comedy, but there is some action. It’s a reminder that you’re never too old to accomplish a goal – even if you cannot do it alone. I found the interactions with the older family members well-represented and heartfelt. This one is worth watching with relatives of any age.
Three and a quarter out of five stars.
Available to rent. <
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