'Ella McCay': easy to watch, hard to remember

Ella McCay, directed by James L. Brooks, is a heartwarming film that follows the complicated, difficult life of a young woman played by Emma Mackey.

Her life becomes symbiotic with success and pain shown through various time jumps between her traumatic past and hopeful future. Whilst the emotional fuel that powers the movie is strong and connecting, the writing falls flat in some parts. Brooks’ writing feels dated and cluttered, with him unable to successfully cover a multitude of topics from family and marriage to loss and love.

The dynamic that the movie hinges on is between the titular character, played by Emma Mackey, and her father, Edie McCay, played by Woody Harrelson. The father is seen as a ‘serial’ cheater, with him flirting at his wife’s funeral and cheating at his workplace. This relationship balances sadness and comedy successfully and helps guide the movie.

However, this relationship sometimes feels one-sided, as even though it is from Ella’s point of view, his character does not feel fully fleshed out due to the writing not allowing any room for evolution. The multiple storylines in the film never seem to pay off; there is no evolution or coherent message for the audience. Some storylines are lacklustre, and some never get to live long enough, such as Ella’s mother in the film, who seems wasted. She isn’t allowed to completely debate her emotions of love and betrayal felt towards her husband’s infidelity, as she dumps her children on Aunt Hellena, the heart of the movie.

Jamie Lee Curtis does an incredible job in her role that the script allows; she seems to be a freeing force that helps Ella throughout the film, seen through their cathartic scream together. Emma Mackey is by far the best part of the movie due to her charisma, intelligence, and wit. She makes this movie incredibly easy to watch, and without her, this movie would not fulfil its potential.

The cinematography displays the return of the beloved family comedy genre, but the writing fails to do so and leaves this genre dead and buried. I would recommend this movie as more fun than good and would wait to watch it on streaming, as the incredible experience of in-person cinema is not worth the film itself.