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tully-spoiler.jpg

OK, But What If the Major Spoiler in 'Tully' Makes Us Even More Interested In Seeing It?

By Dustin Rowles | Film | May 2, 2018 |

By Dustin Rowles | Film | May 2, 2018 |


tully-spoiler.jpg

A movie called Tully, starring Charlie Theron, Mackenzie Davis, Ron Livingstone and Mark Duplass will be released into 1300 theaters this weekend. “1300 theaters” is code for, “In your local independent film theater” or “on the one screen your multiplex sets aside for films with budgets less than $100 million.” I genuinely don’t know what kind of buzz is surrounding the film, but I think I can charitably call it “modest.”

But here’s the thing: I was going to watch this movie no matter what. It is straight-up in my wheelhouse. It could not get any more wheelhouse-y for me. It’s written by Diablo Cody, whose oeuvre I love. It’s directed by Jason Reitman, and I count Up in the Air as one of my favorite films, Casual a beloved series, and I have always adored the output of Reitman and Cody’s efforts (Juno, Young Adult, also with Theron). And if you’re making a movie for me — a middle-aged white guy who loves art films that aren’t that arty — you could hardly assemble a better cast.

I was going to see this movie no matter what. I didn’t even need to see the trailer. But I watched it anyway. Here, check it out:

OK, that looks like something I’d enjoy. Great cast. Great filmmakers. A movie about motherhood and parenting, and MacKenzie Davis as a night nanny. Cool! I’m in.

But then Mike Ryan over on Uproxx interviewed Reitman about the film, and in the course of that interview, they spoke about the evolution of the movie. Here’s how Reitman put it:

For an hour of the movie, you know what car you’re in. If you’re the audience, you’re like, I’m in the car, I’m watching the movie, everything’s good, groovy, got it. You know, I get the tone. And then it starts to change. And as an audience, you’re going, oh, okay. Maybe the car’s a little different than I thought! Maybe the destination’s a little different than I thought. And then you get to the end and you realize, oh, I’ve been watching a different movie, but I only realize it now.

OK, that’s intriguing. What the hell is he talking about?

At the and of the interview, after several spoiler warnings, Reitman tells Mike the two-sentence logline that Diablo Cody sold him on, which spoils a major twist in the film. Reitman decides to reveal that twist, but only at the bottom of the interview. He also advised everyone to watch the film first and then come back to the interview for the discussion, although he understands that some folks are going to want to read it, anyway.

Look, I mean, you’re always going to have people who are like, I don’t give a fuck, I want to read it anyway. And then they’ll ruin it for themselves. But this gives them the warning that you are actually going to ruin the movie for yourself if you keep reading.

So, here’s the part where I quote Diablo Cody’s two-sentence logline and “ruin” the movie for you, only after I found out what the twist is, I became, instantly, 70 percent more excited about it. I think that for a lot of viewers on the fence about this movie, they may also be more compelled to see it if they know what the twist is.

But also, maybe don’t ruin this for yourself if you already plan to see the movie. Or do, and take someone else, and watch how they react going in blind (watching a great movie with a big twist with someone who doesn’t know it’s coming remains one of my very favorite pastimes. It’s why I had children.).

OK. You have been warned. Get out of you don’t want to know. Seriously.

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You’re still here, aren’t you?

OK, here’s Diablo Cody’s logline:

“I want to write a screenplay about a mother of three suffering from postpartum depression, and a younger version of herself comes to save her.”

Now, watch the trailer again.

Mackenzie Davis plays a younger version of Charlize’s character and knowing that, the trailer is so much more compelling. Mackenzie is not a night nurse talking to her employer. This is two versions of same person from before and after motherhood talking to each other. Charlize feels like she’s let her 20-year-old self down, and her 20-year-old self is trying to get Charlize to understand that she got exactly what she wanted out of life, that the life that Charlize is now leading is the very one that Mackenzie aspired to. That’s a terrific idea, that’s a great message, and now I’m far more excited about the film than I was before I knew the spoiler.

So, thanks Mike Ryan and Jason Reitman (and also, check out the entire review, where they get nerdy about slime).