Parents' Guide to Ella McCay

Writer-director James L. Brooks' imperfect 2008-set comedy is a reminder that they don't make movies like this anymore—for good reason. As Ella McCay unspools, adult viewers may be overcome with a feeling of nostalgic warmth, like stepping back into a happy childhood memory. But as the story settles in, that cozy glow could well be replaced by a disappointing reality setting in. The film's aspects of a bygone sensibility—an earnest heroine, a gentler strain of humor—just don't hold up as well as we might like. Yes, Ella is a woman viewers can root for, but she also lacks the social skillset needed to accomplish her fantastic ideas. Ella is amazing, and she's fully supported by her protective Aunt Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis). But she's undone by the men in her life: Her wayward father, her anxious brother who can't leave the house, and her puppy of a husband, who turns into an opportunistic pit bull the moment that Ella's star rises.

Brooks is clearly wrestling with a world that he wants to get under control, and Ella seems like a response to that: She's the kind of politician that so many people wish existed more often—in it for the right reasons, driven to be a part of the solution, willing to sacrifice personal comfort to help others. And, yet, the reality of the world seeps in. What starts out as the story of a woman who defies the odds turns into a reminder of how those odds rarely bend, no matter how much hard work, good attitude, and positivity you put into the world. Not to worry—Ella will get her happy ending—but viewers, particularly women, aren't likely to walk out feeling quite as reassured. As a dysfunctional dramedy, Ella McCay is relatable for multigenerational family viewing, but the final note feels a bit like Grandma patting your hand and saying, "There, there, dear. We never knew why you tried in the first place."