By Ben Miller
It's always nice to be pleasantly surprised. Julia Hart's Don't Say Good Luck might have all the makings of a nothingburger direct-to-streaming film, but instead delivers a character-focused film filled with emotion and devoid of cliches. It's also one of the unexpectedly great films of the year...
Happy Madison Productions isn't exactly known for touching emotional drama. Producer Adam Sandler has begun shifting away from his self-staring broad comedies towards coming-of-age dramas starring his daughters. There is a bit of a bait-and-switch with the film, as the star has the last name Sandler, Jon Lovitz is comic relief, and Steve Buscemi is there. From the opening frames, this film has no illusions about what film it is and what it wants to be. Characters feel real, there are no real villains, and when people make bad choices, it is consistent with their nature. The only obstacles are the cruel and unfair realities of life you can't control.
Sunny Sandler and Melanie Lynskey
Sunny Sandler stars as Sophie Birenbaum, a 16-year-old theater kid auditioning for a role in her high school's production of Waitress. Meanwhile, Sophie's mom Elizabeth (Melanie Lynskey) discovers her previously beaten cancer has returned. Sophie's dad Ted (Max Greenfield) attempts to navigate all this with Sophie and their two younger sons, along with a successful deli business. Sophie's emotion bleeds into her musical audition, landing her the lead role.
Musical director Ms. Parker (Stephanie Beatriz) continually encourages and works with Sophie on her performance. Sophie's best friend Carolyn (Scarlett Estevez) begins doing other school activities apart from her friend, while Sophie begins to fall for the Jack (Jack Champion), the musical's male lead. Ted invites Elizabeth's parents Dale (Buscemi) and Linda (Bebe Neuwirth) to stay, leading to increased tensions. As opening night gets closer and Elizabeth deteriorates faster, events begin to become too much for Sophie to handle.
The very idea of a Happy Madison Production should lend itself to expectations, but the film subverts them at every turn. You keep expecting cheap, manufactured drama, but it all comes from a real, character-driven place. Shouting matches end abruptly and without much actual resolution. The beautiful popular blonde mean girl is actually pretty sweet and supportive.
On top of all that, this is film that loves theater and theater kids. The filmmakers don't attempt to shoehorn in any characters who are there to quash the hopes and dreams of the members of the production. In fact, there is one scene where a small group makes an off-hand comment about how weird theater kids are, only for the comment to be completely ignored and brushed off. You can tell the filmmakers have genuine respect for musical theater, high school productions, and artistic types, without it ever coming across as pretentious. The inclusion of the music and themes of Waitress lends itself perfectly to the film's premise.
Sandler, despite her comedic lineage, leans much more into the artistic and musical sensibilities. Like many teenagers, she is cripplingly sad, but begins to blossom with her theater ambitions unlocked. She is the primary focus of the film and is able to carry it on her shoulders with confidence and compassion. Lynskey is eternally underrated as an actress. She embodies motherly warmth and empathetic goodness, despite being physically restrained due to her character's condition. Lynskey and Sandler have a gentle and lived-in chemistry, which this film desperately needs. The emotion is driven by each of their performances.
For his part, Greenfield is playing particularly against type. His usual bafoonish comedy styles are tampered down completely, replaced by genial warmth, understanding, and general exhaustion. He never pulls focus away from his female co-stars, but he does do an excellent job in a role that could have gone wrong. Buscemi doesn't get to stick around very long, but he also is restrained in his performance, never opting for broad comedy and sticking to sage wisdom and pleasantness. Beatriz and Neuwirth don't get much to do with their characters, but still do a fine job in their roles.
More than anything, this feels like Adam Sandler letting go of the reigns a bit. This doesn't feel like a Happy Madison Production, it feels like a Julia Hart film, which is what it should feel like. Yes, Sandler injects his familiar faces and his daughter in the lead role, but it never feels like overreaching. It's a film driven by the story and the characters, and it's all the better for it.
Don't Say Good Luck is one of the surprises of the year. Get ready to have your emotions wrecked by a Happy Madison film, believe it or not. B+