Miss You Already
Starring: Toni Collette and Drew Barrymore
Directed by: Catherine Hardwicke
Rated: PG-13
Birth and death are two of the most commonly approached topics in film. The entrance and exit of life are fascinating human topics.Miss You Already introduces a woman facing death and a woman welcoming new life. Does this concept flow naturally or ultimately fall flat?
Jess (Drew Barrymore) and Milly (Toni Collette) have been best friends since elementary school. They've been there for each other through every major life event. When everything seems to be going well in their personal lives, Millie is diagnosed with cancer. At the same time, Jess gets pregnant. The film deals with Jess and Millie's friendship and their family relationship's throughout the tumultuous time.
Toni Collette plays Milly, the film's central focus. Milly is a PR executive with a husband and family. She has been best friends with Jess since they were kids. Milly is diagnosed with cancer near the beginning of the film. It comes as a shock to everyone around her. As we watch Milly's cancer and her treatment progress, we see the emotional toll it takes on her and her family. Here's the deal: they could've taken Milly's character in a lot of different directions, but she was obnoxious. It was truly devastating that she had cancer, but on a personal level, it became difficult to watch her character. She's selfish, arrogant, rude, and unappreciative. I thought the film was trying to make a statement that her diagnosis was causing her to act out, which actually would have been an interesting dynamic. Then we're lead to believe that she's acted that way her whole life. I understand that everyone has flaws, but she was horrible. She's a selfish bully who never thinks of anyone but herself.
Drew Barrymore plays Jess. Jess' job has something to do with volunteering. They never specifically say, they just show a picture of her volunteering and then a few shots of her in front of a computer. The important thing is she wants to have a baby. That is 60% of her storyline. The other 40% is her being Milly's emotional support system/human doormat. Drew Barrymore is the highlight of this film due to her kind demeanor and lighthearted energy.
I appreciate that this film was told through the perspective of two female leads. I also appreciate that it focuses on a female friendship, something that is rare in film today. However, I'm not going to give a film a good rating just because it has female friendships or female leads. It needs to be a good movie. Miss You Already seems to assume, if you are a woman, you will automatically love it. That was not the case for me. Ultimately, we know this film is trying to make you cry. By the end, it feels like it will do that just for the sake of being a tear-jerker. It doesn't seem to care about the fact that it completely lacks empathy or well-rounded characters. There's no real emotional resonance present here.
Miss You Already is a poorly-written, predictable, wannabe-tearjerker. You won't be missing anything by skipping this one.
My Rating: 3/10