Review by James Lindorf
Lilly (Melissa McCarthy) and Jack (Chris O’Dowd) are disgustingly happy until their world comes crashing down in Theodore Melfi’s latest film, “The Starling.” This is the first time Melfi has been in the director’s chair since the incredibly successful “Hidden Figures” five years ago. After the prolonged break, he turned to McCarthy, one of the stars of his first film, “St. Vincent,” to headline this family drama about grief. “The Starling” will have a very limited theatrical release beginning on September 17th before opening on Netflix on the 24th.
Lilly and Jack are the proudest new parents you can imagine while spending time at home painting an elaborate nature scene in their daughter’s nursery. After that lively scene, we jump forward in time to a melancholy Lilly absentmindedly stocking produce and obsessively arranging snack cakes. You instantly know what has happened, even if the movie will wait a while to tell you. As much as she may be struggling, Jack has handled it even worse and is currently living in a residential psychiatric facility after attempting suicide. With Jack refusing to work on their relationship Lilly turns to the things she can fix, like finally mowing the yard and restarting the garden they loved. On the advice of one of Jack’s therapists, she even begins to work on herself. Lilly goes to see a therapist named Larry (Kevin Kline), who’s since quit the business and become a veterinarian. Larry is the perfect person to help her. His past and current professions come in handy when Lilly runs afoul of a territorial bird that prevents her from breathing new life into her yard.
Melfi has more than proven he can work with actors and help them give good to great performances. This holds true here, with McCarthy and O’Dowd making a very believable couple as they each try to navigate this tragedy in their own way. Their grounded performances as real broken people balance out the slapstick comedy that comes with an adult going to war with a bird or having her leg repeatedly humped by an amorous Boston Terrier. The supporting cast is excellent in mostly thankless roles. After Larry, Lilly has Timothy Olyphant and Skyler Gisondo, who play her coworkers. Olyphant plays her manager, whose bark is worse than his bite manager, and Gisondo is a kind-hearted kid who may be slow or high all the time. Supporting O’Dowd, there is nurse Daveed Diggs, Therapist Kimberley Quinn, and fellow patient Loretta Devine. The only one of those three that makes a memorable impact is Divine. She plays a stereotypical character without much depth, but she brings tons of charisma and steals every scene.
The script for “The Starling” was on the inaugural Black List, the semi-official industry ranking of the most well-liked unproduced screenplays in Hollywood. That list was published in 2005. It has been a 16+ year journey from when Matt Harris sat down to write the script and its release just a few days ago. The time between acknowledgment and production could indicate that people liked the general idea but that the writing was a bit rough around the edges. Humor can serve as a shield or salve for people who are hurting, so it is the right instinct to bring humor into what could be a weighty story. The problem is with the style of comedy. It isn’t as bad as many McCarthy movies where you are supposed to laugh because she is overweight and fell down, but it isn’t far off. It didn’t need to be dry highbrow witty humor, but it shouldn’t be on par with “Daddy Day Care.”
“The Starling” isn’t a soaring success with its uneven tone and one of the worst soundtracks I can remember. However, the honest approach to coping with and recovering from a tragedy along with entertaining and moving performances throughout make it a worthwhile watch. Some elements earn a higher score, but as a whole, “The Starling” earns a 3 out of 5.
Rating: PG-13
Director: Theodore Melfi
Producer: Dylan Sellers, Chris Parker, Theodore Melfi, Kimberly Quinn
Writer: Matt Harrist
Release Date (Theaters): September 17th
Release Date (Streaming): September 24th
Runtime: 1h 44m
