Director Jonathan Demme’s “Ricki and the Flash” takes a while to anchor itself, but when it does it strikes a resonant chord. In a touching wake up call for distraught Ricki (Meryl Streep), boyfriend Greg (Rick Springfield) says, “Is that it? It doesn’t matter if you kids love you or not! It’s not their job to love you! It’s your job to love them! That’s why you were put here!” Rick Springfield steals this scene as Streep’s Ricki comes to the realization that a mother’s love is unconditional. There is more to “Ricki and the Flash” than its seemingly superfluous title, and quirky dialogue quips. Meryl Streep is powerful and authentic in a completely unrecognizable role. Some of its diversion and abbreviations are forgiven because underneath it all the story is about family, love and surrender.
Jonathan Demme, who directed “Silence of the Lambs” and “Rachel Getting Married”, does some astonishing magic with live takes of “The Flash” doing song covers from Tom Petty to Lady Gaga. Streep sings all the songs and spent months learning to play rhythm guitar. She is good. Demme also assembled some world-class rock musicians for The Flash. Springfield truly shreds on guitar, showcasing his artistic prowess—illustrating “Jessie’s Girl” is just part of his resume. He also evokes surprising acting chops.
Demme directs from a screenplay by Diablo Cody, who wrote “Juno”. This is not as brilliant as “Juno”. Given the gravity of circumstance that summons Ricki (Streep) to return to Indianapolis to console her suffering daughter Julie (Streep’s real-life daughter Mamie Grummer), the narrative gets lost despite establishing visceral family turmoil. Oddly, the first scenes with Streep and Grummer feel forced. Cody takes a strange detour opting for a conventional third act. Demme may forget at times that he directing a linear family drama instead of concert movie. Wisely, he empowers his actors to trust the camera as he captures poignant personal exchanges. Here Streep rescues the movie as her Ricki fearlessly transforms and forgives. She is awesome.
As “Ricki and the Flash” opens the band performs “American Girl” in a dive bar Salt Well in Tarzana. Greg is Ricki’s lead guitarist and sometimes boyfriend for the relation adverse Ricki. Ricki is also Linda, who left her family to come to Los Angeles to pursue her dream of becoming a rock star. Things did not turn out as expected. She is broke. When she is not singing with her cover band, she is a checkout clerk at the local Total Foods. Ricki takes a call from ex-husband Pete (sad and solid Kevin Klein). Pete, a wealthy attorney, pleads for Ricki to return home to care for their daughter Julie (Grummer), who is in the midst of a breakdown. His current wife Maureen (pleasantly arrogant Audra McDonald) is out of town. Julie’s marriage ended when her husband leaves her for another woman. Upon returning home Ricki discovers that Julie also had attempted suicide.
The initial chemistry of Streep and Grummer is unsettling. Theirs is too much bravado and not enough nuanced anger. Grummer holds her own with her Mom—fiercely vulnerable. As Cody’s story unfolds, so transforms their bond. “Sometimes all a girl needs is her Mom.” Ricki did not want to forfeit either dream: family and career. The aftermath of her being absent Mom culminates when she reunites with her estranged sons, Josh and Adam. Josh (Sebastian Stan) introduces his fiancée Emily (Hailey Gates), whom Ricki dislikes. Adam (Nick Westgate) explains to his Mom that he is really gay. Clearly, Ricki has not been doing her job as Mom.
Fortunately, Ricki’s lifeline back home is Greg. Springfield is rock solid as Greg, the voice and heart of humanity in “Ricki and the Flash”. Springfield is amazing. He is having a deserved actor’s Renaissance.
Streep’s emergence as Ricki is believable with her raw emotion and her will to make amends. With Springfield’s gravitas and lightness, we get that she can transform into the Mom her estranged kids need and will ultimately love. Cody has a glaring narrative disconnect with Julie halfway through as the focus shifts to Ricki and Greg. This is forgivable in context.
In the end hearing Ricki sing a classic Bruce Springsteen cover will touch your heart and remind us that: Sometimes we all need our Mom.
—
The Good Men Project is different from most media companies. We are a “participatory media company”—which means we don’t just have content you read and share and comment on but it means we have multiple ways you can actively be a part of the conversation. As you become a deeper part of the conversation—The Conversation No One Else is Having—you will learn all of the ways we support our Writers’ Community—community FB groups, weekly conference calls, classes in writing, editing platform building and How to Create Social Change.
◊♦◊
Here are more ways to become a part of The Good Men Project community:
Request to join our private Facebook Group for Writers—it’s like our virtual newsroom where you connect with editors and other writers about issues and ideas.
Click here to become a Premium Member of The Good Men Project Community. Have access to these benefits:
- Get access to an exclusive “Members Only” Group on Facebook
- Join our Social Interest Groups—weekly calls about topics of interest in today’s world
- View the website with no ads
- Get free access to classes, workshops, and exclusive events
- Be invited to an exclusive weekly “Call with the Publisher” with other Premium Members
- Commenting badge.
Are you stuck on what to write? Sign up for our Writing Prompts emails, you’ll get ideas directly from our editors every Monday and Thursday. If you already have a final draft, then click below to send your post through our submission system.
If you are already working with an editor at GMP, please be sure to name that person. If you are not currently working with a GMP editor, one will be assigned to you.
◊♦◊
Are you a first-time contributor to The Good Men Project? Submit here:
◊♦◊
Have you contributed before and have a Submittable account? Use our Quick Submit link here:
◊♦◊
Do you have previously published work that you would like to syndicate on The Good Men Project? Click here:
Join our exclusive weekly “Call with the Publisher” — where community members are encouraged to discuss the issues of the week, get story ideas, meet other members and get known for their ideas? To get the call-in information, either join as a member or wait until you get a post published with us. Here are some examples of what we talk about on the calls.
Want to learn practical skills about how to be a better Writer, Editor or Platform Builder? Want to be a Rising Star in Media? Want to learn how to Create Social Change? We have classes in all of those areas.
While you’re at it, get connected with our social media:
- To join our Facebook Page, go here.
- To sign up for our email newsletter, go here.
- To follow The Good Men Project on Twitter, go here.
◊♦◊
However, you engage with The Good Men Project—you can help lead this conversation about the changing roles of men in the 21st century. Join us!
◊♦◊
We have pioneered the largest worldwide conversation about what it means to be a good man in the 21st century. Your support of our work is inspiring and invaluable.
The Good Men Project is an Amazon.com affiliate. If you shop via THIS LINK, we will get a small commission and you will be supporting our Mission while still getting the quality products you would have purchased, anyway! Thank you for your continued support!