Curator Watchlist
A well-meaning political-family dramedy with a polished cast and a few appealing Brooksian rhythms, but the consensus suggests it feels dated, overearnest, and dramatically thin. If you like sincere, talky, old-school liberal comedy-drama, there may be enough charm to sample; otherwise it sounds more frustrating… Read more
Where to watch: Buy
Thu · 1h 55m
Director: James L. Brooks
Starring: Emma Mackey, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jack Lowden
An idealistic young politician juggles familial issues and a challenging work life while preparing to take over the job of her mentor, the state’s longtime incumbent governor.
James L. Brooks
Emma Mackey, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jack Lowden
A well-meaning political-family dramedy with a polished cast and a few appealing Brooksian rhythms, but the consensus suggests it feels dated, overearnest, and dramatically thin. If you like sincere, talky, old-school liberal comedy-drama, there may be enough charm to sample; otherwise it sounds more frustrating than rewarding.
Ella McCay aims for the kind of humane, character-first comedy-drama James L. Brooks has built a career on: smart people, messy families, and civic ideals colliding in public and private. The setup has a clean hook, and the cast sounds game, but the response points to a film that leans hard on sincerity without earning enough complexity around it.
What emerges is less a biting political portrait than a nostalgic fantasy of decent governance and emotional repair. That can be comforting if you’re in the mood for a soft-focus, dialogue-driven ensemble piece, but it also seems to leave the movie exposed as out of step with the moment it’s trying to speak to.
The strongest appeal here is likely tonal rather than dramatic: a few funny, observant exchanges, a capable lead, and the familiar Brooks interest in people trying to do the right thing imperfectly. But for many viewers, the movie’s earnestness and retro worldview will feel more quaint than moving.
zoë rose bryant (4★) · 2117 likes
i’m a neurotic brunette who can’t help but see the best in people of course i ate this up
Jake (1.5★) · 1979 likes
Baffling. 50% of all scenes end with characters earnestly saying "i love you" to each other. Set during 2008 for no discernible reason. Emma Mackey's performance like a parody of 1930s Capra. This should've been a novel. The man who made Broadcast News and Terms of Endearment so beyond out of touch at 85 sitting on a fortune from the Simpsons, writing a story about Leslie Knope doing good things in a flawed but redeemable political system. Every scene insists
vivdagoat 🍎🍂🐞 (3★) · 1839 likes
anxious agoraphobic son or girlboss governor daughter
Matt Minton (2★) · 1468 likes
I love how they had to set this over 15 years ago to incorporate an uplifting message about U.S. politics
cerys (2★) · 1146 likes
my ella mccay headcannon is that they never specify which state she was born in because they’re trying to hide the fact that she’s a republican. she definitely isn’t btw
A sharper, more incisive James L. Brooks film about ambition, ideals, and emotional self-sabotage in a professional world.
For viewers drawn to Brooks’s blend of warmth, family conflict, and big-feeling emotional scenes.
A smart political film that understands how public idealism gets compromised by the machinery around it.
A satirical, insider political dramedy that balances campaign chaos with character comedy.
A glossy, optimistic political romance-drama with similar faith in decency and governance.
If you want politics with more bite, irony, and a clearer sense of institutional absurdity.
A crowd-pleasing political comedy built around idealism, public image, and the fantasy of better leadership.
A family-centered dramedy that mixes liberal self-image with domestic friction and emotional honesty.
For a more acerbic, anxiety-soaked portrait of family pressure and moral uncertainty.
A sharper family drama about intellect, ego, and the damage adults do while trying to be principled.
An upbeat, character-driven workplace film about ambition, competence, and self-invention.
For the career-pressure side of the story, with stronger comic momentum and clearer stakes.
politics, family dysfunction, coming-of-age in adulthood, idealism, public service, work-life balance, sentimentality, generational conflict
political dramedy, family drama, earnest tone, ensemble cast, workplace politics, sentimental, character-driven, liberal idealism, 2000s setting, dialogue-heavy