MISS YOU ALREADY
***
Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Screenwriter: Morwenna Banks
Principal cast:
Toni Collette
Drew Barrymore
Paddy Considine
Dominic Cooper
Lucinda Raikes
Shola Adewusi
Country: UK
Classification: M
Runtime: 112 mins.
Australian release date: 8 October 2015
The ‘big C’ does not discriminate and in Catherine Hardwicke’s, Miss You Already, we are confronted with a situation that will be uncomfortably familiar to anyone who has lost a friend prematurely because of it. In this case the story takes us on a journey with two women who have shared everything since childhood, although they are very different and live their lives quite independently of each other.
Jess (Drew Barrymore) is an environmentalist who lives with her husband Jago (Paddy Considine) on a Bohemian houseboat on a London canal. Her ‘bestie’ is Milly (Toni Collette), a ‘rock chick’ with a high-flying PR job, living life in the fast lane with her husband Kit (Dominic Cooper) and their two children in an upscale townhouse. The women’s life-long friendship is severely tested when Milly is diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer (we learn that she has not had regular checks as she was always too busy) and Jess discovers that she has finally fallen pregnant after trying unsuccessfully for many years. Her dilemma is that, although they’ve always shared their most intimate secrets, she finds it impossible to share her joy with her best friend when Milly is going through hell.
There are some wonderful scenes between the two as we discover that they are polar opposites and yet their respect and love for one another knows no bounds. We learn this through a rapid series of flashbacks through their early years (various actresses play them at 10, 13 and 21 years of age). The big test of the friendship comes when, in the midst of her illness, Milly coerces Jess into accompanying her on a journey that will allow her to break free from her worries, albeit for a brief moment, and Jess finds she has been used. At this point Morwenna Bank’s script concentrates on relationships and their worth when faced with challenging circumstances and issues of trust. Naturally, the relationships with the women’s partners and families are also placed under scrutiny.
To label this film as just a tear-jerker would be too simplistic. Miss You Already succeeds in bringing to the screen a heart-breaking tale that crosses cultural and social barriers. The fact that the location is London, looking fabulous, and the girls are both living lives that are solid and, in some ways, perfect on the surface, somehow makes the tragedy even more insidious. Collette’s performance is simply devastating and the scene where her head is shaved leaves us in no doubt about her acting abilities. Barrymore’s solid friendship and concern is also pitch perfect and they are ably supported by their on-screen partners. It is interesting to note that Jennifer Aniston was originally cast as Milly and Collette was chosen for the role as Jess. When Aniston reneged, Collette apparently decided to swap roles and approached Barrymore to play her gal-pal and it worked!
On the surface, Miss You Already is a film that may appeal to women more than men, but don’t dismiss the fact that both sexes can weep in the dark, judging by the preview screening I attended. Take your tissues... you can pass them to your partner!
Screenwriter: Morwenna Banks
Principal cast:
Toni Collette
Drew Barrymore
Paddy Considine
Dominic Cooper
Lucinda Raikes
Shola Adewusi
Country: UK
Classification: M
Runtime: 112 mins.
Australian release date: 8 October 2015
The ‘big C’ does not discriminate and in Catherine Hardwicke’s, Miss You Already, we are confronted with a situation that will be uncomfortably familiar to anyone who has lost a friend prematurely because of it. In this case the story takes us on a journey with two women who have shared everything since childhood, although they are very different and live their lives quite independently of each other.
Jess (Drew Barrymore) is an environmentalist who lives with her husband Jago (Paddy Considine) on a Bohemian houseboat on a London canal. Her ‘bestie’ is Milly (Toni Collette), a ‘rock chick’ with a high-flying PR job, living life in the fast lane with her husband Kit (Dominic Cooper) and their two children in an upscale townhouse. The women’s life-long friendship is severely tested when Milly is diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer (we learn that she has not had regular checks as she was always too busy) and Jess discovers that she has finally fallen pregnant after trying unsuccessfully for many years. Her dilemma is that, although they’ve always shared their most intimate secrets, she finds it impossible to share her joy with her best friend when Milly is going through hell.
There are some wonderful scenes between the two as we discover that they are polar opposites and yet their respect and love for one another knows no bounds. We learn this through a rapid series of flashbacks through their early years (various actresses play them at 10, 13 and 21 years of age). The big test of the friendship comes when, in the midst of her illness, Milly coerces Jess into accompanying her on a journey that will allow her to break free from her worries, albeit for a brief moment, and Jess finds she has been used. At this point Morwenna Bank’s script concentrates on relationships and their worth when faced with challenging circumstances and issues of trust. Naturally, the relationships with the women’s partners and families are also placed under scrutiny.
To label this film as just a tear-jerker would be too simplistic. Miss You Already succeeds in bringing to the screen a heart-breaking tale that crosses cultural and social barriers. The fact that the location is London, looking fabulous, and the girls are both living lives that are solid and, in some ways, perfect on the surface, somehow makes the tragedy even more insidious. Collette’s performance is simply devastating and the scene where her head is shaved leaves us in no doubt about her acting abilities. Barrymore’s solid friendship and concern is also pitch perfect and they are ably supported by their on-screen partners. It is interesting to note that Jennifer Aniston was originally cast as Milly and Collette was chosen for the role as Jess. When Aniston reneged, Collette apparently decided to swap roles and approached Barrymore to play her gal-pal and it worked!
On the surface, Miss You Already is a film that may appeal to women more than men, but don’t dismiss the fact that both sexes can weep in the dark, judging by the preview screening I attended. Take your tissues... you can pass them to your partner!