Ricki and the Flash

Mamie Gummer looks like Sean Penn in this. Sorry for the hard hitting review.

A schmaltzy, preachy, extremely hackneyed melodrama completely at odds with writer Diablo Cody's captivating "Juno" and "Young Adult", and a definite step down from director Jonathan Demme's previous film, "Master Builder".

It wasn't too bad, but it wasn't too good either. These family dramas have been done to death by now & this one doesn't really offer much new. There were a couple of nice moments, but nothing truly special. Streep & the rest of the cast were fine. A lot of the musical performances were some of the worst parts about the film. There were just too many & they went on too long and became tedious as well as contrived. It kind of seemed like they were just trying to make up the running time.

Good music and solid performances stop Ricki and the Flash from feeling as predictable it is, but in the end you've seen this story before. There are some laughs, particularly from Mamie Gummer's interactions with her mother, but it's a been-there, seen-that situation.

You have to wonder why actors of the calibre of Streep and Kline chose to appear in this film in which they are given nothing of substance to work with, just shadows of characters. Demme's filmography is odd. It's a bland and predictable film, but not altogether bad if you don't want to be made to work at all as the viewer.

As always, Streep elevates the material she chooses far beyond where it would normally fall, but even with a great supporting cast, the script doesn't hold up. The music sequences are great, though.

This movie feels like it was made by a bunch of people who haven't been outside in 30 years, and not in a good way. It's a good time for pretty much no one. Streep is wildly out of her element, and though the story seems ripe for Demme's oddball humanism, the script is loaded with contrivances that prevent him from digging in. I wish it had just the slightest bit of edge.

I found this to be a cute, fun movie. The music was good, it was engaging, great acting... the story was a bit lacking... it had potential to be more, but it was fine and fun as it was.

A family drama populated by annoying characters that seem right at home in Diablo's hipsteresque writing. However, the movie hits peaks with its performances of Ricki's original song and "Drift Away".

Move along, folks, nothing to see here. A family drama that's as about as predictable as they come, the best lines of which were used in the trailer. Streep continues to be the best actress alive. I think we're all ready for Jonathan Demme to go back to darker places again. Ah, you know, I'd be harder on this, but the truth is I came out of it with my usual soggy attitude lifted a centimetre or two, so it gets a shrugged pass.

Ricki and the Flash misses the mark completely. Barring a few sweet interactions at the end, this movie's comedy is ineffectual and its drama forced and banal. Streep's zany performance comes across as bland, while Kline is wasted.

little things elevate a film that's otherwise far too easy/familiar. it still has a very low ceiling; i think people are overstating its case as a reaction against its ostensible 'minor'-ness (it makes R G MARRIED seem major), but maybe they just connect far more deeply with this brand of r'n'r than i do (guess you couldn't really build this kinda movie around the wipers, jesus lizard and jag panzer, alas). still, as hollywood feel-good musicals written by diablo cody go, it's pretty good.

There are two movies rolled into one here. On one hand you have a really cliched family drama that makes its way to a predictable ending. Then you have the wonderful 80s rock musical side of the film, which is completely delightful and features a great turn from Meryl Streep (as is the case any time she sings in a movie). The latter part of the movie was fun enough for me to overlook the other, which had me rolling my eyes at the tropes and hammy dialogue.

Ricki and the Flash has its problems, of course. The language is sometimes harsh. The behavior we see can be inexcusable, the mindsets and worldviews skewed. But in spite of its imperfections and sometimes through them, this music-loving movie shows us how important familial bonds are. How the bad decisions we make as parents can deeply impact, and wound, our children. And how, in the midst of these mistakes, we must move forward. This is a story that, in its own damaged way, is about family, he

The best part is the drug scene as it's proof we're less scared depicting pot in movies...

I tried hard to find things to like while watching this, but it lacked even the warmth that I thought was inevitable. A serious waste of Meryl Streep.

Dull characters and dialogues, very average, even Maryl can't save it.

This film is mostly by the numbers but it does work. Meryl Streep is very charming in the lead role and the rest of the cast is also good here. The script does not have a lot of surprises. Overall I would recommend this film.

Great cast, love to see Meryl sing, but sorta underdeveloped.

Count me in the Scott Tobias camp on this one.

What a truly egregious ending that kind of feels like one of those "and then everyone applauded me" internet memes turned into the climax of a film.

Meryl Streep is perfect once again, but the film lacks interesting dialogues that could add profundity to its plot. The music stole away the scene, and to me it felt more like a rock homage than a movie really about those characters.

Unnecessary movie about nothing specialy. It aint a disaster but aint a solid work of art either. Poor screenplay, poor performances and poor executions.

At times it tries to hard to be an emotional piece about how much drama can be inflicted on those you leave behind, except when you watch the main character role up to mansion and see the house her family has lived in, you realize that essentially her leaving made no real difference in their lives. It's preachy about dreams and happiness and how quickly things can change, but neatly wraps everything up with a cutesy little family outing. Another film that tried to make a point but really doesnt.

Feels like the film where Demme finally gets his all-inclusive humanism right. He also chooses the right songs to carry the deep love and regret engendered by the Ricki character. Diablo Cody dials down the snark and - even if the groundwork of the story is commonplace - writes one perfectly executed scene after the other. It really got to me, and not just because it climaxes with a Springsteen song.

Ricki and the Flash (2015) is Meryl Streep wanting to do a rock variation of Mamma Mia! (2008), including being more of a rebel. But seriously who snubs their noses at guitar music so light pop as this?! They play it out as if she was a total freak, but it was painfully obvious that there was no edge here at all.

really funny

Good job, actors. Good job, Meryl Streep's voice. Cause she can sing. And I mean, she can really fucking sing, man.

Visually, this is undeniably a Demme film. Unfortunately, it lacks much of an emotional punch to move it past its fairly predictable trajectory. It is hard not to compare this to Rachel Getting Married, and that does bode well for it. Still, Springfield and Streep are earnest enough to give some good monologues and create some decent drama.