‘Anniversary’ Takes Domestic Drama to Disturbing Levels: At The Movies With Kasey
Truthfully, when I went to the theater for Anniversary, I had seen just one trailer and gotten excited about the cast, expecting to watch a classic thriller mixed with family drama. I was wholly unprepared for the heaviness of the commentary the film offers.
Anniversary opens on the 25th anniversary party of Ellen (Diane Lane) and Paul Taylor (Kyle Chandler), who are thrilled to have all four of their children home for the occasion. Cynthia (Zoey Deutch) practices environmental law, Anna (Madeline Brewer) is a standup comic on the rise, Birdie (Mckenna Grace) a gifted young scientist, and their son, Josh (Dylan O’Brien), a struggling writer. Perhaps Josh’s mediocrity compared to the brilliant women in his family prepares him to be dazzled by his girlfriend, Liz Nettles (Phoebe Dynevor), and prepared to ride her coattails to power. Liz, a former student of Ellen’s, has written a book offering a provocative new political theory that promises unity but delivers authoritarianism. And, as the film follows the family for the next five years, Ellen threatens to destroy the Taylors from the inside.
The story unfolds almost entirely in the Taylors’ home, developing around the metaphor of the nation as a family or as a house. Gradually, we see both the family and their house deteriorate until, in an explosive ending, the house, now devoid of the furnishings and art that gave it such texture and life, is also vacant. These themes progress clearly without feeling forced or heavy-handed, but at times the screenplay tries to do too much with too many characters, and in the end the message is a bit muddled, perhaps by things unsaid between the members of the Taylor family.
Despite my qualms about the ending, the screenplay beautifully develops the characters, who are portrayed by a stunning cast. As Paul, Kyle Chandler gives one of his best performances yet, bringing an initial lightness to this father figure who believes he can keep the peace by staying above the fray, until it is too late. The chemistry between him and the wonderful Diane Lane provides necessary sweetness at the heart, grounding the family’s story in love and devotion. The casting of the pair’s children is outstanding as Zoey Deutch, Madeline Brewer, and Mckenna Grace vibe off each other with sisterly fun and tension. Like his character, Dylan O’Brien is the weakest link. Meanwhile, Phoebe Dynevor gives a chilling turn as Liz.
Anniversary uses cars and clocks, paintings and dogs to create a rich portrait of an American family that will break your heart and have you holding your breath. Sometimes the themes about daughters self-destructing or the dysfunction of democracies within families are not fully clear, but this tense film provides plenty to sweat, think, and talk about.
Anniversary was written by Lori Rosene-Gambino and Jan Komasa, who directed. It runs 112 minutes and is rated R.
Maybe I thought I was getting myself more into a thriller in the line of The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, the Hulu remake of the 1992 movie. Whereas Anniversary was artful, this thriller runs fully toward the salacious and campy. Full disclosure here: I was in Kindergarten when the original came out, and although I have heard of it over the years, I never watched it before seeing the remake.
In the film, a struggling Type-A mother, Caitlin (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), and her husband, Miguel (Raúl Castillo), take on a mysterious new nanny, Polly (Maika Monroe), to help after the birth of their second daughter. As Polly gets close to their 10-year-old, Emma (Mileiah Vega), and starts to break little rules, Caitlin begins to suspect that their nanny isn’t who she says she is.
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle takes classic tropes around maternal breakdowns and distrust of people who work in our homes and mixes in contemporary anxiety about sugar, gentle parenting, and microplastics. Despite these updates and a glossy production quality, the movie still has the feel of a fun, trashy TV movie. It is melodramatic and predictable, if shockingly violent in a few instances.
As Polly, Maika Monroe brings the same muted, restrained quality she had in last year’s Longlegs, but gives it a sinister twist. Mary Elizabeth Winstead adeptly portrays a woman spiraling. As her husband, however, Raúl Castillo gives a flat performance that contributes little to the dynamic. He expresses concern over Caitlin’s mental health, but the emotional resonance is missing.
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle makes no real innovations in its genre, and it is unclear why this movie was remade now, but for what it is, it delivers. It’s the kind of movie you throw on when you want to just relax with good snacks.
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle was written by Micah Bloomberg and based on the screenplay by Amanda Silver and directed by Michell Garza Cervera. It runs 105 minutes and is rated R.
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