Other People

Drama with comedic elements based on real life events that happened to writer/director Chris Kelly. Although cinematically often rather flat it is an engaging drama that doesn't skimp on the often deeply difficult elements of the story namely a woman (an excellent performance by Molly Shannon) losing her battle with cancer and the effect of those around her. The story is mainly seen through the eyes of her eldest son David a rather shy awkward gay man who leaves his failed relationship and unsuccessful writing career in New York to move back to Sacramento to be with his mother. Jesse Plemons is also rather excellent in the role of David.



The setting of Sacramento and David's job in comedy writing made me make comparisons with two other more widely viewed and distributed films from around this time Ladybird and The Big Sick and while those two films are on the whole better this film is still worth viewing with some sequences leaving a great impression. If you loved those two films chances are you'll like this one.

Other People (2016/I) was written and directed by Chris Kelly. It stars Jesse Plemons as David, a young, gay, NYC comedy writer who is having the worst year imaginable. His mother is dying from a rare cancer, and he has broken up with his gay partner of five years. (Plemons is an very talented actor, who acts his role well.) David moves back home to Sacramento, to be with his family and help care for his mother. Molly Shannon portrays David's mother, Joanne. Joanne is clearly a wonderful person, attacked by a cruel illness that is taking her life rapidly and inexorably.

David is an immense help to his mother as she moves back and forth between fighting the disease and giving in to the disease. Unfortunately, she loses either way. Joanne's struggle with cancer is really the core plot of the movie.

The scene in which Joanne goes back to the elementary school where she was a teacher, and meets with her old friends, and with her replacement, is superb. It's worth watching the film for that scene alone.

An important additional plot of the movie is that David's father will not accept the fact that his son is gay. He is willing to "debate it" with David. However, as David points out, there's really nothing to debate. He's gay, and that's the way it is.

We saw this film at Rochester's excellent Little Theatre as an opening night selection of Image Out, the outstanding 24th Annual LGBT festival. It will work well on the small screen. It's definitely worth seeking out and seeing.

This film carries a terrible 6.1 rating from IMDb reviewers. This is a case where I say, "Did anyone else see the same movie that I saw?" Ignore the rating, see Other People, and judge for yourself.

This film tells the story of a young writer who goes back home to take care of his gravely ill mother.

I have the misconception that it is a comedy because Jesse Plemons is in it. The first half of the film is quite funny in a morbid way, and then the second half of the film is just very depressing. The story is very engaging because all the main characters are well crafted and the story telling is excellent. There are no filler scenes at all. I particularly care for the writer and his mother. I feel their pain. I just never expected this film to be so so good.

This is not an easy movie to watch if you recently lost a family member to cancer. Then again, that probably says something about just how true the storytelling is here. Anybody who's gone back home under tough circumstances or claimed to be fine when they aren't or lost a loved one or found the humor in the most tragic moments possible (so basically anyone) will watch this movie and nod their head. It misses the mark at moments, but it also hits it more often than not, party thanks to amazing performances by Shannon and Plemons. And that's how we ended up chuckling through tears. Which seems pretty appropriate for us this year, honestly.

IMDb.com classifies this 2016 film as a comedy/drama. Well there are one or two laughs but they are of the nervous variety. The focus here is on drama. A struggling comedy writer, played by Jesse Plemons is fresh off a breakup and in the midst of the worst year of his life. He returns to Sacramento, to the bosom of his family to care for his dying mother, Molly Shannon in an outstanding performance.

Train's "Drops of Jupiter" features several times during the movie; the lyrics of which deal with someone dying. Lead singer Patrick Monahan has stated that the song was inspired by his late mother, who had died after a struggle with cancer. It is apt.

Other People is writer Chris Kelly's first big screen outing as director. He is also currently an Emmy-nominated Co-Head Writer at "Saturday Night Live". Other People debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in 2016. Molly Shannon won Best Supporting Female at the 2017 Film Independent Spirit Awards while Jesse Plemons was nominated for Best Male Lead; Chris Kelly for Best First Screenplay and all deservedly so.

Above all this is a human drama. Multi-layered, the story is about the illness and death of the family's mother from cancer. It also deals with the father's reaction and his lack of acceptance of his son being gay. To borrow a line from Captain Kirk in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan – "how we deal with death is at least as important as how we deal with life"

Have the tissues ready.

A solid 4 out of 5.