Miss You, Love You

A blunt and grieving widow is forced to work with her estranged son's assistant in order to plan a funeral for her recently passed husband. Along the way, they deal with their own long-buried resentments, forming an unexpected bond.

This movie was written and directed by Jim Rash, who also plays Greendale Community College's Dean, Craig Pelton on the sitcom Community. He also wrote The Way, Way Back, which I enjoyed, and The Descendants, which I did not, but he did win an Oscar for that one for Best Adapted Screenplay. Judging by these three movies, it's safe to say that Jim Rash's work tends to be a little bit schmaltzy. It's not necessarily "bad" schmaltzy, or all that inexcusably so either, given the general subject matters he seems to write about, but still... schmaltzy.

In this particular case, the schmaltz is especially understandable too, as Rash apparently first conceived of this story while he was at his own father’s funeral, to which his sister sent her assistant in her stead.

This is something I can not even begin to understand. Not going to the funeral? Sure. I get that. That's easy to understand. "I have no interest in pretending that this relationship was good or loving, or that it is in any way now deserving of my time." That makes sense. I totally get that. But to send an employee instead? To your own father's funeral? Unbelievable. I mean, was this meant as an extra loud fuck you to the deceased? Or is she a sociopath with no concept of decorum? I can't even begin to imagine the thought process behind this idea, let alone doing it, and having the kind of relationship with your employees that they would agree to it. It's unfathomable to me. How could this ever occur to anyone as something that would be considered good or positive or acceptable, or even... normal, I have no idea. It's flabbergasting. Implications about your own personal relationship with the deceased aside, how anyone could possibly think that sending your assistant to the funeral of someone that the assistant–not to mention, the actual deceased person, and presumably everyone else in attendance too–doesn't even know, would not be incredibly fucking weird? Maybe the fact that they apparently have no one in their life–not even the assistant–who, upon hearing this idea, did not go: "Oh no... you should not do that. No, not ever. No" is the best indication of who this person is, and how this insane idea would ever become reality. It's aboslutely amazing. I totally understand why Jim Rash would write about this. How could you not?

This makes me wonder what Rash and his sister's relationship is like. Was this his way of sending a "fuck you" back to her?

So many questions...

Anyway, I bring all of this up as a head's up. It's a service for you. There's some schmaltz ahead, is what I'm saying here. Now, maybe that's what you're looking for, maybe not. Either way, I just wanted that to be clear.

So...

After Diane's second husband, Henry, dies of Parkinson's, she is distraught and grieving. Alone in New Mexico, a place that Harry loved to paint, which is why they moved there from New York City, a place Diane loved and hated to leave, she is isolated and angry. Tyler, her son from her first marriage, who, for all intents and purposes, is estranged from her, and only ever really present in her life via text messages, does not plan on attending the funeral, citing work issues.

In his place, Tyler sends his assistant Jamie, someone that Diane has never met. This is obviously an uncomfortable and unusual situation, and Diane does not like it, which Jamie understands, but he is here to help her with whatever she needs, even if it is only to revive her over-watered succulent.

Bonding through grief and anger and resentment, and also because both of their lives are currently going though a period of transition, the pair soon discover that they both carry some baggage, baggage that they at first both attribute to Tyler, but in acutality is something of their own creation. Together, they learn how to set that baggage down, and to move on with the rest of their lives.

Miss You, Love You is a touching film, with some very strong performances, if not one that is somewhat given to speeches. It's a film that doesn't quite end exactly as you might expect it to... but it mostly does.

Plus, it is fair to describe it as a vehicle for Allison Janey and Andrew Rannells to really shine, y'know? To really show their "acting chops." This film is a chance for them to stand up front and be very deliberately dramatic. It's not oscar bait, but it's definitely a showcase. There are powerful emotions on display here, at first barely contained, but ultimately released, and Janey and Rannells both excel during this journey. This is why I skimped on the synopsis a bit, because the emotions, and the motivations, that's the entire story. It's the meat of the whole thing. So, if you're interested, you should discover all of that while watching.

It's good.

But as I said, that feeling of someone walking to center stage and then delivering their soliloquy? This feeling is present throughout the film. You can't miss it's very "One Act Play" feeling. So I was not surprised to discover that writer/director Jim Rash first conceived of this as a play.

Also, I've seen this film described in various promotional things as an comedy, and a story of "laughter, and tears, and healing between an unlikely pair of mother and her unexpected surrogate son" and I think this really overstates the "comedy" part. There's comedy, sure, it's got some funny moments, but more amusing than laugh out loud. I would categorize it as more of a dramedy, and sure, maybe that's more of an academic nuance than anything else, but my point is, if you go into this film expecting it to be more of an Odd Couple thing, instead of a dramatic examination of two people struggling to find the thing that will fill the hole within themselves, but then, due to their time spent together, discover instead that they can only fill this hole from within, not without, then you're going to be disappointed.

In the end, this is a good little movie, but yeah... it's schmaltzy.