I was quite taken by this film. Grandma deals with abortion in a frank, timely, and accurate manner. That is no small feat. There is nothing preachy about this very feminist American indie film. Grandma approaches abortion at the intersection of GLBTQ civil rights, second wave sexual liberation, and women's reproductive rights.
Grandma passes the Bechdel test in the first 5 minutes. Its cast consists mainly of women, many of whom I was delighted to see such as Laverne Cox, Elizabeth Pena, and Marcia Gay Harden. Honestly, there were so few male characters in Grandma, I found it rather bold. So, I was very curious when I noticed the film was written and directed by Paul Weitz, who has had your typically uneven and varied Hollywood run-- from About a Boy to American Pie. I was pleasantly surprised.
Julia Garner is terrific as Elle's pregnant, teenage, estranged, granddaughter, Sage. Sam Elliot's brief but profound performance is the stuff of Best Supporting Oscars.
4/5