June Squibb is a national treasure! It’s astonishing that she finally got to play a leading role in Thelma last year, more than 65 years after her acting career began. But better late than never, as I’m thrilled to see her portray the film’s title role once again, this time in Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut.

The nonagenarian takes on the role of Eleanor Morgenstein, a 94-year-old woman who has shared her life with her best friend Bessie (Rita Zohar) for several decades. I love the moments of Eleanor and Bessie together, watching news featuring their favorite news anchor, Roger (Chiwetel Ejiofor), and sitting down over coffee, where Bessie would share her WWII survival stories. Even a routine trip to the grocery store is whimsical fun with Eleanor, who uses her wit to get Bessie the exact kosher jar of pickles. However, when Bessie unexpectedly dies, Eleanor’s world falls apart, prompting her to move from Florida to New York City to stay with her daughter and grandson. Despite the upheaval, Eleanor maintains her sharp wit and clever humor, a quality that Squibb embodies with ease.

Tony Kamen‘s script offers a look at aging, loneliness, and grief through the eyes of the elderly. Eleanor clearly misses her constant companion, Bessie, and it doesn’t help that her daughter Lisa (Jessica Hecht, whom I remember from the Friends series as Ross’ ex-wife’s partner) is always too busy to hang out with her. Lisa enrolls her in a singing group at a nearby Jewish Community Center, but due to a mix-up, she accidentally joins a group meant for Holocaust survivors. Rather than confessing to the mistake, Eleanor takes on Bessie’s identity and shares her best friend’s survival tale with the group. Before long, the big lie spirals out of control as Eleanor forms a friendship with Nina (Erin Kellyman), a 19-year-old journalism student eager to write about Eleanor’s story for her class.

The intergenerational friendship between the two is quite sweet. Even though there’s a 75-year gap between them, Eleanor and Nina have formed a connection as they both cope with a heartbreaking loss. Nina lost her mother just four months ago, and the pain is still fresh. She’s not only grappling with her mother’s death, but also with the reality that her dad is so consumed by his own sorrow that he can’t really be there for her. There’s also this side story about how both women handle their grief, alongside the father-daughter dynamic between Roger and Nina. Honestly, I think the latter feels a little underdeveloped, and I wish Scarlett would dedicate more time to Eleanor’s journey.

Now, as much as I enjoy seeing Squibb, who makes ‘tart-tongued, snarky granny’ seem cool, I can’t help but feel unsettled by Eleanor’s gross misappropriation of Bessie’s story, which is so crucial to her identity. There is nothing funny about surviving the Holocaust, and seeing Rita recount her experience is heart-wrenching. I’m not saying that the filmmakers didn’t treat it with respect, but sometimes, Kamen’s script and Johansson’s direction lean too heavily towards comedy, which feels tonally off. In the end, Eleanor does face some consequences for her terrible decision, but it seems like she gets off way too easily and conveniently.

That said, the performances are delightful, especially Squibb, who I wish would get more leading roles as she’s still as sharp and funny as ever. I’m quite impressed by Kellyman, a talented Brit whom I first noticed in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier miniseries. I’m always happy to see Ejiofor in anything, but he’s a bit underutilized here. The movie is pretty good on a technical level, as she’s assembled a talented crew. The cinematography by Hélène Louvart (La Chimera) looks lovely, and I quite enjoy Dustin O’Halloran’s music here.

There’s a deliberate irony in the title, as what Eleanor did is far from great. Neither is the film itself, though there are things to appreciate here. I’m glad Johansson picked a character-driven story, and overall she acquits herself well, though I wouldn’t rate this as highly as other directorial debuts by a female director, such as Celine Song’s Past Lives, Lulu Wang’s The Farewell, or Autumn de Wilde’s Emma. That said, I hope Johansson continues to direct in the future and hone her craft.

Have you seen ELEANOR THE GREAT? If not, what do you think of June Squibb?