‘Remarkably Bright Creatures’ Review: Sally Field Elevates Maudlin Drama
Thanks to the on-screen talents of Sally Field and Lewis Pullman, Olivia Newman overcomes many of the inconsistencies that plague the filmed adaptation of Remarkably Bright Creatures and turns it into a relatively watchable affair.
We can still trust Sally Field to give a performance of raw, emotive power. Who can forget her portrayal of Miranda Hillard in Chris Columbus’ Mrs. Doubtfire or, arguably her most well-known film performance, as Mrs. Gump in Robert Zemeckis’ Forrest Gump? There’s something so authentically human about each of the portrayals she’s given on screen, even as Aunt May in Marc Webb’s horrendous The Amazing Spider-Man movies. We feel for her at every turn and occasionally have had our hearts torn into millions of pieces because of the impeccable performances she’s given to all of us over the years.
In Olivia Newman’s adaptation of Shelby Van Pelt’s Remarkably Bright Creatures, Field once again proves to all of us that she’s miles ahead of so many burgeoning and veteran actors in Hollywood today. Her turn as Tova Sullivan is so textured and imbued with intense emotional heaviness that we immediately get attached to her connection with the local aquarium she works at and the eldest octopus who has reigned this place longer than she has, Marcellus (voiced with great sensitivity by Alfred Molina).
Tova has experienced immense grief that she hasn’t overcome. Her husband fell ill and passed away, but she also lost her only child, Erik (Brandon McEwan), in a tragic accident. The two were not on great speaking terms before his devastating death, and Tova has always wondered why his son’s behavior suddenly became erratic when there was so much good between the two. Still grief-stricken, Tova carries on and spends her time cleaning the aquarium until she realizes that Marcellus wants to escape and is trying to find ways to sneak out. During a failed attempt to leave, Tova sprains her ankle, which prompts the aquarium’s manager to hire someone else in the interim.
That person is Cameron (Lewis Pullman), an outsider who has arrived in town in the hopes of finding his estranged father to pay him over eighteen years of child support he’s rightfully owed. Since his car has broken down and he needs the money, Cameron reluctantly agrees to replace Tova, but the two begin to form an unconventional friendship. You can already guess where this thing is going – Tova’s grief will improve upon spending time with Cameron, while the latter will likely settle in after falling in love with Avery (Sofia Black-D’Elia), the owner of a surf shop.
Newman doesn’t stray away from familiar territories throughout the movie’s 114-minute runtime, which is both a feature and a bug. Some will look for comforting films, and Remarkably Bright Creatures certainly falls into that category, but it also barely develops any of the archetypal supporting characters beyond Tova and Cameron. For instance, Avery is simply reduced to an object of Cameron’s affection, while the male love interest of the picture, Ethan (Colm Meaney), doesn’t have many traits beyond his romantic interest in Tova. Only the protagonist feels fully three-dimensional, because Newman and John Whittington’s script focuses on their respective internal and external struggles.
They’re the beating heart and soul of a movie that seems to have difficulty finding its footing, until Newman pairs both characters together and opens up Tova and Cameron’s vulnerabilities. Both Field and Pullman’s turns are deeply human and feel as if we’re reuniting with someone whom we haven’t spoken to in a long time. Field, in particular, is devastating as a woman who, for many years, has chosen to live in her grief and let it define this chapter of her life, until Cameron comes along and teaches her that it may not be worth clinging to the past anymore.
There is more to Cameron’s character than meets the eye, and a twist that could’ve absolutely brought the emotional center down is actively elevated by its actors, who immediately know how to sell it. Without giving anything away, the fact that it works feels like a miracle unto itself, because without the right intonations to make us believe in such a reveal, the character relationship might have felt distant. However, since Field is such a storied master of emotional delivery and Pullman is slowly becoming one of our best contemporary on-screen talents, they’re able to make us believe what looks to be a strange case of coincidences.
It is, however, no coincidence that Field and Pullman are so good together and make a relatively forgettable Netflix film watchable, even if Ashley Connor’s commercialized photography leaves a bit to be desired. They’re able to overcome the movie’s glaring lack of originality and make it a pleasant Saturday afternoon viewing on television, which could prompt you to reflect on how you processed past grief and how you're living through it now. If that’s the case, Newman has more than succeeded, but there’s doubt this film will be remembered among Field’s ever-expansive acting corpus beyond her great performance. Let’s be honest, though: when has she disappointed?