Exploring Friendship and Grief in ‘Eleanor the Great’ Starring June Squibb

The crux of the issue is the elevator pitch approach to storytelling. A film centered around a 90-year-old seeking companionship in a new city may sound simple. But what if this quest involves a pretense of being a Holocaust survivor? That’s indeed a key twist in the narrative.

Eleanor, portrayed by June Squibb, is navigating life after losing her best friend and roommate, Bessie. At 94, she relocates from Florida to New York, where her daughter, Lisa, and grandson, Max, invite her to live with them. However, Lisa appears more focused on finding a senior living facility for Eleanor than on genuinely supporting her.

In Florida, Eleanor thrived alongside Bessie, and the film beautifully captures their shared moments—whether it’s leisurely exercises or navigating everyday chores.

Eleanor’s previous life brought her joy, making her current struggles harder to bear. Following Bessie’s sudden passing, Eleanor’s transition to New York sparks a desperate need for friendship.

Making friends at any age can be daunting, especially in damp, chilly New York. When a kind woman at the Jewish Community Center warmly invites Eleanor to join a group, she happily accepts. Only later does she realize it’s intended for Holocaust survivors, and to her dismay, she finds herself sharing Bessie’s tragic story as her own.

Eleanor’s habit of bending the truth, initially harmless, escalates when she forms a deep bond with Nina, a journalism student grieving her own mother’s loss. Their friendship adds a comforting layer to the narrative, but it also foreshadows inevitable turmoil stemming from Eleanor’s deception.

As details unfold, Eleanor finds herself in situations where her lies accumulate, culminating in a local news segment. The filmmakers touch on the importance of preserving memory, although this theme could have been integrated more effectively throughout the film.

Johansson’s direction leans toward portraying a classic New York character drama. The real standout elements of “Eleanor the Great” are undoubtedly the performances of Squibb and Kellyman, both drawing viewers into the emotional core of the story.

“Eleanor the Great,” a release by Sony Pictures Classics, hits theaters on Friday. It’s rated PG-13 for some language and thematic elements. With a runtime of 98 minutes, the film garners two and a half stars out of four.

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