By Keeva Stratton
A washed up ‘80s rocker must face up to the husband and now-adult children she once left behind, in following her dreams of fame and stardom.
Ricki (Meryl Streep)—her stage name—now makes her living playing in her cover band Ricki and the Flash at night, and at the local supermarket by day. It’s clear from her hairstyle and leathers that despite growing old, she’s never outgrown her dream of rock n’ roll. But, it might have outgrown her.
When her daughter (Mamie Gummer) breaks down following a sudden end to her marriage, Ricki’s former husband (Kevin Kline) gets in touch. He hopes her presence may be enough to spark something in their daughter (perhaps she offers an alternative perspective on life?).
Ricki left her family behind when they were young, choosing instead to follow her dreams of being a rock n’ roll success. She is judged harshly for her choice, by both the children she abandoned and her family and friends—and it seems rightly so, despite the film’s odd attempts to have us warm to her.
When she returns to her children’s home, she is not immediately welcomed. Her presence does, however, take her daughter’s focus off the husband who left her for another woman—and realigns it on the mother who abandoned her.
From here, this damaged family seems to be able to undergo miraculous repair—and it’s all thanks to the power of music.
Ricki and the Flash is a strange detour from Meryl Streep’s more nuanced roles, and one that never seems to find its course.
Rather than seize the chance to question the different ways society views mothers who abandon their children, Ricki and the Flash raises more questions about what the calibre of its stars were thinking when they read the script.
Littered with clichés and truly awkward moments, it’s difficult to like the central character, which makes empathising with her plight quite challenging.
For a film that centres on a complex mother-daughter relationship (portrayed by real-life mother and daughter, Meryl Streep and Mamie Gummer), it seems to give greater focus to a commentary on class and cultural cringe. It also barely feigns interest when it deals with the consequences that come for women when they veer from their maternal responsibilities.
In this film, Ricki sees herself as a rock star. She cannot understand why others want her to be a mother instead. And, unfortunately, I must confess that I cannot understand why we are supposed to care.
Rick Springfield (famous for his 80s hit Jessie’s Girl) provides some entertainment, but otherwise the film generally hits one flat note after another.
Directed by: Jonathan Demme
Starring: Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Mamie Gummer, Rick Springfield
Rating: TBA
Runtime: 104mins
Release Date: 27/08
Reviewer rating: 1/5