"Janet Planet" -- Movie Review

 

At the close of the middle weekend of the 61^st New York Film Festival, I attended a screening of the new comedy-drama by playwright and first-time director Annie Baker, “Janet Planet”. 

Synopsis

A single mother and her daughter spend their summer together as various people drift in and out of their life in rapid succession. 

Story

It’s the early 1990’s in Western Massachusetts – a rural part of the state where Lacy lives with her acupuncturist mother Janet.  That summer, Lacy is anxiously awaiting a return to school where she’ll soon be entering the 6th grade.  Lacy is a pensive, introspective type and is trying to figure out the world and exactly what part she may play in the grand scheme of things.  She doesn’t have very many friends yet eagerly tries to connect with not only her mother but also Janet’s friends, too.  This does not always go as well as anyone would have liked; as much as they befriend Janet, Lacy is more of a challenge.

To the best of her ability, Janet tries to maintain some semblance of a social life, associating with various people in the community.  Sometimes, this requires Lacy to be left home alone; other times, when she feels comfortable doing so, Janet brings home her friends and introduces them to Lacy.  Some men appear to want to have merely a platonic relationship with Janet – others just bail out when they see how difficult Lacy is to deal with.  At this rate, Janet’s chances of pairing up again with someone seems to be a major challenge – and Lacy isn’t at all helping.  Only Janet can put up with Lacy’s odd behavior – but then again, because she’s the girl’s mother, she doesn’t have much of a choice. 

Some of Janet’s acquaintances are a little down on their luck and ask her if they can either rent a room from her (or merely stay for free, out of their friendship).  Janet gladly offers some small space for them, but once they find living with Lacy gets on their nerves, they realize that they can’t stay there indefinitely, otherwise they’ll be driven slowly mad.  Eventually, as the summer winds down, Lacy and Janet find themselves alone, although Janet tries to include her daughter in more social events so she’ll feel less uncomfortable around others.  Ultimately, will Janet remain alone or find more permanent relationships?

Review

Annie Baker is a Pulitzer Prize winning playwright; she has said that in the past, she had written screenplays just so she could get health insurance.  “Janet Planet” is not her first screenplay, but it is her first time as a director.  Despite her prior experience having written screenplays, the script for this film very much has the look and feel of a stage play; although she opens it up considerably by having scenes in various locations, much of the story appears as though it could have been told entirely in Janet’s home.  One gets the sense in watching the movie that she did, in fact, initially conceive of it as a stage play, but then adapted it to a screenplay at some point. 

Among the problems with “Janet Planet” is the fact that each one of the individuals that enter and disappear from Janet and Lacy’s life aren’t particularly sympathetic – in fact, they can come across as downright obnoxious.  If these are friends of Janet, then this might call her judgement into question – not to mention that she must be desperate for companionship.  None of them seem to be particularly likeable and you tend to wonder why she would have them in her life.  Once they exit Janet and Lacy’s life, you tend to breathe a sigh of relief – until you realize that someone equally as objectionable is about to arrive. 

As far as the performances are concerned, they are quite good; Zoe Ziegler is particularly believable as the precocious pre-adolescent who is still caught up in the midst of trying to figure out life.  Julianne Nicholson, who plays her mother Janet, fits perfectly into the role.  That said, one wishes while viewing the film that the characters could have been more sympathetic so that an audience could be more invested in the outcome.  Speaking of the ending, “Janet Planet” is one of those movies that doesn’t really end – it just stops.  Arbitrarily so, as if the screenwriter just ran out of gas somewhere along the way.  Nothing gets resolved or wrapped up, so it’s somewhat disappointing in that regard.