Ricki and the Flash - A Movie Review

Let’s turn the next family dysfunctional dinner into a song.

Released to theaters in 2015, Ricki and the Flash is about a struggling musician who chose her career over being a mother. When a crisis arises at home, Ricki returns home to see if she can help. The visit doesn’t go well causing everyone to argue.

You can never go wrong with a good old Meryl Streep movie. Family drama is always fun to witness, and here, it is heightened to the max. Ricki and the Flash include themes centered around forgiveness, but to me, the story wraps up too quickly leaving little resolve between the family.

Meryl Streep is a multi-talented actress. Streep has already proved that she is a talented singer, but to accommodate her vocals, Streep learned how to play the guitar for her role. Ricki is in no terms the definition of perfect, but she still does the right thing by showing up to be with her family. Streep does a great job in the role, but her character was somewhat flat.

The whole time I was saying to myself that the casting directors found an actress who resembled Myrle Streep to play her daughter. Turns out, Mamie Gummer is Streep’s real-life daughter! Going through a heartbreak, Julie builds a steel wall making it hard for anybody to help her. Streep and Gummer did a fantastic job in all their scenes.

Ricki and the Flash includes a talented ensemble of recognizable faces. Kevin Kline plays Pete, Ricki’s ex-husband. More credits include Sebastian Stan, Nick Westrat, Audra McDonald, Rick Springfield, and Ben Plat.

Do you know those good old family drama dinner scenes? Well, filmmakers up the drama in a restaurant setting. The scene is humorous as the family members squabble about their problems and misunderstandings as customers look on.

The late Jonathan Demme enforced a strong message about forgiveness and the complexities of human relationships. No family is ever perfect. The film occupies dramatic undertones, documented in a unique but serious fashion. The exploration of family dynamics and the theme of redemption is also a strong point of the film.

Although Ricki and the Flash is your typical drama, the film falls flat. We have seen family drama cliches across several films of the same genre. Of course, Ricki learns to be a better person and this transition won’t happen overnight, her family forgives Ricki too fast, even when only a couple of characters had one scene with her.

While the performances are generally strong, some supporting characters feel underdeveloped and could have been given more depth and screen time to enhance the overall narrative. Some subplots and character arcs could have been involved more, allowing for a tighter narrative.

This is just my opinion, but I feel that certain characters don’t give Ricki a chance, quickly beating her down about the issues she has caused for the family. Maureen (McDonald) unapologetically insults Ricki for all the problems she has caused to the family. However, this all depends on viewers' own opinions on Ricki’s actions based on the perspective choice.

Demme did an excellent job filming the concert scenes, capturing the rock and roll spirit. This is a film for music lovers to watch. The music is one of the most commendable aspects of the film. Half of the film is a rock concert, containing original songs and classical rock hits.

Do not skip out on Ricki and the Flash just because it has relatable family drama themes to other films. It is worth watching for Meryl Streep’s commendable performance. Find it, watch it, and rock out.