I haven’t seen many movies this month, so it was a treat to get to MoMA The Museum of Modern Art for Eleanor the Great Monday afternoon. It was part of The Contenders 2025 series. I had thoughts, and here are some of them. No big spoilers.

Overheard after the movie: “I could really relate to it. Lying was one thing my family was good at.” Eleanor’s lies are told with the best of intentions, which somewhat justifies them. They’re still lies, though, so she does pay a price. The script by Tony Kamen doesn’t just tug on the heartstrings, it gets them in a vice grip and doesn’t let go. That said, though the happy ending is a bit too pat, it didn’t bother me.

Worth seeing for June Squibb and the rest of the cast. Overall, a well-done first feature by Scarlett Johansson.

No longer in theaters, as far as I can tell, it can be streamed just about everywhere.