Heartfelt but Uneven: Finding the Humanity in Scarlett Johansson's "Eleanor the Great"

2025 has been an unprecedented year when it comes to actors becoming directors. This year alone audiences have seen A-list stars like Kristen Stewart, Harris Dickinson, Aziz Ansari, Eva Victor, and more try their hand at directing. Joining that list is the highest grossing actor of all time, Scarlett Johansson with her new feature, Eleanor the Great starring June Squibb, having the honor of premiering at this year's Cannes Film Festival. But is this movie really worthy of the big screen, or just a passion project relying on name recognition alone?

Eleanor the Great follows the titular 90 year old character, played by June Squibb. after the death of her best friend, Bessie, Eleanor moves back to New York City from Florida and ends up in a snowballing lie she can't seem to find her way out of.

I found my reaction to this film to be much warmer than the general public perception. First off, I think June Squibb is absolutely hilarious, carrying the whole film on her shoulders with her unique charm. You'll laugh at her numerous faux pas and your heart will shatter when she's at her lowest. Squibb is far from the only standout performance however, Rita Zohar and Chiwetel Ejiofor also breathe life into their characters that otherwise kind of just act as plot devices. Erin Kellyman's performance deserves special praise for just how dynamic and relatable she was able to make her character, Nina. Aside from Squibb, she is the film's strongest aspect.

Critics have been lukewarm on Eleanor the Great, with the film only garnering a 69% on Rotten Tomatoes. Detractors call the film meandering, misguided, or chide it for its blatant attempts at being uplifting. Publications like The Guardian and The Hollywood Reporter have been even less kind to the film. The thing is, Eleanor the Great is Scarlett Johansson's first time directing a feature and frankly, that's obvious. It's messy at times without any strong visual motifs, but every issue that the film has is par for the course when it comes to a directorial debut.

While I definitely agree that Eleanor the Great has its problems, I saw it as a nuanced, heartfelt look at grief from an exquisitely performed narrator. Every character is going through some sort of profound loss and is in desperate need of human connection, something every viewer will be able to relate to.

Scarlett Johansson did not write this film, it was conceptualized by new screenwriter, Tory Kamen. But Johansson's stamp is still present in both the themes and visuals. The film takes place in her home town of New York and largely focuses on the city's Jewish community that she grew up in. Squibb herself converted to Judaism in her 20's like her character. In a lot of ways this film feels like Johansson's love letter to her hometown as well as her heritage.

I found myself really responding to the film's mix of humor and sadness. It made me feel a weird kind of nostalgia for a place I didn't grow up and a culture I'm not a part of, which I consider extremely impressive. Granted, I don't think I would have such a favorable opinion without the involvement of June Squibb, but I guess that's just a testament to the film's casting department.

Overall I don't think Scarlett Johansson is a particularly unique director, at least not yet. A lot more work needs to be done before she can find her artistic voice. It's clear that she feels much more secure in front of the camera than behind it. But in terms of directorial debuts, you certainly can do a lot worse than Eleanor the Great. Moral of the story: Long live June Squibb.