Meryl Streep, Jonathan Demme
and Diablo Cody: now that’s an intriguing creative trio to be sure. They all certainly know from damaged characters — see their most recent examples
“Young Adult” (Cody), “August: Osage County” (Streep) and “Rachel Getting Married” (Demme) — and now they’ve teamed-up for “ Ricki And The Flash.”
Written by Diablo Cody (“Juno” et al), the movie centers on an aging rock star (played by Streep) named Ricki, who abandoned her family when
she was younger to find fame and fortune in California and did so by fronting the band The Flash. Decades later, she returns home to be a mother again only
to find her family completely estranged from her. Is it all a little too late? It sounds like perfect serio-comic dramedy which is kind of Cody’s bread
and butter.
The film stars Meryl Streep, Mamie Gummer (Streep’s daughter), Kevin Kline (as Streep’s ex-husband), Sebastian Stan, Rick Springfield, Audra McDonald and Ben Platt. Here’s the official synopsis:
Three-time Academy Award® winner Meryl Streep goes electric and takes on a whole new gig – a hard-rocking singer/guitarist – for Oscar®-winning director Jonathan Demme and Academy Award®-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody in the uplifting comedy Ricki and the Flash. In a film loaded with music and live performance, Streep stars as Ricki, a guitar heroine who gave up everything for her dream of rock-and-roll stardom, but is now returning home to make things right with her family. Streep stars opposite her real-life daughter Mamie Gummer, who plays her fictional daughter; Rick Springfield, who takes on the role of a Flash member in love with Ricki; and Kevin Kline, who portrays Ricki’s long-suffering ex-husband.
Streep’s received 19 Academy Award nominations to date
and even earned one for her strong, but brief supporting role in “Into The Woods.” Could “Ricki And The Flash” be lucky number 20? TriStar/Columbia will release “Ricki And The Flash” on August 7. It’s not the
greatest Awards-season date, but almost no such rules apply to Streep. The first trailer for the dramedy has arrived so watch it below and let us know what
you think.
