“Mom, what happened to your body?” This is the question Sarah (Lia Frankland) asks her mother Marlo (Charlize Theron) when the girl sees her mother wearing a bra in the kitchen. Marlo just had her third child and had an exhausting day, spending most of her time caring for her newborn daughter. In addition, her middle child is having difficulties at school (although never being diagnosed, we have the impression that he is within the spectrum of autism).

Without her husband’s (Ron Livingston) help and feeling drained, Marlo accepts the “gift” from her older and richer brother (Mark Duplass): a night nanny so that Marlo could sleep better. Desperate, Marlo grabs the nanny’s number from her purse one day, and at night Tully emerges (Mackenzie Davis). Young and lively, Tully promises Marlo that she is there to take care of both the baby and the mother.

Tully and Marlo have an instant connection and Marlo “can see color again,” as she describes herself to her husband. He didn’t even bother to meet the nanny: she arrives when he is already in the room playing video games and leaves before he gets up.

The total lack of concern he has with Marlo is extremely uncomfortable, and maybe that’s why Marlo feels so good about Tully: for the first time in a long time there is someone who cares about her.

Tully is the third collaboration between director Jason Reitman and screenwriter Diablo Cody after Juno and Young Adults, and is the best of the three, in my opinion.

Charlize Theron is phenomenal on this role, managing to convey to perfection the fatigue and the challenges of being a mother: she drags her feet, has clumsy hair and walks around practically in her pajamas, as if she was doing her daily activities on autopilot. Charlize Theron also gained weight to give more realism to the idea that her character has just given birth.

Mackenzie Davis also has a great performance, showing the enthusiasm of someone who is still young and enjoying life.

There are those who compare Tully to Mary Poppins, since both arrive to take care not only of the children, but also of the whole family. But Tully does not fly or sing, nor is she “practically perfect in every way.” She does something simpler but more powerful: pays attention to Marlo and listens to her.

Without giving spoilers, it is possible to say that Tully shows postpartum depression in a way that is not often seen in movies. The inspiration came from Diablo Cody’s own experience, since she felt that this subject was not adequately explored in the movies.

The ending is an invitation to reflect on how women are treated soon after giving birth. Much attention is paid to the newborn and it is assumed that the mother is just tired, without anything deeper going on. For this reason, movies like these should be made more often, as there are many women who still suffer in silence as they try to overcome the great challenge of being a mother.

Related posts:

Review: Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) Oscars 2018: Predictions! Crítica: Tully (2018) Review: A Quiet Place (2018)

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