Recurring Orange Is The New Black writer Sian Heder is making her feature-length directorial debut after two short films with the Netflix-distributed Tallulah. Following a premiere at Sundance, the first trailer shows the struggle of the titular Tallulah (Ellen Page), a down-on-her-luck young woman who stumbles upon a nannying gig that sends her on unforgettable (or maybe very forgettable) journey. Oh, and she sorta kidnaps the baby and pretends it’s her own in order to get money from her missing boyfriend’s mother — but don’t worry, it’s inspirational when you put sad music over it.
We said in our review: “The light tone works well enough on its own, but suffers against the contrasting police investigation, a constant reminder that our lead’s new-found motherhood (also fodder for much comedy) has come at an awful price. Though this dichotomy is of clear intention by all involved, these sections never gel to become two sides of the same coin […] When forced to come to a conclusion, the film’s plotting falters thanks to overly convenient timing and a complete transformation into thriller mode. There’s honesty here and a swath of well-written, well-developed female characters, but not enough to justify laughing with a kidnapper.”
See the trailer and poster below for the film also starring Zachary Quinto, Tammy Blanche, and Allison Janney.
Tallulah, the Netflix original film, was written and directed by Sian Heder (Orange is the New Black), and tells the story of young vagabond, Lu (Ellen Page – Whip It, Inception), who lives in a van and is fiercely independent in her hand-to-mouth existence. When a chance encounter incites her to impulsively “”rescue”” a baby from a negligent mother, Lu, at a loss for what to do, turns to the only responsible adult she knows: Margo (Allison Janney – Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, The Way, Way Back), who mistakenly believes she’s the child’s grandmother. Tammy Blanchard (Into the Woods, Moneyball), Zachary Quinto (Star Trek, Girls), John Benjamin Hickey (The Good Wife, Manhattan) and Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black, The Wiz Live!), also round out the cast.
Tallulah hits Netflix on July 29.