Picked as the opening night film for the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, Hello I Must Be Going stars Melanie Lynskey as Amy, a 35-year-old who moves back into her parents’ suburban home seeking refuge following her divorce and begins an affair with 19-year-old actor, Jeremy (Christopher Abbott).
Writer Sarah Koskoff says the film is a story she’s wanted to tell for a long time, a story “about somebody who’s always in the background of her own life. The one who gives the narcissists the attention they need—and really pays for it.” It becomes clear that this is a theme for many of the central characters as well. Jeremy, Amy, and Amy’s mother all struggle with choosing to do what makes them happy, versus settling for what will make those around them happy.
This could have easily been a depressing film in which the audience was expected to feel concerned for the main character and her situation, but the writing and the subtle humor throughout make this film more lighthearted than I expected. It’s a movie about navigating life and all that comes with it: pain, regret, realization, embarrassment, joy, and humor.
Hello I Must Be Going opens in theatres August 10.
Photo Credit: Oscilloscope.net
