Annette Bening, Greta Gerwig, and many other big names star in this comedy-drama directed by Mike Mills (Beginners, Thumbsucker.) The story spans multiple generations but starts in 1979, where Dorothea Fields (Bening) is finding it increasingly difficult to raise her son alone. She enlists the help of two other women, one her son’s age and the other a New Yorker in her twenties who is very active in the punk scene. The three women, of three different generations and personalities as well as takes on the concept of “only a man can raise a man,” play different roles in this kid’s life. 20th Century Women is based on director Mike Mill’s own upbringing in Southern California.
"Mills' perspective on formative relationships is absorbing, and he seems like a great guy."
— Sophie Monks Kaufman
"A story about the lives of women, the challenges of parenthood, the value of art and a recent past that now seems unreachable."
— Pamela Hutchinson
In 1979 Santa Barbara, California, Dorothea Fields is a determined single mother in her mid-50s who is raising her adolescent son, Jamie, at a moment brimming with cultural change and rebellion. Dorothea enlists the help of two younger women – Abbie, a free-spirited punk artist living as a boarder in the Fields' home and Julie, a savvy and provocative teenage neighbour – to help with Jamie's upbringing.
Oscars
1 nomination
Golden Globes
2 nominations
Spirit Awards
2 nominations
Nat. Board of Review
1 win
I like Greta Gerwig. I liked this movie. YMMV