Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Eleanor the Great review says that Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut is a triumph, as is June Squibb’s performance. Tender and intimate, it’s a film overflowing with humanity and love.

As someone who is very connected to the themes of this film, especially those of resilience and reinvention, I left Eleanor the Great with tears in my eyes and a heart that felt lighter, fuller, and more awake. Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut is not just stunning—it’s a love letter to growth at every stage of life, a film that refuses to relegate older women to the margins, and instead places them gloriously, at the center.

From the opening frames, Johansson’s direction signals that she is not just a stellar actress, but a filmmaker of substance. Known for her career as one of Hollywood’s most versatile performers, Johansson shows now that her instincts behind the camera are every bit as extraordinary. She balances sensitivity with bold visual choices, a sure-handed style that never eclipses the humanity of her characters.

What struck me most was how she lingers lovingly on details: a table top littered with prescription bottles and the paraphernalia of age. A framed photograph, an unraveling hem, a wince that is half pain and half determination. These quiet moments make the film pulse with truth.

The story of Eleanor—played with heartbreaking delicacy and fierce humor by June Squibb—is a reminder that aging is not an end but another act in the play of life, often the bravest act of all. Squibb doesn’t just play Eleanor; she inhabits her, giving the role dimension and vibrancy so few actresses are allowed to show at her age. She threads vulnerability and steel will in every glance and gesture. In one scene, she struggles to piece together old memories while also piecing together a jigsaw puzzle; in another, she brandishes her wit like a sword at anyone who dares to underestimate her.

Eleanor the Great review — An insightful look at the importance of intergenerational interactions

Also noteworthy in the film is Erin Kellyman as Nina, a young woman who takes a journalistic interest in Eleanor that evolves into friendship, and finally love. Kellyman delivers an astoundingly natural peformace. Her scenes vibrate with energy and empathy; you can see her character being altered by Eleanore even as she shares her own hard-won insights. The chemistry between Squibb and Kellyman lifts the entire film—they are a duo you never quite want to stop watching.

But it is Johansson’s vision that sets Eleanore the Great apart from the sentimental clichés it could have slipped into. She refuses to drench the film in syrupy lessons or cloying nostalgia. Instead, she respects her audience with complexity, balancing humor and heartbreak effortlessly.

Screenwriter Tory Kaman is also to be commended for her generation bridging storyline. You see every generation—Eleanor, her own daughter Lisa, (Jessica Hecht) and Nina, learning not just to pay attention but to listen. This intergenerational bond shines a light on what community and family really mean: not perfect agreement but enduring presence.

By the film’s end, I walked away with the sense that Johansson has done more than direct a good film. She has given us a blueprint for how to tell stories about older women with resonance and dignity. In an industry that forgets women over fifty all too easily, Eleanorthe Great demands to be remembered.

Rated: PG-13

1 Hour 38 Minutes

Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Eleanor the Great review says that Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut is a triumph, as is June Squibb’s performance. Tender and intimate, it’s a film overflowing with humanity and love.

If this Eleanor the Great review encourages you to head on over to the cineplex to see it (preferably with your mother, grandmother or any other women of a certain age), find times and tickets at Fandango.com.