Grandma

Lily Tomlin works miracles. Shes comedy royalty whose best films (Nashville, The Late Show, All of Me, I Heart Huckabees) always cut deeper than a smile. But no Oscar. Maybe Grandma will do the trick. Its a Tomlin tour de force.

Dont get any ideas that Tomlin, 75, is playing some sweet old dearie fighting senility or terminal illness. Writer-director Paul Weitz (American Pie, About a Boy) plays to her strengths. As Elle Reid, a celebrated poet with a mouth on her, Tomlin takes on the world like the hypocrisy pit it is. Her longtime lesbian lover has died, and shes just shown the door to a new, younger version (Judy Greer). Thats when Elles teen granddaughter, Sage (Julia Garner), announces shes pregnant.

The film, a scrappy delight, is a no-bull hunt for a reasonably priced abortion, bringing broke Grandma in contact with the baby daddy (Nat Wolff, a hoot), Sages mom (Marcia Gay Harden, wow) and Karl (a superb Sam Elliott), a love from Elles past. Each encounter opens up feelings that Elle cant laugh off. Tomlin, the sorceress, leaves you dazzled and devastated.