TULLY (2018) ***

After director Jason Reitman directed the hilarious Young Adult, he went on to make two box office duds in a row with Labor Day and Men, Women, and Children.  He then decided to get the band back together again and reunite with Young Adult's screenwriter Diablo Cody and star Charlize Theron for the charming and funny Tully. 

Theron stars as a put-upon mom with two bratty kids and another one on the way.  Sensing she’s overwhelmed, her brother (Mark Duplass) tries to set her up with a nanny as a shower gift, but she refuses.  Eventually, the baby arrives, and after a couple weeks of all-nighters with the kid, she realizes she needs help.  So, Tully (Mackenzie Davis) shows up and not only helps take care of the baby but also gets Theron’s mojo back.  She works so many wonders for Theron that it’s almost like she’s too good to be true. 

It’s amazing how much they mom up Theron in this and she still looks hot.  She’s equally good during the scenes where she’s struggling to get by as she is in the scenes where Tully has helped her find her center.  As the title character, Davis finds the right balance of Manic Pixie and Down to Earth Hippie.  She also has plenty of chemistry with Theron to boot.  The vastly underrated Ron Livingston is also great as Theron’s go-with-the-flow husband. 

Tully is a sweet and sincere film.  I was maybe taken a little aback by that since Cody’s movies are usually snarky.  I kept waiting for the cynicism to creep in, but it never really did.  Sure, there are some zingers here and there.  However, the emotions and relationships are all genuine.  Plus, it’s kind of nice having a movie about two women just kind of hanging out and shooting the shit. 

It’s all kind of low key and lightweight.  The twist ending probably wasn’t necessary, but it doesn’t really detract from the overall enjoyment.  (If I say what movie it rips off, it will spoil the surprise.)  If you ever spent a sleepless night with a crying baby, you probably wouldn’t mind a gal like Tully.  She’s chill, easy to talk to, and is a never-ending fount of useless trivia.  I dug having her around, even if it was for a short amount of time. 

Oh, and I didn’t really plan this, but after Tully and the anime porno Professor Pain, that makes two movies I watched in two days where painful lactation is a plot point.