A24’s latest film to release this year, Janet Planet, has probably been on my radar more than many others. But being a native of Western Massachusetts, the ability to see a film that was shot in and has a story set in the area I grew up is few and far between.
It was fun to actually see places I grew up visiting, like the now defunct and demolished Eastfield Mall, immortalized on the big screen. But, as the novelty of this wore off, what remained on screen was a confusing yet strangely satisfying “slice of life” look at a mother and daughter over a summer.
Janet Planet follows the story of Lacey (Zoe Ziegler) and her mother Janet (Julianne Nicholson), a mother and daughter living together in rural Massachusetts. The two, over the summer, undergo trials in their lives that make them each grow together and as individuals.
The film is split up into three parts, named for 3 distinct characters who enter and leave their lives while teaching each of them valuable lessons about themselves.
I really enjoyed how vintage the film looks. It’s obvious that they took a lot of care in making the film look the era, complete with accurate film grain, exclusively on-location shots and other subtle details. Credit to first time director Annie Baker, a decorated stage and theater director, who’s making her first foray into feature films with Janet Planet. She also wrote the film and based it on her life experiences, so it’s obvious that there was a lot of care put in to make it feel authentic.
Yet, I feel there was a much better film lying underneath the one we got on screen. The film’s focus is muddied by trying to spend too much time split between Lacey and Janet. It would have worked so much better had the film been told entirely about Lacey. That’s a credit to Zoe Ziegler, the first-time actress who absolutely rocked in her role. Julianne Nicholson matches Ziegler’s power in places with a subdued performance, but it was Ziegler who stole the show.
It’s a shame that so much of the film pulls away from her and instead focuses on the weaker storyline of her mother dealing with relationships in her life. I was so wanting it to pull back into Lacey’s story growing up and learning to deal with changes in her life, but we just never got there.
As such, I struggled mightily with the “Why” for Janet Planet. So much of it just coasted along, giving us a real life look at this relationship, but often not leading anywhere. The ending is satisfying enough, but I was craving for so much more.
Final Thoughts
I’ve had a lot of time to sit with Janet Planet, and the further I get from seeing it, the less desire I have to see it again. For a debut feature from a celebrated theater director, it was a successful first run. But I find myself excited for the projects she and Zoe Ziegler are up to next, rather than going back to this one.
3/5
To check out more of our reviews, click here. If you have suggestions for movies we should check out, email [email protected]!
