Never in hell did I ever imagine saying the words “Meryl Streep plays a rock star,” but there it is. She does, and the first trailer for Ricki and The Flash – her forthcoming dramedy film set for August 7th.
Don’t get your hopes up.
Streep is an undeniable legend whose acting chops are second to none. But Ricki and The Flash, directed by Jonathan Demme (The Silence Of The Lambs, Philadelphia) from a script by Oscar winner Diablo Cody (Juno), looks like a slick mess of cliches and abandonment trivialization.
The film stars Streep as Ricki, a woman who disregarded her family to chase her rock n’ roll dreams. Many years down the line when her daughter undergoes a painful divorce, she returns home to make things right.
Watch Johnny Cash Impersonate Elvis – Hilariously
Do you have cinematic diabetes yet? Well, here comes more sap syrup: Streep’s real-life daughter Mamie Gummer co-stars as Ricki’s daughter Julie, while Kevin Kline plays Ricki’s ex-husband and Sebastian Stan appears as her estranged son. The real kicker is wax figure Rick Springfield in a supporting role as a member of Ricki’s band – who, by the trailer, looks to be the voice of reason in Streep’s character’s ridiculous little mind.
All narrative snark aside, it’s damned impressive that Streep sings and plays guitar on 10 songs on the film’s soundtrack: nine covers and one original, “Cold One,” co-written by Jenny Lewis and Johnathan Rice.
Director Demme has said of Streep’s rock chops: “Meryl is such a versatile and charismatic singer/performer, and her movie band the Flash is kind of an amazing supergroup. A Ricki and the Flash concert film would be a joy to capture and present.”
