Scarlett Johansson directs her first film, ‘Eleanor the Great.’ It’s OK

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Grief comes in many different forms.

Some people deal with it by crying, letting it all out. Others choose to seek support through other connections. This is what the film “Eleanor the Great” attempts to explore. Unfortunately, acclaimed actress Scarlett Johansson makes only an average directorial debut with a rather forgettable script, by Tory Kamen.

There is a tinge of absurdity to “Eleanor the Great,” as a 95-year-old woman takes her best friend’s Holocaust survival story and passes it off as her own. The movie tackles grief in an unrealistic yet still moving way, with some jokes thrown in the mix.

But Rita Zohar and Erin Kellyman are particularly interesting to watch and give emotional performances.

What is ‘Eleanor the Great’ about?

Eleanor Morgenstein (June Squibb) was born and raised in the Midwest, lived in the Bronx for 40 years, married a Jewish man and converted to Judaism. Since then, she has been living with her best friend, Elizabeth “Bessie” Stern (Rita Zohar), for 11 years in Florida. The two have identical twin-sized beds next to each other and follow a daily routine.

They do everything together and are inseparable ― until Bessie dies unexpectedly.

Eleanor then decides to move back to New York and live with her daughter and grandson, who both have their own lives. Loneliness sets in for Eleanor, so her daughter signs her up for a singing class at the Manhattan Jewish Community Center to help her make friends.

Eleanor instead stumbles into a Holocaust survivors circle, where she meets a New York University journalism student, Nina Davis (Erin Kellyman), who is shadowing the group. Eleanor ends up passing off the story of Bessie surviving a concentration camp in Poland as her own.

The story moves the group, and particularly Nina, who decides to feature Eleanor in a project for a journalism class. The two begin to get closer, but Eleanor’s lies soon begin to catch up to her when she takes part in the bat mitzvah she never had.

Scarlett Johansson makes a forgettable directorial debut

After a heartbreaking loss, a feisty 94-year-old Florida woman (June Squibb, left) moves to New York City and strikes up a friendship with a young writer (Erin Kellyman) in Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut “Eleanor the Great.”

I was expecting a bit more from the film, given that it was Johansson’s directorial debut.

Johansson’s known for her playing Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, starring opposite Bill Murray in “Lost in Translation” and being nominated for two Oscars.

Given Johansson’s acting chops, her versatility, comedic timing, critical acclaim, etc., I was hopeful that she would shine in the director’s chair.

Instead, “Eleanor the Great” is just OK. Kamen’s script isn’t revolutionary, but predictable. Focusing on grief is a safe play for the movie.

Most people can agree that others do weird or crazy things in the name of grief. But to take your best friend’s Holocaust survival story and pass it off as your own for quite some time seems indefensible.

Zohar gives a moving performance during the retelling of her time in Auschwitz and the pain of losing her brother. Kellyman is also easy to empathize with when she deals with the loss of her mother alone.

“Eleanor the Great” ties all the loose ends up in a neat bow, with the forgiveness of Eleanor. It’s one of the types of movies that you’ll watch once and not think about again.