JUMP, DARLING
Canada, 2020, 90 minutes, Colour.
Cloris Leachman, Thomas Duplessie, Andrew Bushell, Sheldon McIntosh.
Directed by Phil Connell.
Jump, Darling is a brief Canadian film. It is notable as the last film for veteran Oscar-winning actress (The Last Picture Show), Cloris Leachman, in her early 90s.
She plays Margaret, the elderly grandmother, living alone, not wanting her daughter to put her in a home. But the main character in this story is Russell, played by Thomas Duplessie, having trained to be an actor, but finding that he is very much at home performing as a drag Queen. And, at the opening of the film, he is breaking up with his longtime boyfriend who has found someone else.
The main part of the story is his returning home to his grandmother, his relationship with her, caring for her, also taking money from her, cheques,, doing the shopping for her, cooking. He is emotionally upset because of the separation from his boyfriend. Relationship with his mother, her arriving each month trying to persuade her mother to go to the home, their visiting the home in an upsetting episode.
He visits the local clubs, does some singing, encounters the manager of the city club where he worked and walked out, has a dilemma about leaving his grandmother or not, returning to the city, and demanding to perform.
And the film leaves Margaret, alone, quietly remembering the past, hoping for death.
- The title? Expectations?
- The Canadian setting, the city, clubs, apartments? The range of countryside? The home and interiors? The local clubs? The musical score?
- Russell’s story, age, background, orientation, relationship with his father and memories, relationship with his mother, training as an actor, hopes for a career, drag Queen, skill, performance, satisfaction, in the city, walking out, returning home, the breakup with Justin, with his grandmother, her age, health, staying with her, helping her, but taking her money? Is mother’s visit? His dilemmas, performances in the town, reactions, from friends? Meeting the manager of the bar in the city, the return, his demands, preparation, performance? His future?
- The portrait of Margaret, Cloris Leachman in her 90s, her story, background of her husband, tensions with her daughter, her daughter’s visit, her not wanting to go into care? Her bond with Russell? Welcome him, the time with him, his care for her, her response, her attitudes towards his taking the money? Her daughter’s visits, clashes, the visit to a home? Her not wanting to go? Russell and his departure, the finale, her health, her memories, wishing to die?
- Russell’s mother, the tension in the relationship, memories of the past, her concern about her mother, wanted her to go into care? The visit to Justin to talk about the relationship?
- The clubs, the drag Queens, the range of performances, the star with the beard, in the cities, local? The gay clubs, the patrons, men and women? The performances?
- A sympathetic picture of men like Russell?
