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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Eleanor the Great gives June Squibb a demanding lead role: an older woman whose grief, loneliness and need for connection collide with a lie built on her late friend’s Holocaust-survivor testimony. Scarlett Johansson’s feature directorial debut is most compelling as a character drama about what happens after Eleanor attracts attention—and what truth and friendship require of her. Whether its compassionate view of Eleanor fully balances the harm of her appropriation is the film’s central test.
What is Eleanor the Great about?
Written by Tory Kamen and directed by Scarlett Johansson, Eleanor the Great stars June Squibb as Eleanor Morgenstein, a spirited 94-year-old who moves from Florida to New York after a devastating loss. She hopes to reconnect with her daughter and grandson, but feels adrift. After mistakenly entering a support group, Eleanor tells a story that brings her unexpected attention. A young journalism student becomes her friend and mentor, and Eleanor must eventually confront the truth. Sony Pictures Classics describes the film as a drama about aging, family, loss, friendship, history, deceit and complicated humanity.
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The deception at the story’s center is not a harmless embellishment: Eleanor adopts the Holocaust-survival story of her deceased best friend, a survivor. The film’s dramatic question is therefore not only why Eleanor tells it, but what the attention she receives asks of her afterward.
What June Squibb’s role asks of her
Squibb carries the film as a protagonist whose need for company and recognition has real emotional stakes. Eleanor is not simply a kindly elder in need of rescue; her choices drive the story and create consequences for people around her. That gives Squibb room to play a character who can be vulnerable without being reduced to vulnerability, and engaging without being excused.
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That is the sense in which the role is a gift: it puts a 94-year-old woman’s appetite for connection at the center of a feature, while asking its lead to hold the audience’s interest through a morally compromising act. The part’s strongest potential lies in that tension, not in treating age itself as a punchline or a source of automatic wisdom.
How the film handles the Holocaust-survivor story
The false testimony demands care because it invokes real historical trauma and the experience of actual survivors. Eleanor’s loneliness may help explain her lie, but explanation is not absolution. A viewer should consider whether the film gives adequate weight both to the pain that precedes the deception and to the harm of appropriating another person’s testimony.
Rank #2
Johansson has described the film’s interest in empathy and forgiveness as her own perspective. At Cannes, she said, “There’s a lack of empathy in the zeitgeist. It’s obviously a reaction to a lot of things,” and, “It feels to me like forgiveness feels less possible in the environment we’re in.” The Associated Press reported those comments on May 22, 2025. They help frame the director’s interest; they do not settle what forgiveness should mean to survivors, Jewish audiences or anyone harmed by Eleanor’s actions.
Is it worth watching for June Squibb?
If you are drawn to character dramas led by older protagonists, Squibb’s central role is the clearest reason to consider the film. The story gives Eleanor agency and a consequential moral choice rather than making her a supporting figure in someone else’s coming-of-age. The film’s appeal will also depend on whether its shifts between comic and poignant material feel convincing to you, and whether its compassion for Eleanor leaves enough space for accountability.
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- Actors Max Irons, James Frain, David Oakes, Juliet Aubrey, Eleanor Tomlinson, Frances Tomelty, Michael Maloney, Caroline Goodall, Tom Mckay, Ben Lamb, Robert Pugh, Veerle Baetens, Nick Hendrix, Lizzy McInnerny & Leo Bill
- Director James Kent
- Certificate 15 years and over
- Year 2013
- Screen 1.78:1 Anamorphic
It is less useful to approach the film as a simple lesson about forgiveness. Its premise puts a difficult question on screen; it cannot answer for people whose family histories or communities are bound up with the Holocaust.
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- Debut: Johansson’s feature directorial debut, written by Tory Kamen.
- Festival premiere: Un Certain Regard at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.
- Theatrical release: Sony Pictures Classics announced a September 26, 2025 release in the United States and Canada.
- Rating: PG-13, according to the official film page.
- Digital: Sony’s current page says “Get It Now on Digital.” Platforms and availability vary by region, so check the official page or local storefront for current options.
The Cannes listing identifies the film’s festival context; Sony’s July 17, 2025 announcement gives the director, writer, cast and U.S./Canada release date.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #4
- Used Book in Good Condition
