Eleanor the Great (2025): Scarlett Johansson’s Tender, Witty, and Wonderfully Rebellious Directorial Debut 🎭✨
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- 16 hours ago
- 2 min read
At 94 years old, Eleanor Morgenstein is not slowing down—if anything, she’s just getting started. In Eleanor the Great, Academy Award-nominee June Squibb (Nebraska) embodies a woman who is equal parts sharp wit, stubborn pride, and unapologetic troublemaker. But beneath Eleanor’s armor lies a recent heartbreak—one that sends her on an unexpected journey of friendship, reinvention, and dangerous storytelling.
Directed by Scarlett Johansson in her highly anticipated debut behind the camera, and written by Tory Kamen, this is not your typical “age gracefully” drama. It’s a comically poignant meditation on the tales we tell—both to others and ourselves—and how, sometimes, a little embellishment can be the very thing that keeps us going.
🌆 From Florida’s Sunshine to New York’s Streets
When Eleanor crosses paths with Nina (played by Erin Kellyman), a 19-year-old college student navigating her own uncertainties, the unlikely duo forms a bond that challenges them both. Eleanor brings her unapologetic fire; Nina brings curiosity and care. Together, they learn that friendship can transcend decades—and that life’s most powerful moments often arrive when you least expect them.
🎬 An Intimate, Human Story Told with Wit and Warmth
Premiering in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival to warm applause, Eleanor the Great has been praised for its balance of humor and heart. Johansson’s direction, paired with Hélène Louvart’s tender cinematography and Dustin O’Halloran’s delicate score, captures the messy beauty of human connection.
💡 Why This Film Feels So Timeless
While the premise is simple—a friendship between a woman nearing 100 and a girl barely out of her teens—the film dives into themes of grief, resilience, and how personal myths shape our reality. “The stories we hear become the stories we tell,” Eleanor reminds us, in a line that feels destined to be quoted for years to come.
📅 Release Date: September 26, 2025 (Sony Pictures Classics)
🌍 World Premiere: May 20, 2025, Cannes Film Festival
🎭 Genre: Drama / Comedy
⏳ Runtime: 98 minutes
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