Ella McCay Parent Guide

It’s 2008 and although the economy is melting down, Ella McCay (Emma Mackey) is doing everything she can to help people in her state. An obsessive policy nerd, Ella is the lieutenant governor so when her boss is named to the federal cabinet, she becomes the youngest female governor in the state’s history. (“You really couldn’t have gotten this any other way,” the departing governor patronizingly tells her in parting.) Still idealistic about politics, Ella is determined to help people; in particular, she wants to push through legislation to provide extra support for mothers and young children.

With this set up, we would expect a West Wing type of film, with plenty of backroom maneuvering. Surprisingly, the political machinations take a backseat to the personal drama in Ella’s life. If there’s a theme to this film, it’s that women shouldn’t put up with awful men – and, unfortunately for Ella, her life is full of them.

Just as Ella grapples with her first major crisis, her narcissistic father, Eddie (Woody Harrelson) reappears in her life, determined to make things right with his kids – for reasons that aren’t at all selfless. Then Ella finds herself tiptoeing around the fragile ego of her husband, Ryan (Jack Lowden), a man described by Ella’s Aunt Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis) as “a ticking time bomb in your life”. Finally, she feels the weight of a lifetime’s responsibility for her baby brother, Casey (Spike Fearn), who’s not awful; just neurotic and riddled with anxiety. Given all the time Ella spends dealing with her exhausting family, it’s a wonder she has any time for her job.

Despite all the angst and family drama, Ella McCay manages to be a funny film. There are plenty of good lines, mostly delivered by the wryly snarky Jamie Lee Curtis. The real pleasure in the movie, though, comes from watching Ella step up to the challenges that are repeatedly thrown at her. Her growth is what makes this movie worth watching – as do the wonderful workings of karma.

Most of all, the film succeeds thanks to its very talented cast. Woody Harrelsson is brilliantly clueless, puzzled that his surface-level remorse doesn’t get him what he wants. Jack Lowden gives us a Ryan who would be an empty vessel, if he weren’t so full of himself. And Emma Mackey imbues Ella with intelligence, brilliance, commitment, and a passion for public service that is heartening in our more cynical decade. The cast gives the film heart and makes it more than a sum of its parts.

On the downside, the movie comes with some negative content, most notably an extended scene in which Ella gets unintentionally stoned on marijuana. This episode is milked for laughs and is depicted as a positive event that helps her connect with her emotions. The movie also contains two dozen profanities (which is comparatively low for a PG-13 film), including three sexual expletives. There is no sex on screen, but a married couple’s sexual relationship is a major plot point and there is a post-coital scene in the film.

In a time when the thought of politics can be enough to make us twitch, it’s hard to believe that a movie about a politician could be fun, let alone funny. I’m as surprised as you are when I say that Ella McCay is a breath of fresh air: it’s bright, empowering, and even exhilarating at times. Sometimes surprises can be a good thing.

About author

Kirsten Hawkes

Kirsten Hawkes has a BA in Political Science and English and has worked in international development and medical education and marketing. Kirsten enjoys reading, watching movies, and debating politics with her husband and sometimes unwilling children.