Catch This Exclusive Sneak Peek of New Movie 'The Meddler,' Featuring an Awkward Galentine's Day Run-In
Susan Sarandon and Rose Byrne take mother-daughter tension to the next level.
![Tablecloth, Furniture, Table, Linens, Sharing, Conversation, Home accessories, Curtain, Meal, Restaurant,](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/TBjtH34hzRUxH6Egfr95KU-415-80.jpg)
You're not a real person if you can't relate to that cringe-worthy moment when the last person on the planet that you want to see is the exact same person who casually strolls in to wherever you are at that moment. In this exclusive clip from the upcoming movie The Meddler, starring Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon as charming, optimistic busybody Marnie Minervini, and Rose Byrne as her daughter Lori, almost every single girl's Valentine's Day nightmare comes to life: running into an ex. With another girl.
Having recently gone through the loss of a husband, and a breakup, respectively, both mother and daughter, now living in the same city, make an effort to not wallow in self-pity on Valentine's Day by going out to a candlelit Galentine's dinner. Marnie has every intention to help by playing up their lonely girls' sleepover planned for later that night, but ends up digging her daughter's grave in front of her ex-boyfriend Jacob, played by Jason Ritter, and his new girlfriend Elise, who—sorry to bring up another Rose Byrne movie—seems like a total Helen from Bridesmaids, judging by her condescending smirk.
You might sink down in your seat a little while watching, not only because we've all been in Lori's position, but also because seeing the unrelenting love Marnie has for her resentful daughter might prompt you to call your own mother, or that relative you haven't spoken to in months.
Director and screenwriter Lorene Scafaria, whom you may remember for her film Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist back in 2008, based The Meddler on her real-life experience with her own meddling Italian mother, who also moved across the country to be close to her after Scafaria's father passed away. Scafaria pushed for Marnie's deeply personal story to be made into a film despite naysayers who thought the characters were better suited for television. "Marnie should have a cinematic life. Characters her age on film are so often disrespected and laughed at. Marnie isn't someone who has done much with her life except be there for her family, but there is something really important and compelling about what she goes through in the film," she says in a press conference.
Though the plot is centered around strong women and their trials to achieve independence and self-fulfillment, Scafaria insists that this is more than just a "woman's story". "I was just trying to write people who are part of the human condition," she says. She urges us to connect with this heartwarming story by putting family first, regardless of how dysfunctional, and remembering that everyone moves on from life's most trying moments in different ways.
Don't miss The Meddler, in theaters in New York and LA on April 22. Watch the full trailer here, and don't forget to #CallYourMother.
Follow Marie Claire on Instagram for the latest celeb news, pretty pics, funny stuff, and an insider POV.
Stay In The Know
Marie Claire email subscribers get intel on fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more. Sign up here.
Mara is a freelance writer and editor specializing in culture, politics, wellness, and the intersection between them, whose print and digital work has appeared in Marie Claire, Women’s Health, Cosmopolitan, Airbnb Mag, Prevention, and more. She’s a Fordham University graduate who also has a degree in Italian Studies, so naturally she’s always daydreaming about focaccia.
-
Our Complete Quiet Luxury Shopping Guide
30 quality closet classics that always have—and always will—endure.
By Emma Childs Published
-
Kaia Gerber and Cindy Crawford Medal in Mother-Daughter Olympic Matching
The pair touched down in Paris wearing coordinating navy looks.
By Julia Marzovilla Published
-
Prince Harry Reveals Royal Family Rift Was Worsened by Tabloids
"Yeah, that’s certainly a central piece to it."
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
How 'Drop Dead Gorgeous' Pulled Off Its Iconic Wardrobe With Gowns From the Mall of America and Crafting
As the cult classic turns 25, its costume designer opens up about creating magic on a scrappy production.
By Sadie Bell Published
-
How the 'Twisters' Soundtrack Rides Country Music's Mainstream Storm
The summer blockbuster is blowing into theaters with storm-wrangling sequences and killer needle drops.
By Sadie Bell Published
-
Breaking Down the Shocking, Satanic Ending of ‘Longlegs’
The horror film and box-office hit stars Maika Monroe as an FBI agent hunting a serial killer played by Nicolas Cage.
By Sadie Bell Published
-
'Maxxxine' Is an Homage to the Sleazy Horror Genre Giallo—But Does Away With Its Violence Against Women Cliché
The new 'X' movie is inspired by the sleazy Giallo genre, but its lead flips the misogynistic horror style on its head.
By Sadie Bell Published
-
Maika Monroe Opens Up About Crafting a Nuanced Final Girl in Her 'Longlegs' Character Lee Harker
The actress opens up about her affinity for playing final girls and crafting her character in this year’s runaway horror hit.
By Sadie Bell Published
-
32 Movies to Watch if You Like Sci-Fi
Whether you're into films set in space or time travel.
By Katherine J. Igoe Published
-
The 17 Best Feminist Horror Movies Ever
Calling all scream queens.
By Sadie Bell Published
-
'Janet Planet' Is the Latest Must-See Entry in the Mother-Daughter Movie Canon
The sweet A24 movie marks the feature debut of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Annie Baker.
By Sadie Bell Published