When Gemma’s (Aisling Bea) American fiancé Nathan (Colin Hanks) dies shortly before their wedding, Gemma decides she wants to go ahead and marry him anyway. Nathan was a hopeless romantic, whereas marriage didn’t mean that much to Gemma. Wanting to prove her love and commitment to him, Gemma has to contend with a 200-year-old law as she presents her case to the Chief Justice (Harriet Walter), all while dealing with her family and friends’ objections. Fortunately, Gemma does have Nathan’s chaotic and unconventional sister, Audrey (Billie Lourd), on her side—a pregnant, pink-haired lesbian who is the surrogate for a gay couple.
Directed by Daniel Reisinger, the best thing about And Mrs is Gemma and Audrey’s characters. Bea, known for her stand-up comedy and for writing and starring in This Way Up, is captivating on-screen, skilled with balancing comedy and drama. There’s a moment early in the film when Gemma returns from her morning yoga session with friends to find Nathan still in bed. When she brushes her finger against his arm, she senses immediately that something is wrong. Her face drops and the atmosphere darkens. She knows. Bea brings a lot of nuance to her role, trying to contain the enormous pain of her grief, but still allowing it to be present as Gemma tries to distract herself with getting permission to marry her dead fiancé.
Lourd is becoming somewhat of a character actor, playing the eccentric supporting character which suits her tremendously; perhaps as an ode to her even more eccentric late mother, Carrie Fisher. Bea and Lourd are great to watch together because they have good chemistry. Their characters are different but they are able to provide the support the other needs and bond over their shared love for Nathan. Audrey has been through a lot in her life and describes herself as “very resourceful,” alluding to a life on the streets. She understands people and isn’t afraid of the weird or unusual, nor is she afraid of fighting the good fight.
While no two characters are as fleshed-out as Audrey and Gemma, we do see Nathan in flashbacks and when Gemma imagines him alongside her. Hanks does a fine job in portraying the essence of Nathan with the little screentime he has, allowing us to get a good idea of who the guy was. Another standout, however, is Elizabeth McGovern as Nathan and Audrey’s estranged mother. She, too, has little screentime, but her portrayal of Margaret is convincing as she brings so much depth to her character. It might be the only scene in the film that isn’t plagued by comedy.
The directing and cinematography are competent during the film’s many changes in both lighting and environment, but screenwriter Melissa Bubnic’s debut screenplay is a mixed bag. There’s a blend of slapstick humour and modern comedy that doesn’t always land. A lot of it feels stupid and outdated, belonging more to the teen sex comedies of the 2000s, but it does help to prevent the film from being overly sad. Audrey exclaiming, “It’s time to woman the fuck up. Grab hold of your labia!” is cringe, but it’ll work for the right audience.
While grief is the central theme of And Mrs, I don’t think Bubnic explores this in much depth. It is, however, depicted really well in a small handful of scenes that examine the different ways people grieve. Gemma’s mother, Lorraine (Sinéad Cusack), is a great antagonist, while her father (Peter Egan) is more passive while not entirely opposing her decision. Gemma stands up for herself in a brilliant scene where she says that what she needs is for everyone to stop telling her what she needs. The weakest parts of the film are Gemma’s friends, Ruth (Susan Wokoma) and Mo (Omari Douglas). They barely spend any time with Gemma one-on-one, as they are too busy siding with Lorraine and thinking Gemma’s decision to marry her dead fiancé is insane (I mean, yes, it is a bit, but still). The characters are all over the place, but Gemma and Ruth suddenly making up at the end after an explosive argument with no intermediary scene feels unearned.
And Mrs gets points for its original premise, but it’s an average return to the romcom that focuses on traditional themes of love and the meaning of marriage, despite the fact the love interest is dead. In addition to loss, the film also explores found family through Gemma and Audrey’s bond, which has some very touching moments. It’s got a lot of heart and I did tear up on multiple occasions. The cast and crew were drawn to this screenplay due to their own experiences with loss, allowing for a bittersweet blend of reality and fiction that will hopefully bring many people some much needed comfort, understanding, and comedic relief.
And Mrs will be available on Digital Download from 2nd September.
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