Sundance ‘12: Smashed review
Kate (Mary-Elizabeth Winstead) and Charlie (Aaron Paul) are a happily married couple. They’re young, they like to have a good time and they’re blind to the fact that they are both alcoholics. Charlie is a freelance writer so his lifestyle enables him to drink with greater frequency without effecting his work but Kate is an elementary school teacher and after getting sick in front of her class one day, she realizes she may have a problem. After lying to her kids who suggested she might be pregnant - she tells them she is - Kate attempts to get sober even though her husband isn’t interested. She’s introduced to AA by Vice-Principal Dave Davies (“Parks and Recreation“‘s Nick Offerman), himself a recovering addict where she meets her sponsor Jenny (“The Help“‘s Octavia Spencer). This sounds like the setup for either a gritty Sundance drama or a wince-inducing afterschool special but somehow, “Smashed” is neither. It is heartbreaking (and perhaps sobering) but also surprisingly hilarious portrait of alcoholism.
Winstead gives a career changing performance as Kate, completely unglamorous but unmannered, just completely human. Though she’s had a chance to work with some great directors so far (Edgar Wright, Quentin Tarantino), I’m not sure anyone would have predicted she capable of work quite this strong had she not shown it here. Probably the finest performance I saw at the entire festival. Despite the casting of Megan Mullally (as Principal Barnes) and Offerman (who has a few unforgettable scenes) the levity never takes away from the seriousness of the situation, only tempers the feeling that you’re being taught any kind of lesson here. The score by Fruit Bats Eric D. Johnson and Vetiver’s Andy Cabic (which reminded me a bit of Devotchka’s “Little Miss Sunshine” score) goes a long way towards keeping things off kilter if not exactly lightening the mood. But credit is due to director/co-writer James Ponsoldt and co-writer Susan Burke (herself a recovering alcoholic) who have crafted a film that despite treading well covered territory, still feels original.
