Why Jamie Lee Curtis’ Flop With 23% Rotten Tomatoes Rating Is Suddenly A Hit

by

Okay, so James L. Brooks’ return to directing with Ella McCay didn’t exactly go as planned – critics weren’t fans, and it really flopped in theaters. But you know what? It’s found a whole new life on Disney+ and people are actually enjoying it! It was meant to be a fun, slightly satirical take on politics – a dramedy, really – and the big idea was to make Emma Mackey, who I loved in Sex Education, a huge star. It’s cool to see it finally connecting with an audience, even if the initial release didn’t go well.

Despite featuring a well-known cast including Albert Brooks, Tracey Ullman, Rebecca Hall, Jack Lowden, and Kumail Nanjiani, the film Ella McCay didn’t perform well when it was first released. With a $35 million budget, it only earned $4.56 million and received largely negative reviews. That’s why its recent success on Disney+ is so unexpected.

Why Critics Hated Ella McCay

Ella McCay follows the story of Ella Mackey, a dedicated and hopeful political assistant who becomes lieutenant governor of an unnamed US state. When her boss, Governor Bill Moore, is appointed to a position in President Obama’s administration, Ella unexpectedly finds herself in the spotlight and responsible for leading an entire state, despite being only 34 years old.

The story would be simpler if Ella’s personal and family life weren’t so chaotic, according to the film’s wry narrator. Julie Kavner, best known as the voice of Marge Simpson, voices both Ella’s secretary and narrates the movie, but her constant comments and explanations actually make the already complicated plot even harder to follow.

Despite having a talented cast, the movie Ella McCay received mixed reviews due to its confusing and overly complex plot. The film jumps between flashbacks about Ella’s father’s infidelity, her brother’s sudden recovery from agoraphobia, and her husband’s difficulties adjusting to her fame. Ultimately, the movie seems to be exploring the relationships between Ella and the men in her life.

The movie also suffers from strange detours – like a confusing focus on the bodyguards’ overtime pay and an unnecessary romance involving her brother. These issues, combined with an inconsistent tone and an overly long runtime, didn’t win over critics. The sentimental ending felt forced and didn’t improve their opinion of the film either.

Ella McCay’s Amazing Cast Explains Its Streaming Success

Basically, Ella McCay would likely stumble over most of the typical challenges faced by a moderately-budgeted political comedy. The film’s attempts at political humor felt stale and old-fashioned, and while it’s set in 2008, it wasn’t old enough to be genuinely charmingly retro.

Despite Emma Mackey’s strong performance as Ella McCay, the character herself is hard to root for. She comes across as both naive and strangely unnatural, and the film struggles to present a consistent personality. One minute she’s shown as a strong leader, the next as someone completely lost, and her political beliefs are never clearly established, which further complicates things.

The movie establishes Ella McCay as someone who supports mothers but opposes marijuana – a combination of beliefs that feels strange and doesn’t really impact the story. While the filmmakers try to make her seem appealing as a bright and enthusiastic data analyst, she ultimately comes across as flat, lacking depth, and surprisingly unemotional.

Despite receiving very negative reviews, Ella McCay quickly became popular on streaming platforms. While the movie isn’t perfect, it boasts a strong cast, including Jamie Lee Curtis as Ella’s supportive aunt Mackey, alongside Ayo Edebiri, Spike Fearn, and Woody Harrelson, who plays her complicated father.

Given the talented actors involved, it’s understandable why someone stumbling upon Ella McCay on a streaming service might think they’d discovered a great show that critics overlooked. However, the show’s failure is actually highlighted by the fact that it had such a promising cast – it really should have been better.

Ella McCay’s Director Made Its Critical Failure Worse

Brooks’ new film features a talented cast, but unfortunately, the story doesn’t quite work. This makes the film’s disappointing performance even more surprising, considering Brooks’ impressive track record. He’s known for directing beloved and critically acclaimed dramedies like Starting Over, Broadcast News, Terms of Endearment, and As Good As It Gets.

I’ve always been a fan of Albert Brooks, and even his movies that didn’t quite hit the mark, like Spanglish, still feel special because you could tell he was really trying something different. Plus, he’s responsible for some truly great films – he produced Cameron Crowe’s Say Anything, which is a classic! But honestly, what really cemented his place in my heart was The Simpsons. He co-created it with Matt Groening and Sam Simon, and together they built that amazing, unique sense of humor that defined the show’s best years. It’s a legacy, really.

Honestly, it was a real disappointment to see the director who’s given us so many fantastic dramedies misfire so badly with this one. Ella McCay felt like a misguided attempt to get all sentimental about the late 2000s – a period most of us remember for the financial crisis, not fond memories. It’s a tough film to feel sympathetic towards, and sadly, a pretty big flop.

Brooks’ film failed to utilize a talented cast and a promising new actress because of a confusing and underdeveloped plot. The story didn’t deliver enough drama to be truly engaging, nor enough humor to be genuinely funny. Ultimately, Ella McCay is the kind of movie that would need pure luck to find an audience on a streaming service.

Read More

2026-02-09 18:49