Gather round my cinephile friends (even you who don’t consider yourself as such), you’ll want to hear this. Have you heard of Lynn Shelton? No? Well, pull up a chair and make yourself comfortable. I first became aware of Lynn Shelton after watching her incredibly earnest and sweet picture, Touchy Feely from 2013. Sometimes a movie just hits you right in the solar plexus with its message of “you are not alone,” and that’s what this one did for me. We follow Rosemarie DeWitt’s character Abby. A masseuse by trade, one day she develops an aversion to other people’s skin that throws a wrench in everything. As a writer, this premise makes me think of one of the most effective writing aids I’ve ever been taught in a writing workshop: give your character the biggest obstacle that particular character could face. As a masseuse, developing an aversion to skin and touching other people is pretty much a mountain. Understandably, Abby is lost after that, not knowing what to do without the thing that gives her life meaning and fulfillment. We are introduced to Abby’s niece Jenny (played by the wonderful Elliot Page), her dentist brother Paul (Josh Pais), her boyfriend Jesse (Scoot McNairy), and the incredibly skillful Alison Janney as Reiki healer Bronwyn. Apart from the last, all of the characters seem lost in some way or another. Page’s Jenny has an unrequited crush on someone she can’t avoid, dentist Paul has closed himself off to life in a number of ways, and even Abby’s boyfriend Jesse is floundering in their relationship. I love that the actor’s name is Scoot, by the way. How many people do you know with a name like that? It’s a quiet film with very little plot to speak of. If you’re someone who’s used to action-packed adventures, it might not be for you, but I was moved by the performances and comforted by the characters ability to connect with one another. The littlest connection sparks something in each of them, and they start to come back to themselves and some sense of normalcy. I’d love to rewatch this one soon.

I’m glad I discovered Lynn Shelton while she was still alive. Tragically, she passed at the age of 54 of leukemia, but her work will always be there to discover. According to Wikipedia, she was a stalwart of the mumblecore genre, which is a hilarious term for the subgenre covering a range of independently-produced, small budget films with a focus on character development, interesting dialogue (presumably spoken at a lower volume than usual), and a desire to capture a feeling of authenticity. Fellow directors classified as “mumblecore” include the king of improvised indie cinema Joe Swanberg, known for the Netflix show Easy and several films featuring Jake Johnson (Nick from New Girl). Speaking of New Girl, the actors who played Cece and Winston have a podcast that’s a lot of fun for true fans of the True American players. We’ll get back to New Girl in a bit, as Shelton directed multiple episodes over the course of its run.

Your Sister’s Sister

I remember this movie as a genuinely good time. One scene featuring a condom will forever be embedded in my memory. Rosemarie DeWitt is front and centre again as Hannah, a queer woman who wants to have a baby. Mark Duplass (a filmmaker in his own right and mumblecore creator himself) plays Jack, a man grieving the loss of his brother. The two come together at a cabin proffered by their mutual connection Iris (Hannah’s sister and Jack’s close friend), played by Emily Blunt. These are all excellent actors, enabled by a great script to reach acting heights. If you missed this one back in 2011, come marvel at how young Blunt looks. Like her other films, Shelton doesn’t take big swings here. There are no action sequences, treasure maps, or calls from inside the house, but again there is a lovely, timid, gentle holding out of a hand that comforts you in its smallness. Sometimes being reminded of real life isn’t such a bad thing.

Laggies

This is a later addition to Shelton’s oeuvre (did I spell that right?). Again, we’re treated to a formidable cast: Sam Rockwell, Chloë Grace Moretz, Keira Knightley, Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), and Kaitlyn Dever in an early role. Knightley is at the helm as Megan, a woman in her late twenties experiencing a quarter-life crisis. Outside a grocery store, she meets a group of teens (led by Chloë Grace Moretz as Annika) looking for a way to score some alcohol. Again, Shelton gives us people without moors, hoping to feel tethered to something or someone. After buying them booze, Knightley tags along to Annika’s house, encountering the latter’s father Sam Rockwell. Romance predictably ensues, but Shelton’s presence is there in the way the plot unfolds and the sweetly comedic tone. This one is definitely worth a watch, especially if you’re a fan of any of these actors.

New Girl

Shelton also directed episodes of several different TV shows, many of which are favourites of mine. The Good Place (as discussed in this post) being one of them. She also directed five very funny episodes of the sitcom New Girl. One of my top shows of all time. I rewatch episodes all the time. The often absurd, silly humour hits hard for me, and Winston is my spirit animal/soulmate. I could write a whole post just about this show. I love the will-they-won’t-they plotline with Jess and Nick. Each character is lovable in their own way (except for Schmidt…I’m not sure I ever loved him to be honest). Now I will just say some of my favourite lines from the show, apropos of nothing. Here we go: The crawl is for all. Bird shirt. Fawn Moscato: I want you to be my boyfriend…as much as I want a commuter lane to Costa Mesa! Where is top to baby cage? End of favourite lines and back to the blog post. Now go! Discover these sparkling gems in situ in their respective episodes. I give you permission. You can come back to this another time. I’m not going anywhere.

The creator of New Girl, Elizabeth Meriwether, also co-produced No Strings Attached, which is a reliable rom-com for a rainy day starring Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman. The scenes with Greta Gerwig and Mindy Kaling are hilarious. All this to say, Lynn Shelton left behind a wealth of quality content for us to enjoy. It’s a tragedy that she left us so soon, but at least we have her movies and TV show episodes to remember her by. I encourage you to check out her work whenever you get a chance. It reminds us that film and television doesn’t have to be splashy, over-the-top adventure or plot-heavy narrative. It can just be a simple story, often about two people falling in love, or one person finding some clarity about the direction their life will take. In brief, it can just be a comfort. Pure and simple. I’ll see you all again next month. Take care.