By Steve Crum

I love June Squibb. The affair began when I first saw her on screen in 2013. Now 96, Squibb is superb in her second starring role since 2024’s Thelma. As in her Oscar nominated Supporting Actress turn as Bruce Dern’s wife in Nebraska (2013), her every scene is lively and compelling. 

She runs the proverbial gamut in 2025’s Eleanor the Great. Whether the scenes involve deep friendship or crushing sorrow, Squibb delivers. 

Her delivery can be stinging as well as sassy—as befits her role as Eleanor Morgenstein. She is a widow undergoing a major life change following the death of her best friend and roomie, Bessie Stern (Rita Zohar). 

Adjusting to her new lifestyle, Eleanor soon moves in with her daughter Lisa (Jessica Hecht) and grandson Max (Will Price) in New York City. The results are immediately familiar and expected, as told in Tory Kamen’s screenplay. It’s no surprise that the opinionated Eleanor is looking for a new place to stay. Along the way, she stumbles into joining a support group of Holocaust survivors. But there is a major problem inherent. Such is the crux of the plot. 

Adding to the complexity of Eleanor’s challenges is a friendship she acquires with college journalism major Nina Davis (Erin Kellerman) and her renowned TV news anchor father Roger Davis (Chiwetel Ejiofor). Much like Eleanor, he is reeling from the recent death of his wife. Nina wants to write about Eleanor for her journalism class, which Eleanor at first rejects. They become close pals. 

Kamen’s plot lines eventually weave together—sometimes surprisingly, sometimes predictably. Incidentally, Dustin O’Halloran’s subtle and appropriate score is a plus. 

But a big credit for the success of the film goes to renowned actress Scarlett Johansson. She makes her directorial debut with Eleanor the Great. 

At this writing, June Squibb has recently closed a successful play run on Broadway in “Marjorie Prime.” It is hard to believe that she began her career in 1959 on the Great White Way stage in “Gypsy,” playing a singing stripper. 

Moreover, this study in the psychology of grief and loss is what makes Eleanor so great. 

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GRADE on an A-F Scale: B+