Ricki and The Flash Review #RickiandTheFlash #RickiJunket
Release date: August 7, 2015
Cast: Meryl Streep, Rick Springfield, Mamie Gummer, Kevin Kline Sebastian Stan, Ben Platt, & Audra McDonald
Director: Jonathan Demme
Rated: PG-13
Soundtrack: OMG Amazing!
The Story:
It’s been a roller-coaster ride for Ricki Rendazzo (Meryl Streep), a one-time wife and mother of three who left her family behind to follow her dreams of rock ‘n’ roll stardom. Now, the singer and guitarist must face the music when she returns home to Indiana to reconnect with ex-husband Pete (Kevin Kline), troubled daughter Julie (Mamie Gummer) and engaged son Josh (Sebastian Stan). Filled with regret, Ricki hopes to find redemption for all of the bad choices that she made in the past.
The Movie begins to the sounds of American Girl being played. Ricki Rendazzo is a hard rocking lead singer of the cover band, The Flash. Playing a steady gig at night at a local bar while working at Total Foods, in CA, during the day to help pay the bills. Greg (Rick Springfield) often displays his true love for Ricki while she often displays her fear of getting too close to her heart.
Ricki receives a phone call from Pete, her ex-husband, that her daughter Julie’s husband had left her for another woman. Ricki packs immediately to return Indiana to be by her daughter’s side. The problem is, her daughter wants anything but for her mother to be by her side.
Ricki once lived a much different life. Her name was not even Ricki Rendazzo (her new/stage name), it was Linda Brummell. Wife to Peter and mother to three children, Julie, Josh and Daniel. Linda left this life behind and moved to L.A. to pursue her dreams of becoming a rock star. Her children hold much resentment and anger at Ricki for leaving them behind. This anger complicates things for Ricki and her attempt to be by her daughter’s side. There is so much unresolved business between her, her children, ex-husband and his new wife. Everyone is angry at Ricky and tempers definitely boil.
Will Ricki be able to repair what has been done? She is a mother who left her children to pursue her dreams. What could be more horrible? Horrible as it was, Meryl is able to play the part of Ricki in such a way that you find her extremely likeable. Yes she did something horrible and the movie offers no explanation other than she left to pursue her dreams of being a rock star. Was there more to her leaving? We are not sure. During our interview with Meryl she speaks of this. “The thing that is neat about this screenplay is there are so many holes in it, so many mysteries, so many things that you don’t understand. We don’t really know how much Ricki was in the lives of her children. Or when Maureen (Peter’s new wife) actually came into their lives, how early was she there.”
What we do see is Ricki handle the anger, that is directed, at her with much grace. She is under the attack several times and put in some pretty uncomfortable situations but she manages to push forward to mend what has gone wrong all those years. Meryl spoke during our interview about one thing that she admired about Ricki and found almost freeing. “Ricki does not say I’m sorry. I am who I am. I can’t stop being that. I felt that there was something real and freeing in being that kind of person that does not say I’m sorry.” While Ricki may not have been the best Mom, she was a really fun and likeable person. She was a free spirit, a fly by the seat of your pants kind of lady.
Two of my favorite lines from the movie are…. “Sometimes a girl just needs her mother.” “You think because you screwed up once you don’t get a second chance?!” Make sure you go see the movie and find out if Ricki was given a second chance or not.
Cool Fact: The 68 Gibson sg in the movie is owned in real life by Rick Springfield since he was 20 and is the actual guitar he wrote Jesse’s Girl on. Meryl screams out during our interview “that’s so cool!!!” and it sure is super cool!
Overall thoughts of the movie: I loved it! While it has some sad moments that really made me cry a bit… it also was a feel good movie. The whole cast of characters were so likeable that you were rooting for them all. The music was incredible throughout the entire movie and had you dancing in your seat. I was so pumped up at the end of the movie that I would not leave until the credits were over and the last song fully played.
Rating: 🍒🍒🍒🍒🍒
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Ricky and The Flash in theaters everywhere August 7th!
I’m Melissa, the imaginative force behind Sparkles to Sprinkles, where creativity comes to life, and sprinkles of joy are scattered generously. Melissa is a proud Jersey girl who found love with a New York boy. As a mom to four wonderful boys and a few fur babies, her journey into the world of blogging began after making the life-changing decision to stay home and raise her children. Previously a dedicated workaholic, Melissa’s blog became her creative outlet and passion project. Inspired by her mother-in-law, a masterful cook renowned for her delicious home-cooked meals and legendary holiday feasts (think mouthwatering sausage stuffing), Melissa honed her culinary skills through a combination of family recipes and countless cooking classes. She often attended these classes with her son Michael, who shared her enthusiasm for cooking from a young age. Melissa’s love for learning extends beyond familiar cuisines, as she enjoys exploring international recipes in hands-on cooking classes. Her blog features a diverse array of recipes, showcasing her expertise with various kitchen appliances such as the Instant Pot, air fryer, Slow Cooker, Ninja Foodi, Instant Vortex Plus, and more. Join Melissa on her culinary adventures as she shares tried-and-true family favorites alongside exciting new discoveries!