Anniversary

Grade: A-

Anniversary starts off as your usual extended family drama, in the vein of Parenthood, Once Around, The Family Stone, or (most recently) A Little Prayer. By the end, it’s a political thriller/cautionary tale about where we might be headed – a la Civil War. The socio-political undertones amidst the suburban backdrop made me think of Arlington Road and Lakeview Terrace. It was filmed in 2023, during the previous presidential administration. Things have happened since then, that, of course, nobody had any way of knowing would come to pass. It’s eerie and unfortunate how relevant for the times it is. One Battle After Another – still in theaters – is in a similar boat. What a chilling, but wonderful double feature you could have with OBAA and Anniversary.

Introducing, establishing, and maintaining a large family on the big screen, small screen, and stage isn’t the easiest task, but director Jan Komasa and his co-screenwriter Lori Rosene-Gambino are up to it. It didn’t take me long to feel like I knew, and even grew up with these four children in this family of six. There’s Anna (Madeline Brewer), a lesbian and edgy stand-up comedian. I’ve never seen Brewer before, but her appearance and portrayal here immediately reminded me of an apprentice-turned-actress with the Atlanta Shakespeare Company. If you know those people and you see Anniversary, let me know if any names jump out at you.

We also have Cynthia (Zoey Deutch, from The Threesome and Juror #2), an attorney. Dylan O’Brien (Twinless) is Josh, a struggling novelist – and the youngest child is the teenager Birdie, played by the ethereal Mckenna Grace (Regretting You, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire). Their parents are Paul (Kyle Chandler) and Ellen (Diane Lane). When we first meet everyone, they are at a big backyard party celebrating Paul and Ellen’s 25th wedding anniversary.

When I appeared in a production of Romeo and Juliet, our director liked bringing up the observation that literally everything that happens in the play got set into motion because someone bit their thumb at somebody else on the street. Nothing that follows would have happened otherwise. I’m not sure if Josh bringing his new girlfriend Liz (Phoebe Dynevor) is a true “thumb biting” situation, or if what takes place later would have happened anyway – but either way, she definitely changes everything for the family when she shows up. Ellen is a political science professor at Georgetown University, and Liz was in her class several years ago. They butted heads over Liz’s “radical ideology” (Ellen’s words). 

My initial thought was if this is the biggest conflict in the movie, it’s not much of one. Seems like something you should be able to laugh off and move on from with a quick “You were in my class, right? We didn’t see eye to eye on some things, but bygones are bygones. That was years ago. Good to see you. Thank you for coming.” Lane’s Ellen character is having trouble letting it go, and for much of the first parts of the film, she seems like the closest thing to a villain. Passive-aggressive comments make their way into the conversations at various Thanksgiving/birthday/holiday tables. Matters escalate and become more complicated with Josh and Liz’s engagement, then marriage, and before we know it, she’s carrying twins – Paul and Ellen’s first grandchildren.

Liz publishes a book called The Change: A New Social Compact. It takes off and spawns an authoritarian movement. The American flag is redesigned so that the stars are in the middle of the rectangle (signifying a merging of the parties). When you’re used to seeing it a certain way all your life, it’s jarring to see it look different – much like the flag in Civil War. Liz and Josh, by association, become political celebrities. The movement has a local headquarters. Ellen is let go from her teaching position. Somebody in the family goes missing. Strong emotions are stirred up for the viewer. There’s a scene (the one that ends with someone backing into a mailbox) that had me empathizing with a certain character, and being reminded of an opinion I have that I don’t often share. Depending on the situation, should it always be 100% just one person’s choice?

The movie’s title has a double-meaning. Anniversary, obviously, signifies the number of years Paul and Ellen have been married, but it also chronicles the years after their 25th, ending on their 30th anniversary (or 5th anniversary of Liz arriving and biting her thumb). By the end, the family has been absolutely obliterated – psychologically, if not physically. I went into the movie knowing very little. I wasn’t sure if it would be a regular family drama, or if it would take on a more violent variety, like a Hand That Rocks the Cradle (which recently had a remake). It’s almost one of the best movies of the year, and is certainly one of my heartiest “recommends” of 2025. If I dock it half a grade, it’s because by the time we arrive at the final sequence, the filmmakers seemed to be throwing every possible twist and new development our way that they could think of. Plus, we literally never see a meal amongst the family that doesn’t become an intense debate/argument. Were they ever civil at the dinner table? But this is an amazing film that will really stick with you. Watch Lane in the last scene. She has to play so many emotions in the same moment. You’ll know what I mean.

Grade: A-