The Wasteland Reviewer

Janet Planet (2024) Written Review

Do you remember the summers of your youth? The warm sun. Spending plenty of time outdoors and exploring. Getting ice cream to cool down in the heat. Spending quality time with your family. Those are probably some more universal elements of many young peoples’ summers but sometimes you just have that one summer that stands out in an interesting way. Writer/director Annie Baker captures one such summer experience that stands out in the youth of our protagonist Lacy (Zoe Ziegler). This story is set in rural Massachusetts back in the summer of 1991 and Janet (Julianne Nicholson), Lacy’s mother, catches some interesting characters in her orbit. 

How does Baker pull the audience in for this journey into the summertime of yesteryear? There is a tenderness to how this story is told. There is a softness and fluidity to the story. You are not going to find a string of melodramatic “big moments” packed into this little drama. The story lives in the quieter existence of Lacy and the connections that find themselves in Lacy and Janet’s life. The is a richness and warmth to the photography (courtesy of cinematographer Maria von Hausswolff) where you see the beauty of this rural Massachusetts setting that makes the audience feel comfortable on this sweet little journey. The methodical pacing and lower energy might have the audience feel a little TOO comfortable which is not a good thing. But if the audience can avoid the disengagement and lock in with Lacy and her journey, there is plenty to appreciate and engage in. 

What does Baker explore through the imagination and experiences of this young woman? Janet Planet is the kind of film that weaves in unexpected dynamics and conversations that feel fresh and engaging. There is a particular exchange between Lacy and Janet that gets brutally honest when it comes to sexuality and romance that you would probably not find in a coming-of-age summer flick like this. But Janet Planet is certainly not your standard summertime drama, you are used to it too. The inclusions of our three visits add layers and dynamics that engage Lacy and the audience in varying ways. Lacy is a strange young woman who has a different perspective on the world, and she is the one observing everything. There is even a moment where we see Two characters having what seems like a serious conversation from the obscured view of Lacy. 

With a subdued and tender drama like this, what is the key to bringing all this dialogue and the characters to life? The actors. Ziegler is a young woman who has an interesting affect and dryness. Her ability to engage with all the different adults in the film is impressive. Her ability to feel believable in her interactions but also awkward because that is her character is quite impressive. Nicholson delivers a powerful and confident performance. She is the type of actor who is always great but never gets that wide praise. Hopefully a film like Janet Planet can give that to her. The quieter and intimate moments are the ones where Nicholson gets to shine in her raw honesty and intimacy. Then you have three visitors who each bring something interesting. Will Patton portrays Janet’s boyfriend and his ability to bring a rugged masculinity as an aging character brings interesting layers to this mother/daughter tale. Sophie Okonedo is warm and sweet but strong in her portrayal as Janet’s friend Regina. There are some interesting interactions between Okonedo and Ziegler that bring a lot out of both. Then you have Elias Koteas who is so soft spoken and brings layers of community and art into the story as he portrays the leader of a local performance art crew, Avi. 

Is Janet Planet worth the slow moving and subdued experience? For many people, it will probably be too slow. But if you are willing to engross yourself in this beautiful summer glow and contemplative environment, there is so much worth chewing on. The performances across the board are so fantastic with Ziegler and Nicholson leading the charge. A sweet and tender coming of age story is always worth a watch and Baker’s film is certainly in that category.