Thelma

Thelma (June Squibb) is 93 years old. Her daily routine is filled with hearing aid adjustments, solving word puzzles, brewing Keurig coffee, and slowly watching the daylight fade while she relives fond memories of her recently deceased husband.

When Thelma receives a phone call from her grandson saying that he’s been in an accident and needs immediate assistance, she springs into action and sends $10,000 in cash through the mail to the address given to her on the phone. She soon realizes, however, that the person on the phone is a scammer, and she sent the money to a cunning thief. Feeling embarrassed, Thelma goes to the police, but law enforcement can’t seem to help without a tracking number to locate the cash-stuffed envelope. That’s when Thelma decides to take matters into her own hands.

Taking inspiration from a Tom Cruise Mission Impossible movie, she decides to track down the scammer herself. After fishing the lost mailing address out of the trash at the postal office, she borrows a scooter from her friend Ben (Richard Roundtree), who reluctantly joins her. Slowly riding across town, Thelma evades her family (who are worried sick) and eventually arrives at the P.O. Box where she sent the money. Staging a low-key stakeout, the scammer is identified, and a confrontation ensues.

Old age brings diminishments. Throughout the movie, conversations between characters explore the tension between independence and dependence while touching on the themes of freedom, safety, family responsibility, asking for help, and the grief of missing loved ones who have died. Many Christian viewers will identify with these themes as adult children attempt to care for their aging parents, doing their best while asking for wisdom to fulfill the commandment—“honor your father and mother” (Ex. 20:12).

Thelma is a movie that stays light, even when exploring heavier themes. Much of the humor comes by subverting the action movie genre with slow-motion set pieces performed by actors in their 90’s. In the end, the movie can be summed up with a single line flashed across the screen during one moment in the movie: Asking for help is a sign of strength. (Rated PG-13, Disney+)