'Grandma' features Oscar-worthy work from legendary Lily Tomlin

Lily Tomlin in Grandma

The new comedy-drama Grandma accomplishes several impressive feats. It does a better job of any narrative movie I've seen (including the somewhat overrated Obvious Child) of looking at the subject of abortion, it presents a road movie that doesn't lapse into cliche and it reminds audiences once again of what a remarkable talent Lily Tomlin is.

Tomlin has always been terrific but she hasn't appeared in a ton of films. Her unconventional looks and personality must have given Hollywood fits, but her wit and skill have never been in question.

She scored an Oscar nomination for her first major role, the ensemble masterpiece Nashville. She was the standout in a remarkable Robert Altman cast. She went on to give well-received performances in films like 9 to 5, All of Me, Short Cuts and I Heart Huckabees.

But Grandma feels like a career-capper in the best way. It's the kind of showy, hilarious role that aging male actors always get but women of Tomlin's era rarely do. At 76, she hasn't lost a comedic step. In the film she plays a gruff, but honest lesbian writer, whose best work is far behind her.

Her granddaughter seeks her help to procure an abortion leading to a brief odyssey that will bring them closer together and reveal more about the Tomlin's character's past. It's a short and sweet film, not even 90 minutes long, but it feels totally authentic and believable from start to finish.

The supporting cast is excellent, but this is totally Tomlin's film from start to finish.

There is nothing predictable about her, and from scene-to-scene it's awe-inspiring how many shades she plays. This could have been a totally self-satisfied indie movie where Tomlin plays a sassy granny, but there's more depth to the movie than that.

The abortion plotline is neither overplayed or underplayed. It's presented very plausibly and unlike so many recent films, it really examines a lot of facets of the procedure and doesn't trivialize them. That said, the movie also isn't a political film, at least not overtly so.

It's a film about character -- both in the literal and figurative sense. We all wish we had a cool relative like the Tomlin character, someone no-nonsense who has your back no matter what. And even though she comes across as deeply flawed she's never not likable, which is a tribute to Tomlin.

This woman is a national treasure and one of our greatest comic actresses. Hopefully Oscar won't forget her when the Best Actress nominations come out, because she richly deserves one.