Streaming sanity: Bad title, good movie: ‘The Land of Steady Habits’
Bad title, good movie: ‘The Land of Steady Habits’
Even in times of pandemic, Netflix adds original content so often it can be easy to lose track of all the things you want to watch.
It happened to me in the case of “The Land of Steady Habits,” a film released on the subscription platform way back in September 2018. That clunky title didn’t help keep the movie on top of my watchlist, but it’s worth typing it into the search bar now.
Nicole Holofcener writes and directs the film adapted from a novel by Ted Thompson. Holofcener, an Oscar-nominee for writing the 2018 Melissa McCarthy drama, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?,” boasts an excellent filmography of thoughtful, relationship-focused comedies, including 2006’s “Friends with Money,” 2010’s “Please Give” with Catherine Keener, and 2013’s “Enough Said” with Julia Louis-Dreyfuss and the late, great James Gandolfini. If nothing else, it’s nice to see a filmmaker focus on making character-centric movies about middle-aged people rather than pander to audiences with movies about 20-year-old hard bodies.
“Steady Habits” continues that streak, focusing on recently divorced Anders Hill (Ben Mendelsohn) as he struggles with early retirement, dating life, and maintaining a relationship with his adult son. Even after leaving his wife (played by Edie Falco) and intense finance job, he begins to see his freedom as a new sort of depressing existence.
Characters like Anders exist in many movies, though most often they’re played as pathetic foils to the more relatable spouse who gets left behind. By focusing on Anders, “Steady Habits” offers a unique perspective of a man who begins to see the destructiveness and collateral damage of his selfish choices.
Even with Anders at the center, Holofcener builds an emotionally-complex set of supporting characters, especially in the case of Falco’s character and Thomas Mann as the ex-couple’s son, who is continuing to struggle with independence after exiting rehab for drug addiction.
“Steady Habits” serves as a compelling star vehicle for Mendelsohn, a dynamic actor known more for his tough guy turns in movies like “Rogue One,” “Ready Player One,” “Captain Marvel” and the Netflix series “Bloodline,” for which he earned an Emmy for Best Supporting Actor. This film showcases a more playful, charming side to the actor, though his signature intensity becomes an asset once Holofcener attempts some tricky tonal shifts in the film’s final half hour.
Holofcener knows how to make use of good actors, and “Steady Habits” contains a deep bench even in minor roles, including Connie Britton, Elizabeth Marvel and Bill Camp. It isn’t the kind of movie where the plot can be boiled down into an exciting trailer, another reason, alongside the title, why it might get buried at the bottom of a list of Netflix offerings.
The reality, however, is that much of the newer Netflix content lacks compelling reasons to exist, other than to make it seem like the streaming service is packed with more original content than anywhere else. “The Land of Steady Habits” deserves more eyeballs. At least then the network will see the value in investing in talent like Holofcener.
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Tyler Wilson can be reached at twilson@cdapress.com. He’s been writing professionally about movies since 2000 and is the co-host of Old Millennials Remember Movies, available everywhere you get podcasts and at OldMillennialsRemember.com.
