Institute History
Description
U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Individual Performance - Melanie Lynskey
Control freak bride-to-be Annie gathers her group of thirtysomething friends at the picturesque Savannah family summer home of sisters Jessie (writer/director Clea DuVall) and Ruby to convince Ruby and her workaholic husband, Peter, that their relationship has turned irreparably toxic. Joined by Annie’s easygoing fiancé, Jessie’s partner (Sarah), as well as the reluctant Jack and his sprightly 22-year-old girlfriend, the group makes fumbling attempts to jump-start the intervention throughout the booze-fueled weekend, while resolutely avoiding dealing with their own vices and regrets.
The Intervention depicts an intensely relatable group of characters as they abandon the façade of being fine and embrace the reality of “fine-adjacent.” In her feature directorial debut, DuVall adeptly balances the performances of her talented ensemble cast, highlighted by complex work by Cobie Smulders as the deeply unhappy Ruby and an effervescent turn by Alia Shawkat as the “baby stranger” interloper, weaving them into a bittersweet dramedy acknowledging how difficult it can be to stop doing the things that hurt us.