Andrew Bujalski’s affecting Support the Girls is one of the more raw, honest, and insightful cinematic depictions of the American food industry and its underlying ideologies. The story centers on a day in the life of restaurant manager Lisa (Regina Hall) as she tries to manage and maintain a sense of control over all the various spinning plates which threaten to tumble–or have already crashed and require someone to pick up the mess. Lisa is pastoral in her leadership over the group of girls working at ‘Double Whammies’, serving them with a sense of positivity, nurture, and care that one would hope for in any boss. She listens to others, holds them accountable for their actions, and gives a lot of grace for small mistakes. Yet this particular day is a series of one too many dramatic events, ultimately challenging her idealistic resolve.
Support the Girls is billed as a comedy, and it’s certainly smart and funny. Yet the film is also a biting, disheartening look at the reality of the sexual harassment and misogyny that women continue to experience in the workplace. In this, Support the Girls is a damning indictment of the passivity and toxicity of modern masculinity; every significant male character in the film is a creep, a criminal, or possesses an unhealthy personal confidence. As its title implies, Support the Girls is an invitation and exhortation without being preachy or didactic, asking the audience to consider the situation before us, to empathize and advocate for women in our world.
– Joel Mayward
- Directed by: Andrew Bujalski
- Produced by:
- Written by: Andrew Bujalski
- Music by:
- Cinematography by: Matthias Grunsky
- Editing by:
- Release Date: 2018
- Running Time: 93
- Language: English
Arts & Faith Lists:
2018 Top 10 — #9