‘Ricki and the Flash’ fails to sparkle

So two of my sisters went to a Rick Springfield concert last week in Reno and since I am still on vacation with one of my sisters we watched “Ricki and the Flash” starring Rick Springfield this past weekend.

I really did want to see it when it was in theaters but was not able to. Now I was happy to let my sister pay for the VOD and I didn’t have to buy a Los Angeles priced ticket.

Despite being written by Diablo Cody (“Juno”) and directed by Jonathan Demme (“Rachel Getting Married”) and starring the amazing Meryl Streep and baby-boomer fan favorite Rick Springfield, this supposedly flashy film is a flop.

It just never takes off. I suppose nostalgia, guilt and regret could be elements for a good film, but this film is so slow it’s boring. Another critic called it “gentle” and I was hard-pressed to find reviews that wanted to be negative about the film. Why?

Wanna be rocker Ricki (real name Linda; played by Meryl Streep) and her band (lead guitarist Greg played by Rick Springfield is in love with Linda/Ricki) play in a small venue in Tarzana, CA. When Linda’s wealthy ex-husband Pete (Kevin Kline) calls from Indianapolis that their daughter (played by Meryl’s real life daughter Mamie Gummer) is in a marital crisis, she scares the bottom of her bank account and flies to Indianapolis to help.

More or less helpful, Linda goes back to LA and her day job at healthy food store, and her relationship with the benign Greg. Then she and Greg go back a few months later for the wedding of Linda’s son. Rick and the Flash (the band) play to a mostly happy previously suspicious wedding party that dances the evening away.

Meryl did learn the guitar for this so that’s another awesome accomplishment for one of my favorite actresses.

It’s just too late for a midlife crisis here, though family is forever.

So, if there’s one good thing about the film, it’s that.

This film might be a candidate for a Razzie Award.

Blindingly underwhelming.