I have to admit that when it was first announced, writer/director James L. Brooks’ picture Ella McCay, I wasn’t terribly impressed. The Simpsons co-creator’s first film since 2010’s How Do You Know, early talk of a woman dealing with politics and family dramedy just hadn’t sparked anything for me. So how did this Emma Mackey-starring movie become a picture I immediately regret not putting on the list of fall 2025 movies?
Admittedly, the trailers that have been hitting theatrical trailer reels and the internet are the silver bullet. 20th Century Fox’s announcement that tickets are now on sale (via Fandango) became a delightful piece of news for me, as Ella McCay has built a home in my mind over the past couple of months. However, I don’t just want to tell you about this journey – I want you to take it yourself.
For starters, take a look at this most recent ad for the film before you look at anything else. Seriously, don’t look up any other trailers, and go in cold:
Respectfully, that TV spot isn’t bad; but I could see why it’d be hard to win new fans with its contents. It feels a bit more geared to an awards-season campaign, which is usually the sort of commercial that pops up later in the fun of a picture like this.
If you know little to nothing about Ella McCay, you’re probably not too jazzed. To be honest, it’s better for my case if you’re in that exact mindset. You see, this is a movie that doesn’t seem to clip well in the pre-release phase. There’s a good reason for that, as much like any other James L. Brooks fan will tell you, his films are very character driven.
So I can’t bring you Jamie Lee Curtis fighting with hot dog fingers in this one folks, and I do apologize for that. However, what I can offer is the first trailer that debuted for Ella McCay, which is included below:
Folks, this trailer in retrospect has hammered something home in my mind: we, as modern moviegoers, are spoiled. While I love a good sequel or adaptation as much as the next person, this footage is another timely reminder that that we need a more steady diet of stories like this one. Mixed in with the tales of feuding witches and detective animals, of course. (If you read my Zootopia 2 review, you know I wouldn’t give that movie up.)
Fittingly enough, this belief found its final footing a couple weeks ago, when I saw Rental Family. Another beautiful revelation, the Brendan Fraser dramedy broke me into tears, gave me earnest laughter, and felt like a movie that’s getting away with something if it debuts on a theater screen. And it’s those types of movies that have been surprising me more often than not in my time doing this job. (Remind me to recommend 2015’s Far from the Madding Crowd to you, at length, some time.)
My wife and I both loved what we saw out of this trailer that night, even as she looked at me and said, “That better not be bad.” I couldn’t agree more, because if by some reason Ella McCay isn’t a good movie, I’ll be disappointed and heartbroken. I’ll still be glad I got to see it the way movies have always been made to be seen; but I’ll be saddened that a chance like this may not be taken as often in the near future of Hollywood.
With all of that riding on its back, I anxiously await Ella McCay‘s cinematic inauguration into theaters on December 12th. Tickets are now on sale. So clear your schedule, make some plans, and shout along with Emma Mackey’s extremely human protagonist as she deals with some very relatable pitfalls.
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