Going into a film, one might have some idea of what it is they’re about to take in. A trailer seen beforehand could offer a hint, perhaps a glimpse of the synopsis or the film’s first several minutes, which may gently nudge the viewer in a direction that makes sense, even if that direction ultimately leads to an entirely incorrect outcome, contrary to what was assumed. It’s in this experience that the joy of moviegoing truly materializes, but with a film like “Anniversary,” any ideas formed from the jump best take occupancy at the door. This is not meant to establish an unexpectedly entertaining journey or incredible third-act twist, but rather something far more frustrating.
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Frustrating, indeed, considering the talent involved. As “Anniversary” unfolds, a 25th year of wedded bliss calls for a celebration, with the couple of the moment being the Taylors, Ellen (Diane Lane) and Paul (Kyle Chandler), who again takes on the surname following “Friday Night Lights.” It isn’t long before their four children arrive at the spacious Taylor estate as the event begins: Cynthia (Zoey Deutch), an attorney alongside her husband Rob (Daryl McCormack), Anna (Madeline Brewer), a performance artist, Birdie (Mckenna Grace), their teenage daughter, and Josh (Dylan O’Brien), a writer who’s decided this to be the perfect occasion to introduce the clan to his fiancée Liz (Phoebe Dynevor). Ellen, a professor of politics at Georgetown, is soon to realize Liz was once a student, one who once pitched a radical idea for a one-party system, much to Ellen’s disagreement.
Working through any awkward feelings as she attempts to enjoy the gathering, her lingering concerns as to why Liz has suddenly reappeared in her otherwise inconsequential life go unheeded by Paul later that evening, in addition to a tense exchange with a highly defensive Josh as she wonders aloud why he’s chosen Liz and an evening bonfire held by the siblings where the visible disconnect between Liz and the rest couldn’t be any more palpable. Any and all worry seems further exacerbated by a gift Liz bestows to Ellen in the form of a book authored by the former detailing her one-party plan; oh, and that comment uttered by Liz as she and Josh depart the Taylor residence? The one where she tells a confused Ellen how she’s no longer afraid of her old instructor? That doesn’t seem suspicious at all now.
It’s now the perfect moment for a time jump, two years to be exact, with a now-pregnant Liz having seen her idea, known as “The Change, ” take flight on a widespread scale. A family dinner sets the stage for Liz to reveal a recent appointment to Georgetown, much to Ellen’s horror, as the divide between the Taylors widens, with more time jumps on deck and further discord yet to unfold as the second act continues. By this point, for a film less than two hours long, it feels far longer, with much more to go.
It’s clear that all those onscreen are doing their best with the material they’ve been given, even as the movie itself struggles to decide what exactly it wants to be. A film that initially recalls the forgotten 1999 thriller “Arlington Road,” with its themes of paranoia and distrust shared by no one outside the main character, quickly evaporates as the opening of “Anniversary” moves into something else entirely. Are we witnessing an examination of one person’s quest to awaken the nation on a political level and the fallout that ensues, or is it about the personalities that make up a family and how one square peg may never truly fit within the Taylor family? It’s clearly both, but fails to mesh as well as director Jan Komasa may have wanted, with terribly edited dialogue that sees characters talk over one another and plot deviations in the third act meant to show the unravelling of the Taylors, but instead possesses the feel of the scattershot threads comprising “Surviving Christmas.” The motivations behind the four siblings’ later activities seem like an improvisation or a last-minute on-set rewrite; James Gunn would likely disapprove. Josh’s slow, systematic takedown of Birdie’s new boyfriend around the dinner table, as he probes his career aspirations, makes for an unexpectedly compelling moment, with O’Brien’s shift in character to someone unsettlingly confident. However, a scene showing the entire family on an afternoon kayak jaunt serves little to no purpose. It’s another example of flashes of brilliance, which quickly fall by the wayside, whether intentionally or otherwise.
Yet, what can be determined to be the true motivation of Liz? Her wish to see Ellen’s world crumble? Her political machinations, which could have used another entire film to unpack properly? Behind every blank stare, likely a choice on behalf of either Komasa or Dynevor, it’s hard to see the depth of Liz’s plans. It’s fitting, one might suppose, to give a movie a title with no significant connection to the greater story beyond the setting of the Taylors’ party, itself a background character in a film that sadly treats its near-endless components the same. [C-]
