Entertainment
Just Give Julianne Moore the Oscar Now for ‘The Debut’
When the trailer for The Debut first released, I knew that I, as a member of my local community theater scene, had to see it. I immediately identified with the world that director Jesse Eisenberg created. My family and friends all participate in community theater to varying degrees, mostly as actors, though we tend to help out behind the scenes where we can, too — so I know people just like those who appeared in the trailer. But while this movie appealed to me on a personal level, the true hook was the comic performance of Julianne Moore as a woman with no acting experience appearing in her first show.
After seeing this film, it’s safe to say that Moore has guaranteed her spot at the Academy Awards for a Best Actress nomination. In fact, she might be the frontrunner. The Debut is a showcase for her talents, and not just in comedy; she taps into nearly every skill and range an actor can utilize to portray Mona, a woman in midlife who is no longer certain who she is. While many wonderful movies screened at Toronto International Film Festival this year, The Debut is by far the best of the bunch.
What Is ‘The Debut’ About?
Moore stars as Mona, a wife and mother of two kids who have recently graduated from high school and are no longer home very often. We open with Mona at dinner with her husband and some friends, who ask her how she spends her time now that her kids are older and don’t need her as much. Mona proudly declares that she’s auditioning for a musical; she’s ready to spend her time and fill her soul by doing something entirely for herself for a change.
This is where Mona meets Stef (Halle Bailey), Piotr (Eldar Isgandarov), Marty (Ken Todd Freeman), and many other members of the Brook Theater’s community. The movie begins from a position of optimism (even though it makes it clear that Mona’s own husband doesn’t respect her much), because Mona is embraced right away by the eccentric players in the troupe. They encourage her, fawn over her, and give her space to be herself without judgment.
The only issue is that Mona isn’t an actress, let alone a good one. The musical she’s been cast in, the fictional Nosy Neighbors, requires every member of the ensemble cast to pull their weight — but Mona can’t. So when she runs afoul of Jerry (Paul Giamatti), the charismatic director who only takes this so seriously because he cares, she receives a crash course in method acting. Jerry sees promise in her and systematically breaks down her own mental roadblocks, forcing her to deal with hard truths about her own personal life in the pursuit of artistic perfection.
Mona, surprisingly, takes to her walls breaking down much more easily than expected. She embodies her role as Miss Danielle, the superintendent of the building that’s central to Nosy Neighbors‘ plot. She begins to find her voice when Jerry suggests she wear the character’s prop tool belt, and she allows herself to be vulnerable when she pretends to smoke a cigarette among her peers — holding it, never lighting it.
But as she begins embodying the character, she finds it difficult to reconcile creative choices in the script. Her descent into becoming Miss Danielle surpasses all sane boundaries of “method acting,” to the point where she begins to impersonate building supers in dingy motels and apartment buildings in the city. And once she begins to clash with Jerry, she is hurled down a path where she must reconcile the person she was with the person she wants to be.
Jesse Eisenberg Establishes A World in ‘The Debut’
A lot of this might seem over the top, self-important, and ridiculous; I don’t know what to say to that other than “welcome to community theater.” It’s clear that Eisenberg has a deep love for these spaces and how they give creative people a chance to thrive. The way he writes the extended cast of other actors in the musical shows that he understands the social dynamics that tend to play out among a bunch of weirdos who might not fit in anywhere else.
There’s a stigma about theater dorks, but Eisenberg portrays the community as supportive. Sure, there are big personalities, including a key contribution from theater legend Bernadette Peters. But it’s never mean, it never punches down, and it never shows these people’s passions as something to laugh at. It avoids the self-deprecating tone of Waiting for Guffman, which tends to hate its characters at times. It also doesn’t get too self-important like Theater Camp, instead opting for a blend of earnestness with recognizing the low stakes of the endeavor. The movie draws you into the group’s progress because you want them, and Mona, to succeed, just because of how much they care about this. It’s truly, simply love for the game.
Eisenberg’s dedication is more than apparent, as well, given that he created an entire fictional musical to serve as the plot’s backbone. The music of Nosy Neighbor sounds familiar because it’s reminiscent of an Andrew Lloyd Weber or Stephen Sondheim musical from the ’80s. The show includes big, catchy tunes with many moving parts and familiar beats, created with the charm of an amateur production. Cinematographer Drew Daniels, a longtime pro who shot the 2024 Best Picture winner Anora, takes a theatrical approach to many of the film’s big moments, but he’s not afraid to get close to raise the intensity or push the viewer toward the edge of uncertainty. For every wide shot capturing the breadth of the stage, there’s a canted close-up meant to insert you right into the moment, for better or worse. Daniels has proven to be one of the most consistent shooters in the business with his recent work, and he proves to be a great partner for Eisenberg’s sensibilities as a writer and director.
Just Give Julianne Moore the Oscar Now
Despite a large cast, Moore is the true star of the show. The one-time Academy Award winner carries this film on her back, and when you get to the credits, it’s apparent you’re witnessing something special. Her work here goes beyond just being an actress; the layers are way too complex. The range she displays as Mona finds her own voice as an artist is deftly portrayed on every level, from her eyes to her body language and posture, to her voice and how she speaks, to her confidence and her comfort.
And while this could easily be a movie that focuses on Mona’s own disgruntled feelings about her family or her marriage, Eisenberg never dwells in that space too much. Sure, she has a shitty marriage and ungrateful children, but The Debut never veers its protagonist into a state of self-pity that revolves around her support system. Instead, they’re just symptoms of a much larger problem: Mona doesn’t know who she is.
The Debut is not just about Mona’s first show as an actress; it’s about Mona finding out who she really is. The theater is just a diabolical, unhinged method to unlock that person hiding inside — but what is community theater if it’s not a little deranged? Moore perfectly embodies Mona’s uncertainty and growing confidence as she sinks her creative claws deeper and deeper into Miss Danielle’s character, to the point where she has difficulty separating the two personalities.
Giamatti, as usual, is an excellent foil, and it’s shocking to realize this is the first time either actor has directly worked with the other. His role as Jerry is both terrifying and uplifting, as it becomes clear he’s not challenging Mona to bully her but to bring the best out of her. Jerry is the cast’s biggest cheerleader, and once he begins supporting Mona for her acting choices, the film really starts to hit its stride.
Eisenberg picked two perfect, powerhouse talents for this film and the results are apparent long before the credits begin to roll. It’s his most accomplished work yet and a true indicator that he’s only getting better three films deep into his filmography. This is the most complete comedy of the year thus far, containing Eisenberg’s trademark wit and heart that allows one to leave the theater satisfied.
- Julianne Moore delivers one of the greatest performances of her career.
- Jesse Eisenberg creates a heartfelt descent into madness in a story about finding one’s identity.
- The music and score feel like they’re actually ripped off a Broadway stage.
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