The First Trailer for "Grandma" Sees Tomlin Being As Sassy As Ever

Left to right: Julia Garner and Lily Tomlin

In 2015, it seems like a very good time to be Lily Tomlin. For starters, she has gotten a lot of acclaim for her work on the Netflix series Grace and Frankie alongside co-star Jane Fonda. While she has been busy with small parts here and there, it feels like she has decided to take center stage with a series of projects that also includes Sundance favorite from director Paul Weitz called Grandma. In a film that sees her taking care of her granddaughter and having a very randy time about it, the first trailer looks to promise a lot of great times ahead, but is it possible that an Oscar nomination is in store as well?

For many, the very notion that Tomlin has been nominated before is a little bit strange. While Nashville has become a milestone in American cinema, Tomlin's Best Supporting Actress nomination has largely been forgotten. It could be that the film had a massive cast that made one particular person stand out. However, it is just a reminder of what her talents could provide. While some could argue that she hasn't done anything as noteworthy, they are overlooking a body of work that includes All of Me and 9 to 5. While she hasn't been as high of a profile int he years preceding, she has always been up for a great time.

That is why there's hope that this year is going to be some sort of renaissance for her. Grace and Frankie is a show that is very effective for its demographics. Her exploration of later age homosexuality is charming and reverent in equal doses. Now the question turns to Grandma, which is probably her bigger movie gig in quite some time as a lead. What exactly would she bring to the table?

Check out the trailer below:

Looks pretty good. Here's the plot description according to IMDb:

Self-described misanthrope Elle Reid has her protective bubble burst when her 18-year-old granddaughter, Sage, shows up needing help. The two of them go on a day-long journey that causes Elle to come to terms with her past and Sage to confront her future.

It sounds like a perfectly quaint film. While I feel like the trailer feels like it pulls extra weight in order convince us that Tomlin is great, I feel like the footage also does a solid enough job to make us care. If anything, there's plenty of nice comedic beats. It may not seem like an extraordinary performance immediately, but consider that only two years ago Bruce Dern received a nomination for his work in Nebraska. He also hadn't been nominated since the 70's. It's just a matter of how the elderly role appeals to voters. In the sake of Tomlin, she is likely able to draw the line between crass and charming in ways that could benefit her in the long run. 

If anything, the film looks to be pretty good. With reviews already calling it a great performance, I am sure that it will at least be worth checking out. As someone who enjoys Tomlin's work, I secretly hope that there's something more here that we'll be seeing sooner than later. Whatever it is, I hope that it brings good things not only for the sake of a good movie, but just for voters and viewers alike. We need to have something exciting in the Oscar race, and a sassy grandma may just do the trick.