Review: Support the Girls
In the often incisive and always well-acted workplace comedy drama, Support the Girls, Regina Hall perfectly embodies Lisa, a much-harried woman running a Texas sports bar named Double Whammies.
Taking place over the course of one day, the film finds Lisa going through what seems to be her usual routine of maintaining optimism in the face of stresses both major and minor and, perhaps most importantly, serving as a den mother of sorts to the group of women who work at the bar. She may not look it, but Lisa is a hero of sorts - the type that are often overlooked because they are there to serve others. Yes, many people do what Lisa does - whether it be handling the cable going out, dealing with unruly customers, or managing a boss (James Le Gros) who has no respect or even awareness of her competence - but to not let those everyday stresses erode your dignity and empathy is quite an achievement. Is it any wonder why her team regard her with affection and loyalty. As single mother and longtime server Danyelle (Shayna McHayle) responds when Lisa asks her if she genuinely likes working at the bar, "I like working with you."
It's not difficult to agree with Danyelle's statement. For one, Hall is such an endearing yet no-nonsense presence that one can't help but be firmly in her corner. For another, Lisa as a character is written so beautifully that one almost wonders why she tolerates the conditions in which she works. Almost because, as any viewer can relate, it's the people that make this kind of job bearable. One can understand how she would feel such a responsibility to those around her, whether it be having a car wash to raise funds for one of her waitresses, gently but firmly letting an employee know that he's fired but will still have to put in a full day's work, and treating her waitresses as actual human beings instead of the objects that the customers believe they are.
Similarly, writer-director Andrew Bujalski views Lisa and her team as women to be respected and not to be diminished. He does an excellent job in creating highly identifiable, layered characters and thoughtful vignettes that cumulatively and stealthily pack an emotional punch. Hall is magnificent and is given sterling support from McHayle and Haley Lu Richardson as Maci, who regards her objectification with both self-awareness and bemusement.
Support the Girls
Directed by: Andrew Bujalski
Written by: Andrew Bujalski
Starring: Regina Hall, Haley Lu Richardson, Shayna McHayle, Dylan Gelula, Zoe Graham, AJ Michalka, Brooklyn Decker, James Le Gros, Lea DeLaria
