Available today on Blu-ray, DVD and digital is the comedy Breaking News in Yuba County.
Breaking News in Yuba County has an all-star cast – Allison Janney, Mila Kunis, Awkwafina, Wanda Sykes, Ellen Barkin, Laura Dern, Juliette Lewis, and Matthew Modine, to name a few.
Breaking News in Yuba County is produced by Jake Gyllenhall, Frank Leonard, Riva Marker, John Norris, and Taylor. Stuart Ford, Greg Shapiro, Miguel A. Palos Jr., Greg Clark, Victoria Hill, Amit Pandya, Stephen Spence, Allison Janney, Idoko and Robin Mulcahy Fisichella serve as exeutive producers
Janney stars as Sue Buttons, an ordinary housewife living an ordinary life. She is married to Karl (Modine) and has a half-sister named Nancy (Kunis).
It’s Sue’s birthday, but no one seems to remember… not her husband, not her sister, not even the people she works with. It seems like no one cares and Sue is almost invisible to them.
Sue thinks her husband is buying her a bouquet of flowers for her birthday, but it turns out that they are for his mistress. Sue walks in on her husband, causing him to have a heart attack and die right then and there. He left behind a bag full of money, unbeknown to Sue.
She ends up burying Karl and the bag of money. No one really knows why she didn’t let people know the truth (that he died of a heart attack). Instead, she comes up with an elaborate story, going to the Police to file a missing person’s report for Karl.
Sue could have lavished the attention that becoming a widow would have afforded her, but Sue has her eyes set on something bigger. She wants to become an overnight sensation and find herself interviewed by her favorite television personality, Gloria Michaels (Lewis). Even her own sister is not good enough.. .she has her eyes set on a bigger television “star.”
The bag that Sue acquired when Karl died contains A LOT of money. Karl’s brother got him involved in a money laundering scheme, and the owner of a local bowling alley, Kim (Keong Sim) wants that money back. He sends out two thugs, Mine (Awkwafina) and Ray (Clifton Collins Jr.) to find the money and return it to him.
What transpires is a off-beat comedy with a wild cast of characters.
Will Sue’s secret be found out? Will she get the interview with Gloria Michaels and become a celebrity? Will Kim ever get the money back? To find out you need to purchase or rent Breaking News in Yuba County. Look for it where ever movies are sold/rented.
I think many people can relate to how Sue felt invisible, and like no one truly cared about her. I have felt that way from time to time. My birthday has come and gone without so much as a “happy birthday” text from family, friends or co-workers. My husband never forgets. Nor do my kids. That is all that matters to me. Unlike Sue, most people don’t want to become an instant celebrity over a tragedy, such as the death of her husband.
Overall I thought it was an entertainment film. It’s a bit crazy and “over the top” at times, but I still enjoyed it. I do think that the story seemed to be all over the place at times, but ultimately it’s a fun movie. It’s a comedy after all (I laughed, but not throughout the film). Some of the humor was a bit “over the top” for my taste.
Allison Janney is a comedic powerhouse. This film is filled with celebrities, but it’s Janney who really “stole the show” with this film. She is comic “gold.” I honestly cannot think of a better actress for this role. I was thinking about other female comedians, and honestly, I cannot think of anyone better than Janney.
It was nice to see Mila Kunis again. She seems to be have absent from the Hollywood scene (I suppose it’s because she’s been raising her family). She’s in another movie coming out soon that looks good.
I have the Blu-ray copy of the film, but I watched the film with the included digital code. I don’t think that the Blu-ray has any bonus features (I could be wrong).
Breaking News in Yuba County has a run time of 96 minutes and is rated “R” for violence, language, sexual content and some nudity.
Below is the film’s trailer for your enjoyment.
Kimberly
*I received a screener copy for free in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.