Mary Goes Round

2017

1 hr. 24 min.

Drama

List

90%

10 Reviews

Tomatometer

88%

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Audience Score

When a woman returns to her hometown, she finds that her estranged father is dying and wants her to bond with his teenage daughter, the half-sister she's never met.

Read More

Read Less

Watch on Peacock

Stream Now

Peacock

Apple TV

Rent Mary Goes Round on Apple TV, or buy it on Apple TV.

Audience Member

Mary Goes Around (2017) is a Canadian comedy-drama, written and directed by Molly McGlynn, her first feature film. It's the story of a young woman whose life spirals out of control because of her erratic behavior and drinking, and must face the consequences and confront her personal demons if she is to move on in life. The narrative of Mary's drinking is juxtaposed against her erratic behavior, the fallout from her out of control drinking, resolving her conflict with her father, and establishing a relationship with her half-sister which creates dramatic tension and moves the narrative. The talented Aya Cash plays Mary. John Ralston plays her father, Walt. Sara Waisglass plays Robyn, her half-sister, and Melanie Nicholls-King plays Lou, a friend. What makes the film besides the stellar performances of the main and supporting cast is the comedic moments that pepper the storyline and have you in stitches. Cash brings a poignant, funny and nuanced rendering of a sympathetic and relatable character: a frustrated, conflicted young woman dealing with daddy issues. She's a very likeable character that will keep you rooting for her along her dark journey. I would like to single out Melanie Nicholls-King's performance of Lou who gives a powerful performance of a recovering addict who works as a PSW and lives out of a motel room. She brings a gravitas and dignity to her role and the luminosity of her humanity and decency lights the screen, which held me spellbound. I think her character is deserving of her very own feature film, and perhaps, there's a spin off in the works. One of the funniest scenes in the film is when Mary arrives at her former home and greets her half-sister Robyn who has just come outside. Robyn mistakes Mary for a looney bin and tells her to move on. Another is when Mary introduces Lou to her dad and tells him that she's a friend from school who was in the slow learner's class. One of the most powerful and moving scenes in the film is when Mary's dad and half-sister show up at her AA meeting and sit with her. Another is when Mary gets off the bus in Niagara Falls, stands briefly in front of a hotel taking it all in, and then, makes her way to her former home, pulling her piece of luggage behind her, walking along a street that has seen better days, like Mary herself. Another is when the two sisters are talking to each other through the women's washroom cubicles. You visually sense the divide and separation between them. The cubicle barrier that separates them physically also separates them personally. What I liked too in the film was situating the narrative within the context of a faded city that has seen better days and whose breathtaking views have been immortalized in Hollywood films like Niagara. The film resonated with me on many levels such as that redemption is within our grasp, the meaning and importance of family, and we are all deserving of second chances. I highly recommend Mary Goes Around. It's a well-made film with superb dialogue and great performances that will tug on your heartstrings.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Totally loved this film..

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Molly McGlynn

Director

Aya Cash

Mary

Aaron Poole

Pete

Kimberly-Sue Murray

Diane

Melanie Nicholls-King

Lou

Sara Waisglass

Robyn

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

59%

38%

Mobile Homes

TRAILER

for Mobile Homes

100%

%

Clean Up

65%

72%

Anything

TRAILER

for Anything

75%

63%

Mammal

33%

97%

Generational Sins

TRAILER

for Generational Sins

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Kate Taylor

Globe and Mail

McGlynn's quiet approach may be admirable, but it falls awkwardly between two stools, proving itself neither dramatic enough nor fun enough to raise up the drunken Mary.

Rated: 2/4

Mar 30, 2018

Full Review

Bruce DeMara

Toronto Star

With her soulful brown eyes and subtle expressions, Cash perfectly conveys the sense of a woman putting on a brash front who cannot quite disguise the melancholy inside.

Rated: 3/4

Mar 29, 2018

Full Review

Adam Nayman

Cinema Scope

Mary Goes Round justifies its existence and excels through the good, old-fashioned virtues of writing, directing and acting.

Sep 28, 2017

Full Review

Richard Crouse

Richard Crouse

The film's expected uptick at the end feels earned, coming with the message that looking beyond one's own borders might reveal the path to happiness.

Rated: 3/5

Mar 4, 2021

Full Review

Pat Mullen

Cinemablographer

Mary Goes Round dares audiences to cast judgement on anyone wrestling with such personal demons.

May 21, 2019

Full Review

Di Golding

Dear Cast and Crew

Mary Goes Round is an unself-conscious, sweet, and sometimes sour look at one woman trying to get back into the driver's seat of her own life.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 7, 2018

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

When a woman returns to her hometown, she finds that her estranged father is dying and wants her to bond with his teenage daughter, the half-sister she's never met.

Director: Molly McGlynn
Executive Producer: Aeschylus Poulos
Screenwriter: Molly McGlynn
Production Co: Wildling Pictures
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 12, 2018

Most Popular at Home Now