COLUMN: Movie review: ‘Jerry & Marge Go Large’

Jerry has retired, his hometown has fallen on hard times and his marriage has lost its spark. At a loss for purpose, enter our true hero of the picture: Math! One equation to rule them all in a scheme to exploit a flaw in a lottery. Based on a true story, “Jerry & Marge Go Large” is playing at our Historic Tivoli Theatre on September 10th. Admission is free.

Why is the depiction of math on screen so entertaining? We’ve seen it visualized in so many ways: from the tried-and-true chalkboard to a ‘galaxy brain’ rush of equations flowing around our hero’s head. Here they use a pairing of both handwritten and floating equations. Free of the burden of excelling at high level math, I come to the sport solely as a spectator. These scenes always work for me.

What is the innate appeal in ostensibly showing your work on a tricky equation? In “Jerry & Marge” they use math to game the system and bring prosperity to their small town. In “Good Will Hunting” (which is my favorite representation of math on screen) Will Hunting uses math to pull himself out of a low income situation. In “Moneyball,” Billy Beane uses math to change what is most valued in baseball to on base percentages. In all three cases, the heart of the story is the underdog turning conventional knowledge on its head and winning against all the odds. And who doesn’t love that?

Pairing a math movie with a heist format is a winning combination. While not a traditional heist, in that no laws are being broken, the tropes are there. The setup, building a team, the unforeseen force at odds and the reveal. Here the formula is so simply and directly told it sidesteps the main pitfall to the genre: predictability.

The term “programmer” is a classic movie term for a mid-budget production that is almost lost today. This category of film has essentially been relegated to the Netflix farm. Where every movie is designed to be watched with a phone in your hand. “Jerry & Marge” is a movie perfect for a lazy Sunday 2 p.m. cable viewing (or a 7 p.m. September 10th Tivoli viewing {Nudge Nudge}). It’s not your prestige picture, but it’s also not your B picture. “Jerry and Marge” nestles beautifully in this category.

Directed competently by David Frankle, who directed the programmer turned cultural phenomenon “The Devil Wears Prada” (and “The Devil Wears Prada 2” released earlier this year). Here he turns in the biting wit of Prada for the kindness and warmth reminiscent of your favorite middle school math teacher.

The cast all puts in good work. Bryan Cranston and Annette Bening carry the majority of the load here in a real two-hander. The small town is riddled with an eclectic cast of character actors. Michael McKean, a real “When is he bad?” performer, always elicits a smile while on screen. Another stand-out in the cast is Uly Schlesinger who plays sniveling like it owes him money.

In summation: Do you like popcorn? If so, I recommend “Jerry & Marge Go Large.” If not, why are you reading this?