#MoviesUnder90: Hannah Takes the Stairs
An indie origin story, at 83 minutes.
With all of the great movies out there, it can be overwhelming to take the time to choose one, cutting into the already short time there is to watch on a weeknight. With #MoviesUnder90, we suggest movies that are more than worth their short runtime, and save you the thinking required to make a worthwhile selection.
This week, we chose Hannah Take the Stairs (2007). You may have heard of it as the star-making showing for its indie darlings (here notably Greta Gerwig, Mark Duplass and director Joe Swanberg) but probably didn’t get the chance to see it. Whether you’re already a fan of its idiosyncratic, iconic indie stars or this is your first foray into the “mumblecore” canon, Hannah is a satisfying coming-of-age story.
Greta Gerwig is Hannah, the recent college grad, finding her way in her career and in love. In the Chicago production office where she interns, she stumbles through relationships and learns how hard it is — among verbose colleagues and contemporaries — to listen and be listened to.
Hannah Take the Stairs is a great example of “mumblecore” being accessible, entertaining and charming. Whereas the indie subgenre (defined by low-budget look, naturalistic dialogue and often young protagonists having trouble expressing their desires) can feel pretentious, as in its predecessor Manhattan (1979), this movie isn’t trying to keep its audience at arm’s length. It’s neither loud nor quiet, but comfortably intimate. Through all of its talk from the banal to the insightful, it captures the feeling of wanting more, yet not wanting anything to change.
Stream Hannah Takes the Stairs tonight with a FREE trial of Tribeca Shortlist.
