A comic clearing of the familial air, Landline reteams Jenny Slate with her Obvious Child director, Gillian Robespierre. Yet the strength of the movie for me was the film’s supporting cast. Set in 1995 (which the movie leans on just enough for nostalgic laughs), Landline stars Slate as Dana, a young woman who puts her own relationship at risk right before discovering that her father (John Turturro) has been having an affair. Slate’s at her best in her scenes with Abby Quinn, who brings a blunt honesty to the part of Dana’s younger, rebellious sister. Together they create a heartwarming, hilarious space at the movie’s center. Even better is Edie Falco as their fierce, wounded mother, who is at once oblivious and deeply attuned to the fissures threatening her family.
