Julianne Moore has found what critics at Telluride are calling one of the year’s most fearless performances, playing a suburban housewife who loses herself inside a community theater production in Jesse Eisenberg’s new comedy, “The Debut.”
The film premiered Saturday at the Palm Theater, where Eisenberg’s third directorial feature, following “A Real Pain” and “When You Finish Saving the World,” drew sustained applause and reportedly moved some in the audience to tears of laughter. Moore plays Mona Friedman, a New Jersey homemaker who auditions for a local musical called “Nosy Neighbors” almost on a whim, having not sung since her teenage years in a church choir. When the production’s reigning star, played by Bernadette Peters, steps aside, Mona inherits a role that quickly consumes her identity.
Paul Giamatti plays Jerry, the demanding director whose tough love pushes Mona toward increasingly extreme transformation. Eisenberg wrote seven original songs for the film and cast himself in a supporting role, drawing comparisons to theater satires like “Waiting for Guffman” and “The Producers.” Halle Bailey, Bonnie Milligan, Colton Ryan and Craig Bierko round out a cast pulled largely from Broadway’s ranks, with choreography from Andy Blankenbuehler, known for his work on “Hamilton.”
Eisenberg told the post-screening audience the story draws directly from his own history in community and off-Broadway theater. “I did community theater, and the people there made me feel so very special, just like what happens to Mona,” he said. That background, critics noted, gives the film an unusually precise eye for the rituals of amateur rehearsal rooms and opening-night nerves.
Early reviews have been enthusiastic. One trade outlet called Moore’s performance transformative, likening the film’s tone to “Waiting for Guffman” filtered through the Coen brothers at their most unhinged. Another described her work as career-best, invoking Anne Baxter’s turn in “All About Eve.” Giamatti has drawn similar praise, with several critics suggesting his performance could factor into the upcoming supporting actor race.
Moore already holds an Oscar, for “Still Alice,” and industry chatter out of Telluride has begun positioning her as an early contender in this year’s best actress conversation. “The Debut” is produced by Emma Stone’s Fruit Tree banner alongside Eisenberg, and A24 will release the film in theaters in December.
