30-year-old Mack (Elizabeth Lail) was raised by her Grammie Martin (Catherine Carlen) and has always felt like an old lady trapped in the body of a little girl. Over the years, she has gotten good at hiding what she thinks is cool, and pretending to like what others do, keeping her inner “Old Gal” to herself. Mack is an author, but her doubtful agent Stephanie (Patti Harrison) is having trouble getting her an advance for her second book. So Mack pays the bills as an Instagram influencer, which is a little difficult and stressful to do when your main job is pretending to like things you don’t.

While on a trip to Palm Springs for her best friend Carla’s (Taylour Paige) bachelorette party, Mack visits a tent offering Past Life Regressions. When proprietor Luka (Simon Rex) asks her to concentrate on how she sees herself, Mack responds that she’s a 70-year-old woman trapped in the body of a 30-year-old, who just needs a minute to rest. And suddenly she’s transformed into just that. However, when she returns to the lot to try to switch back, there’s no trace of the tent. So until she can find Luka again, she returns to Los Angeles, telling people she’s Mack’s Aunt Rita (Diane Keaton) from Socttsdale, and that they’ve swapped apartments while Mack is away on a writer’s retreat. Initially things are a little odd and awkward for Mack, but she quickly discovers that living as Rita has given her the strength to be her true, authentic self. She also learns more about how others see Mack, and how some of her own assumptions and judgements about others were wrong. However, as she becomes accustomed to living life as Rita, and things are looking up, will she ever want to go back to being Mack?!

Mack & Rita is a fun, heartfelt comedy that immediately reminded me of Big-meets-13 Going on 30—30 Going on 70, if you will. Dianne Keaton is hilarious as this younger old soul in an older body, and excels at all of the physical comedy of this role—especially when we see Rita attempt Pilates. She sells the fact that her character is a 30-year-old trapped in a 70-year-old body, and you really believe that this is the same Mack from the beginning of the film. Over the course of the movie, we see this transformation in Mack/Rita as the character grows in her confidence and willingness to throw caution to the wind and just be herself. There is this great message of just being your most authentic self that is strewn throughout the film, and that is the journey that Mack is on as 70-year-old Rita.

The supporting characters are also wonderful, especially Mack’s ride-or-die Carla, the only one who knows what’s really going on, and is trying to help Mack return to her former body. But there is this feeling that Carla still loves and supports her friend, no matter what she looks like. There’s also Mack’s next door neighbor/dog walker Jack (Dustin Milligan), who seems to have an unrequited crush on Mack. There is definitely chemistry between them, but she has never ever acted on it, both because she has prejudged Jack as some sort of player and that he’s way too handsome to be intelligent and literate, and because she’s too meek to act on her own wants and desires. The chemistry is also evident with Rita, despite their big age gap, and through Rita, we discover that Jack is this kind of dorky loner who’s not all that different from Mack. Rounding out the characters are Carla’s mother Sharon (Loretta Devine) and her wine club—Carol (Amy Hill), Angela (Wendie Malick) & Betty (Lois Smith)—who represent the strong, confident older women Mack aspires to be. This wine club is filled with some amazing and hilarious actresses, and there are so many fun moments—these are older women who have given up on pretenses and filters, saying whatever is on their minds. And finally, Martin Short even makes an appearance as the voice of Mack’s dog Cheese (Mack & Cheese!) during a mushroom-induced hallucination.

Overall I really enjoyed this film. It is a light breath of fresh air with some laugh-out-loud moments, a lot of heart, and a talented and hilarious cast. Big has always been one of my favorite films, and I have always enjoyed the body swap genre, so it was great to see this fresh, modern take on similar themes.

Lionsgate’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great, with a clean, detailed picture throughout that captures the bright, colorful scenery of Los Angeles and Palm Springs, and the wild wardrobe of the characters. The audio track provides clear dialogue, and makes nice use of the surround and stereo channels to add a subtle ambiance throughout. Even though there is no 4K disc release, the film is available to purchase digitally in 4K, and the digital copy included with the Blu-ray will give 4K if redeemed in Apple TV. The Blu-ray disc comes packed in an eco-cutout HD keepcase, with a glossy cardboard slipcover, and an insert with redemption instructions for a digital copy of the film. The disc contains over 15 minutes of behind-the-scenes featurettes with the cast and filmmakers (though star Dianne Keaton does not appear in either featurette).

What’s Included:

Film: (1:34:44)

Blu-ray:

• 1080p / Widescreen 1.85:1
• Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish

Digital (Code subject to expiration, may not be valid after 10/18/2023):

• Digital Copy redeemable via Apple TV or Vudu (redeems in 4K on Apple, not Movies Anywhere compatible)

Extras:

• Making Mack & Rita: Becoming Our Truth (10:46)
  The cast and filmmakers talk about how the film came about, working with Diane Keaton, casting the film, shooting in Los Angeles nd Palm Springs, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director Katie Aselton, writers Madeline Walter & Paul Welsh, and stars Taylour Paige (“Carla”), Dustin Milligan (“Jack”), Elizabeth Lail (“Mack”) & Loretta Devine (“Sharon”).

  
  
  
  

• Styling Glamma: The Fashion of Mack & Rita (4:31)
  The cast and filmmakers talk about how the look of the characters, using Dianne’s actual clothes, and more. Includes interviews with costume designer Allyson Fanger, director Katie Aselton, and stars Elizabeth Lail, Dustin Milligan & Loretta Devine.
  

Final Thoughts:

I had never heard of Mack & Rita before I received this disc for review, but I was pleasantly surprised by this gem. Diane Keaton leads a hilarious and talented cast in this Big-like tale of a 30-year-old woman who wishes she was 70 and magically gets her wish, for better or for worse. The film has lots of humor and heart, and Lionsgate’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great. The disc contains a small but entertaining assortment of bonus material as well as a code for a digital copy. This release comes easily recommended for anyone looking for a light, fun new comedy with an old soul and modern sensibility.