This holiday season, of what’s left on the 2025 movie schedule, there’s of course spectacle-type films to see in theaters like the release of Avatar: Fire and Ash, but if you’re looking to curl up with your loved ones and do a little bit of laughing and crying together, look no further than James L. Brooks’ Ella McCay. And ahead of the movie’s release, we have an exclusive clip from the movie to share.
Writer/director James L. Brooks is a legendary name, who not only co-created The Simpsons, but made some of the best ’80s movies including one of the Best Picture winners, Terms of Endearment (which we dare you not to cry while watching). Check out this exclusive clip from the upcoming release of his latest, Ella McCay:
Ella McCay, which is Brooks’ first movie in fifteen years, follows the title character (played by Emma Mackey of Sex Education and the Barbie cast) who suddenly is promoted to governor and has to navigate a series of challenges that pop up both professionally and personally at the same time – such as her estranged father (played by Woody Harrelson) coming back into the picture, and needing to cover up a potential scandal. Oh, and the movie is set in 2008.
In the clip, Ella is visiting her younger brother Casey (played by Spike Fearns) and starts drinking and munching things without realizing about the marijuana content. It’s hilarious how Casey just casually brings up that she’s high when the newly appointed governor is totally opposed to the whole thing. Apparently, she “passionately campaigned against” it.
You might recognize the voice of the narrator to be Julie Kavner, aka Marge Simpson. Kavner plays Ella’s secretary on top of narrating the film, and it’s actually the actress’s first live-action role since 2006’s Click.
It’s too funny to see her run around the room in panic after realizing her predicament, and how she asks her brother if she’ll “hallucinate”. Once she comes down on the stress of being high, Casey points out that the cookie she’s eating has marijuana in it, too and is “stronger”. You’ll have to seek out the movie, because there’s another great scene after it where Ella gets into a high rant in front of her introverted brother.
The clip certainly gives you a good idea of some of the sharp comedy of Ella McCay. The movie also stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Albert Brooks, Kumail Nanjiani, Jack Lowden and Rebecca Hall. I found it to be a nostalgic, and genuinely funny return to comedies of another time, and we just don’t see that enough in today’s Hollywood landscape. You can see it in theaters starting December 12.