Is The Best You Can woke?
The Best You Can (2025)
Movie
Released: January 1, 2025
Wokeness Score
2/10
Not woke
No political or woke messaging whatsoever. Focuses entirely on story, characters, fun, or escapism.
Key Summary Points
- Core narrative explores aging, dementia, and adult friendships without ideological overlays.
- Diversity in casting exists but serves story organically, not as representational agenda.
- No evidence of forced social commentary, identity politics, or message-driven plot elements.
Wokeness Analysis
The Best You Can (2025) is a straightforward romantic comedy-drama centered on personal relationships, aging, dementia, and unexpected connections between two adults facing life setbacks. The story follows Cynthia, a urologist married to an older husband experiencing cognitive decline, and Stan, a security guard dealing with health issues and family reconnection. Their budding friendship develops organically through shared circumstances like a home alarm response and medical discussions, without any overt ideological framing. Cast includes diverse actors such as Brittany O'Grady in a supporting role as Stan's daughter, but these elements appear incidental to character development rather than deliberate messaging. No themes of identity politics, systemic oppression, or social justice lectures emerge in plot summaries, trailers, or reviews. The film emphasizes universal human experiences like marriage strains, parental duties, and finding solace in unlikely places, prioritizing character-driven humor and emotion over commentary. Director Michael J. Weithorn's previous work has touched on family dynamics in varied contexts, but this project remains focused on entertainment and relatability. Viewers seeking escapism or light drama will find little to no intrusion of contemporary progressive tropes, making it align closely with traditional storytelling values.
Plot
The Best You Can is a 2025 American romantic comedy-drama written and directed by Michael J. Weithorn. It reunites real-life couple Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon as Cynthia Rand, a buttoned-up New York urologist, and Stan Olszewski, a drifting security guard. Cynthia's life unravels as her much older husband Warren (Judd Hirsch), a former Watergate prosecutor, succumbs to dementia. Stan, dealing with his own health concerns and efforts to reconnect with his musician daughter Sammi (Brittany O'Grady), crosses paths with Cynthia during a home security incident. Their unlikely friendship grows through texts and shared vulnerabilities, offering mutual support amid personal chaos. The film blends humor, heart, and realistic portrayals of midlife challenges, premiering at Tribeca in June 2025 before a November theatrical and streaming release.