Over the years, Linda Cardellini seems to have aimed for diversity with regards the the roles she plays. We’ve seen her comedic side in Legally Blonde and the Scooby-Doo movies, and her dramatic side in ER, along with other film roles. She was a little bit of both in Freaks and Geeks, and it’s probably fair to say that many of us will forever associate her with her role as Lindsey Weir. It’s with the unfortunately short-lived TV series in mind that I say that Cardellini is almost unrecognizable in the trailer for the film Return.

Directed by Liza Johnson, with Meredith Vieira among the producers, Return made its debut at Cannes last May and features Cardellini as Kelli, a soldier returning from duty in the Middle East, hoping to resume to her old life as a wife and mother, only to find that adjusting may prove to be a challenge. In addition to Cardellini, the cast includes Michael Shannon (Boardwalk Empire), and John Slattery (Mad Men). Check out the trailer, courtesy of iTunes below:



Intensity is definitely the keyword as far as the tone goes as we see an exhausted and stressed looking Cardellini attempting to acclimate to her life as tension and problems arise. She seems on the verge of exploding toward the end. Perhaps she’s haunted by what she’s experienced at war, or maybe things at home are not as they were or as she hoped them to be. Maybe it’s all of the above. Either way, it looks like Cardellini delivers a pretty fantastic performance in this one.

Return arrives in theaters on February 10, 2012. And, in case it isn’t playing in a theater near you, it will be available on iTunes on February 28th 2012.