Ella McCay Bombed At The Box Office, But There's One Thing About It That Still Resonated With Me

Spoilers for Ella McCay, which is now playing in theaters, lie ahead.

For the first time in 15 years, there’s a new film from writer/director James L. Brooks playing in theaters. The veteran filmmaker, who’s helmed movies like Terms of Endearment and As Good As It Gets (one of the best films of the ‘90s), just marked the release of Ella McCay. So far, it would seem the movie isn’t striking much of a chord with audiences, as it’s had a poor showing at the box office thus far, and reviews haven’t been favorable either. Amid that poor reception, though, there’s one aspect of the film I really connected with.

A Relationship Between Two Ella McCay Characters Really Speaks To My Personal Life

It’s established within Brooks’ latest dramedy that Ella (Emma Mackey) has some very distinct personal relationships, one of which is the one she has with her younger brother, Casey (Spike Fearn). Early on, viewers learn that Ella has been protective of her sibling since he was a child, especially amid their parents’ rocky marriage. That bond only grows after their mother dies while they’re still minors. In the present day, though, Casey becomes more withdrawn due to a devastating breakup and his sister’s helicopter sibling tendencies.

This particular familial relationship resonates with me on a deep level, because I have a younger sister myself. For clarity, our relationship greatly differs from Ella and Casey’s in that I don’t smother my sister (which she would agree with), and she doesn’t actively avoid me. What I connect with, though, is the fact that the McKays have each other to lean on whenever they need support. One particular scene, in which Casey invites Ella over to finally open up about his breakup, was an example of a deep chat I could have with my sibling.

I honestly can’t say either my sister or I have ever gotten high in each other’s presence. However, we’ve had plenty of conversations that are as long as the one Casey and Ella had after the latter consumed weed-laced vittles. All in all, while I may not have been high (no pun intended) on some other aspects of the film, it does provide a sweet example, if not quirky, example of sibling dynamics.

How Has Ella McCay Performed At The Box Office Thus Far?

To put it mildly, Ella McCay isn’t making much of a dent neither financially nor culturally. During its opening weekend (which also saw Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 take a dive), James L. Brooks’ movie only earned $2.1 million at the domestic box office and, as of this writing it’s collected roughly $3 million worldwide. A Searchlight Pictures production with a reported $35 million budget, the film now marks one of the lowest box office debuts for a Disney movie here in the states in recent years.

Film pundits have also aimed a number of critiques at the political dramedy, with many expressing discontent with the narrative, script, tone and more. Someone even suggested that the movie needed a “sugar-content warning.”

I honestly can’t disagree with a lot of the points that have been made about Ella McCay at this point, and I’m fully cognizant of how negative that box office performance is. Still, poor receipts and aggravating twists aside, none of that takes away from my appreciation of the sibling relationship represented in the movie. Anyone who still wants to check out for themselves can do so by checking out the film in theaters alongside other 2025 movie releases.