★ 8 / 10
***“The point is you seek knowledge; you follow
The Fixate & Binge Podcast, w/ Joe Curdy
***“The point is you seek knowledge; you follow the science—even if it lands you in some Podunk town with a bunch of idiots who are completely lacking in…
***“The point is you seek knowledge; you follow the science—even if it lands you in some Podunk town with a bunch of idiots who are completely lacking in curiosity. You seek knowledge, you follow the science.”***
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For Nicholas Ma’s directorial debut, **MABEL** offers viewers a quiet, heartwarming glimpse into the insular world of introverted pre-teen Callie (Lexi Perkel), who moves to upstate New York from Virginia with her parents, Angela (Christine Ko) and David (Quincy Dunn-Baker).
Co-written with Joy Goodwin, Ma’s film explores the challenges sixth-grader Callie faces as she struggles to adjust socially to her new school and neighborhood—and the limits of the solitude she retreats into through her fascination with plant life.
After crashing substitute teacher Mrs. G’s (Judy Greer) botany lectures in an eighth-grade biology class, Callie is inspired to test the limits of what is known about chrysanthemums. She soon involves her fourth-grade, next-door neighbor Agnes (Lena Josephine Marano) in a series of experiments.
These botanical experiments quickly reveal the challenges Callie faces in socializing—and the effects her behavior has on others, especially Agnes. As Callie’s parents quietly despair over her lack of social adjustment, she retreats further into her private world of plants.
In this coming-of-age story, **MABEL**’s cast consistently warms the heart—from Perkel’s quiet, nuanced performance as Callie, to Ko’s patient and loving mother, and Dunn-Baker’s earnest, well-meaning father. In contrast to this family dynamic of warmth and acceptance is Greer’s commanding portrayal of an itinerant professor substituting in public schools between adjunct assignments. What may initially seem like coldness in Greer’s Mrs. G ultimately reflects her reluctance to form emotional attachments to colleagues and students—an idea that echoes the film’s central metaphor in Mabel, the potted plant.
Filled with allegory, Ma’s **MABEL** is a heartfelt story about empathy, tolerance, and adaptability. Just as the plants respond to external stimuli—particularly Callie’s potted companion Mabel, whose leaves recoil at unwanted touch—so too does Callie learn to adjust her expectations and open herself to genuine friendship.
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★ 6 / 10
Rather unique movie...
paul_m_haakonsen
Sitting down to watch the 2024 drama "Mabel" here in 2025 without virtually having any idea what I was in for, aside from the little information given by the…
Sitting down to watch the 2024 drama "Mabel" here in 2025 without virtually having any idea what I was in for, aside from the little information given by the synopsis. I had actually never heard about the movie prior to sitting down to watch it, so I had no expectations. And in a sense, I suppose, then director Nicholas Ma had every opportunity to entertain and impress me.The storyline in the movie, as written by Joy Goodwin and Nicholas Ma certainly was something else. I mean, it was unique in many ways. I've never actually seen a movie with so much focus on plants in general. But it was still oddly entertaining, especially because the main character Callie was so quirky and exception. And it was actually rather nice writing from the writers. So thumbs up for that.Of the entire cast ensemble, I was only familiar with Judy Greer and Quincy Dunn-Baker. The acting performances in the movie were good, and I leading actress Lexi Perkel really put on a memorable performance as the quirky Callie."Mabel" is certainly a movie that is well-worth checking out, especially if you want something that deviates from the mainstream of movies out there. It was definitely something unique and interesting, and thus I would say check it out. However, that being said, then I also have to say that the movie isn't layered enough to actually support more than just a single viewing.My rating of director Nicholas Ma's 2024 drama "Mabel" lands on a six out of ten stars.
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★ 6 / 10
paul_m_haakonsen
Sitting down to watch the 2024 drama "Mabel" here in 2025 without virtually having any idea what I was in for, aside from the little information given by the…
Sitting down to watch the 2024 drama "Mabel" here in 2025 without virtually having any idea what I was in for, aside from the little information given by the synopsis. I had actually never heard about the movie prior to sitting down to watch it, so I had no expectations. And in a sense, I suppose, then director Nicholas Ma had every opportunity to entertain and impress me.The storyline in the movie, as written by Joy Goodwin and Nicholas Ma certainly was something else. I mean, it was unique in many ways. I've never actually seen a movie with so much focus on plants in general. But it was still oddly entertaining, especially because the main character Callie was so quirky and exception. And it was actually rather nice writing from the writers. So thumbs up for that.Of the entire cast ensemble, I was only familiar with Judy Greer and Quincy Dunn-Baker. The acting performances in the movie were good, and I leading actress Lexi Perkel really put on a memorable performance as the quirky Callie."Mabel" is certainly a movie that is well-worth checking out, especially if you want something that deviates from the mainstream of movies out there. It was definitely something unique and interesting, and thus I would say check it out. However, that being said, then I also have to say that the movie isn't layered enough to actually support more than just a single viewing.My rating of director Nicholas Ma's 2024 drama "Mabel" lands on a six out of ten stars.
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99%
AUDIENCE
6.1/10
77
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