Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be the person you idolized? Did you wish to be someone else so badly that you prayed to whoever was listening? If you’ve answered yes to any of the above questions, then “Mack & Rita” is the movie for you. All of us have to socialize at different points in our lives. Like it or not, one has to behave and dress a certain way to appease other fellow humans and fit the bill to be accepted by most of them. All this could lead to immense pressure for someone who falls outside these societal norms, for someone who wishes to do something that is not widely supported: be alone or spend time with oneself. Sure, such activities are supported for a set time period, but afterward, one is expected to go back to the extroverted and outgoing self. Our leading lady Mack from the movie “Mack & Rita,” is facing a similar predicament. Having grown up with her vibrantly dressed and sassy-tongued grandma, Mack has come to love the idea of having a relaxed state of being and being dressed in cozy jumpers and sweaters. But it is something that mostly old people do, and she, being a young woman of thirty, has to force herself to be like the outgoing person that the thirty-year-olds in her circle are. But that’s just about Mack. Who is this other woman, Rita? Let’s find out, shall we?
Spoilers Ahead
Plot Synopsis: What Happens In The Film?
“Mack & Rita” tells the story of a thirty-year-old woman named Mack. She has a successful debut novel to her credit and has been struggling to write another since. She feels pressured by her inability to write well and at the same time stay true to her identity as a writer. She has been making brand endorsements on Instagram to earn money and ride on the success of her debut. She is also an “old gal,” as she likes to call herself. Mack grew up with her grandma and has been fascinated with the way old women get to live a relaxed life. She grew up wanting to dress up and live like an old woman. She never truly fits in with other peers of her age, but she pretends to like the things they like in order to have a decent social life.
It is her best friend Carla’s wedding soon, and the girl gang goes to Palm Springs for Carla’s bachelorette party. Mack finds partying very exhausting and would like to sleep in and eat food instead. Carla understands her best friend’s dilemma. The girls spot a past life regression session happening on their way to a party. Mack insists that they could do that instead. Carla understands where Mack is coming from and encourages her to go enjoy the day as she wants. Mack goes to the past-life regression session, and the instructor, Luka, tells her to lie down in a machine. Mack, who just wants to lie down, finally opens up about what she truly wants and what she truly feels like from the inside. Something shifts and Mack is transformed into a 70-year-old woman. Mack is shocked and terrified. She tries to go back to the way she was, but Luka is nowhere in sight. Mack goes back to the house she and the girls were staying at for Carla’s bachelorette party. Carla is stunned to see an old woman, but Mack explains her situation, and Carla begins to understand what is happening. The two come up with an excuse that Mack left for Scottsdale to work on her next novel and that her aunt Rita (who is actually Mack in the body of a 70-year-old woman) would be staying at Mack’s place instead. Thus begins Mack’s new life as Rita. While she is Rita, she indulges in all the things she has wanted to do since she was a kid. She joins a wine club with Carla’s mother and her friends. The old women gossip, chatter, and have a good time while sipping some wine. Rita also makes friends with Jack, the dog sitter that Mack hired to look after her dog, Cheese, while she was away at the bachelorette party. Rita becomes friends with Jack, and the two start spending time together. Rita, who is actually Mack, starts to develop feelings for Jack as well.
One fine day, when Rita and Jack are chatting, the two grow close and share a kiss. Rita is flustered, and Jack is surprised as well. The two don’t bring up the topic later. All the time that Mack is Rita, she tries various ways to get back to her old self. She tries narcotics and also some relaxation techniques, but nothing works in her favor. While she is Rita, she also grows popular on Instagram. She gets invited to the happening events around the city. Rita receives an invite to a Marie Claire event, and she ends up missing Carla’s wedding rehearsal dinner. Carla is disappointed, and Rita tries to make it up to her. Carla finally finds Luka again and tells Rita to go back to the session. Rita, aka Mack, is reluctant at first but wants to go back to her old life. She goes to Luka’s session again and is transformed back to the old 30-year-old woman Mack just in time for Carla’s wedding. Mack comes back home and finds Jack there. The two share a moment. The movie moves forward a year later. The scene opens on the day of Mack’s second book release. Jack and Mack share a kiss in public, and the audience applauds their display of affection. Mack’s second book is titled ‘Mack and Rita,’ and it chronicles Mack’s journey of having lived two lives – as Mack and as Rita. Rita’s true identity is not known to everybody, and to most people, she remains Mack’s aunt from Scottsdale.
‘Mack & Rita’ Ending Explained – How Does Mack Learn To Accept And Love Her True Self?
‘Mack & Rita’ ends with Mack coming back to her own body and also having finally published her second book. Things seem to be going very smoothly for Mack after she lived a life as Rita and learned a handful of lessons along the way. Mack is a very old-school homebody, and she has been reluctant to be her true self out of fear of facing disapproval and rejection from her peers. She pretends to be an extrovert and indulge the same things as her friends, but at the end of the day, it takes a toll on her mental health. Her best friend, Carla, understands Mack and gives her the space she needs. But Mack is still reluctant and lives in self-doubt. When she is turned into a 70-year-old woman named Rita, Mack learns to live truly like she wants to. She learns to embrace the fact that she can be a homebody and still have friends who accept her the way she is. Mack, who has had a crush on Jack for all this time, also finally gets together with him. It is very unclear if Jack is aware of Rita’s true identity, but Rita nonetheless helps build a bridge between Mack and Jack. Rita was Mack’s alternate personality, and she helped Mack learn to live life in a new way. After going back to her old Mack self with the help of the old woman Rita, Mack finds the fire to write her next book. Her first book was about her grandmother, and her second book is, in a way, an ode to her and her “old gal” ways of living.
One main lesson that the movie “Mack & Rita” gives us is that one need not fear being their true self. Regardless of what others think, it is imperative that one leads the life one truly wants to live. Being a homebody and an introvert is nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone has their own style and way of living their life. It should not be dictated by external factors that won’t have any effect on one’s life in any capacity. Peer pressure is real, but one must be careful not to let it hamper one’s life. “Mack & Rita” is like a wake-up call to those people who harbor a fear of being their true selves and let the outwardly dictating rules of society dictate their way of life.
“Mick & Rita” is a 2022 fantasy drama film directed by Katie Aselton.
