One of my favorite things about Dorothea, the character Annette Bening plays in Mike Mills’s divine new film 20th Century Women, is that she’s curious. A single mother raising her son in 1979 Santa Barbara, Dorothea has become a little set in her ways — at this point in her life, she knows what she likes and what works for her and she’s got no shame in leaning into that — but at the same time, she’s so eager to understand the people around her and the ever-changing cultural climate. At 55 years old, she still wants to learn. You’ll see that curiosity on display in this exclusive clip from the movie, where Dorothea and one of her boarders, William (Billy Crudup), decide to listen to some current records while her son is out. First up is Black Flag … and the way Annette Bening winces through that will give you life today. The next record, though, is Talking Heads … and Dorothea finds herself so much more amenable to it that a dreamy dance party breaks out. Join in on Christmas, when this Oscar contender starts making its way into theaters.
