Allison Janney leads an all-star cast in the new film, “Breaking News in Yuba County.” Janney plays Sue Buttons, a meek, underappreciated housewife who longs to feel, well, appreciated.
In a small town in Yuba County, California, Buttons’ husband Karl is believed to be missing. And Sue has found the validation she’s been looking for when the local media picks up her story. This mysterious whodunnit is a dark comedy that seems to eerily mirror what can happen when news outlets shirk facts for ratings.
And to add more chaos to the quiet town, Karl’s disappearance has turned many other people’s worlds upside down.
Janney tells NBC, Sue is willing to do whatever it takes to fill the loneliness inside her, including getting caught up in a lie.
“Sue has been deprived her whole life of being seen and heard and appreciated, and validated in any way,” Janney said.
Amanda Idoko wrote the screenplay and begins the story with Sue ordering her own birthday cake, only to have it carelessly ruined by a bakery worker. This kicks off a chain of events that lead Sue down a path of feeling more and more ignored and ultimately, something in her snaps.
Mila Kunis plays Nancy, Sue's half-sister, who also happens to be a news reporter. And her rival is sensational TV host Grace Michaels, played by Juliette Lewis.
In their desire to get the story, no one stops to see how Sue is really handling the fact that her husband is missing. If they did, they might realize that her story doesn’t add up.
The local police detective played by Regina Hall has her suspicions, but is it enough to get to the bottom of this mystery? The many twists and turns can be hilarious, and shocking as comedians like Awkwafina and Wanda Sykes try their hand at being bad.
So what did happen to Karl Buttons? You can find out when “Breaking News in Yuba County” is available on demand Feb. 12. It stars Allison Janney, Regina Hall, Wanda Sykes, Awkwafina, Mila Kunis and Juliette Lewis. It was written by Amanda Idoko and directed by Tate Taylor.
