There are a lot of bad comedies about, and supposedly for, senior citizens. It’s especially depressing because the worst offenders, the ones that don’t just feel cheap and lazy but exploitative too, often feature our finest actors. They can take on the air of an unintentional horror film – and not the fun kind.

(Magnolia Pictures / Associated Press)

“Thelma,” starring June Squibb, is not one of those.

In her first lead film role, she plays a 90-something who gets scammed out of $10,000 and goes on a mission to get it back. Revenge stories aren’t often (or ever, really) described as sweet, but that’s the magic of “Thelma,” the feature debut of writer-director Josh Margolin that opens in theaters this week. It is charming, genuinely funny and a breeze to watch.

Perhaps it works so well on a fundamental level because Margolin wrote it with his own grandmother (also named Thelma) in mind. Though there is something inherently silly and goofy about the idea of a grandmother on a “Mission: Impossible”-style journey, “Thelma” transcends its on-paper limitations and becomes something wholly unexpected. Kind of like its main character. This isn’t not just an idea of an old person slotted into a high concept gag. It’s specific and at least somewhat realistic. The scooter she and the late Richard Roundtree (as her friend Ben) ride might be slower than Tom Cruise on foot, but the energy is high and infectious.

Squibb is absolutely wonderful at the center of the film, with impeccable comedic timing and full command of her character. Thelma is living alone at 93. She lost her husband a few years prior. Lots of her friends are gone already. But she doesn’t yet see herself in an assisted living situation, or even wearing a life monitor in case she falls. “If I fall I’m toast,” she deadpans. “That’s why I don’t fall.”

This image released by Magnolia Pictures shows June Squibb, left, and Fred Hechinger in a scene from the film “Thelma.” (Magnolia Pictures / Associated Press)

And she’s managing pretty well. Her doting 20-something grandson Daniel (Fred Hechinger of the first season of “The White Lotus”) visits often to help with the computer and just hang out. When he’s gone, she fills her days with all her tasks: Sorting pills, doing her stationary bike exercises, watching YouTube videos, attempting to comment, attempting to backspace and revise typos and accidentally posting blurry photos of nothing to her Instagram stories.

That is until she gets a panicked phone call from someone claiming to be her grandson. He was in an accident, he says, and she needs to send $10,000 in cash to bail him out. By the time the family starts answering the phone, the money is in the mail, and the police are telling them there’s nothing that can be done. Her family, including Daniel’s mom Gail (Parker Posey) and dad (Clark Gregg), basically wash their hands of it. But Thelma has nothing but time, and she wants to do something about it.

This image released by Magnolia Pictures shows Parker Posey, from left, Fred Hechinger and Clark Gregg in a scene from the film “Thelma.” (Magnolia Pictures / Associated Press)

Margolin’s film was made independently. It debuted earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival and was picked up for a theatrical release. But he had his team have made it look and feel commercial and buttoned up with a fun ’60s-inspired score by Nick Chuba.

Things really come to life when Roundtree (terrific, in his last role) enters the picture as her reluctant accomplice on their trip from the Westside of Los Angeles to Van Nuys, in the San Fernando Valley. She doesn’t drive and needs his refurbed scooter that he’s been going on about — but he’s not about to let her take it on her own.

This image released by Magnolia Pictures shows Richard Roundtree, left, and June Squibb in a scene from the film “Thelma.” (Magnolia Pictures / Associated Press)

They have a great rapport — an inspired pairing. The Posey/Gregg/Hechinger trio isn’t too shabby either spouting comedic banter that makes them instantly believable as a family unit. One standout sequence involves one of those dreaded Waze-directed Los Angeles left turns across a busy four lane throughway.

But this is ultimately Squibb’s show and she delivers, like she always does. She should have been leading pictures the whole time and finally did something about it.

“Thelma”

“Thelma,” a Magnolia Pictures release in theaters Friday, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association for “strong language.”

Running time: 97 minutes.

Three and a half stars out of four.

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It’ll be the end of an era Thursday afternoon when Lori Barghini and Julia Cobbs host the final episode of their MyTalk 107.1 afternoon talk show “Lori and Julia” after 22 years on the air.

To say the pair will be missed is an understatement. They shocked longtime listeners and fellow media types when they announced their impending retirement in March and have since headlined a record-breaking, months-long Minnesota Goodbye.

Fans have flooded the duo with feedback and well wishes, some of which they’ve shared on the air. In recent weeks, they’ve embarked on a mini tour of Twin Cities landmarks, broadcasting live from places like the Mall of America and, coming up on Tuesday, Chanhassen Dinner Theatres. They’ll wrap it all up Thursday with a live broadcast from the Fillmore Minneapolis nightclub. A select number of $75 VIP tickets sold out quickly, while they’ll fill the rest of the room with lucky listeners who called in to score free admission.

During recent shows, Lori and Julia — and they’ll always be Lori and Julia, no last names necessary — have filled the airwaves with their favorite guests and shared more than two decades worth of memories, all delivered in their signature Minnesota-by-way-of-the-movie-“Fargo” accents. A common thread that has run through all of the discourse has been utter disbelief these that we were all about to enter a time when “Lori and Julia” was no more.

In the broadcast world, pairs of personalities are arranged marriages by default. Sure, some folks may develop a friendship along the way, but that’s a happy accident in an industry where decisions are made by weighing any number of factors beyond whether or not the two people actually like each other.

If I’ve learned anything in my 52 years on this planet, it’s that the best couples not only love each other, but they like each other, too. That goes for romantic relationships or business partnerships or, you know, talk show hosts. And it’s abundantly clear that Lori and Julia fit that bill.

Their origin story is every bit as remarkable and unlikely as you’d imagine. St. Paul native Cobbs and Barghini, a self-described Army brat who spent time living in Duluth in her youth, first met in the early ’90s, when they were both working for Carlson Cos.

Lori Barghini, left, and Julia Cobbs, right, interview author Jim Spada on his new book during the FM 107 “Lori and Julia Show” on March 26, 2004 at the KS95 studio in St. Paul. (Sherri LaRose / Pioneer Press)

“I remember Julia poked her head around the corner when she was just starting — her cube was going to be next to me — and she said, ‘Hi, I’m Julia!’ And I thought, ‘Look at how cute that girl is. She’s going to be my friend,’ ” Lori said in a 2004 Pioneer Press interview.

Four month later, a joint ski trip convinced Lori and Julia their friendship was the real deal. Along the way, Lori even married Julia’s brother, the sort of move that could potentially break the strongest of bonds. If anything, it further cemented the pair, who went on to invent fake nipples they dubbed Bodyperks and sold to women eager for some easy silicone enhancements.

The national media eagerly embraced Bodyperks and the pair went on to do hundreds of television and radio interviews. After seeing them interact, a producer for the cable channel Oxygen said the magic words: “You girls are hilarious. You should have your own talk show.”

Despite their lack of broadcast experience, Lori and Julia somehow managed to convince management of the then-new women-focused talk radio station MyTalk to take a chance on them. Forgive me for this, but the rest is herstory.

What’s amazing about the show is that Lori and Julia pretty much made it up as they went along, an impressive feat in a notably rigid industry fueled by strict formatting and rule books. While the show has evolved over the years, it’s still essentially three hours a day of two friends chatting about whatever happens to strike their fancy, whether it be celebrity gossip, local news items, the book they’re currently reading or the latest reality television shows they’re watching.

The true appeal of Lori and Julia is that strong friendship that exists at the core of everything they do. Yes, sometimes they bicker and talk over each other and contradict themselves — just like friends do. They aren’t playing it up for the microphones, either. The Lori and Julia who are on the air are the same Lori and Julia the other 21 hours each day.

(Full disclosure, I’ve gotten to know Lori and Julia over the years and while I’ve been an infrequent at best guest, my partner Patric Richardson has become a regular on their show, both as a guest and guest co-host. I can confirm that the primary difference between them on and off the air is that they swear more in real life.)

“Lori and Julia,” the show, lasted 22 years because of Lori and Julia, the women. Their relationship and chemistry has convinced countless people to spend 15 hours a week hanging out with them and sharing their laughs, achievements and frustrations, but mostly laughs. Just ask anyone in the media, that kind of engagement is rare and almost impossible to naturally replicate.

Two-plus decades in and Lori and Julia are leaving the airwaves at the top of their game. There’s no reason to think they couldn’t have done this another 10 years, but they — or as they’ll both admit, mostly Lori — decided it was time to live lives that are no longer broadcast.

Come Friday afternoon, there will be a “Lori and Julia”-sized hole in Twin Cities media that will never truly be filled. They stand as true one-of-a-kinds and life won’t be quite the same without them. I wish them safe travels and nothing but the best in life. They earned it and they will be sorely missed.

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Newport residents knew exactly what kinds of parks they wanted when they were surveyed a few years ago: one with playground equipment suitable for younger children and one for their furry friends.

On Tuesday, city officials celebrated the grand re-opening and ribbon cutting for the newly updated Busy Beaver Park. The park, located at 10th Avenue and 17th Street, features accessible playground equipment designed for younger children, ages two to six, said City Administrator Joe Hatch.

Members of the Newport City Council and St. Paul Park Refinery Marathon Petroleum Manager Holly Jackson celebrate the re-opening of Busy Beaver Park in Newport with a ribbon cutting on Tuesday, June 18, 2024. From left: Councilmember Kevin Chapdelaine, Councilmember Tom Ingeman, Mayor Lori Elliott, Marathon Manager Holly Jackson, Councilmember Bill Sumner and Councilmember Marvin Taylor. (Courtesy of Joe Hatch)

Later this summer, the city’s first dog park will open on Marathon Petroleum-owned land between Fifth and Seventh avenues, south of Third Street, he said.

Busy Beaver Park, which had been closed since April 9, now has a climbing wall, balance equipment, multiple slides and play structures as well as an accessible, poured-in-place rubber surface. It also has a swing set.

“It’s designed for younger children to learn balance, gain strength and agility,” Hatch said. “All of the play equipment is designed for the physical development of younger children.”

The makeover of the park was paid for with a $100,000 donation from Marathon Petroleum’s St. Paul Park Refinery and $90,000 from the city.

Newport Mayor Laurie Elliott said the updates to the park “would have been delayed for several years without Marathon’s financial assistance.”

“This was a great partnership between the city and Marathon to update this park,” she said. “We appreciate their generous donation and community support.”

The previous playground equipment at Busy Beaver was installed in 1997 and in need of replacement.

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The city’s new dog park, as of yet unnamed, is expected to cost the city about $45,000, Hatch said.

Staff and community service personnel are in the process of clearing dead and dying trees from the property – with fencing to follow soon, Hatch said.

Plans include paving a parking lot on Fifth Avenue, south of Third Street, and adding a way to access water.

The park, which will be free to users, will not have lighting and will be closed for use after dark. The city is looking for volunteers to assist with maintenance and operation of the park. Anyone interested is asked to contact the city’s public works department at 651-459-2475.