It would be far too easy to watch Grandma, the new film from writer-director Paul Weitz (About a Boy), and assume it is just an awards season showcase for Lily Tomlin. She stars as Elle, a poet of some renown dealing with a harsh break-up from her girlfriend (Judy Greer) when her teenage granddaughter Sage (Julia Garner) comes to her seeking $600 to pay for an abortion, which sends the pair on a meandering quest to secure the funds.

Without a doubt, Tomlin holds the center and then some, playing a character that will seem like an extension of her New Age-y persona, but there’s real grit and nuance in Grandma — not just from its lead, but also an eclectic cast (Marcia Gay Harden, Laverne Cox, Elizabeth Peña and Sam Elliott) working under the reliable vision of a rather sure-handed Weitz. (R) Grade: B+