If you’re a devoted fan of a particular musician or group, chances are you’ll eventually shell out for the “rarities” collection that features snippets and fragments that were either retooled or abandoned entirely once it became clear that they were never going to become actual songs. With “Ricki and the Flash,” screenwriter Diablo Cody and director Jonathan Demme get together for a jam session that’s all snippets and no hit singles.
There’s an idea for a movie here, about a woman who abandons her husband and kids to pursue her rock and roll dreams, only to come home later for a family crisis; throw in some confrontations and some redemption, and presumably you’ve got a story.