Characters: 2
Screenplay: 4
Cinematography: 1
Emotional: 4
Overall: 3.0
This classic film shows itself to be a powerful and moving film about coping with old age. I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of humor and good comedic timing of this old film. It manages to maintain a level of easygoingness, despite the gravity of the situation: an elderly couple whose home forecloses and is forced to be split up between their children. This film is particularly relevant now, with the economy and retirement of the baby boomers. It's both relieving yet sad that the general feeling of taking in our aging parents hasn't appeared to change much in 60 years.
We see the couple split up since each of their five children came up with excuses not being able to take both. It is easy to relate to the children, who try to live their middle-class lives and deal with the complications from their parents. However, the film can't help but make you feel sympathy for the awkward parents as they struggle to live on without their better half. While the children are created to be fairly stereotypical, the parents are crafted in a lovable aloof way. Beulah Bondi, as Lucy, gives us some real gems:
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One great scene is when Lucy finds the letter about the nursing home. At this point, I believe she has begun to feel her own burden as well as lose hope for the future of her and her husband. In a feat of charity, she suggests it to the son before he gets a chance to kick her out. But it's not all heavy and depressing, she manages to throw him an emotional curve-ball and tell him that he was always her favorite: classic.
My favorite is the bridge game lesson, where her daughter thought she successfully kept her mother away. After we experience Lucy's incessant rocking awkwardly and visibly annoy all of the guests, she gets a phone call from her husband. At first, her stereotypical loud talking is more unpleasant than the rocking and the crowd looks at her in disgust. But as their conversation unfolds, both the guests and the audience begin to understand the loving bonds that been stretched beyond comfort. This scene makes the us all feel that not only are we are now intruding on her conversation, but cognizant of what is happening to their well-being. It's powerful by that it not only makes us feel sympathy after feeling annoyed, but also lets us feel the same thing that the guests in the movie feel.
The film's powerful delivery is owed largely in part to the great pacing. Not only is the comedic timing well done, but each scene gives us ample time to feel each emotion and feel out each situation without being slow moving. While the bittersweet climax and ending surely isn't what everyone wanted, it serves as a poignant reminder to issues many of us will deal with.
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