Edie is a 2017 British drama, focusing on the unique story of an older woman. The film stars Sheila Hancock, Kevin Guthrie and Paul Brannigan. The soundtrack was written by Debbie Wiseman.
Before reviewing this movie, let me begin by saying that this movie was filmed in Scotland, in a relatively remote and northern part of the country, near the Suilven mountain. As someone who hiked in that area I can testify that this is one of the most beautiful places on earth. So, watching the movie - regardless of anything else - is a beautiful reminder of this wonderful landscape (... I must admit that I have no idea how they had so many days of sun in the movie.... as for the whole two weeks of our visit to Scotland, it rained all day and all night...).
And to the movie it self:
The plot of the movie is quite simple: an ageing woman in her eighties - Edie - becomes a widow, after almost 30 years of caring for her husband (which she did not really love). After his death, her daughter tries to make her consider moving to a care home - but Edie hates it. Her relationship with her daughter is also strained after her daughter finds her mom's diary, where she describes her difficulties and anger at her husband. So, with the notion of "it is never too late" [and by the way, in Israel, the movie was named this way] - Edie decides to fulfill a long lived dream - to go on a hike and climb the Suilven mountain in Northern Scotland - a mountain her father, before his death, planned to climb with her.
She packs her old camping bag, and goes on her own to the the small and remote village which serves as the base for the climb. She accidentally meets a young man, who turns out to be one of the owners of the local camping store. She hires him as her guide to climb the mountain. Eventually, she decided to climb the mountain on her own and without assistance...... and I will leave you at this stage as not to spoil the movie.
On the bright side - yes, this movie certainly raises many important gerontological topics. For example: how care homes are perceived; inter-generational relationships after widowhood; the impact of widowhood on women, especially those who did not have a successful or loving relationships; and the abilities to fulfill dreams at any age. It is also an important movie from an anti-ageist perspective: it tries to break down stereotypes of older women and about old age.
However, and on the darker side - overall, this is a disappointing movie. The plot is too simplistic; the way the story unfolds is too obvious and expected; Edie's character is too "flat" and not really interesting; and the secondary plots (e.g. the relationships between her young guide and his girlfriend, or Edie's experience during her climb) - are simply not convincing.
So, no, you don't really need to see this movie, unless you want to really enjoy and experience the Scotland's unique scenery.
2017
Britain
Director: Simon Hunter
Official trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97F2udNHdGk
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