Let me begin with some context before reviewing this unique movie: I am law professor and a gerontologist. My PhD was on elder guardianship. Adult guardianship is a specific legal institution which for many years was used to strip older persons from their basic human rights under the disguise of protection or care. There are no popular movies in this field, although cases of abuse of guardianship have from time to time received broad public attention.
Edith + Eddie is to the best of knowledge the first "popular" documentary movie that directly touches and exposes how elder guardianship "feels" in real life.
The movie is actually a short (30 minutes) documentary film, directed by Laura Checkoway. There is also an interesting story behind the scenes, as the singer and entertainer Cher was the executive producer of this movie after she learned about the couple from a local news story.
The movie is about an older-old couple, Edith and Eddie, ages 96 and 95. She is black and he is white. They fall in love in late life and get married. However, as Edith is under the legal guardianship, she is not free to make her own decisions. Hence, eventually, a family feud between Edith's daughters tears this later life love affair apart.
I loved this movie for many reasons, mostly since it touched the core of my academic field of study. However, beyond the "legalistic" aspects, this movie is beautiful because is presents old age in both in its magnificence and misery : no make-up, no fairy-tales, straight to the face.
This is going to be a mandatory movie in my elder law classes, and I would certainly add it to the "must see" list for any gerontologist.
And finally... it is free to watch online.....(see link below).
USA
2017
Director: Laura Checkoway.
Full movie online: https://www.shortoftheweek.com/2018/02/09/editheddie/
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