There is a known saying that the higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment (and the other way around). I don't know why, but somehow I didn't have any expectations from this movie. But, it surprised me – and I actually enjoyed it very much.
Directed by Paolo Virzi, and staring Helen Mirren (one of the best gerontological actresses these days) and Donald Sutherland (which I'm not a great fan of - but plays well in this movie), this drama-comedy movie is based on a novel by Michael Zadoorian.
The opening scene is great: an adult son comes to his older parents' house – the father suffering from mild (but deteriorating) dementia (Sutherland); the mother suffering from advanced stage cancer - only to find out they "ran away" with their old RV. The rest of the movie is following this older couple in their travel from Boston to Key West Florida. Throughout the journey, the viewers get to know the couple's life story, and watch them deal with their ailments and illnesses.
The movie was a good surprise for a few reasons: First, while it does "fall" sometimes into ageism, overall it well portrays the challenges and vulnerabilities that come with age and illness, without trying to make them easier; Second, the movie portrays well the dynamic nature of love and care relationships, or more precisely, the nature of inter-dependence of couple hood; Finally, it touches on very delicate issues around love, sex, intimacy, and family relationships in the context of end of life. I believe any gerontologist will find plenty of "topics" to discuss after watching this movie. So, while not one of the best – it is certainly a good and worthy new entry to the gerontological movie list.
USA
2017
Director: Paolo Virzi
Movie trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPNlrMiOKSk
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