Friday, April 10, 2009
Savages
- Who's watched: G
- Mentions: *1* *2*
- Commentary: I think I said everything that needs to be said about this film in the first of the Mentions. I am assigning it to the "caregiver" category, marginally, but I don't actually think of this as a caregiver's movie; even though most of the critics who watched it did. A lot of critics, I guess, haven't cared for elderly relatives and friends.
To me, this movie is more about the self-care of the brother and sister as they finally have to deal with the damage inflicted upon them by their father, try to heal and not carry his brutality further as their father's legacy to them. It's not a film, to me, about giving care, it's a film about cutting loose from abusive parental care. It is, at its core, a hopeful film about renewing one's spirit.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Laura Linney Wendy Savage Philip Seymour Hoffman Jon Savage Philip Bosco Lenny Savage Peter Friedman Larry Guy Boyd Bill Lachman Debra Monk Nancy Lachman Margo Martindale Roz Rosemary Murphy Doris Metzger David Zayas Eduardo Gbenga Akinnagbe Jimmy Tonye Patano Mrs. Robinson Cara Seymour Kasia
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2007
Directed by Tamara Jenkins.
Labels: caregiver, drama6, female-director3, laura-linney, satire1
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Rain Man
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: *1*
- Commentary: Well, I wrote such a dissertation on the movie at the site of the one "mention" that I think I pretty much said it all.
Update 5/29/2022: Admittedly, I do not watch this movie as often as Mom and I watched it when she was alive. I think it's partly because she and I watched it so often that I can quote dialog from it and partly because we discussed it so thoroughly and I thought about it so much because I was caregiving for someone whose mental acquity wasn't "normal", that it's as though I have this movie running on it's own channel in my head. Thus, actually watching it IRL seems redundant, somehow.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Dustin Hoffman Raymond Babbitt Tom Cruise Charles Babbitt Valeria Golino Susanna Jerry Molen Dr. Gerald Bruner Ralph Seymour Lenny Bonnie Hunt Sally Dibbs Lucinda Jenney Iris Jack Murdock John Mooney
If you're interested, here's the Wikipedia article on it. Its Critical Reception and In popular culture sections are interesting.
Release Date: 1988
Directed by Barry Levinson.
Labels: adventure3, buddy, caregiver, road-movie, shared-favorite, tom-cruise
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Magnolia
- Who's watched: only G
- Mentions: *1*
- Commentary: I don't know whether my mother will ever see this movie. I saw it in the theater when it first came out. It was a case of 12 Monkeys all over again. Lots of hype and lots of delivery but no delivery that matched the hype.
I picked up a cheap copy when I turned some videos in because I wanted to see it again, now, some years later, for reasons I explain in the "Mentions" link above. I was surprised that I found myself liking individual achievements spectacularly well: Macy's performance, his character: Exquisite. The Cruise vignettes: Amazing. So, I decided to keep it.
Why is it possible that Mom won't see this movie? It think it would bore her and she would wonder, out loud, why it is considered to be "apocalyptic". Which, actually, I also wonder.
I also, by the way, consider this the third in my category of "caregiver" movies. If you've seen it, you'll know why.
Roger Ebert reviewed this movie twice, once on the regular and once as a Great Movie, linked to the title of this post.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Jeremy Blackman Stanley Spector Tom Cruise Frank T.J. Mackey Melinda Dillon Rose Gator April Grace Gwenovier Luis Guzman Luis Philip Baker Hall Jimmy Gator Thomas Jane Young Jimmy Philip Seymour Hoffman Phil Parma Ricky Jay Burt Ramsey/Narrator Emmanuel Johnson Dixon William H. Macy Donnie Smith Benjamin Niedens Young Donny Alfred Molina Solomon Solomon Julianne Moore Linda Partridge John C. Reilly Ofc. Jim Kurring Jason Robards Earl Partridge Melora Walters Claudia Wilson Gator Henry Gibson Thurston Howell Felicity Huffman Cynthia Patton Oswalt Delmer Darion
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1999
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.
Labels: caregiver, drama8, fantasy2, jason-robards-jr, julianne-moore, tom-cruise
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
{proof}
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: I'm surprised that I haven't mentioned this movie in the journal. It made such an impression on me that I bought it the same day I rented and watched it. This is yet another movie that doesn't mention caregiving but is about caregiving. Although the detail is specific, the caregiver daughter shares an unusual talent for math with the father, the extent to which the caregiver comes to identify with the care recipient is not dependent on a shared talent. Watching the movie continues to give me goose flesh. My mother and I are not linked by an unusual talent but we are, now, linked by concern and proximity as well as a very dynamic love. I was also impressed by the relationship between the two daughters, how it spoke of the other daughter's relationship with her father...some subtle things were said about why certain people take over the care of their parent and others don't. As well, I certainly know the feeling of not needing to have someone take care of me but the fear that one (or more) of my sisters will feel the need to "care" for me. This movie is the second in my "library" of films that show an interest in caregiving, the first being Marvin's Room.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Gwyneth Paltrow Catherine Llewellyn Anthony Hopkins Robert Llewellyn Jake Gyllenhaal Harold Dobbs Hope Davis Claire Llewellyn
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2005
Directed by John Madden.
Labels: anthony-hopkins, caregiver, drama9, hope-davis, jake-gyllenhaal, me-favorite2
Monday, November 14, 2005
Marvin's Room
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: *1*
- Commentary: I absolutely had to own this movie. Read the mention linked above to see why. Mom tolerates me when I watch it and usually reads her tabloids. I think it's too quiet for her.
Miscellanous Notes: It is interesting, and curious, to see how many high profile actors were successfully solicited to perform in this relatively low profile film, even though it features what, at the time, would have been a high profile subject. Without them, this film could have turned maudlin, as so many "caregiver films" often do. This film is what I imagine must be called a "small" film, a gem surrounded by rhinestones.
In addition, Carly Simon wrote and performed the theme song "Two Little Sisters", with Meryl Streep adding background vocals.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Meryl Streep Lee Leonardo DiCaprio Hank Diane Keaton Bessie Robert De Niro Dr. Wally Hume Cronyn Marvin Gwen Verdon Ruth Hal Scardino Charlie Dan Hedaya Bob Cynthia Nixon Retirement Home Director Margo Martindale Dr. Charlotte Kelly Ripa Coral John Callahan Lance
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1996
Directed by Jerry Zaks.
Labels: caregiver, cynthia-nixon, diane-keaton, dramaA, hume-cronyn, leonardo-dicaprio, me-favorite3, meryl-streep, robert-de-niro
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
Driving Miss Daisy
- Who's watched: M & G, both more than many times
- Mentions: *1* *2* *3* *4* *5* *6*
- Commentary: That's right, we've finally got it, watched it the same day I purchased it for us, and enjoyed it, once again, as though we only vaguely remembered it.
Update 5/2/2022: It's hard for me, nowadays, to say enough about this movie. The portrayal of older people, "Ancient Ones", as I call them, is quite on point, as individuals and as members of a group. The astonishment of the children at the desires, whims and behaviors of their parents and older people, in general, well, I became so familiar with this when members of my family visited my mother and I (rarely, I might add). It was hard, sometimes impossible, for them to think of us and treat us as other than "old relative" and "caregiver"; as, companions, for instance, or people who simply enjoyed each other's company and had a good time doing it. This movie, in very subtle ways, addresses these concerns. It doesn't display ingenious solutions, it just illustrates and leaves it be.
The background music for the film sometimes gets to me. It apes my relatives' attitudes, more than the experiences of Hoke and Miss Daisy.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Morgan Freeman Hoke Colburn Jessica Tandy Daisy Werthan Dan Ackroyd Boolie Werthan Patti LuPone Florine Werthan Esther Rolle Idella Joann Havrilla Miss McClatchey William Hall Jr. Oscar Crystal R. Fox Katey Bell
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1989
Directed by Bruce Beresford.
Labels: caregiver, dramaB, morgan-freeman, period5, popcorn-and-soda5, shared-favorite, teaching
