There have been very few films that reflect on the lives of gay people in their later years, after the thrills of youthful romance have given over to the practicalities of health needs, while abiding love remains. This is a tender yet fraught story about an elderly lesbian still so deeply connected to the one true love she has known since her childhood, yet kept from visiting her in the same nursing home where they both reside, because she is not "legally" family.
Thus the film deals with a lot of interesting issues: how our youthful pasts influence and interfere with our older age; how religious and social oppression can restrict love between same-sex partners; how legal issues-- especially in the remaining states that deny marriage equality-- restrict the access of same-sex partners to each other; how euthanasia may be the most humane confrontation with death at the end of life.
And the film handles this heavy agenda with concision, challenging us to think about these women's long lives from the 1920s to present while also celebrating the joys and torments of enduring love. The script is clearly based on a play set primarily in one room, while the direction utilizes exteriors rather well in the many flashback scenes of the protagonist. No one should be criticizing this film for its low production values; the resonance here comes from the story and the very competent acting.
Sharon Gless is indeed the star, and fits the title role completely. Also pay attention to the actor who plays young Greta, who has such a natural sense of style and relation to the older characters, and who has since become transgendered. S/he really owns her character, and should gain more attention in other films, within and beyond the GLBT market.
Thus the film deals with a lot of interesting issues: how our youthful pasts influence and interfere with our older age; how religious and social oppression can restrict love between same-sex partners; how legal issues-- especially in the remaining states that deny marriage equality-- restrict the access of same-sex partners to each other; how euthanasia may be the most humane confrontation with death at the end of life.
And the film handles this heavy agenda with concision, challenging us to think about these women's long lives from the 1920s to present while also celebrating the joys and torments of enduring love. The script is clearly based on a play set primarily in one room, while the direction utilizes exteriors rather well in the many flashback scenes of the protagonist. No one should be criticizing this film for its low production values; the resonance here comes from the story and the very competent acting.
Sharon Gless is indeed the star, and fits the title role completely. Also pay attention to the actor who plays young Greta, who has such a natural sense of style and relation to the older characters, and who has since become transgendered. S/he really owns her character, and should gain more attention in other films, within and beyond the GLBT market.
