Such a quiet and gentle film. All the action revolves around this family's domestic routines; meals served in the backyard overlooking the pond, wheelchair promenades down beautiful country roads and intimate conversations between mother and son basking in the gloaming (the last hour of daylight). It is during these moments that Close and Leonard absolutely shine. This is very much a story about a boy and his mom. All other relationships are secondary until the end of the film. Family relationships can be complicated, especially when one is dying. The stoic and reserved nature of the characters response to the gay son's health crisis is compelling.
A nice turn by Whoopi Goldberg as the live-in nurse who re-teaches the mother to physically care for and interact with her adult son.Pay special attention to the death scene (and I'm not really giving anything away here) and notice the characters breathing. It is a wonderful symbolic representation of one life ending and another being "reborn".
A nice turn by Whoopi Goldberg as the live-in nurse who re-teaches the mother to physically care for and interact with her adult son.Pay special attention to the death scene (and I'm not really giving anything away here) and notice the characters breathing. It is a wonderful symbolic representation of one life ending and another being "reborn".