Maureen Stapleton and Tom Toner play a homeless man and woman, shown gathering food and supplies for a meal. We then see them enjoying the meal, and the makeshift world they create for themselves, come rain or shine (with the dinner experiencing both). Toner and the always strong Stapleton underplay their roles with just the right amount of pathos and pluck. There's an innate (but never overdone) sweetness in the product, which probably seems alien in a world where the homeless are often treated with scorn. Here, people are happy to help buy a few groceries, seem pleased and positive when meeting Stapleton - no being chased off by police, no violence or abuse. There's a certain melancholy in the dinner party, but nothing overstated, no big moment to remind us how terrible everything truly is. In some ways the movie seems very out of date for 1974, but also seems timeless - a window into a world you can be glad to be a part of for a few moments.
Review of A Sunday Dinner
