The Man In The Chair (2007) starring Christohper Plummer

I knew I would enjoy this movie from the first few moments it begins. We see an old man (Christopher Plummer) in a theater by himself enjoying a bottle of booze and watching His Girl Friday with  Cary Grant. Then as the credits roll, he's watching another classic in the darkened theater, this time The Last Time I Saw Paris and the argument scene with Elizabeth Taylor and Van Johnson, where Van throws his writings/manuscripts in a fireplace, giving up on his dreams. Immediately, Plummer's character gets up and yells at the screen; we don't hear what he's saying but we can tell he's emotionally affected by the drama (and dashed dreams), and in love with classic movies.

Then the credits montage continues with scenes of him riding the bus at night, and walking down a darkened street, eating lunch outside, or sitting/reading on a bench - suggesting he likes to get out of wherever he's living for a while. He goes to see more films, and the cycle repeats.

It's a bit mysterious at first, but as the film continues and unravels, we learn more about the grouchy old character. He lives in a home for retired film/tv veterans, and has a past career working on classic Hollywood films. 

Meanwhile, we're introduced to another character with a troubled past, a young high school cinephile and aspiring filmmaker, who wants to make a short student action film, but struggles with writing and can't pronounce "Nietzsche". The kid - when he's not stealing cars - spends his free time going to classic film screenings; at a screening of Touch of Evil, he meets Plummer. 

The rest of the movie is about their relationship, and about they work together making the short film which they are both passionate about. It's a charming buddy film about a young movie lover and the old Hollywood vet. As the kid gets to know the old man and his friends, you can sense his inner growth, and begins to consider making a documentary instead. He also teaches an elder to use Google and introduces him to blogging.

Christopher Plummer is very believable playing a cranky old Hollywood film crew member. His character is filled with loneliness and bitterness at the start of the film, but his life changes when he meets the kid; you can sense the spark of life coming back to him. I love the scene where Plummer talks and reminisces with his old, forgotten writer friend whom he encourages to help with the film. And I love how his character imparts his wisdom on the kid as they take the bus around town; he points out landmarks of classic cinema history and tells him stories about knowing Orson Welles. 

Special appearances by M. Emmet Walsh who plays a fellow resident of the home and Robert Wagner as a rich, retired Hollywood producer - and adversary - of Plummer's. 

Filmed on location in Los Angeles/Hollywood.

Written and directed by Michael Schroeder. Unfortunately, I don't know much else about what else the director has made other than some low-budget horror films in the 80s and 90s. But if I had to guess, I would say that this is a dream project of the director's and subsequently went on to pursue other endeavors. I applaud his efforts making this film; I found it enjoyable and very memorable.

Film Critic Roger Ebert didn't like the movie when it came out (see his review here), but I really liked it. I consider it a great tribute to not only the elderly, but also aging movie stars who are often forgotten in their twilight years. 

---

This is an entry in the Charismatic Christopher Plummer Blogathon, hosted by Realweegiemidget Reviews and Pale Writer. December 10-12, 2022

On Golden Pond (1981)

On Golden Pond is a film that I never thought I would enjoy watching because as a young person, I never thought I could identify with the characters or story. But in recent months I've been seeking out films dealing with reconnecting with one's parents, as I've been faced with reuniting with my own birth-father after many years of estrangement (this may likely be a topic of another blog post or two in the future...). My reunion experience has been difficult for me to discuss with other family members; it was a very emotional experience. I have an older relative who has expressed disagreement with me reconnecting with my birth-father because of his abandonment of my mother and I. The difficulty I've had with communicating with certain family members has made me feel as if there's something wrong with me, and that I'm the only one who has trouble communicating with family members; this personal experience has affected me so much that I've even had to take some time off from blogging for a long time as well.

I knew of some of the main themes of On Golden Pond, including reconnecting with your elderly parents/relatives, but it's only been in recent days that I felt ready to watch the film.

The main character, Norman Thayer, played by Henry Fonda, has a cranky, stubborn, and blunt personality that rubs people the wrong way; that becomes clear as we see him interact with several characters at the start of the film. For many of us, if we meet someone like that, we might likely not want to be friends with them. However, one person who loves him dearly is his devoted wife of over 40 years played by Katherine Hepburn. Her character is very interesting and ultimately inspiring because she demonstrates by example how to have to patience with him, and we understand through her character that the Fonda character has flaws, and is not perfect. He's having memory problems, and is slowing down, and at one point almost accidentally burns their New England summer cottage down, their cottage on the lake "Golden Pond". I have relatives that live near a lake in suburban Chicago, and it's not too unlike Golden Pond, so I could imagine what life is like for the characters.

The other characters in the film all have to deal with Norman in their own way, including his daughter Chelsea (Jane Fonda), who is very busy with her career in Los Angeles yet finds the time to come to visit her parents at the cottage after many years. After she arrives, Norman, always an overbearing father, makes her feel like a child again. I've felt the same way when I visit older relatives. I have a relative who is 87 and can say some embarrassing and hurtful things, and can make me feel like a child at holiday gatherings.

There's a poignant scene in the film where Chelsea has a heart-to-heart talk with her mom, saying how she wishes to be friends with her father, and wishes they could be more compatible. But her mom reminds her that Norman is a man of 80 years old, and that we need to accept him as who he is and tries to encourage her to not be so disagreeable with her past. "Life goes on", she says. "Get on with it."  It's a reminder to me when I relate to my own older family members, as their personalities are theirs and will not change.

There's also a great sequence in the film where Norman takes Chelesa's soon-to-be-stepson out on the lake to go fishing, and they have a great time trying to catch a legendary elusive fish. Norman isn't really such a bad guy after all; he's really a hero to the members of his family.

I was really amazed to learn that the film (and the play it was based on) was written by a young man (Ernest Thompson) who was in his 20s at the time. That's fascinating to me because the characters are much older, and complex.

All of the characters in On Golden Pond are ones I could either identify with or are ones that remind me of real people in my own life, and after watching the film I now feel as if I'm not alone in my familial plight. For these reasons, I consider the film to be a very inspirational one to me personally, and I hope you have a chance to enjoy it sometime too if you haven't seen it.

The Sunshine Boys (1975)

I first watched this movie on television about 25 years ago, and it was a pleasure to watch it again for the first time in so many years. It's still a very funny film and I found myself laughing many times throughout. I love the character that Walter Matthau brings to life - an old vaudevillian comedian who will not give up acting, even if it means working in commercials. It sort of reminded me of when Betty White and Abe Vigoda did a Snickers commercial a few years ago for the Super Bowl.

Richard Benjamin plays the nephew who is trying to reunite the old man with his old comedy partner played by George Burns.

Some modern productions of The Sunshine Boys  update the characters to be pioneer TV stars rather than vaudevillians, which I suppose works just as well. But in the original play and this film, the whole vaudeville thing really works well. George Burns was an actual vaudevillian, so he was absolutely perfect for the role as Matthau's partner. When this movie came out in the 1970s, we still had vaudeville stars still living, but today there aren't any around anymore. Mickey Rooney was probably the most famous vaudevillians still living until he passed away this year.

I like Burns' line when he says to Matthau, "You know...I don't think we get along too good". That really sums up the movie in a way. The two comedians are able to reunite, and in a way say their last goodbye, realizing they are better off going their separate ways. I love the movie because it portrays two people who can't get along, but really love each other - sort of like a family member or friend you use to have, but just can't be with them too often. Such a great story, and great humor by Neil Simon.

It'd be cool to see this show performed live on stage.

The Age of Adaline (2015)

Blake Lively impressed me in Age of Adeline.
I have not seen any of her films or TV shows except
for Green Lantern, where she was outshown by the
superheros and visual effects.

Blake Lively plays a 100+ year old woman, Adaline, "trapped" in a young woman's body. But this is not a vampire film. The opening scenes attempt to explain it all with a dramatic voice narrator (sounding like a Bill Kurtis documentary) detailing her plight with enough scientific lexicon to confuse me into suspending my disbelief. If I can believe people survive near-fatal car crashes in Furious Seven, then I can bend a little on this premise too.

And I like the premise, the stuff of novels. But this is an original screenplay. Ellen Burstyn plays her daughter. Yes her daughter! And to great effect - when they talk to each other it really feels like it. Blake dresses, talks, and thinks like an "old soul". Her apartment has a vintage flair, and would likely be a person who loves the classic movies that we all enjoy and love so much.

I like how the film explores memories and aging, as well as having to conceal your true identity and be on the move.  The film Benjamin Button explored some similar ideas, but I found that film to be depressing and ultimately unsatisfying. This movie is much better.

I also like how the movie deals with her having to hide from the world. Only her daughter knows her secret. She can't tell anyone - or can she? Can she really trust another soul? Can she be herself? Will she ever stop hiding?

Harrison Ford is excellent as a man who thinks he remembers meeting Adaline years ago. I love this part of the film, but it comes near the end. Don't go to the movie expecting to see Ford right away.
Kudos to Blake Lively for pulling off this role. Also with Kathy Baker and and actor I'm not familiar with, Michiel Huisman.

Nebraska (2013) and I Never Sang for My Father (1970)

I recently watched two intriguing films about complicated father-son relationships.  I would recommend both films; I think they'd be especially enjoyed by anyone who has had experience caring for an elderly parent.

The first is 1970's I Never Sang for My Father, which recently aired on Turner Classic Movies.  It's a serious drama that explores the themes of aging and death. Gene Hackman plays a widower who wants to move out of state and remarry. He's torn between moving and staying to care for his elderly father played by Melvyn Douglas.

Melvyn Douglas' character is a stubborn and proud man. We learn he used to be a politician and was very well-known at one time. He's the kind of man that will talk your ear off. Now in his 80s and a widower, he has very few friends, and often falls asleep watching westerns on TV.  He's not entirely sympathetic - we learn he and his daughter (Estelle Parsons) are estranged because of his disapproval of her husband.  And he treats Hackman like a child, and keeps making him feel guilty by saying, "I don't know what I'd do without you".

The movie has two sequences that I've rarely seen in the movies. One scene shows Hackman and Douglas shopping for funeral caskets (for Hackman's mother who just died). Another scene shows Hackman visiting different nursing homes to see if they would be right for his dad. He sees many lonely people by themselves, and he's filled with so much guilt.

It's a very quiet film, and really makes you think about these people, particularly Hackman's character, and how he handles the cards he's been dealt.

The other film is a bit more lighthearted: last year's Nebraska (2013), which is a quirky - and occasionally raunchy - comedy starring Bruce Dern as an elderly man suffering from early stages of dementia. His character is very different from Melvyn Douglas'; Dern is much more of an "average guy", and is much more of a quiet man who doesn't talk much.

But Dern is stubborn nonetheless - and is determined to claim a winning sweepstakes prize in Nebraska. His son is played by Will Forte and the two men go on a road trip to claim the prize. I really enjoyed these scenes of the two men bonding. At one point they visit Mount Rushmore and Dern is unimpressed. Then the best part of the film has the two pass through Dern's old hometown in Nebraska, where they meet many of his old friends including Stacy Keach, who teases him about the prize. There's even an old flame of Dern's that Forte meets, which makes him see a different side of his father.

The movie kept me in suspense to find out what happens at the end when they try to claim the prize. I was very pleased with the outcome of the movie, and I felt uplifted and inspired at the end.

Both movies have elements that reminded me of people in my own family and real life situations.

Read another blog post about Nebraska here from Avvaganda.com

Daddy Nostalgia (1990)

At the start of this heartwarming drama set in the French Riviera, Dirk Bogarde's character has just had a serious heart operation. His wife is worried about how he will fair after the surgery, and asks daughter Caroline (Jane Birkin) to come from Paris to help for awhile. In a private spat with her mother,  Caroline asks why she is always called upon instead of her sister whenever there is a family emergency. Her mother replies: "because she's in Quebec".

When Daddy comes home to recuperate, Caroline - a writer - ultimately grows closer to her father. And as the title suggests, this movie is very nostalgic, filled with flashbacks and memories of Caroline's childhood years and how she remembers her father.

It's an often-emotional film about an adult daughter and her ailing father, touching on issues dealing with life and death. It is a pleasure to watch Mr Bogarde perform in this, his final film. The film is dedicated to director Michael Powell, who passed away when the film was released.

This French-produced film is half in English and half in French; the actors - fluent in both - often switch from one language to the next. Available on DVD.

Another Year (2010)

I saw this movie the other night. It's great. About a London couple (Jim Broadbent and Ruth Sheen) and the various characters in their life.  Tom (Broadbent) is a geologist who has a few more years before retirement. He enjoys golfing with his friends and gardening with his wife (Sheen) in a communal garden (they are always bringing home vegetables) Both love to cook, so there are a number of scenes where they are cooking for friends and family. In fact, the movie is split into 4 acts divided by the seasons.  There's always a lunch or dinner scene in each act. It's pretty cool.

Ruth Sheen and Jim Broadbent are a
loving and devoted couple who make time for
family and friends

The couple have a 30-year old son. People are asking whether or not he has a girlfriend. Does he have a secret? Gerry (Sheen), a psychologist, has a co-worker (Leslie Manville) who doesn't have many friends or family, so she's always dropping by their house. She's single, lonely, and enjoys a few drinks. But does he have more serious problems? Director Mike Leigh doesn't let us know the full stories of these characters right away. We must watch the entire film. It's captivating. The characters in this movie are so real; they reminded me of my own family. And the acting seems so natural, even improvised, which is what I love about his movies Secrets and Lies, Vera Drake, and Happy Go Lucky.  Leslie Manville is just incredible in this; she won several awards for her amazing performance, including a BAFTA nomination.

Another Year is a quiet, serious adult drama, delightful and fun at times, and even heartbreaking at times.  I highly recommend it.

I saw this Monday night at the Tivoli Theater, an old-fashioned downtown movie house in Downer's Grove, IL

If you saw the movie Happy Go Lucky, do you remember the flamenco instructor?

Well the actress who plays her has a small role Another Year 

Here is a funny scene from Happy Go Lucky featuring the dance instructor.




Read another review from Mike's Movie Projector

Another blog post by Cliched Monologues

The Old Man and the Sea (1958) Starring Spencer Tracy

Spencer Tracy plays Cuban fisherman Santiago, isolated at sea in a small little fishing boat reminiscining about old times and waiting for a catch. One day he's stunned to come across a huge marlin who circles his boat. Santiago harpoons it; and eventually attracts a few sharks on his way home. The sea struggles (between Spence and the fish) are exciting, and Dimitri Tiomkin's score is really good. Thanks to director John Sturges, who is at his best with action sequences like this. There are many moments of narration by Tracy; the words come directly from Hemingway's book. I was not convinced that Spence was a Cuban. But the movie, like the novel, is very allegorical and not everything makes sense. Several flashback sequences feature symbolic images of lions and fish, and in one scene we're taken back to an arm wreslting match between Spencer and a man who is referred to as a "negro" multiple times. In the end, the old man returns to his village exhausted, and is reaquainted with his young Cuban apprentice, a boy named Manolin, but all the old man can do is sleep. There was a made-for-TV 1990 version with Anthony Quinn.
Oscar win for best Original Music Score

Harry and Tonto (1974)

Paul Mazursky directed this slow paced drama (The New York Times review at the time agreed) about an elderly septuagenarian (Art Carney, who was only 56 years old) who decides to go on a cross-country road trip with his cat Tonto after they are both kicked out of their apartment. Not the most exciting film, but it does offer some interesting philosophical ideas when he picks up a hitchhiker (Thirtysomething's Melanie Mayron) and visits his daughter in Chicago and son in Los Angeles. In small roles are Ellen Burstyn, Larry Hagman, and Geraldine Fitzgerald. The Academy found Mr. Carney's performance to be worthy of the Best Actor Oscar; he won over Al Pacino ("The Godfather Part 2") and Jack Nicholson ("Chinatown"). Some observers feel this was a sentimental Oscar win, because of Mr. Carney's legendary comedic work on TV, most notably in The Honeymooners and The Jackie Gleason Show from the 1950s and 60s. This was a once-in-a-career opportunity for him to have such a lead, but he never matched the success in his subsequent films.