This Afternoon: THE SAVAGESReaction: Enjoyed it very much. Tired of blogging for today. Will not write much.
Nutshell: Sister and brother in their 40's must put their aging and demented father, who had abandoned and mistreated them as children, in a nursing home. Sis is having an affair with a married man, and bro watches his Polish girlfriend of three years get deported because he's not ready for marriage. Both are frustrated writers.
Analysis: A soft, mournful, witty, gentle, hopeful movie. Characterized not so much by plot but by the actors' performances and the sometimes lyric, sometimes snappy script. Laura Linney nominated for best actress and Tamara Jenkins nominated for best screenplay. Linney was wonderful but the role wasn't spectacular enough for the Oscar.
God in it: Like everything else I've seen this weekend, but much brighter and gentler, I saw love shine through chaos. Wendy and John (Linney and Hoffman) are emotionally inept because of the trauma of their childhood, but they have not lost their tenderness or openness to redemption. As they go together through the drama of loss, they find courage in each other's humanness. By the end, they've taken bold steps towards healing. The last scene is priceless.
Popcorn status: Success! One short sugar-free low-fat latte. A+ to me.
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