BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Pluskylang Great Film overall

CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

sol **SPOILERS** Bittersweet and touching little movie that has to do with young Duncan Shorter,Joshua Jackson, who's life had hit a road block ever since his father-David-died of a sudden heart-attack ten years ago when he was 39 years old.Listless without any ambition Duncan's life has been going absolutely nowhere since he dropped out of school and gave up a collage scholarship when his dad passed away. Now Duncan is worried about his 82 year-old grandfather Ronald, Donald Sutherland, who's going fast with his kidney's shot and both Parkinson's and Alzheimers diseases starting to set in. With his Grandma Ruth, Louise Fletcher, unable to take care of her ailing husband Duncan gets a job at the couples apartment house as a handyman to be both close to Grandpa Ronald and thus prevent him from being sent into a local nursing-home that in fact, being the free soul that he is, will end up killing him.It's when Duncan meets Grandpa's home assistant Kate, Jullette Lewis, that he starts to feel that his life is about to turn around for the better. Kate is not only well liked by Grandpa Ronald but the old guy wants to play match-maker in getting her and his somewhat shy,with women, grandson Duncan hitched! It doesn't take long for both Kate and Duncan to fall in love with each other but the big stumbling block to them ever staying together is not only Gramps but what Duncan has been searching for, without success, the last ten years! The circumstances of Duncan's as well as his philandering brother Jake, Steven Pasquale, father's death!As Grampa Ronald's health begins to slowly deteriorate he starts to look for a way to ends his misery by getting Duncan to help him kill himself. Duncan who's been haunted over the years over his fathers, a recovering coke addict, sudden death, which he believes was the result of a drug overdose, is very much against letting Grandpa Ronald end his life, this time with a shotgun blast, in somewhat the same way!Solid performances all around by an all-star cast that includes in a very small but important role John Kapelos as the late David Shorter's best friend Stu. It was Stu who was with David the night he died and who set Duncan and his brother Jake's minds at ease in just what were the chain of events that lead to his tragic death.***SPOILERS**** As for Donald Sutherland as Grandapa Ronald he was never better as the sad and suicidal old man who saw his life ebbing away right in front of his eyes. Grandpa Ronald in trying to get Duncan to help him do the job, by blowing his brains out, on him backfired together with his shotgun when Duncan changed his mind at the very last moment. In the end it was fate that intervened and made Ronald's last moments on earth far more tranquil, and less bloody, then what they could have been.

siderite It has it all: romance, family relationships, old people, young people, friends, comedy, Juliette Lewis; but it is a slow movie. It doesn't really start and doesn't really end. It's like a slice of someone's life. So you have to be in the mood for one of those "life" movies.The acting is top notch, something that comes naturally to Donald Sutherland, but all the other actors played well also. The music is suitable, the story unfolds in a predictable, but natural way.Bottom line: a movie about losing yourself in the comfortable but dead zone of friends that don't really help, family that doesn't really go anywhere, jobs that don't do anything, but that feels like home. The happy ending shows our hero getting out of it, not that it is hard, just that you have to will yourself out.

warnroby2000 I had never heard of this movie because up until this year, I have been on protest of pop culture. I missed out on a lot; however, this movie has been an experience for me that has not been taken lightly and will perhaps stay with me for a very long time (maybe the rest of my life). It gives such great insight on how it must feel to grow old and also portrays the challenges that come when coming of age. This movie has given me and those I viewed it with, an honest perspective of what we have to look forward to and dread as we age. It reminds me too appreciate being young and look forward to the reflections I will have when I am old. It also is a tribute to the large population that has come to a point of their life where they again do not have control and must accept what life has given them. Above all, family is always consistent for those who are lucky enough to have family even if they forgot it was there. There is strength in it and we all must recognize that, no matter how tough it has been. I want to thank the cast for choosing such a lovely movie and to open the eyes and hearts to those of use who are so far removed from the elderly/disabled/sick population that are so often neglected.

Nick Marino i caught this at Tribeca 2005 and i was not expecting what i got - a realistic portrayal of a family in a drama film which wasn't melodramatic or preachy. instead of distilling the personalities down to identifiable quirks, the cast and crew of aurora tackled the near impossible task of fully fleshing out the majority of the film's characters. the result was a window into the life of a family that was fascinating to watch. this is also one of the few films I've ever seen which portrayed strong elderly characters. catch this when it hits theaters and video.