More than romantic love

Rating: 9/10 (8 July 2006)

I saw the previews in the theater, realized the twist, and also that neither my husband or daughter would want to go see it. So I finally caught it on cable and was blown away. It's a beautifully constructed story, set in a South that doesn't exist any more, but with enduring themes that aren't dependent on a particular era. The part that really impressed me, aside from the rock-solid performances of James Garner and Gena Rowlands (and the others) is the way her illness is handled, and the way that feisty love plays out to the very end. My mother was not able to communicate verbally after brain bleeds, and for 2 1/2 years I talked, she listened, she nodded, squeezed my hand, and we figured out how to speak to each other. Even so, I don't think she knew who I was, or if I was even there, in the last year of her life. Just as Gena Rowlands came to see the staff as her family and caregivers, my mother did with the staff at her nursing home. But I could feel for James Garner's character, knowing she was there, and might give a flash of recognition. That dedication and love that lasted to the end was what can still call up tears as I think about certain scenes.