Long-time residents share their points of view. The routine of life in the nursing home is emphasized. A staff person explains rules and regulations to the new resident. The second section, twenty minutes long, incorporates long sections of direct interview and voice-over commentary by two family members who have placed their parents in the nursing home. Mamie and Phillip, who were introduced in the first section, share their stories in more detail, and provide perspectives on the loneliness and restrictions on personal freedom felt by residents.
Nursing staff add their viewpoints on the latter subject.
Many of their comments are as heartfelt and revealing as those of the family members who begin this section. The administrator of the home, in a brief interview, defends the choices he makes based on limitations in budget. Mamie and Phillip's relationship is developed further in this section. Their intimacy and perspectives on life are refreshing and credible.