The Whales of August (1987)

Director: Lindsay Anderson
Starring: Bette Davis, Lillian Gish, Vincent Price

Synopsis:
Two elderly sisters find their relationship strained as they clash on how they plan to use the time they have left.

Impressions:
This is the sort of movie I don't think the average viewer can truly understand. You have to either be in your twilight years yourself or be very close to people who are to get a visceral sense for the emotions at work here. Bittersweet and poignant are how I'd describe this film. It caps off some amazing careers with touching performances by Bette Davis, Lillian Gish, Ann Southern, and Vincent Price. I also liked Harry Carry Jr. as the noisy handyman Joshua. I could see a lot of my elders in these characters, so there was a lot of resonance for me. There's no action here, no big drama. Just a simple character piece that's all feels. If that sounds like an experience you want to have, give it a watch.

Rating:
Watch It