DEMENTIA (Ryan E. of Nashville, TN)
Directed by Sophia Coppola
Screenplay by Sophia Coppola
Music by Janis Ian
Film Editing by Lisa Zeno Churgin
Cinematography by Dion Beebe
Principal Cast:
Lily Tomlin as Abigail Franklin
Julianne Moore as Sarah Franklin
Jennifer Jason Leigh as Patricia Franklin
William Hurt as Dr. Fielder
And
Margaret Avery as Lorna
Tagline: “What do you have when you’re loosing your mind?”
Synopsis: The film starts out by following Abigail Franklin, an elderly woman who lives by herself. We see little things like Abigail making breakfast and she goes to her bedroom and comes back and the breakfast is gone with all the dishes in the sink. Abigail starts talking to her television as if they are real people in her living room and she gets upset if someone talks to her in a mean way. Sarah, her eldest daughter, comes over to take her grocery shopping and notices the state of the house. Abigail tells her she’s just been a little lazy. Sarah asks Lorna, her mother’s friend and next-door neighbor to keep an eye on her.
In the end Sarah has to take her mother to the doctor where Abigail is diagnosed with Dementia. Sarah must decide to either care for her mother herself or take her to a nursing home. This is where the film shifts and we begin to follow Sarah more and we see the other side of Dementia and how hard it is on the caretakers. Sarah decides to try and care for her mother herself. Patricia, Sarah’s younger sister, shows up and this is when all hell breaks loose as Patricia uses old vendettas against her mother to try and convince Sarah to put Abigail in a home. Dr. Fielder, Abigail’s doctor, is a guiding force for Abigail trying to steer into the darkness of Dementia. In the end, Sarah is forced to make a decision that will end up changing all their lives forever.
Press Section: A much needed film in this day and age where so many people are stricken with Alzheimer’s and Dementia. The script is brilliant and full of heart tugging moments that will have you in tears one moment and smiling with joy the next. Lily Tomlin turns in a tour de-force performance as Abigail, the elderly woman who’s losing everything. Julianne Moore delivers a stunning portrayal of the put upon daughter who is stuck with making the hardest decision any child should have to make and she does it so beautifully that your heart aches for her. Jennifer Jason Leigh is fantastic as the evil, bitchy younger daughter who comes back to town to get revenge on her mother for earlier childhood traumas. The bright spots in this film belong to two screen veterans though, William Hurt and Margaret Avery. These two actors have limited screen time, but they each have powerful scenes. Hurt is the doctor who’s own mother recently died from Alzheimer’s and he is heartbreaking in his scene with Abigail where he is giving her a bath and thinking of his own mother. Avery delivers a knock out performance as the neighbor with a heart of gold. The scene that should cinch her a nomination is the one where Abigail is refusing to go to the home and Avery tells the daughters to let her talk to Abigail. Avery sits on the bed with Tomlin and brings up past experiences together and tells her friend about how scared she must feel. Avery then reveals a shocking secret to her friend that she is beginning to show signs of Dementia as well. This scene should have audiences everywhere in tears. The cherry on top of this perfect film is the final scene where Abigail has totally succumbed to Dementia and when her daughter visits her she has no idea who she is. She asks her daughter for a dance and the two women dance to no music together as one smiles and the other begins to cry.
Awards Consideration:
Best Picture
Best Director-Sophia Coppola
Best Actress-Lily Tomlin
Best Actress-Julianne Moore
Best Supporting Actor-William Hurt
Best Supporting Actress-Jennifer Jason Leigh
Best Supporting Actress-Margaret Avery
Best Original Screenplay-Sophia Coppola
Screenplay by Sophia Coppola
Music by Janis Ian
Film Editing by Lisa Zeno Churgin
Cinematography by Dion Beebe
Principal Cast:
Lily Tomlin as Abigail Franklin
Julianne Moore as Sarah Franklin
Jennifer Jason Leigh as Patricia Franklin
William Hurt as Dr. Fielder
And
Margaret Avery as Lorna
Tagline: “What do you have when you’re loosing your mind?”
Synopsis: The film starts out by following Abigail Franklin, an elderly woman who lives by herself. We see little things like Abigail making breakfast and she goes to her bedroom and comes back and the breakfast is gone with all the dishes in the sink. Abigail starts talking to her television as if they are real people in her living room and she gets upset if someone talks to her in a mean way. Sarah, her eldest daughter, comes over to take her grocery shopping and notices the state of the house. Abigail tells her she’s just been a little lazy. Sarah asks Lorna, her mother’s friend and next-door neighbor to keep an eye on her.
In the end Sarah has to take her mother to the doctor where Abigail is diagnosed with Dementia. Sarah must decide to either care for her mother herself or take her to a nursing home. This is where the film shifts and we begin to follow Sarah more and we see the other side of Dementia and how hard it is on the caretakers. Sarah decides to try and care for her mother herself. Patricia, Sarah’s younger sister, shows up and this is when all hell breaks loose as Patricia uses old vendettas against her mother to try and convince Sarah to put Abigail in a home. Dr. Fielder, Abigail’s doctor, is a guiding force for Abigail trying to steer into the darkness of Dementia. In the end, Sarah is forced to make a decision that will end up changing all their lives forever.
Press Section: A much needed film in this day and age where so many people are stricken with Alzheimer’s and Dementia. The script is brilliant and full of heart tugging moments that will have you in tears one moment and smiling with joy the next. Lily Tomlin turns in a tour de-force performance as Abigail, the elderly woman who’s losing everything. Julianne Moore delivers a stunning portrayal of the put upon daughter who is stuck with making the hardest decision any child should have to make and she does it so beautifully that your heart aches for her. Jennifer Jason Leigh is fantastic as the evil, bitchy younger daughter who comes back to town to get revenge on her mother for earlier childhood traumas. The bright spots in this film belong to two screen veterans though, William Hurt and Margaret Avery. These two actors have limited screen time, but they each have powerful scenes. Hurt is the doctor who’s own mother recently died from Alzheimer’s and he is heartbreaking in his scene with Abigail where he is giving her a bath and thinking of his own mother. Avery delivers a knock out performance as the neighbor with a heart of gold. The scene that should cinch her a nomination is the one where Abigail is refusing to go to the home and Avery tells the daughters to let her talk to Abigail. Avery sits on the bed with Tomlin and brings up past experiences together and tells her friend about how scared she must feel. Avery then reveals a shocking secret to her friend that she is beginning to show signs of Dementia as well. This scene should have audiences everywhere in tears. The cherry on top of this perfect film is the final scene where Abigail has totally succumbed to Dementia and when her daughter visits her she has no idea who she is. She asks her daughter for a dance and the two women dance to no music together as one smiles and the other begins to cry.
Awards Consideration:
Best Picture
Best Director-Sophia Coppola
Best Actress-Lily Tomlin
Best Actress-Julianne Moore
Best Supporting Actor-William Hurt
Best Supporting Actress-Jennifer Jason Leigh
Best Supporting Actress-Margaret Avery
Best Original Screenplay-Sophia Coppola
