I’LL SEE YOU IN DREAMS (review)

I’LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS

Written by Marc Basch & Brett Haley
Directed by Brett Haley
Starring Blythe Danner, Sam Elliott and Martin Starr

Carol: People always talk about living in the moment, as if it’s some kind of goal. What does that even mean?
No one likes to think about getting older. Sometimes it’s not all that bad after all, as director Brett Haley (THE NEW YEAR) tries to convince us in this sweet tale of love, loss and life after 65.

I’LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS stars Blythe Danner (MEET THE PARENTS) as retired widow Carol who still wakes up every morning at 6:00. She spends her time reading the newspaper, eating lunch by the pool at her Los Angeles home and playing cards or golf with her friends at the nearby retirement community. Her to-do list extends to picking up the dry cleaning and going for a walk and she starts and ends each day with her favourite companion by her side – Hazel, a yellow Labrador who’s also getting up there in years.

So when Hazel’s time inevitably runs out, Carol finds herself trying to make sense of what’s left for her. Her friends, played by Rhea Perlman (Cheers), June Squibb (NEBRASKA) and Mary Kay Place (BEING JOHN MALKOVICH), try to convince her to give up her home and move into the community with them. One even drags her to a speed dating event, which results in all the farcical comedy you might expect. But Carol resists, not quite willing to make that move just yet.

Instead, she strikes up a friendship with her young pool boy, Lloyd (Martin Starr, Silicone Valley). The relationship remains platonic, but just enticing enough to make occasional moments suitably awkward; still, they have long chats over wine and go out for karaoke night where Carol can relive some of her past life as a songstress. Also catching her eye is a mysterious gentleman (Sam Elliott, TOMBSTONE) who she randomly runs into and can’t seem to stop thinking about. But does she dare to take a risk after years of contented solitude?

I’LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS may not hold an enormous amount of appeal for a younger generation – but that’s certainly not to say its charms are reserved for the over-50 crowd. The casting is perfect, for both the lead and supporting roles, and Danner is endearing from her first appearance on screen as we watch her go about her daily routine. There are some truly laugh-out-loud scenes and others that do a serious number on the heartstrings. But perhaps most refreshing is the fact that key moments are surprisingly unpredictable. And that’s always welcome, in both film and in life.

Your turn!

How many sheep would you give I’ll See You in My Dreams?

[kkstarratings]