The Whales of August (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
The appeal of watching 'The Whales of August' (adapted from a play by David Berry) is not the plot (deceptively simple), nor the visuals (though they're pleasant) ... it's to see 2 silver screen legends in the same film: 93 yr. old Lillian Gish & 79 yr. old Bette Davis. Set in a cottage on a Maine island, we 1st see a flashback to the late 1800s where sisters Sarah (Mary Steenburgen, in a cameo) & Libby look out on the horizon for the whales of August. The story then picks up in the late 1940s where the 2 elderly sisters are joined again at said cottage, a place where they've spent some 60-odd summers. Both widows, we see how Sarah (now Lillian Gish) is a sweet, doddering old romantic who loves pruning her roses (amid other little projects); she also enjoys talking with neighbors, acquaintances & the like.
Her somewhat younger (but still elderly) sister Libby (now Bette Davis), however, is blind & bitter; a difficult old broad who dwells on the past, present, & future with negativity. The sisters have come near the end of their lives with nary a whale to have been spotted in decades; though, optimist Sarah continues to look for 'em every summer. We also meet Tisha (78 yr. old Ann Sothern), a lovely-but-lonely neighbor who hides her melancholy behind a steady stream of gossip. And then there's Mr. Maranov (Vincent Price), a 70-something yr. old Russian emigre who catches the eye of some (gigolo-like), and hasn't really found a place to call 'home'. There isn't much of a plot; just a couple of days in the lives of these sisters. They understand one another like no other and sometimes resent each other {heck, you could say that Libby ruined Sarah's chance for love way back when}. But ... they are family, and all they really have now is each other.
Director Lindsay Anderson draws endearing & poignant performances out of his amazing cast. He lets small gestures, nuances & details speak volumes about sibling rivalry, aging, the passage of time & the troubling concept of memory. In one affecting scene, Bette Davis' Libby sits alone in her room caressing her face with a lock of her deceased husband's hair. Later, she tells Gish, "We’re from strong stock, you & I, but we've precious little time left" -- how sad, yet sobering is that?
Lillian Gish gets her own scenes to quietly knock out of the park. In one scene, she pins up her long hair into a bun while staring in a mirror. Sounds boring, right? But thanks to Gish's subtle characterization, the moment rivets. And later, in her dining room, she celebrates her wedding anniversary by toasting her dead husband in solitude, "It's been 46 years Philip" -- quite the moment. I'm surprised that Gish did not receive an Academy Award nomination for this role; I'm sure she was close. Supporting turns by Ann Sothern & Vincent Prince (always likeable) add further depth & interest to the story. I'm surprised that Sothern nabbed a Supporting Oscar nom for this role. But that was probably due to the fact that she'd been in Hollywood forever, yet hadn't been recognized by the Academy before.
You know, this film is a slowly paced one. There are no pyrotechnics, no loud outbursts, no car chases. It's simply a small, quaint, somewhat stagey production. But there's nothing wrong with that, per say. This is a genteel, poetic little film that tells us: age & illness notwithstanding, it's never too late to resolve difference with loved ones -- life isn't over just yet. See this movie as a sort of lovely Sunday afternoon delicacy. The cottage is adorable. The Maine milieu is enticing. The spare, but meaningful dialogue fills in years of plot significance. And it's more than worth the hour & a half to watch 2 elderly actresses calmly & comfortably riveting us at the end of their legendary careers. I love this film.
Her somewhat younger (but still elderly) sister Libby (now Bette Davis), however, is blind & bitter; a difficult old broad who dwells on the past, present, & future with negativity. The sisters have come near the end of their lives with nary a whale to have been spotted in decades; though, optimist Sarah continues to look for 'em every summer. We also meet Tisha (78 yr. old Ann Sothern), a lovely-but-lonely neighbor who hides her melancholy behind a steady stream of gossip. And then there's Mr. Maranov (Vincent Price), a 70-something yr. old Russian emigre who catches the eye of some (gigolo-like), and hasn't really found a place to call 'home'. There isn't much of a plot; just a couple of days in the lives of these sisters. They understand one another like no other and sometimes resent each other {heck, you could say that Libby ruined Sarah's chance for love way back when}. But ... they are family, and all they really have now is each other.
Director Lindsay Anderson draws endearing & poignant performances out of his amazing cast. He lets small gestures, nuances & details speak volumes about sibling rivalry, aging, the passage of time & the troubling concept of memory. In one affecting scene, Bette Davis' Libby sits alone in her room caressing her face with a lock of her deceased husband's hair. Later, she tells Gish, "We’re from strong stock, you & I, but we've precious little time left" -- how sad, yet sobering is that?
Lillian Gish gets her own scenes to quietly knock out of the park. In one scene, she pins up her long hair into a bun while staring in a mirror. Sounds boring, right? But thanks to Gish's subtle characterization, the moment rivets. And later, in her dining room, she celebrates her wedding anniversary by toasting her dead husband in solitude, "It's been 46 years Philip" -- quite the moment. I'm surprised that Gish did not receive an Academy Award nomination for this role; I'm sure she was close. Supporting turns by Ann Sothern & Vincent Prince (always likeable) add further depth & interest to the story. I'm surprised that Sothern nabbed a Supporting Oscar nom for this role. But that was probably due to the fact that she'd been in Hollywood forever, yet hadn't been recognized by the Academy before.
You know, this film is a slowly paced one. There are no pyrotechnics, no loud outbursts, no car chases. It's simply a small, quaint, somewhat stagey production. But there's nothing wrong with that, per say. This is a genteel, poetic little film that tells us: age & illness notwithstanding, it's never too late to resolve difference with loved ones -- life isn't over just yet. See this movie as a sort of lovely Sunday afternoon delicacy. The cottage is adorable. The Maine milieu is enticing. The spare, but meaningful dialogue fills in years of plot significance. And it's more than worth the hour & a half to watch 2 elderly actresses calmly & comfortably riveting us at the end of their legendary careers. I love this film.