Set in a cancer hospice nestled in the California mountains, three sets of people and their loved ones must contend with terminal illness. A bisexual teacher (Christopher Plummer) being cared for by his lover (Ben Masters) gets a visit from his flamboyant ex-wife (Joanne Woodward). A blue collar worker (James Broderick) is visited by his wife (Valerie Harper), who hasn't accepted the finality of his illness, and their son (Curtiss Marlowe). A spinster (Melinda Dillon) must deal with her abusive mother (Sylvia Sidney) who is also suffering from dementia. Directed by Paul Newman (who doesn't appear in the film) with a screenplay by Michael Cristofer based on his award winning play. The play not only won the 1977 Tony for best play but also won the Pulitzer prize for drama. That such a mediocre play should win both awards indicates that it was a weak year for American drama. While the hillside setting is beautiful (filmed at a Salvation Army retreat in Calabasas, California), Newman can't hide the theatricality of the piece. I couldn't help feel sorry for the actors who give it their all but seem unaware that the lines they're spouting are unredeemable. With the exception of Dillon who somehow cuts through all the crap and manages to indicate a semblance of a real human being, the cast is defeated. Masters being particularly bad. The quiet score is by Henry Mancini.
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