I'll See You In My Dreams (2015)

A retired widow (Blythe Danner) finds herself at a crossroad. There's something absent from her life that she can't quite put her finger on. But the death of her 14 year old dog and an unusual relationship with her pool man (Martin Starr) starts her off on her journey. In the 1970s, Blythe Danner seemed on the verge of becoming a major star. Why it didn't happen is a mystery. She had the looks, the talent and the charm. Today, it seems most people think of her as Gwyneth Paltrow's mom or the mother in the FOCKERS movies. I only bring it up because her performance in I'LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS shows a superior talent on display and in a meaty role that allows her to show her stuff and what we've been missing. Except for one condescending "cutesy" scene (her bridge club gets stoned on pot), the film manages to show a realistic and unsentimental view of aging with both pathos and humor. It's a lovely film that I hope doesn't get relegated to the geriatric ("it's a movie about old people for old people") film heap. Danner's karaoke rendition of Cry Me A River is one of my personal movie highlights of 2015 so far. Co-written and directed by Brett Haley. With Sam Elliott (proving age doesn't dim sex appeal), Mary Kay Place, Rhea Perlman, Malin Akerman and June Squibb (NEBRASKA).