The Dead (1987)

Set in 1904 Dublin, two spinster sisters (Helena Carroll, Catherine Delany) and their niece (Ingrid Craigie) host their annual Epiphany dinner party. Their favorite nephew (Donal McCann) and his wife (Anjelica Huston) are among the guests and for them, it will be a pivotal moment. Based on the short story by James Joyce and directed by John Huston, his final film and surely one of the greatest director swan songs. The works of James Joyce aren't very cinematic, they tend to be cerebral and internal which is why very few movies have been made from his books. Yet while still being faithful to the source material (the screenplay was written by Huston's son, Tony) which T.S. Eliot called one of the greatest short stories ever written, somehow Huston found a way to translate Joyce's delicate tale to the screen without opening it up or adding (much) material. It's full of tenderness and loss and the acceptance of what life gives us. It's an ensemble film and with the exception of Anjelica Huston, most of the actors are probably unknown to most moviegoers. But the acting is impeccable down to the smallest roles, these are actors who can give us a lifetime in an expression. The production design by Stephen Grimes is superb and so authentic that you'd never know the movie was filmed in Los Angeles instead of Ireland (most of the cast were imported to L.A.). With Dan O'Herlihy, Donal Donnelly, Marie Kean, Sean McClory and Frank Patterson.