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A four star film to me is one that breathes new life into film or sometimes even life. This film touched on aging and coming to terms with death like no other film I’ve seen and did it with dignity, grace and a lot of humor. Before I saw this film, I thought it would be all serious and somber, but I was wrong. It’s very funny. I laugh out loud more at this film then a lot of so-called comedies.

The plot is pretty simple — Ethel (Katharine Hepburn, THE AFRICAN QUEEN) and Norman Thayer (Henry Fonda, GRAPES OF WRATH) are a old couple who spend their summers at their lake front home. Norman is turning 80 and Ethel has invited their estranged daughter, Chelsea (Jane Fonda, BARBARELLA), her boyfriend, Bill (Dabney Coleman, WHERE THE HEART IS) and his son, Billy (William Lanteau, TV’s NEWHART) to Norman’s birthday party. Tensions between Norman and Chelsea run thick and by the end of the weekend, she has asked her parents to take care of Billy for a month while she and Bill run off to Europe. Norman is pretty crotchety and complains a lot and Billy doesn’t like the idea of being dumped with two old strangers for the summer. However, before too long, Norman and Billy strike up a friendship.

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