Nine to Ninety

Filmmaker Alicia Dwyer's heartbreaking, fly-on-the-wall documentary deals with familiar issues for extended families with elderly parents in need of full-time attention. Phyllis and Joe, married over 60 years and now in their late 80s, are living with the families of their grown daughters. Due to increasing medical problems—Joe is suddenly in need of dialysis three times a week—some hard choices have to be made. While Phyllis and Joe's children and grandchildren evaluate and negotiate who is going to take care of whom and what, Phyllis suddenly decides that she has had enough. Ruling out a group home, she chooses to move back East and share the burden of care with others, meaning that her and Joe will be separated—most likely for the rest of their lives—but she can't be talked out of it. Meanwhile, Joe becomes increasingly passive, accepting his spouse's choice and saying, “I love her, and I'll go on loving her.” The relative question of what is “right” in this scenario is sure to spark discussion. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)