The Growing Season

At a time when a rapidly aging population finds more and more people leading isolated lives—not just in their homes but also in medical institutions—filmmaker Evan Briggs’s fly-on-the-wall-style documentary offers an engaging portrait of a unique intergenerational model: Providence Mount St. Vincent in Seattle, which houses both a nursing home and a preschool. His camera captures the youngsters and oldsters in separate environments, but the focus is on those occasions when they are brought together to work on puzzles and share an afternoon treat, or when the children, dressed in Halloween costumes, arrive to receive candy from the residents (many of whom have also donned fake noses and funny hats for the occasion). Some of the interactions—such as conversations between a hard-of-hearing, wheelchair-bound man and several of the boys—are quite touching as well as disarming. But while there are poignant moments here—including an impromptu funeral for a recently-deceased resident, and a visit by a son to his addled mother—the emphasis lies on the mutual joy and support shared by these dissimilar groups, as well as the dedication of the staff who make it possible. The film’s ragged structure gives it a somewhat disjointed feeling, but overall this is an inspiring documentary that offers some quiet guidance about ways of building connections between young and old. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)