JUNE 9, 2015
Carol Petersen in the new golden-age romance “I’ll See You In My Dreams” is the best film role that veteran actress Blythe Danner has gotten to play onscreen since…well probably ever. A 20-year widow, she has given up hoping for a romantic relationship, which is of course just the time that such a fine prospect (Sam Elliott) walks into her life.
What’s refreshing about “I’ll See You In My Dreams” is how unsentimental this potentially treacly material is handled, even as Carol is surrounded by death. (Her emotional yet realistic reaction to a death early in the film was what sold me on it.) This is not to say that the story avoids cliches altogether (do we really need another scene of senior citizens smoking pot or speed dating? Enough.) But the film takes its time in peeling back the many layers of Carol, and with each revelation, we get more and more invested in her story.
It is the performances from the accomplished cast, however, that really put this film over the top. Elliott has never been more charming onscreen, and as Carol’s three retirement-home buddies, veteran scene-stealers June Squibb, Rhea Perlman and Mary Kay Place do so again. But Danner is the reason to buy a ticket. Other actresses might have been tempted to go bigger as Carol, but Danner never does, keeping it subtle and nuanced. When she asks why, at her age, she should become attached to people who are only going to die on her anyway, your heart will break.
Grade: B
