Jules

A quirky, funny movie about aging, friendship, kindness and acceptance.

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The premise is that a UFO lands in the backyard of a 78-year-old widower who is just beginning to exhibit signs of dementia. Because of that, the people around him don’t believe him when he says he’s got an alien in the house. Two elderly friends find out and the three of them conspire to help the alien fix its ship so it can go home.

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Their interaction with the alien has an effect on each of them. Having someone pay attention to them, someone who sits calmly and listens with kind eyes, encourages each of the elderly folks to share secrets, talk about the joyful moments in their lives, or admit their responsibility for an estranged relationship.

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Juxtaposed the total acceptance from the alien is the condescension from well-meaning but disrespectful people who assume that everything the main character says is the confusion of someone losing their mind.

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It seems to me that there has been an increasing number of films and TV shows by, for and about Boomers (the three major actors and the director of this are in their late 70s and early 80s ). I think it's great! They are giving mainstream media a unique perspective that isn't often shown.

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This  gentle movie is a lovely reminder that taking the time to sit, listen, and communicate honestly with older people is important. The wild things they say might just be true.

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