43/13
She died during post-production
Plot
A lonely boy who lives in his parents' home for the elderly explores his obsession with the afterlife through his friendship with an aging magician.. The last movie of Elizabeth Spriggs (Prudence). Some think the father's mustache at the party is a continuity error as he shaved it off that morning. However, it is a fancy dress party and the father is clearly wearing a fake mustache to go with his costume.. Edward: [Reading a headstone] “Samuel Peet.
Only Sleeping”Clarence: Huh
Not Dead. He’s gonna be pissed off when he wakes up.. Featured in Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: 17 Again/State of Play/Grey Gardens/Is Anybody There?/Earth (2009). Arthur C Clarke’s Strange WorldWritten by Alan HawkshawPublished by ITV Productions / EMI Music Publishing LtdCourtesy of ITV Productions Ltd. Not knowing what to expect of this film we were pleasantly surprised, relieved in fact.
Indeed, we are made to see the residents as Edward did
One critic had rated it as 'morbid' – just what we needed on a bank holiday afternoon – when in fact it was quite uplifting. There was no waiting around, Cowley took the audience directly to the sitting room of the elderly peoples home. You didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the antics of some of the elderly residents – an ex-dancer, a drunkard, war veteran – who, as interesting as they looked, were never discussed in much detail. They were 'props', clichés or as Edward would put it, 'pains in the backside'. Their antics are in fact, annoyances, enough to drive a wedge between him and his parents.
He played the part beautifully with such naivety and sincerity
Edward, who celebrates his 11th birthday in the film, is focused solely on finding out what happens after death. The arrival of Clarence to the home would change Edward more than he would think and vice versa. It was nice to see the relationship grow between the two. For the very first time, Edward would begin to look upon one of the residents as a grandfather figure, someone who would teach him new tricks and to live for the living, not for the dead. Not only did Clarence become a grandfather to Edward but also a friend.
There are some great snapshots throughout of the two of them
Overall, it was a nice film that taught us to live for the moment and that regrets can eat you up inside. It also reveals truths about residential homes: 'you live all your life on your own and then someone thinks it's a good idea to put you with complete strangers'. We must remember that despite having their age in common, elderly people are all unique and should be treated so. Despite being set in the 1980's, the colours and styles all depicting this era wonderfully, these 'lessons in life' are as true today as they were back then.
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