When you watch films today you have the ability to see life portrayed in a way that is familiar, but also unique in perspective. Popular films normally portray story lines that we can relate to because they are true to life as we know it.
And life as we know has expanded to include increasing numbers of caregivers. It’s there in the trend of films that tackle the subject. There are a variety of caregiving films. Along with those I mentioned in the October 15, 2014 Patch blog, their success with audiences of all ages is what keeps the topic on Hollywood’s ‘To Do’ list.
The beauty of these films is simple: they allow us to step back from own personal experiences with caregiving to get a new vantage point with which to view what we do for those we love.
Here are some recent caregiving films that in my opinion highlight the scope of caregiving situations with grace and emotion:
Amour
This is a foreign language film that takes a more tragic approach. It was greeted with theatrical praise and even won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2012. This heartbreakingly sad film follows a husband trying to care for his wife as she battles with illness and pain following her diagnosis of vascular dementia. Their experiences with health aides and doctors is not portrayed in a positively portrayed and this is what leads to the sad overtones.
The Descendants
This film stars George Clooney and unlike most caregiving films, deals more with end of life issues as a whole. However, there is a caregiving element as a woman in a boating accident becomes comatose and her family has to deal with not only her medical condition, but also the recognition that she had been carrying on an affair. Her husband and children deal with her medical crisis in different ways, but you get to see how caregiving takes on a new meaning when other circumstances change the way that you view a loved one.
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Robot & Frank
This is a comedic caregiving film that stars an aging ex con and a futuristic robot. The robot cares for the ex-convict, but he persuades the robot to go on a crime spree through the neighborhood. This movie gives a humorous twist to the subject of caregiving and shows that all caregivers must be ready to match wits with their care recipients no matter what state they are in.
