When my husband and I lived in the city, we became acquainted with some really interesting people. I met this darling English woman who had married a man just before he took off in a plane to fight the Nazis and was killed. She then married three additional times. I got the idea that she married poor and sickly men and cared for them until they passed away. (Yes, the idea of Black Widow did come up in conversation... people who are a bit odd are often suspected by their neighbors.. but I think that this woman was just a genuine humanitarian in her own way.)
She was a very cheerful person. I don't think she quite lived in reality.. or reality had been too hard and she had created her own little dream world to live in.
We met this woman when we were first married and we lived in a dump. Behind the apartment were dozens of feral cats. They scared me to death. I don't like cats much to begin with, but these were all wild. Our little English woman purchased several traps. Almost everyday, I would see her with this fur-flying, hissing demon in a cage and she would be smiling and say, "I've captured a cat and named him Tom." She was determined the Humane Society was going to find these frightening creatures good homes.
I was touched by her great heart. When the cat problem was solved, she moved on.
This film reminded me of our little English lady. It also reminded me of a great uncle I had. He lived in an apartment that was so filthy, I couldn't stand to be in it because it smelled so bad. He wouldn't let anyone clean or repair the furniture. My mother, who is a saint, visited him every week and took him treats and drove him to his Doctor. He was difficult to deal with, but he was cheerful and happy and even at 83 he had big plans to become a great entrepreneur and marry (for the first time) and have a dozen children.
At his funeral, my mother's cousin said something to the affect that she hoped that whatever it was that had held him back... kept him from becoming, whatever barrier that had prevented him from achieving his dreams was now removed and he could become who he had always dreamed of becoming.
I think it's important not to judge people who have hit some kind of barrier, for all of us have one or two we hope to overcome. And so, I found this film inspiring in a way. There is a beautiful determination in these two women to maintain a certain dignity and happiness and to survive even in the most awful circumstances.
Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore give amazing performances. FYI this film is very sad and disturbing in parts and not for children in my opinion.
