Like most of the shows I watch I had no idea what this was about. I had absolutely no preconceived notions about it.
What I saw was a comedy about the realities of growing older. It gave a glimpse of the independence many older people strive to cling to even if it’s not safe for them.
It’s life and the harsh realities that come with it, though some laughs are thrown in.
Harry Townsend (Lou Cariou) is an 84 year old man living alone in his home in Vermont. He’s grumpy, stubborn and set in his ways. His son Alan (Craig Bierko) is visiting him for the first time in months from California.
Alan does have an ulterior motive for visiting his father, but it takes a bit to reveal what that is.
Harry is happy to see his son, but there is tension as they don’t always see eye to eye. Lou Cariou is great as the titular character.
Harry seems to enjoy finding new ways to irritate his son and will bicker with him for any reason. Alan puts up with it because he has to accomplish his ultimate goal.
As Alan presents more and more evidence as to why his father shouldn’t live alone, Harry grows more irritated and defensive. Alan has a point as we see Harry’s memory fail him and how he struggles to even get around at times.
The show has some funny moments though the subject matter isn’t funny itself. It has a nice balance between the two.
Director Karen Carpenter doesn’t milk the bad moments and instead focuses on the lighter moments, but she isn’t disrespectful about the plight older folks face. Both actors also played off of each other well.
Neither actor plays their character as a caricature, but instead focus on the love the characters have for each other.
Cariou does a stand out job in this role. He shows all the conflicting emotions a Harry feels any time he gets called for something he didn’t realize what he was doing. Harry doesn’t get what he wants in the end, but that’s life and that makes it all the more difficult.
No comments:
Post a Comment