Make Way for Tomorrow (1937)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Touches You

Too much of everything

A lot of fun.

I'd heard of this film for years and always wanted to see it. I got my chance on TCM tonight and I wasn't disappointed. What a wonderful, heartbreaking little film. It's definitely a tearjerker, but the film is also filled with delightful humor, especially in the scene where the doctor calls on Victor Moore. Come to think of it, I was laughing so hard that I found myself crying during this scene as well. Both Moore and Beulah Bondi are a delight as the elderly couple and their scenes together at the end, at the hotel, are perfection. Another highlight is the scene where Thomas Mitchell must tell his mother (Bondi) that they may have to put her in a home and she turns the tables on him by making him think it was her idea. It's just wonderfully and touchingly acted by two terrific performers playing mother and son. The script, direction and fine acting from the cast all come together to make this picture a gem that is still relevant today. Be sure to catch this movie if you can - you'll be glad that you did.

This is a rare treat. Leo McCarey says that his Oscar for The Awful Truth, won in 1937, was really for Make Way For Tomorrow. I can see why, this film is leagues beyond his other films I've seen. It's a heart-breaking situation. An old couple torn away from each other. It's the saddest image. They've spent their whole life together but can't spend their last years. For a film in this era, Make Way For Tomorrow is remarkably sensitive to the situation. There's such elegance in the way the characters are treated, and it's thanks to Victor Moore and especially Beulah Bondi honest and delicate performances. It's a shame that the plot is mostly full of such triviality during their endeavours at their respective separate homes. It feels like there could've been something deeper to explore here, and they were nearly there. They arrive at the end - and the film's final passage is the definition of poignance as they spend their last hours together. Although it's still full of unfortunate irreverence, its emotional urgency cuts to the core. If only it was a little more focused, a little more consistent, with another handful of those irrevocably poignant moments that hit you near its end then it would be a favourite. It's as close as you can get otherwise.8/10

How it ever escaped my watching it before tonight, I'll never know. But I couldn't stop watching it, not even pause it for any reason. It's that GOOD. The only part of the whole movie that I felt disappointed with was the ending. I thought, "They are NOT going to end it like that!!!" But they did! You may think that these kinds of relationships, conversations, and treatment don't really happen all too often, but nowadays, it's more like the norm. What surprised me was realizing how pervasive this attitude has gone throughout the generations. And that made me cry, too. We are going through similar. I thought about recording it and sending a copy to each adult kid. That would only make it worse. Great movie!!!!

An elderly couple (Victor Moore, Beulah Bondi) lose their home and are forced to move in with their grown children. The problem is none of the kids can or wants to take both of them, so they are forced to separate and live with different kids. The kids are also kind of jerks or are married to jerks so it's not a happy situation for the poor old couple.This is a somewhat under-appreciated classic tearjerker from the great Leo McCarey. If I had to guess why it's not more well-known, apart from the lack of a big star in it, I would say that's probably due to how close to home it hits for many people. A lot of elderly parents are treated no better today than they were when this film was made in 1937. In many cases they're treated much worse. This level of realism is both a plus and a minus because it makes you sad and a little angry to watch these two kindly people be treated so badly by their selfish children. It's a touching, poignant film that I definitely recommend. But be prepared, it might leave you depressed.