Grief can make us feel and do things out of the ordinary. Some people isolate themselves, and some people can’t get out of bed in the morning. In Eleanor Morgenstein’s case, the death of her friend Bessie Stern led her to tell one big fib that changed her life.
Eleanor and Bessie lived together for 11 years after they both became widowed, building a peaceful life deeply rooted in companionship. When Bessie unexpectedly passes away, Eleanor is forced to move in with her daughter and grandson in Manhattan. Disoriented by grief and change, Eleanor inadvertently walks into a support group for Holocaust survivors. Instead of leaving the room once she realizes, she begins telling the saddening stories her late friend, Bessie Stern, once shared with her about her experiences in Auschwitz.
At her first support group meeting, Eleanor meets Nina, an N.Y.U student who has recently lost her mother. Nina has come to observe the support group to write a piece for her journalism class. In Eleanor, she finds a great story to report.
The friendship between Nina and Eleanor is unexpected. However, in some sense, their friendship is just what they needed. Eleanor inspires Nina to finally talk openly about her mother’s life. Nina spent so much time pushing her feelings away that she was never truly able to process the months that had gone by since her mother’s passing. In return, Nina gave Eleanor the one thing she really wanted: friendship. After the passing of her closest friend, Bessie, Eleanor became so lonely and out of touch with reality. Eleanor hadn’t lived without her companion in decades, and navigating life without her was incredibly difficult for Eleanor. But with Nina’s help, she was able to find new meaning in her life.
I enjoyed seeing the important themes and messages within the film. One major theme is coping with loss. The film shows how grief doesn’t just disappear; you learn to live with it, and in that process, it changes who you are. Through the power of friendship, Eleanor was able to find new purpose in her life, even when times were lonely and rough. Another important theme is reinvention later in life. This film challenges the idea that growth only happens when you are young. Eleanor proves that even in your 90s, you can still form new friendships, learn new things, and reinvent yourself.
In the end, this film moved me. Grief and loneliness were portrayed in a very human and realistic way. Eleanor is just an elderly woman trying to figure out who she is after losing someone she has depended on for years. That quiet sadness feels very real, which makes it very emotional for the viewer. In addition to grief and loneliness, the movie exemplifies other vulnerable emotions such as guilt, betrayal, and hope. Overall, I found this film to be very engaging and inspirational.
