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A sensitive coming-of-old-age film that follows an older woman's transition into assisted living as she navigates her relationship with herself, her caregivers, and her family amidst her shifting memories and desires. (NR, 90 min.)
(TBD)
Ruth (Kathleen Chalfant), a retired cook, prepares breakfast in her sunny and cozy kitchen — a dish she seems to have made many times before, although small and puzzling errors now punctuate her comfortable routine. When her son (H. Jon Benjamin) arrives to dine with her, she mistakes him for a suitor. Their “date” takes them to an assisted living facility, which Ruth does not remember that she had previously selected for herself. Among her fellow memory care residents, Ruth feels lost and adrift, certain she has found herself somewhere she does not belong. As she slowly begins to accept the warmth and support of care workers Vanessa (Carolyn Michelle) and Brian (Andy McQueen), she finds new ways to ground herself in her body, even as her mind embarks on a journey all its own. Writer-director Sarah Friedland’s coming-of-old-age feature compassionately follows the winding path of octogenarian Ruth’s shifting memories and desires while remaining rooted in her sage perspective. [Music Box Films]
Starring: Kathleen Chalfan, Carolyn Michelle, Andy McQuee, H. Jon Benjamin
Director : Sarah Friedland
Genre: Drama
"A lovely, gentle film."
— Manuel Betancourt, FilmWeek (LAist)
"A gorgeous drama with an open, aching heart."
— Jourdain Searles, RogerEbert.com
"The result is an auspicious first feature, and I’d see it if I were you."
— Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
"There’s a profound tenderness in Sarah Friedland’s affecting first feature and a rare empathy."
— Wendy Ide, Screen International
"An incredible, beautiful feature debut, and a towering performance from Kathleen Chalfant."
— Christy Lemire, FilmWeek (LAist)
"'Familiar Touch' is that near-extinct cinematic species: a film about old age that neither wallows in pity nor begs for applause."
— Rex Reed, Observer
"Familiar Touch is transcendent in its ability to take a challenging topic and fill it with hope, depth, and emotion from start to finish."
— Ben Gibbons, Screen Rant
"Our society treats aging like a curse never to be mentioned instead of the inevitability it is, but Friedland’s film challenges us to see it head-on."
— Ty Burr, Washington Post
"'Familiar Touch' is a film about forgetting, but it’s also a reminder -- as moving, sincere and gracefully unadorned as any I’ve seen in some time -- of the actor’s art."
— Zachary Barnes, Wall Street Journal
"Friedland, who also wrote the film‘s script, is not given over to histrionics or blaring displays of emotion, instead asking us to follow Ruth and experience the world through her eyes. The impact is profound."
— Kate Erbland, IndieWire
"It’s devastating to behold. But devastation is only the culmination, and not the entirety, of Ruth’s journey, and Chalfant’s performance, for all its exquisite subtlety, is also furiously alive."
— Justin Chang, The New Yorker
"There is great emotional heft to a relatively simple film, and a dignity and empathy afforded to dementia patients that feels astonishingly rare on-screen, where sensationalism tends to bring the house down."
— Hannah Strong, Little White Lies
"Director and screenwriter Sarah Friedland’s exquisite film is heartbreakingly authentic but warmhearted and even joyful at moments, as it respects the life of the regal and refined Ruth as well as those who know her or are just getting to know her..."
— Randy Myers, San Jose Mercury News
