As the 1990s heyday of the indie film grows more distant, so do the characters of Sundance hits age, including Lily Tomlin’s acerbic turn in the upcoming “Grandma.” In Brett Haley’s pleasant “I’ll See You In My Dreams,” Los Angeles widow and retired schoolteacher Carol (a miraculous Blythe Danner) whose hit-and-miss encounters with men are transformed when she meets Bill, an appreciative man her age (Sam Elliott), as well as a younger pool boy (Martin Starr).It’s an impressive piece of low-key filmmaking, especially considering its Kickstarter funding, sweet, generous and sure to please, then surprise an audience that finds any old “Marigold Hotel” exotic.With Malin Akerman, June Squibb, Rhea Perlman. 95m. (Ray Pride)
“I’ll See You In My Dreams” opens May 22 at Landmark Century.
Ray Pride is Newcity’s film critic and a contributing editor to Filmmaker magazine.
His multimedia history of Chicago “Ghost Signs” will be published soon. Previews of the project are on Twitter and on Instagram as Ghost Signs Chicago. More photography on Instagram.
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