This is a movie released in 1996. A drama about family relationships. De Niro plays a Dr. Madhaha in it.
All along, the old girl Beth's life has been caring for her paralyzed father Marvin and her elderly aunt Ruth. During a physical examination, I learned that I had been diagnosed with blood cancer. The only hope of survival is if someone in the next of kin provides the bone marrow. So Beth had to call her sister Li, whom she hadn't contacted in more than 20 years, and Li brought her two sons from Ohio, where she worked, to her hometown of Florida. During the time when the sisters were together, there were joys and small conflicts. Especially in the relationship between Beth and her rebellious nephew Hank, from conflict, suspicion to understanding. Finally, the family relives the long-lost affection and supports each other to live on.
The plot of the film is not complicated, and the things described are very simple, even simple and boring. No thrilling scenes, no ups and downs of conflict, no conspiracy, no gunfights. I wouldn't watch this type of film if it wasn't for De Niro. It wasn't until the second time that I slowly figured out the taste. Everyday family life, short communications between parents, necessary and useless conversations. These scenarios are more or less familiar to each of us in our lives. isn't it? We have also had rebellious children, elders who were addicted to TV series, a little selfishness, the joy of the whole family going to the park hand in hand, and the worry about the illness of a loved one. This is what happens all around us, and it is our unpainted life.
Beth's life has gone through many hardships. She has to take care of her paralyzed father's food and clothing, and take care of Aunt Ruth's life and hobbies. If she is not careful, her father will swallow the gambling dice in her mouth, and her aunt will also take care of her. I will forget to give my father medicine. The burdens of life weighed down on Beth, but she still endured it silently. In fact, she has her own personality. She had great grief when her boyfriend drowned, she and Li had a violent conflict, and she was equally terrified when she learned that she had blood cancer. But all these encounters and misfortunes were resolved by her love for her relatives and the world. This kind of love of hers has no utilitarian consideration and does not require the return of the loved one. For her bedridden father, Beth often accompanied him, using mirrors to shake the mottled light and shadow in the room to arouse her father's love for the world; she smiled at each of her aunt's confused actions; his irritability towards Li Temper and eclectic behavior are always graciously forgiven; Beth can understand Hank's many robbing and unusually crazy behaviors. So much so that Li felt very strange and asked how Beth communicated with Hank? Beth replied: "I just chatted with him." Li was even more strange: "Do you think I didn't?" Later, Li realized that it was because Beth brought love to Hank.
After watching the movie I was thinking: what is love? Love is not something people are born with. It first comes from the goodness in the depths of the soul. With kindness, people have the basis of love. Beth's love comes from the bottom of her heart. It doesn't even need to be embodied in material or tangible things, let alone contrived behavior. Especially unlike some of the times we have here, the expression of love is what a precious gift to give you, how much delicious food to eat. Beth's love is not because of thinking about someone's passbook and real estate. She has no utilitarian consideration at all. Beth said to Li, "I'm so lucky. I'm lucky to have Dad and Ruth, and my life is full of love." Li said, "They really love you." Beth told her, "I didn't mean that. I love them very much, and I am lucky to be able to love them.” The process of love is like this: first, you want to get love; then you know that others need love too; furthermore, you realize that the love you give to others also makes you happier. Receiving and giving are equal pleasures. Beth has always buried her misfortune in her heart, and gave her happiness to others without reservation. Love is virtue, but also cultivation.
Look at Li again. Li doesn't have the perfect nature of her sister Beth. In fact, she is also kind. However, her eclectic, stubborn and even slightly muddled character made her life very unlucky. When she communicated with Hank's doctor, when she talked about Hank's character, because of the inconsistency of words, she froze there and refused to let anyone.
Li: "You must be thinking, is that true?"
Doctor: "Do you think I think so?"
Li: "Isn't it?"
Doctor: "Do you want me to think so?"
Li: "What do you mean?"
Doctor: "What do you think I mean?"
Li: "What does that mean?"
Doctor: "Then what do you think I mean?"
Is it like the prelude to the quarrel between the two we usually see? The result of this is that what you want to do is not achieved. Li's relationship with her father, Beth, and Hank has been indifferent for many years. Infected by Beth's love for herself, she is also trying to improve her character, and actively communicate with Hank. Bring father's medicine to old Marvin's bed.
The Doctor Hua, played by De Niro, is also very interesting. In his small clinic, first the beautiful nurse couldn't stand him and quit his job. He had to find his younger brother, who knew nothing about medicine, as a nurse. But his younger brother was very unassuming when receiving patients. He only knew how to explore other people's weight loss experience, and he didn't understand anything else. Dr. Hua himself is a big man. He opens the sealed bag like a cannon, and the rubber tube sits under his buttocks or tied to his feet. Had to give the patient a constant embarrassed smile. But he is really a dedicated doctor. He knows the patient's condition and family like the back of his hand, and he does what he can to share the patient's worries. This kind of doctor who treats patients with sincerity is rare here. De Niro has a very good grasp of the doctor's multiple personalities, and he is worthy of being an old actor.
In addition, Li is played by Streep, and the character's character is also well controlled. Especially after listening to Beth recount the scene of her ex-boyfriend being drowned, in order to hide her sadness, she immediately walked to another house, fiddled with a comb in her hand unnaturally, and continued to use a nonchalant tone answered Beth. It's almost impossible to tell that she's acting, like the big mom we randomly meet on the street. Hank is played by the fledgling Xiao Lizi, who is really handsome and horizontal!
My rating: 7.5.
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