Soft Fruit
Andreef, Christina, Dykstra, Russell, Haft, Linal, Lemon, Genevieve
Primary Category:
Performing Arts /
Film, TV, Video
Genre: Film
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Annotated by:
- Dittrich, Lisa
- Date of entry: Jun-11-2001
Summary
Patsy (Genevieve Lemon), a middle-aged wife and mother of three grown daughters and a son (Russell Dykstra), is dying of cancer. Her children return home to spend time with and care for their mother in her final days. Each family member and Patsy's sometimes charming, sometimes abusive husband, Vic (Linal Haft), must face conflicts past and present as well as reconcile themselves to their mother's dying.
Primary Source
20th Century Fox
Commentary
This film is a comedy-drama, with both hilarious (even oddball) and deeply poignant moments. The film explores the family member's differing views of the best way for Patsy to deal with her terminal illness; one daughter wants her to fight it, another wants her to find a New Age peace with dying, and her son tries hard to make Patsy laugh and enjoy the time left to her (this tack is also the son's way of coping).
Patsy herself finally foregoes chemotherapy and plans to die at home. While Patsy's times of freedom and happiness are exhilarating, the film doesn't shy away from her fears and conflict (Patsy dreaming she is buried alive; having a hallucination that she is being swallowed up by sand at the beach, etc.).