I saw a movie this week called, TWO WEEKS where Sally Fields plays a dying mother and asks her grown children to come back to the home they grew up in to be with her for her last days. Having gone through that with my own mother and 5 siblings believe me watching this movie can reduce you to sobs but there are so many touching scenes that will make you laugh as well. The director, Steve Stockman has created a comedy drama that makes you better understand the circle of life and how important family relationships are.
While the aging matriarch, Sally Fields, is on her deathbed there is a scene that made me laugh and cry at the same time. She hears her grown children laughing at the kitchen table so she scoots out of bed to see them sharing chinese takeout. Because of her medical complications and medications, she can't eat but the smell and the vision of the family meal draws her to the table. The daughter suggests she "chew and spit" which she read was acceptable. There is always one sibling that actually reads the materials that hospice provides and educates the other siblings with useful information. Sally Fields being one of our most talented female actors certainly of my generation and maybe of all times asks one of the kids to "pass the spareribs". Can't you just hear your mother saying that? To watch Sally Fields face as she totally enjoys this experience (the last meal she will ever have) is remarkable. Then to watch her spit it out is hysterical. Being a fantastic family (albeit not perfect as they bicker with eachother at times just like every family) they all then proceed to do as their mother and they all "chew and spit" the rest of their family dinner. It's a touching and funny scene.
The youngest son struggles with his relationship with the older siblings but there is a scene that the director put in that blew me away. After the morphine starts to set in and she is semi conscious she reaches up her arm. All of the older siblings are at a loss for what she wants and it's the youngest that says, "hug her, she wants a hug". I lost it...
The eldest son had started taking videos of intereviews with his mother after her diagnoses of cancer. I was jealous of this as I had often visited my mother with intentions of doing that but alas didn't until it was too late and landed up videotaping her after the morphine set in and she couldn't tell her funny family stories with her special ever so slight "hoboken" accent. But in the movie Sally Fields jokes with her son as she shares stories of how she feels about each of her children. Which brings me to another powerful scene in the movie. After this wonderful matriach dies, each child goes individually to say their good byes to her. I remember when the oldest son doesn't cry I thought to myself, that that wasn't healthy and sure enough when they all gather at the cemetery to sprinkle her ashes over her father's grave he falls apart in front of all of his siblings. They all at first seem alittle shocked but quickly go to hold him to help him in his extreme grief. I'm sure that this mother orchestrated these siblings to come together no matter how busy and different their lives were. She wanted to be sure that when she was gone they would be there for each other. I loved this movie - see it but be prepared to cry a little bit.
Dear Mom, I missed talking to you on Mother's Day this year. I'm doing great and the boys are fantastic. Love you and miss you, Megan (Madigan)
Beautifully written.
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