Entering the winter years

CineVerse had the pleasure of discovering a little-known gem from Canada yesterday, "Strangers in Good Company," about a busload of female senior citizens who learn a lot about life and each other when their trip is interrupted. Here are some of the major points of our group discussion:

WHAT SURPRISED YOU ABOUT THIS MOVIE, GOOD OR BAD?

·       The pacing is slow and the plot is uneventful, like real life

·       The actresses are all non-professional, adding a verite, lifelike feel and realism to the production

·       Much of the dialogue was improvised, again lending believability and realism to the film

·       The scenery and cinematography is captivating, despite the fact that there are not many locations and only one primary setting

·       The use of photographic montage: using snapshot photographs of each woman when she was younger to help tell her backstory

·       The actresses all used their own real names and told true stories from their own real lives

·       These are not stock characters from central casting who fall into stereotypical categories; each woman is unique and non-interchangeable

·       The film may not have any male characters, but that doesn’t automatically make this a “chick flick” that can’t be appreciated/enjoyed by male viewers

WHAT GENRE DOES THIS FILM FALL INTO? IS IT A DOCUMENTARY, A NARRATIVE FICTION FILM, OR IS IT SOMETHING ELSE?

·       The film is not a documentary and yet it is not completely fiction either

·       It is from a subgenre called “docufiction” that combines elements of the documentary with a fiction film

·       What’s the proof? For example, while the women played themselves and told their true-life stories, they weren’t really taking a trip on a bus that just happened to break down

·       It plays out as a sort of road movie, but without being on the road: they start out traveling, but for most of the movie get stalled, and yet they take a journey together through their reminiscing and adapting to their environment and situation

WHAT THEMES OR MESSAGES DOES THIS MOVIE ATTEMPT TO COMMUNICATE?

·       Senior citizens can actually lead interesting, engaging lives and remain productive and resourceful, contrary to popular belief

·       The challenges of getting older and coming to grips with mortality

·       The fact that, even though your body may be old, your spirit, enthusiasm and determination can be young and vibrant

·       Summoning up the courage and conviction to overcome obstacles at any age

WHAT FUNCTION DOES THE BUS DRIVER MICHELLE SERVE?

·       She’s not a major character, but she serves as more than a catalyst for the story (the fact that her bus breaks down and she twists an ankle)

·       She has a curiosity and inquisitive nature that inspires the older females

·       The fact that her background is not explored and that she’s the outsider of the group (younger and from a different background) indicates that she serves as the surrogate for the audience: she’s the eyes and ears of the viewer

DOES “STRANGERS IN GOOD COMPANY” REMIND YOU OF ANY OTHER FILMS?

·       The Straight Story, about a senior citizen who travels the country on a tractor

·       Camilla, a comedic road movie starring Jessica Tandy

·       The Trip to Bountiful, about a senior’s wish to return to her home town via a bus

·       The Whales of August, about widowed sisters vacationing in Philadelphia

·       On Golden Pond, another beloved movie about aging and mortality