Perhaps it’s because I’m getting older. Or perhaps it’s because I work long hours and have a slight caffeine dependency. Whatever it is, I have developed a newfound respect for movies that feel like a warm hug. After a day battling Post Office lines, work deadlines and other every-day stresses, I want to settle into a movie that makes me feel a little less frazzled and a little more hopeful. Uncross the Stars is just that kind of movie.

Reeling from the sudden death of his wife, Troy Harper (Daniel Gillies) is sleepwalking through his grief. He soon finds himself in Arizona, following his wife’s last wish – to build his Aunt Hilda (Barbara Hershey) a porch. While in Happy Valley, Hilda’s retirement community, Troy meets a raucous and warm-hearted group of elderly women who bring laughter and wise-cracks everywhere they go, and he meets Hilda’s rough-around-the-edges neighbor, Bobby Walden (Ron Perlman). Troy builds the porch, and discovers the meaning of his wife’s cryptic request that he “uncross the stars”.

Let’s be honest, it’s hard to not enjoy watching Barbara Hershey. As Hilda, she brings a warmth and intelligence to the character effortlessly that few other actresses could manage. We like Hilda, and we like that she’s in Troy’s life to help him through his grief. For his part, Daniel Gillies is incredibly like-able and sympathetic as the young husband who is knocked sideways by his wife’s tragic death. They share a chemistry that is so easy and familial that you forget that they’re acting. Ron Perlman is fantastic as Bobby, the gruff and gravel-voiced neighbor who pulls Troy out of his grief a little bit at a time. He’s got great comic timing and a hound dog look that makes Bobby the type of guy you could have a few beers with. There are a few scenes with Perlman and Gillies just talking (once in Bobby’s cactus-filled backyard and once where they’re star-gazing) and these are scenes that I wanted to last for hours. Both men work so naturally and as they reveal more and more layers of character it makes you want even more. If this movie were a sitcom, I’d want there to be a spin-off made entirely of scenes of Perlman and Gillies talking about life and love outside in the desert.

The real scene stealers, of course, are Hilda’s bawdy group of girlfriends. The ladies, played delightfully by Irma P. Hall, Pat Crawford Brown, Linda Porter, Takayo Fischer and Jane Shayne, are responsible for the truly comic moments of the film. They’re full of heart and spunk. I want to have a group of wacky big-hearted old women to run around with (though with one look at my group of girlfriends I realize all we’re missing is forty more years on Earth).

Uncross the Stars is a rare treat; it’s a film that makes the audience laugh and cry.  It does have a few of the challenges that you might expect in a smaller independent film, but more importantly it’s a film that follows the ups and downs of life and death and makes you feel like everything’s going to end up being ok. When it’s over, you have tears on your cheeks and a smile on your face.

And then you’ll probably watch it again. These characters stick with you – more than the stark and beautiful cacti of the desert. I’d love to tell you the secret of “uncrossing the stars”, but I wouldn’t want to ruin the experience of finding out for yourself. You’ll just have to watch.

Title: Uncross the Stars
Written By: Ted Henning
Directed By: Kenny Golde
Starring: Daniel Gillies, Barbara Hershey, Ron Perlman, Irma P. Hall

Click here to purchase “Uncross the Stars” and support NSLPN.com at the same time.

Uncross The Stars

Seniors living in retirement or assisted living communities should be given the opportunity to travel, says travel columnist Irv Green, and even in a down economy, affordable, fulfilling trips are possible.

“Travel is important for everybody, but it’s especially important as we get older,” says Green, who writes a travel column for seniors with his wife, Andrea Gross. “It helps people stay in touch with — and be a part of – the greater world. It keeps people in-the-know. Studies show that learning new things keeps the brain agile and may help ward off dementia, to say nothing of depression. And what better way to learn new things than to travel?”

Because some seniors may have physical constraints, Green suggests that senior living directors or activity coordinators talk to interested seniors about their concerns before planning a trip.

“If I were planning a trip for seniors, I’d ask the seniors themselves to tell me their concerns,” he says. “Are they concerned about steps, frequent potty-breaks, certain food allergies, long days?  By asking the senior participants, you not only get an accurate take on what this particular group of people needs, but you empower them by the very act of asking. I find that as people get older and lose control over some parts of their life, what they need more than anything is to feel that they have at least some control.”

Green also suggests offering a variety of different travel experiences so that as many seniors as possible will be enticed to attend. Even on a limited budget, there are many travel activities that can be done in your own back yard, Green says.

“With portfolios down and uncertainty up, people of all ages are looking twice before they travel abroad,” he says. “There are lots of places within the United States where people can feel the rhythm of faraway lands – taste the food, hear the music, see the crafts. Some of these places, of course, are ethnic neighborhoods in big cities, but many are small towns of just a few thousand people.

“To experience these things locally — as opposed to domestically — may be more challenging, depending on where you live,” he says. “We’ve taken folks on several ‘Days Abroad’ excursions, during which we visited a local art exhibit or musical performance that highlights work from another country and topping it off with a restaurant meal featuring food from that same country.”

For more information on the travel writing of Green and Gross, visit www.irvgreen.com or www.angreagross.com.

by Kristin Sullivan

At the San Antonio-based The Meadows Retirement Community, a story perfect for Valentine Day unfolded just last month when residents Claire Dawson, 84 and Homer Holler, 86, who met playing bridge at the community last year, tied the knot.

“When Homer decided he wanted to begin to venture out in the dating world again, he was advised to go on a cruise, where he met an activity director for seniors who gave him advice,” says Teresa Jones, the community’s director of resident services. “One piece of advice she gave him was to find reasons to spend one on one time with the woman he was interested in. . . . Oktoberfest was coming up at the Meadows and he asked Claire to come to his apt so that he could give her a dance lesson.  She agreed and thus the relationship began as they attended the Oktoberfest together.”

There have been three weddings at the Meadows in the last five years, Jones says, as well as several couples who have gotten together but chosen not to get married. This kind of late-in-life love isn’t uncommon in senior living communities.

“The dining experience creates an ambiance for developing relationships and they often reminisce of their younger days,” Jones says. “There are various social events that invite dancing, stimulating programs that result in conversational subject matter, day trips and even a travel club.  It is very inspirational to watch one of these courtships blossom.”

The wedding, which was held on Jan. 29 in the Meadows Activities Room, included a deejay, champagne and a traditional wedding cake. It was planned by Jones, and more than 100 residents were in attendance. The wedding, Jones says, has already inspired other residents; there’s already one new couple that has formed since the Dawson-Holler nuptials.

Says Jones, “There is always hope for love and fulfillment at any age.”

For more information on Meadows Retirement Community, please see their website.