Cooper, a newspaper political writer, suffered a concussion on his head. He is suffering from a loss of memory. The paper has moved him to a job proofreading the comic strips it carries, but even at that, his mind is not what it once was. When Cooper's mother Belle calls asking to help her with an uncle that appears to be getting incapable of living alone, he decides to go see what is really going on.
What Cooper finds is his uncle Rollie, who is definitely not all there. Yet, the old man has moments of lucidity. Rollie, an independent minded soul is aging with all the problems the declining process carries. Rollie is sort of a dreamer; he has several passions, like fishing, writing poetry, but ideas become jumbled in his head. Cooper gets to know that someone is trying to steal a valuable baseball card, in pristine condition, that was given to Rollie by his own grandfather. Belle thinks that selling the card will bring some badly needed cash that Rollie does not have.
In going back to the small place where he was born, Cooper reacquaints himself with his former girlfriend, Charlotte, now a divorced lady with a young son. Charlotte, a painter, must go to Chicago for a presentation of her painting to a restaurant chain. Cooper thinks he can interest Rollie in selling his valuable card at a baseball convention. Unfortunately, Rollie is about to be swindled into accepting not even a small fraction of the value.
Terry Kinney, better known as an actor and director with Chicago's Steppenwolf Theater, is at the helm of this pleasant, if light comedy. Based on a book by Sherwood Kiraly, the film has a thin plot, but it is engaging while one is watching it. The folks we meet are people one could relate to. The indignities of growing old and having to depend on others weighs heavily in the story. It also deals with loss of memory, as seems to be a metaphor for those things one tends to forget with the passing of time.
Matthew Broderick plays Cooper with his usual boyish charm. The wonderful Virginia Madsen adds a touch of class with her Charlotte. The great Alan Alda makes a case for his Rollie, a man who sees everything suddenly out of his control. Bobby Cannavale and Dylan Baker, two excellent character actors are seen as a bad and a good guy in the baseball card business. Legendary Ernie Banks has a cameo role.
"Diminished Capacity" will resonate with viewers looking for an enjoyable and peaceful time with the company of regular people, something that sometimes is forgotten by Hollywood.
What Cooper finds is his uncle Rollie, who is definitely not all there. Yet, the old man has moments of lucidity. Rollie, an independent minded soul is aging with all the problems the declining process carries. Rollie is sort of a dreamer; he has several passions, like fishing, writing poetry, but ideas become jumbled in his head. Cooper gets to know that someone is trying to steal a valuable baseball card, in pristine condition, that was given to Rollie by his own grandfather. Belle thinks that selling the card will bring some badly needed cash that Rollie does not have.
In going back to the small place where he was born, Cooper reacquaints himself with his former girlfriend, Charlotte, now a divorced lady with a young son. Charlotte, a painter, must go to Chicago for a presentation of her painting to a restaurant chain. Cooper thinks he can interest Rollie in selling his valuable card at a baseball convention. Unfortunately, Rollie is about to be swindled into accepting not even a small fraction of the value.
Terry Kinney, better known as an actor and director with Chicago's Steppenwolf Theater, is at the helm of this pleasant, if light comedy. Based on a book by Sherwood Kiraly, the film has a thin plot, but it is engaging while one is watching it. The folks we meet are people one could relate to. The indignities of growing old and having to depend on others weighs heavily in the story. It also deals with loss of memory, as seems to be a metaphor for those things one tends to forget with the passing of time.
Matthew Broderick plays Cooper with his usual boyish charm. The wonderful Virginia Madsen adds a touch of class with her Charlotte. The great Alan Alda makes a case for his Rollie, a man who sees everything suddenly out of his control. Bobby Cannavale and Dylan Baker, two excellent character actors are seen as a bad and a good guy in the baseball card business. Legendary Ernie Banks has a cameo role.
"Diminished Capacity" will resonate with viewers looking for an enjoyable and peaceful time with the company of regular people, something that sometimes is forgotten by Hollywood.