| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Beulah Bondi | ... | Lucy Cooper | |
| Victor Moore | ... | Barkley Cooper | |
| Fay Bainter | ... | Anita Cooper | |
| Thomas Mitchell | ... | George Cooper | |
| Porter Hall | ... | Harvey Chase | |
| Barbara Read | ... | Rhoda Cooper | |
| Maurice Moscovitch | ... | Max Rubens | |
| Elisabeth Risdon | ... | Cora Payne | |
| Minna Gombell | ... | Nellie Chase | |
|
|
Ray Mayer | ... | Robert Cooper |
|
|
Ralph Remley | ... | Bill Payne |
| Louise Beavers | ... | Mamie | |
| Louis Jean Heydt | ... | Doctor | |
| Gene Morgan | ... | Carlton Gorman | |
At a family reunion, the Cooper clan find that their parents' home is being foreclosed. "Temporarily," Ma moves in with son George's family, Pa with daughter Cora. But the parents are like sand in the gears of their middle-aged children's well regulated households. Can the old folks take matters into their own hands? Written by Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
An elderly couple lose their home and their grown children don't want them around, so where can they turn? After a creaky start, this thoughtful film becomes absorbing and very touching. It thankfully never resorts to feel-good measures: the oldsters are not painted as saints (in fact, Beulah Bondi's "Ma" is realistically nagging and nosy) and their kids are completely selfish (which is entirely believable). The picture has one of the most haunting endings that I can recall, and it's even more powerful to consider how timely it all is (and how this situation still rears its ugly head today). An emotionally gripping, wistful, memorable movie. ***1/2 from ****