After losing his wife and home in an accident, Amos Lasher ends up in the care of the state, specifically the Sunset Nursing Home. The head nurse of Sunset, Daisy Daws, rules the cowed resid... Read allAfter losing his wife and home in an accident, Amos Lasher ends up in the care of the state, specifically the Sunset Nursing Home. The head nurse of Sunset, Daisy Daws, rules the cowed residents with an iron hand, but as his determination to get out of Sunset grows, the more sini... Read allAfter losing his wife and home in an accident, Amos Lasher ends up in the care of the state, specifically the Sunset Nursing Home. The head nurse of Sunset, Daisy Daws, rules the cowed residents with an iron hand, but as his determination to get out of Sunset grows, the more sinister his situation becomes.
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- Nominated for 4 Primetime Emmys
- 7 nominations total
- Dorothy Dearborn
- (as Lois de Banzie)
- Mrs. McKenzie
- (uncredited)
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A lot of these types of movies are "old folks still got it" movies, but Amos differs from the usual themes. Kirk Douglas and his "inmates" are abused and, for the most part, are trapped from rebelling against the head nurse, rather like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. If you feel like I do about Kirk Douglas, you might want to look away when he gets ruffed up by Elizabeth Montgomery's goons. Then again, even if you don't remember him from his hunky days, who likes to watch older folks get beat up?
Amos isn't the best senior-cast film I've seen, and in general, I watch a lot of them. It's meant to be exciting-and at times it is-but all in all, it's mostly sad. You're better off renting films with younger versions of the stars, unless you go in for depressing old-people movies, like Wrestling Ernest Hemingway.
After losing his wife and home in a tragedy, Douglas is forced into a nursing home run by Elizabeth Montgomery. The sweet and wholesome Samantha Stevens gives way to Nurse Ratched's mentor Daisy Dawes. She runs the home with a corrupt iron hand. She encourages the staff to be cruel and vicious to the residents if they make a complaint.
The infirmities of old age are truly explored in this film. Douglas is a former athletic coach and presumably in good shape. But even he's a victim of the staff and Montgomery.
Such familiar faces as Pat Morita, Ray Walston, and Dorothy McGuire are other residents who Douglas sacrifices for to bring them respect and justice.
Abuses of senior citizen homes was a hot topic back in those times and Amos was both timely and entertaining. Kirk was great in the part, but the real revelation in this film was how evil Liz Montgomery could play.
Probably the movie's most interesting aspect is the casting of Elizabeth Montgomery. When she first appears, she's putting on her nurse outfit (she actually looks mighty fine wearing those stockings). When she first greets Kirk Douglas, here we basically see a slightly older version of Samantha Stephens, but with just a hint of malice in her eyes. As the movie progresses, you might say that Samantha becomes more and more like Endora...an evil Endora, that is.
So, this isn't any kind of masterpiece; "OFOTCN" did a better job with this topic. But it's good to see that these folks still had it no matter their age, and to see the big screen's most famous gladiator meet the small screen's most famous witch (and she's a REAL witch here). Also starring Dorothy McGuire (of "Gentleman's Agreement"), Pat Morita (of the "Karate Kid" movies) and Ray Walston (Mr. Hand in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High").
This is a really depressing movie--among the most depressing you can find. That does not mean it's bad, as it is well made. But seeing elderly folks being mistreated and dying isn't exactly an upbeat picture! However, it did help to expose to expose the problems of elder abuse...and worse. Well worth seeing...but if you are depressed, try something different...anything!
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Did you know
- TriviaDouglas' campaign against the abuse of the elderly resulted in his being cited a third time in the Congressional Record, according to writer Michael Buckley.
- Quotes
Amos Lasher: Johnny! We could've made it! But the game's not over till it's over!
- ConnectionsFeatured in The 38th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1986)
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