I was surprised at the storyline of this movie. It actually is very similar to my own life experience. My father was in the Navy during World War II and survived horrific battles in the South Pacific. He served on the first US aircraft carrier to survive a kamikaze crash on the wooden flight deck (along with a Japanese torpedo hit on the side of the ship 16 minutes later). As I grew into my teens dad's war memories were starting to affect him more and more. He suffered from early onset dementia in the last 30 years of his life. At 85 years of age, after he and my mother were admitted into a nursing home within 3 weeks of each other (after she had been hospitalized the day before Dad was admitted) he considered me his wife.
By then my hair was grayish white and because he had forgotten who I was for so many years, I was only too happy to let him think so, without ever saying I was his wife. But I let him know that he was loved and wished him God's blessing every time I saw him and sat with him. Whenever I visited I would bring mom and dad together into a side room, because they both had to be rolled in their wheelchairs from their respective rooms.
I would always tell dad "look-it's Mom!" He would get a very happy look on his face and I would ask mom to hold his hand. And that would make me very happy! After taking mom back to her room and returning to dad, he would think I was her again. After so many years of being deprived of being acknowledged as his daughter, I was thrilled to make these emotional connections during his last two years of life. I really appreciate the gentle and compassionate tone of this movie, along with the wonderful acting, and the fine direction and screenplay of the leading actress. Well done!
