Join us at Friday's 6:00 show for Q&A with H. Jon Benjamin moderated by Eugene Mirman!*
Octogenarian Ruth (Chalfant) prepares breakfast in her sunny and cozy kitchen— a dish she seems to have made many times before, although small and puzzling errors now punctuate her comfortable routine. When her son (Benjamin) arrives to eat with her, she mistakes him for a suitor. Their ‘date’ takes them to an assisted living facility, which Ruth does not remember that she had previously selected for herself. Among her fellow memory care residents, Ruth feels lost and adrift, certain she has found herself somewhere she does not belong. As she slowly begins to accept the warmth and support of care workers Vanessa (Michelle) and Brian (McQueen), she finds new ways to ground herself in her body, even as her mind embarks on a journey all its own.
Writer-director Sarah Friedland’s coming-of-old-age feature compassionately follows the winding path of Ruth’s shifting memories and desires while remaining rooted in her sage perspective. Crafted in collaboration with residents and staff of the care facility in which it was filmed, FAMILIAR TOUCH is an incredibly moving and finely detailed film about a strong-willed, capable woman facing a life change that is rarely shown on the big screen. Friedland’s sensitivity as a director shines through with subtle details highlighting the environment of privilege the film exists in while not losing sight of the universality of its story. – adapted from notes by Music Box Films
"What Friedland keenly understands is the power of what’s unsaid, how memories can tie themselves to sound, smell, and touch too, and how sometimes those are the last to go."
– Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com
2024 • dir Sarah Friedland w/Kathleen Chalfant, Carolyn Michelle, Andy McQueen, H. Jon Benjamin • 91 min • DCP
*Please Note: The 8pm show originally scheduled for Fri, Jul 11 has been canceled in order to allow time for Q+A at the 6pm show. We regret any inconvenience.
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