Elsa & Fred

I enjoy films that show old people still having a life of fun, laughter and romance, and this one does just that.

Shirley Maclaine and Christopher Plummer are great in this and make a believable couple as the depressed and grumpy Fred and his kooky, fun-loving neighbour Elsa. They are ably supported by a great cast, including the brilliant George Segal. Oh and wow, James Brolin looks really handsome in a small role here, I think he'd have been about 74 when he made this!

The music is lovely, and Elsa's obsession with the movie La Dolce Vita provides a wonderful, poignant scene towards the end.

A film to make you smile and feel that, even if you are old, you can still live a good life if you're lucky enough to have someone special.

I just finished watching Elsa & Fred and really, really enjoyed myself. However, at the same time I wonder just how many folks will go and see this neat little movie. After all, it's about two very old and rather strange people who find love in their final years...and this sort of thing isn't exactly box office gold. Most romance pictures today involve very young, very beautiful people and not people in their 80s! Frankly...I'm a bit tired of those typical love stories. Some recent films like Something's Gotta Give, The Face of Love and now Elsa & Fred have all explore relationships with folks who are neither taut, tanned nor twenty-something and I say more power to 'em!

Christopher Plummer stars as Fred--a cranky old widower who is sick to death over losing his independence and has no desire to grow old gracefully. When his daughter arranges for him to move to a new apartment, he seems content with just lying in bed...waiting to die. However, his rock-solid retirement plans are upset due to his eccentric neighbor, Elsa (Shirley MacLaine). Unlike Fred, she is vivacious and full of life--and loves to make up lies about the fantastic life she's led. To put it bluntly, she's a bit of a wacko....but a fun wacko. And, they soon decide to throw caution to the wind and enjoy their final days together.

While the ending is a bit of a downer (I gotta be honest about this), I thoroughly enjoyed the film because these two quirky characters seemed so unlike the people you normally see in movies. They are not walking clichés but older people who have needs, desires and dreams--and who refuse to grow old gracefully! Plummer and MacLaine are simply terrific and it also didn't hurt that they had a very strong supporting cast--which is surprising considering that this is a relatively low-budget film. But, despite the budget, it really doesn't skimp on anything and really delivers. Plus, it made me smile...and not enough movies do that.

NOTE: After seeing this wonderful film, I learned that it is a remake--and much of it is almost exactly like the Spanish language original. Because of this, I knock a point off this one and recommend you first see the 2005 version. Now I am not saying it's better--but it is original.

This movie wanted to set a mood and lure us in to the depression of old age while extracting us with the allure of romance. However, the movie just falls short. The mood is never quite right. The writing is sub par, and the acting (other than Shirley Mclain) is equally substandard. Not even Shirley can raise up such a bad movie. The plot was overly predictable, and in general, this one should be skipped. The reason you probably never heard about is that is just isn't good, which is unfortunate, because it had so much potential. Instead watch "Wrestling Earnest Hemmingway" for a much better version of spicing up life among older individuals.

This is one of those films you want to love – strong lead actors and a solid supporting cast showing another homage to aging gracefully. But the cake was left in the oven a bit too long and the resultant 'romantic comedy' becomes so Hallmarky that the script drowns the fine intentions of the actors. Written by Anna Pavignano and Michael Radford (who also directs), the story is given its best shot by Shirley MacLaine (age 80) and Christopher Plummer (age 85) but the saccharine ending is a bit too heavy to hold up the good moments.

Set in New Orleans, the story introduces two people who at the end of the road, discover that it's never too late to love and make dreams come true. Elsa (Shirley MacLaine) has lived for the past 60 years dreaming of a moment that Fellini had already envisaged: the scene in 'La Dolce Vita' at the Fontana di Trevi. The same scene without Anita Ekberg in it, but with Elsa instead. Without Marcello Mastroiani but with that love that took so long to arrive. Fred (Christopher Plummer) has always been a good man who did everything he was supposed to do. After losing his wife, he feels disturbed and confused and his daughter (Marcia Gay Harden) decides that it would be best if he moves into a smaller apartment where he ends meeting Elsa. From that moment on, everything changes. Elsa bursts into his life like a whirlwind, determined to teach him that the time he has left to live -- be it more or less -- is precious and that he should enjoy it as he pleases. Fred surrenders to Elsa's frenzy, to her youth, to her boldness, to her beautiful madness. And this is how Fred learns how to live. When he learns about Elsa's terminal illness, he decides to make her dream come true and takes Elsa to Rome to reenact with her the famous scene at the Fontana di Trevi.

The supporting cast includes Scott Bakula, George Segal, James Brolin, Chris Noth, Wendell Pierce, and Erika Alexandra (in the most entertaining role as the 'housekeeper' for Fred). It has its moments and it always is a pleasure to see MacLaine and Plummer no matter how lame the script's ending. Not exactly the reincarnation of Fellini's La Dolce Vita, but an entertaining movie.

A delightful, charming, warm, funny, sad, inspiring and lovable film! We loved it. But then we're seniors. Younger folks just might not "get it." But there is so much that is so good here, not the least of which is the wonderful chemistry between Christopher Plummer and Shirley Maclaine. They are superb to-gether and exhibit a special "something" that goes beyond their formidable individual acting talents. I don't know why it was shot in New Orleans. The city plays no part in the story. Indeed if you were not familiar with the St. Charles streetcar which trundles across the screen repeatedly and needlessly, you might not even know it is New Orleans. But aside from such minor nitpicking on my part, it is a tremendously warm and human movie with two superbly crafted characters played by two brilliant stars. Good entertainment for anybody. Essential entertainment for anybody over 65!