"Mrs. Lambert Remembers Love" is a sad film and I decided to watch it because I love Walter Matthau's acting...and he's in this made for TV film along with Ellen Burstyn...a fine actress. However much I like these actors, I must admit that the film is difficult to watch...quite sad and one that might hit very close to home for many of you.
Jared is an 8 year-old boy who is being raised by his grandmother (Burstyn). However, the school has some concerns about the boy and the worry is that grandma is too elderly and a bit scatterbrained to be raising a child. But the other alternative is an uncle...and he's a nasty piece of work. So, to prevent the uncle from gaining custody (and selling Grandma's home) she takes the boy on a cross-country adventure. But the going is tough, as Grandma does show signs of dementia. As for Matthau, he's a family friend and knows what sort of man the uncle is!
The acting is very good...which makes the film very poignant and sad. After all, Grandma means well but she clearly isn't capable any more of caring for the boy...at least without some help. And, her mind is starting to slip very badly. This makes it a Kleenex movie...one where you keep some handy...just in case. Overall, it's a good movie...but a very painful one as well.
By the way, you might notice that Grandma's thinking gets more scattered during their trip around San Francisco. This is common in cases of dementia...and without familiar settings, the person tends to slip further and further away.
