'Until the last promise' offers an opportunity to take a journey into the world of a strong family fighting formidable challenges.
I admittedly have no experience in understanding filming techniques, but this movie has an almost 'documentary' feel to it. It feels like we're seeing real conversations happening, in real time.
The story involves a family with admirable closeness; it's easy to see that the mom and dad are both solidly connected, with the father being head pastor at his church. They are caring for a young girl, who I mistakenly thought was their daughter, but she is actually their granddaughter by way of their daughter, who is struggling with another pregnancy and severe anxiety. Their teen son and college-age-ish daughter are living at home, and seemingly close-knit.
Right from the start, it's clear that mom Pamala has her heart and mind firmly wrapped around her family; she is handling the chaos like a pro, and nothing shakes her. As the diagnosis for her husband is uncovered, she still maintains a relative sense of order in her home and life. She is doing this alone, in the sense that no one else knows; she confides in her friend (who is actually the real Pamala).
As financial concerns and his prognosis continue to mushroom, this family simply cannot avoid the painful conversations and realizations, which finally begin to affect their younger children as well.
At every moment, I wondered how Pamala managed this situation, and I wrongly presumed this was a fictitious story. It amazed me to see the strength of love and abounding levels of protection they took toward each other.
I also couldn't help noticing that there was a sense of formality between the mother and father - that they couldn't or wouldn't allow their most broken feelings to emerge.
When they moved homes and met the overzealous neighbor, I believe there was an intention to show that she initially seemed to repel Pamala, who only wanted peace and privacy. Pamala is always 'on', always ready to pacify her husband, or reassure her older daughter, or be the fun gran that her granddaughter needs in the absence of her true mom. When this neighbor appears, it's absolutely clear to me that we are seeing her from Pamala's perspective.
It doesn't matter much in the end, because the neighbor ends up being a steadfast source of support for Pamala. She nudges her to stay present and focused, without judgment, and with a little levity as well.
The movie goes into the final days of Mr. Kennedy, and we get to see how they eventually come to terms and flourish in the process, most notably their elder daughter.
As a lifelong Christian, I found this movie to be inspiring, and also appealing in the sense that it didn't seem to force faith to the viewer. Obviously I'm biased, but genuinely I appreciated that it was realistic, and showed the father in his most difficult moments. It showed the awkwardness a family feels when faced with this duality of 'healthy body, diminishing mind' that so many people (not just the elderly) must face. It showed how Christians are no different in how we struggle and react, even though we do try to live our faith out. Nothing can soften the blows that we face in life, but we learn to lean on our faith. We still react, we still become discouraged, and we still fail.
The difference, so well shown by the Kennedy family, is that we have hope and a greater perspective that gives us the will to keep living our life for God. The ending of the movie shows how the Kennedy family has continued forth, and it also inspired me as realistic and not depicting a story that has perfect people or perfect outcomes. (After all, their son is STILL single. Ha ha)
Great movie, and I'd love to see more like these.
