Poking fun at grumpy old people who have lost touch with the ever
changing world around them, complaining about how much better life was back in
the old days, seems to be striking a chord with the ageing boomer generation if
these recent films are anything to go by;
Grandma (2015) and The Grump
(2014).
These two films mine the comedy inherent in feisty silver-haired
people who find no pleasure in their day-to-day routine, struggling with the
challenges of modern society, new technologies, and attitudes of young people. Perhaps
after losing a loved one, they are now bitter about having to cope without
their partner to help them get through life.
Septuagenarian Lily Tomlin in Grandma is going through a personal crisis when she breaks up with
her latest partner and finds herself caught between conflicting personalities
of her uptight, career-minded daughter and her rebellious granddaughter who
comes to her for help after getting pregnant.
Despite her alienating gruff exterior, Elle (Lily Tomlin) goes
on a journey to collect enough money to help her granddaughter Sage (Julia
Garner), while confronting her past and her failings with her own daughter Judy
(Marcia Gay Harden) with sarcasm and acerbic humor.
Paul Weitz’s low-budget
Sundance hit Grandma is a sensitive comedic
drama illustrating how grandparents can still play an important role in their
children’s and grandchildren’s lives. Children in today’s ever trending virtual
society often find themselves without traditional role models and in conflict
with their parents. Grandparents who are from the free love and flower power
generation of the 60s are often the ones they feel more comfortable turning to
for guidance.
There’s an important underlying message of family failings in
these two films. As the mother fails her daughter in Grandma, so the father fails his son in the Finnish comedy The Grump. Children are sometimes
overshadowed by their overbearing controlling parents and struggle to find
their own identity.
When the grump, Mielensäpahoittaja, travels from his remote
country home to the big city of Helsinki to see a specialist after hurting his
ankle, he must stay with his son and daughter-in-law who live in the modern
bustling city. The grump loves to hate on everything; he doesn’t like the city
and he doesn’t approve of his son’s lifestyle and his strange new gadgets. His
son never learned to drive and he is driven around by his wife who is a career
woman.
The grump is confused by all the strange new modern ways of
city folk and feels like a fish out of water. Feeling bitter and out of place
makes it difficult for him to connect with his stay-at-home son who looks after
the household while his wife goes out to work, which seems to work just fine for
the young couple.
When the grump tries to help his daughter-in-law close a
deal with a tough elderly client, the grump’s old world knowledge proves to be quite
useful and he eventually discovers that if he can get over his anger and
prejudices, he can still play an important role in his son’s life.
Both Grandma and The Grump have important messages for
aging grandparents with extended families and use plenty of heart and humor to
make us love these cantankerous characters despite their faults.
JP
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