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Movies / On DVD / Assisted Living
Assisted Living

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Assisted Living (2005)

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Reviews Counted:44

Fresh:34

Rotten:10

Average Rating:6.6/10

Consensus: An unconventional, heartfelt blend of fact and fiction.

Runtime: 78 mins

Genre: Comedies

Synopsis: In this surprisingly moving film, the growing trend of assisted living facilities for the elderly is examined through a lighthearted drama. The main character is a young man named Todd (Michael... In this surprisingly moving film, the growing trend of assisted living facilities for the elderly is examined through a lighthearted drama. The main character is a young man named Todd (Michael Bonsignore) who works as an aide in such a facility. For the most part, he struggles to cope with the day-to-day challenges of the job including Alzheimer's-afflicted patients, demanding nurses, his nagging supervisor, and the sadness that is an inherent part of working with very old people nearing death. Amazingly, he finds a way to keep everybody laughing with a combination of his slackerish pot-smoking attitude, his penchant for playing practical jokes on the residents, and his generally carefree outlook on life. The friendship he forms with one resident, Mrs. Pearlman (Maggie Riley), leads him to eventually move on, however. Writer-director Elliot Greenebaum finds a truly artistic way to communicate the difficulties that face seniors in 21st century America. Repeating imagery of hands, touching conversations about the afterlife, and general empathy for each person's unique situation add valor to this sensitive film. Most of all, ASSISTED LIVING is about helping people, and trying to make the best of aging, which is rarely an easy process. [More]

Starring: Michael Bonsignore, Maggie Riley, Nancy Jo

Starring: Michael Bonsignore, Maggie Riley, Nancy Jo

Director: Elliot Greenebaum

Director: Elliot Greenebaum
Producer: Archie Borders
Screenwriter: Elliot Greenebaum
Producer: Alex Laskey, Elliot Greenebaum, Alan Oxman

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Assisted Living

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1 - 20 (sorted by source; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
05/14/05
Shawn Badgley
Shawn Badgley
Austin Chronicle
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
09/26/05
AV Club
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The whimsy Greenebaum wants to construct can't match the terminal sadness that naturally takes over the film.

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
04/29/05
Wesley Morris
Wesley Morris
Boston Globe

Becomes an affecting story about the bond that develops between shiftless Todd and Mrs. Pearlman.

Full Review Source: Boston Herald | comment Comment
04/29/05
Paul Sherman
Paul Sherman
Boston Herald
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
04/30/05
Boston Phoenix
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Gently filmed, quietly thoughtful, sometimes almost heartbreaking.

Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor | comment Comment
02/03/05
David Sterritt
David Sterritt
Christian Science Monitor

There is a certain meditative grace to the cinematography here, but after a while, well, I was just plain bored.

Full Review Source: Christianity Today | comment Comment
09/01/06
Lisa Ann Cockrel
Lisa Ann Cockrel
Christianity Today

[A] good first effort, a lyrical little movie that is filled with a relaxed Southern charm and a beautiful regard for the people – real and fictional – who inhabit it.

Full Review Source: CHUD | comment Comment
02/08/05
Devin Faraci
Devin Faraci
CHUD

Features a crackerjack performance from Michael Bonsignore as a nursing home slacker with heart.

Full Review Source: Compuserve | comment Comment
01/31/05
Harvey S. Karten
Harvey S. Karten
Compuserve

In this lovely and loving film, the comedy is mellow and the mood is intimate.

Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
03/17/05
Philip Wuntch
Philip Wuntch
Dallas Morning News

Assisted Living is a remarkably moving look at the prisons in our midst that most of us manage to ignore until we need them.

Full Review Source: Denver Post | comment Comment
04/22/05
Michael Booth
Michael Booth
Denver Post

Has a few enlightening moments but has just as many that are tedious.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
05/13/05
Jeff Vice
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

Writer/director Elliot Greenebaum perfectly captures the claustrophobic setting of these homes, so that when we finally get out for our catharsis, we want to call our grandparents or parents.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
07/24/03
Erik Childress
Erik Childress
eFilmCritic.com

Parts of the film play like the world's slowest and most insensitive reality show.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment Comment
02/02/05
Owen Gleiberman
Owen Gleiberman
Entertainment Weekly

It's a slight movie, setting a poignant scene but not quite filling out even its running time. Still, I like its wry sense of humor and compassionate heart.

Full Review Source: EricDSnider.com | comment Comment
05/15/05
Eric D. Snider
Eric D. Snider
EricDSnider.com

Has a few moments that charm and a scene or two that even transcend the discomfort of its premise and presentation, but not enough stamina in the end to justify its smoke and mirrors.

Full Review Source: Film Freak Central | comment Comment
10/07/03
Walter Chaw
Walter Chaw
Film Freak Central

Assisted Living is both funny and sad and, in the end, it is truly heartwarming.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
03/24/05
Shirley Sealy
Shirley Sealy
Film Journal International

Despite the often depressing nature of this film, it's absolutely pretty to look at throughout -- magnificently shot!

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
02/08/05
Eric Campos
Eric Campos
Film Threat

Assisted Living could be described as a small film, but it displays more thought and feeling than that moniker implies.

Full Review Source: Film-Forward.com | comment Comment
02/02/05
Kent Turner
Kent Turner
Film-Forward.com
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by source; UK critics are listed first)
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