There's more to Bette Davis's grumpy old woman than her constant yelling at the neighborhood kids to get off her lawn (and stop ringing her doorbell for no reason). She's had over 20 years of reasons to be angry, even more over the past few since her husband died. One day out of the blue, the doorbell rings, and determined to catch the kids in the act, Davis opens it up furiously only to find her daughter, Gena Rowlands, standing there. Not saying a word and looking even more angry than she had been if it was the kids, Davis begrudgingly allows Rowlands in who continues to talk to her mother without response. Suddenly, Davis erupts, demanding to know why she is back and refusing to be hurt by her ever again. Obviously there is more to the story than just the prodigal daughter coming back out of the blue, which has caused the anger in her heart to freeze her completely. The audience soon learns that Davis was resentful of Rowland's closeness to her late father, Rowlands not showing up for the funeral, and once they begin to re-bond the real reason why Rowlands has returned.
With a fury of her response to learning why Rowlands is back, a slap and a slam of the door as she retreats to her room, the mask of Bette's character comes off, and you see the humanity hidden deep inside her, the fear and the anger, and the love she has hidden out of necessity. Like fellow aging actress Sylvia Sidney, as Bette aged, she became the epitome of old lady crankiness, but very rarely did she get to show what was behind all that other than having a way with line readings that could stop her victim cold if they became a victim of her acid tongue. But when Bette smiles, the 70 something years on her face seems to evaporate, and you suddenly see all those 1930's and 40's heroines again. She lights up the room, and as the estranged mother and daughter begin to finally bond, it appears that they are really getting to know each other.
While Davis deservedly won the Emmy for this role, Rowlands is no second stringer when it comes to being a legendary talent. Each character is richly written with nuances that makes their personalities special. Rowlands has a unique way of dealing with the door ringing and running kids, brings neighbors whom Bette has barely acknowledged over the years back into their lives, and when neighbor Donald Moffat snaps a picture of them, you can tell that this is one item Bette's character will want to be buried with her. Set somewhere on the New England ocean shore, this is a tribute to Bette's Yankee spirit (having been born in Lowell Mass.) and that tough, independent spirit aspect of her character (mixed with deep humanity) shows a part of Bette that she managed to hide in many of her films. The ending isn't sad, but triumphant, and shows the power of how families can move past old resentments and deep hurts once they put their pride away for the good of the others around them. It's a reminder that when you go out of your way to help somebody, you are really helping yourself in rewarding ways that have no monetary value.
With a fury of her response to learning why Rowlands is back, a slap and a slam of the door as she retreats to her room, the mask of Bette's character comes off, and you see the humanity hidden deep inside her, the fear and the anger, and the love she has hidden out of necessity. Like fellow aging actress Sylvia Sidney, as Bette aged, she became the epitome of old lady crankiness, but very rarely did she get to show what was behind all that other than having a way with line readings that could stop her victim cold if they became a victim of her acid tongue. But when Bette smiles, the 70 something years on her face seems to evaporate, and you suddenly see all those 1930's and 40's heroines again. She lights up the room, and as the estranged mother and daughter begin to finally bond, it appears that they are really getting to know each other.
While Davis deservedly won the Emmy for this role, Rowlands is no second stringer when it comes to being a legendary talent. Each character is richly written with nuances that makes their personalities special. Rowlands has a unique way of dealing with the door ringing and running kids, brings neighbors whom Bette has barely acknowledged over the years back into their lives, and when neighbor Donald Moffat snaps a picture of them, you can tell that this is one item Bette's character will want to be buried with her. Set somewhere on the New England ocean shore, this is a tribute to Bette's Yankee spirit (having been born in Lowell Mass.) and that tough, independent spirit aspect of her character (mixed with deep humanity) shows a part of Bette that she managed to hide in many of her films. The ending isn't sad, but triumphant, and shows the power of how families can move past old resentments and deep hurts once they put their pride away for the good of the others around them. It's a reminder that when you go out of your way to help somebody, you are really helping yourself in rewarding ways that have no monetary value.