"Thelma" gives June Squibb and the late Richard Roundtree the chance to deliver a couple of fun performances in the rare movie that prominently features elderly characters without patronizing them.
The central relationship in the movie is between a young man and his grandmother, but I saw a lot of my mom in the character of Thelma. She's 81 and in pretty good shape, the usual wear and tear issues of aging aside. She has mobility issues and has said that it would be tempting to sit on the couch all day and watch T. V., but she forces herself to stay active and independent. As a result, she's doing pretty well, and I know that if she had the choice between getting out and about and running the risk of getting injured or overdoing it vs. Wasting slowly away from a sedentary lifestyle, she'd say bring on the risk. I don't blame her, as I think I'll feel the same way.
"Thelma" nails what it's like to be children trying to care for an elderly parent. You want to let them be independent, but you also know that anything that happens to them as a result is going to fall on you to handle, so you do things for them instead and caution them against trying to do too much themselves. But then you're taking away the very thing that is helping them stay sharp and healthy, even though you mean well. It's a crappy position to be in, and it's no wonder that studies show people in their 40s have the least life contentment of any other decade.
On the other hand, I could not relate at all to the helicopter parenting of the characters played by Parker Posey and Clark Gregg in this movie, as that isn't how I parent at all.
Grade: A-
