True love is a beautiful thing, no? Nothing beats the warmth of a mutual emotional connection . . . except maybe a nice cup of Geritol-spiked Ovaltine. This perennial cult classic tells the charming tale of a suicidally depressed adolescent and his 79-year-old lover, who teaches him to embrace life to the fullest. What sounds like a potentially tasteless shocker becomes instead a poignant meditation on mortality, human connections and the joy of a life well-lived thanks to the performances of Bud Cort and Ruth Gordon in the lead roles, the direction of Hal Ashby, and the classic soundtrack by Cat Stevens.
Mon., April 14, 9 p.m., 2008
