This is an independent film, not a Hollywood film. I recently had a chance to see it at the TriMedia Film Festival in Fort Collins, Colorado. It's a slow film, and slightly quirky, as is common in many independent films, but the characters are fairly well-developed characters and well-acted for the most part. As such, this is a character-driven film.
While the central plot element is the conflict between Flagg Purdy (Alan Arkin) and his lifelong friend and neighbor, Gus Falk (Austin Pendleton), the story is really about Flagg's family and forgiveness. Flagg is a stubborn, prideful man who is hard to get along with. Yet, members of his family come to visit at his request, even if reluctantly. Throughout the film, the actors effectively convey the strained relationships within the family, and much of the story is watching the interactions play out between them. In the end, there isn't so much resolution as there is progress, and a degree of hope.
While the central plot element is the conflict between Flagg Purdy (Alan Arkin) and his lifelong friend and neighbor, Gus Falk (Austin Pendleton), the story is really about Flagg's family and forgiveness. Flagg is a stubborn, prideful man who is hard to get along with. Yet, members of his family come to visit at his request, even if reluctantly. Throughout the film, the actors effectively convey the strained relationships within the family, and much of the story is watching the interactions play out between them. In the end, there isn't so much resolution as there is progress, and a degree of hope.