We're Going Home Again
Katherine Barton (Sherry Stringfield - Autumn in New York) has a good life in the city, her job in the publishing industry is going well as is her relationship to Jack (Christopher Rich). But on getting a call from a friend of the family's back home about her father, Charles (Jason Robards - Heidi), who is posting parcels to her brother who died years ago in Vietnam, she returns home for the weekend. And it becomes apparent to Katherine that her father's memory is failing him leading to her making appointment with Dr. Warren (Clint Black - Flicka 2) to seek help. But whilst after a few bumps things start to improve for Charles, Katherine finds herself becoming torn between the life and career she has in the city and what she has back home being with her father.
When I read a synopsis for "Going Home" I thought this was going to be another one of those condition TV movies, where whilst there are other things going on the focus would be on, in this case, the memory issues which Charles is having. And don't get me wrong as it shows him struggling from thinking his adult children are still little children to thinking that the son he lost in Vietnam is still alive. It even makes a very good point how memory loss can be improved by improving your diet. But in the end I wouldn't say that "Going Home" is a movie which really explores that situation or the issues which arise from an aging parent struggling with memory loss.
What that means is that "Going Home" focuses more on Katherine who on returning home the first time and truly spending time with her father feels drawn back there. And so yes "Going Home" ends up a bit of a cliche as the longer the movie goes on the more she finds herself torn between the quieter life she has back with her dad and her career as well as a relationship back in the city. In a way it does disappoint me that "Going Home" ended up this cliche, and in truth whilst pleasant I have watched other similarly themed movies which manage to be a lot more charming.
But "Going Home" certainly has in its favour the seasoned performance of Jason Robards. Do you know what, the older I get the more I appreciate the final performances of aging actors as you often get a lifetime of experience and craft showing up in them. As such, Robards performance as Charlie is touching as we watch this man facing up to not just his memory loss but also the loss of other things, such as no longer being able to drive. And in fairness Sherry Stringfield delivers a pleasant and sympathetic performance as Katherine, bringing out of her character that change as she goes from being controlling to more laid back the more time she spends at home.
What this all boils down to is that "Going Home" is a pleasant made for TV drama which whilst initially seeming to be about old age and memory loss ends up more about a daughter realising she doesn't want her life in the city any more. As such it is charming but truthfully I have seen much better movies which use similar ideas.
