6. Barkley And Lucy Are Separated - Make Way For Tomorrow
This film is depressing in an everyday sort of way (as opposed to films that address huge social tragedies, like the Titanic sinking or the Holocaust), because it addresses a topic that all of us dread and try to block out of our minds. What will happen to us when we're old, and can no longer support ourselves? Will we be taken care of by our loved ones, or will we be sent off to a nursing home? Barkley and Lucy Cooper are an elderly couple who lose their home because Barkley can't find a job due to his advanced age. None of their five children are willing or able to take them in, so with some great reluctance, they are forced to separate, with Lucy going to a nursing home and Barkley continuing on with a futile effort to find a job. In their last scene together, they're making their best efforts to pretend that it isn't their final scene. Barkley acts as though he is confident that he will soon find a job and send for her, and Lucy pretends that she believes him. But you can see the look in both of their eyes as they say goodbye, and it's clear that they know this will likely be the last time they ever see one another. It's a perfect example of the quiet tragedy of ordinary life.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
