Robert Deniro plays a writer. A failed writer who, late in life, is just melting down. But the character has moments of sheer pompousness, ego above and beyond. It’s both disturbing and endearing. The story is told by this man’s son who, is also a writer. The son takes a job in a homeless shelter and the old man ends up being a guest. Look, that is the hook of the movie I’m not spoiling anything here. Anyway, this was a great movie. I feel like they should have cut like 20-30 minutes right out of the middle but whatever, I’m no critic, It was great. I only did a little review here to say the following.
For me, personally, this movie hit very close to home. This is the movie I might have written had I not gone tech. I have no regrets mind you, but wow. I’ve often wondered what other men, do with a failed father. How do you deal with your friends and peers when the man comes around. Deniro, looked like my old man so much in some scenes that I had to look away. Even some of the phrases they used were ones my parents used when I was young. I have a story like this. My story that I want to tell someday, someday soon. I’m so happy for Nick Flynn, that he told his story. It’s an inspiration for me to finish my own journey.
Now the rant. America simply does not take care of it’s mentally ill. No one should wind up in a homeless shelter. There should be avenues and help to avoid this end. I get it, we need to leave some of this to family and community, but that stuff has weakened in the last few decades. We need to find a replacement. If that means bigger government and more taxes. Well OK. Let’s not let people die in the streets for fuck’s sake.