His Three Daughters

Last night I returned to the Broadway to see His Three Daughters because I had heard so many good things about it.  It definitely hit a nerve (there were a few tears for obvious reasons) but it is also one of the best movies I've seen this year.  When cancer patient Vincent (Jay O. Sanders) is placed on hospice, his two daughters, Katie (Carrie Coon) and Christina (Elizabeth Olsen), return to their childhood home where he lives with Rachel (Natasha Lyonne), the daughter of his second wife.  Katie is uptight and judgmental, Christina is a mediator who suppresses her own feelings to keep the peace (until she doesn't), and Rachel is withdrawn and misunderstood despite carrying the heavy burden of caring for Vincent alone during his illness.  They must individually deal with their own grief over losing a father but also reconcile years of resentments and recriminations between them in order to heal.  Almost all of the action takes place inside a New York apartment and I loved the use of a long hallway for many conversations because it really emphasizes the tension between the women.  I also liked that Vincent doesn't appear until the final act, even though he is an imposing figure throughout the narrative, because the impact is incredibly powerful. The dialogue is very authentic, full of both pathos and humor, and all three actresses deliver brilliant performances.  I had a very visceral reaction to the message of this movie after recently going though a similar experience with my two sisters as we cared for our dad because, even though we were never estranged and were always on the same page about what was best for him, we had to support each other to get through it.  I highly recommend this touching portrait of grief (it begins streaming on Netflix on September 20).