Bringing up daddy in dysfunctional America

Caring for the elderly in dysfunctional America is at the central premise of this searching film.

The film's leads, siblings Wendy (Laura Linney) and Jon (Philip Seymour Hoffmann) have kept in touch but drifted apart for years now. Reunited by a phone call that sees them coming together to 'take care of' their daddy problem.

Lenny (Philip Bosco), their long-estranged father is suffering from dementia and neither of the children want to directly handle him.

Suffice it to say that they don't feel they are trained to or are capable of it. To their credit, they try. In between all this, they begin to realise how very little they have to claim as laurels in life.

There's nothing that can amount to something at this stage in their life. Their mid-life crisis takes a backseat for a while.

The DVD's special features include interviews with the cast and crew that offer insights into personal experiences.

Then there is unedited footage of a little song and dance routine. There are 23 subtitles and five audio language options available. Mostly European ones. Watch for Linney's spectacular effort.