Peege

I saw this movie in 1975, I was in the 7TH grade. I was taking a class called Interior Design. For some reason my teacher brought this movie to class and showed it to us. I tried so hard not to cry but all the other little girls were crying so I couldn't help myself. I haven't seen it since but for some reason I remember it perfectly. A family goes to a nursing home to visit their grandmother. She is blind and doesn't respond to their presence. They are all uncomfortable and try to leave as soon as possible. The character played by Bruce Davison talks to her about happy memories, birthday parties, Christmas, all shown in flashbacks. This is a movie to which anyone can relate, especially if you have had to put someone you love into a nursing home.

This short, written & directed by Randall Kleiser ("GREASE") while still a USC film student, is one of the most beautiful and moving shorts ever made. This is Kleiser's autobiographical tribute to his grandmother. Bruce Davison - one of the most talented and under rated actors of all time - stars as Kleiser's character (here referred to as 'Greg') as he and his family make a trip to see 'Peege' one last time before her passing. Touching, brilliant, and perfectly executed, this is the film all students and fans of filmmaking should see. A masterpiece.

Note: I met Kleiser last week in Lincoln, Ne during a lecture, and he did inform me the DVD with audio commentary is almost ready for release! Keep an eye out for it!

I've seen this several times, and, although it's not particularly lengthy, it's quite poignant. It reminds me of my own grandmother who developed Altzheimer's disease in her 70's, and the memories I had of her when she used to invite me often for a weekend. I would travel on two buses from the South end of Seattle to Queen Anne Hill. It was a time of great bonding, and my greatest memories of her. But when I last saw her on her 89th birthday, she didn't even know who I was, nor that it was her birthday. Seeing the grandson remember how vibrant his grandmother was in the past always causes me to cry when I watch this movie.

Whenever I see William Shallert this is what I think of. We were shown this probably in middle school and it has stayed with me all these years. It somehow helped me realize that everyone is a person and deserves to be treated as such.

It's a story about how an old person still has an innner life and we shouldn't disregard that. The grandmother in this is forgotten and detached until her grandson touches her and reminds her of all the good times they had. I think everyone else in the story has forgotten she is a person and just visits her out of some sense of obligation or duty. This is a pretty old film but the story is timeless and definitely appropriate for today.

I first saw this as a kid, and continue to watch it every year at Christmas on my home-made videotape. It's a nostalgic, sad Christmas piece about a family who visits their Grandmother (Peege) in a nursing home. No one wants to be there except the oldest son, who remembers old times with Peege and helps bring a smile to her face. It is very touching and reeks of the '70s. I hope it comes out on video or DVD someday.