Just finished watching The Gathering, with Ed Asner and Maureen Stapleton. As many Emmy awards and excellent reviews as this movie got when it first premiered in the 1970s, you'd think it would be a staple still, but it's hardly seen anymore.
It's a sad but ultimately joyous story of Adam Thornton, who became estranged from his wife--and most of his family--four years earlier after an argument. His older son has become as arrogant and independent as he is, his older daughter is a hard-nosed political activist, his younger daughter has a happy marriage although her husband's business is floundering, and he hasn't seen his youngest son in years, after he fled to Canada to avoid the draft. Now he has 90 days or less to live and he wants to make amends. With help from his still-loving wife, that dream comes true.
Besides the wonderful performances by Asner, Stapleton, John Randolph, Veronica Hamel, Gregory Harrison, Lawrence Pressman and the rest of the cast, there's a great musical score by John Barry (there's a particular lilting motif that shows up mid-film that I love), the "firework scene," and real winter scenery rather than ersatz snow, with Chagrin Falls and Hudson, Ohio, standing in for "somewhere in New England."
Incidentally, whatever studio produced this movie is losing big bucks not remastering it to DVD. Someone asked me where they could get a copy and I immediately directed them to e-Bay and checked it out myself. The copies of the professional videotape, still in wrap, are going for $40-$50; even previously watched tapes are going for $35.
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