Eleanor the Great

Two lost souls find comfort in their new found friendship. Eleanor Morgenstein (June Squibb) is a feisty 94-year-old widow living in Florida. After her husband died, she lived with her BFF Bessie for 11 years. When Bessie died, Eleanor moves back to New York City to live with her daughter & grandson. However, they seemed too busy with their own personal lives & felt Eleanor would be better off in a living assisted home. They had scheduled her activities at a Jewish Community Center to keep her busy. By accident she finds herself at holocaust survivors support group & was put on the spot having to tell her survivor’s story. She panics & tells her departed  roommate Bessie’s story which captivates the group & Nina, a 19-year-old journalism student who is working on a story for her class. You see, Nina had recently lost her mother & threw herself into her schoolwork. They are exactly what each needed from the other. But as Eleanor’s unintentional deceit attracts more & more attention until it all blows up when the truth is revealed & their friendship is almost destroyed. This is a story about love & grief that may bring tears to some eyes. This is Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut. Great work, ScarJo, in developing this moving story. 

Alien gives it 3 “Fabric of New York” stars out of 4.