Blythe Danner knocks it out of the park as a widow whose lonely life is transformed by the death of her dog, an unlikely friendship with the new pool cleaner (Martin Starr) and romantic overtures by a handsome older man (Sam Elliott) in Brett Haley’s disarming comedy-drama.
A former musician and teacher in her early 70s, Carol (Danner) has been retired to a quiet and comfortable Southern California existence for 20 years on an insurance payoff after the death of her husband in a plane crash. When her daughter (Malin Akerman) shows up for a visit, she’s surprised to discover Mom is off on the silver fox’s yacht.
Playing a slightly autobiographical role — reinforced by a karaoke sequence that gently nods to “Duets,” the final film directed by Danner’s late real-life husband, Bruce Paltrow, and starring their daughter Gwyneth — Danner shines in scene after scene.
Even when a cop stops Carol and her pals (June Squibb, Mary Kay Place and Rhea Perlman) during a munchie run after they’ve sampled medical marijuana, Danner does it with impeccable style.