Institute History
Description
Retiree Ed Hemsler (John Lithgow) spends his quiet days watching the news, checking internet forums, and preparing for the end of the world. As a self-proclaimed “prepper,” Ed is constantly making arrangements for the future, often at the expense of things in the here and now—such as his waning health and his strained relationship with his adult son. But then he spots Ronnie Meisner (Blythe Danner) and knows there is something different about her. The two form an unlikely bond and are happy together despite their combined emotional baggage—until, one day, it all spills out before them.
In his debut feature, writer/director and cinematographer Noble Jones candidly explores modern society’s unacknowledged fear of aging and the erroneous assumption that getting older means losing control. John Lithgow and Blythe Danner wholeheartedly embody Ed and Ronnie’s divergent yet complementary convictions about life and love. And as these two headstrong characters learn to embrace one another’s quirks, they also learn to accept each other’s outlook on what tomorrow holds.