Film/Video/TV Annotations
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Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter |
| Medium | Film |
| Keywords | Aging, Caregivers, Children, Chronic Illness/Chronic Disease, Death and Dying, Dementia, Disease and Health, Empathy, Humor and Illness/Disability, Illness Narrative/Pathography, Institutionalization, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender Issues, Love, Memory, Mental Illness, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Obsession, Ordinary Life, Patient Experience, Time |
| Summary | This film documents the quiet devastation of Alzheimer's disease from a daughter's perspective. Using home movie clips and up-close footage of conversations with her 84 year old mother (Doris Hoffmann), a skilled film maker/daughter (Deborah Hoffmann) provides a sustained and poignant documentary of Alzheimer's devastating ability to transform a vibrant and intelligent woman's life. Interspersed with conversations that reveal her mother's disoriented recollections of the past and the glitches and confusion of daily life routines, home movies and other artifacts provide a contrasting impression of this woman's family and life then and now. Captions and clever title cards are used to organize events and to add gentle humor. Frances Reid, the camera woman, is mentioned from time to time as someone known to both Deborah and Doris; eventually and without special emphasis, we learn that Frances and Deborah have a lesbian relationship and how Doris adjusted to the couple over the years. |
| Commentary | Hoffmann's first-rate film gives viewers an extremely touching account of Alzheimer's disease. Often, Deborah is frustrated and full of despair, but the overall impression is one of love and devoted care. |
| Director | Deborah Hoffmann |
| Leading Actors | Deborah Hoffmann, Doris Hoffmann, Frances Reid |
| Studio | Produced, written, and directed by Deborah Hoffmann. |
| Year | 1994 |
| Color/BW | Color |
| Running Time | 44 minutes |
| Video Source | Can be rented or purchased from Women Make Movies: 212-925-0606 x360; e-mail: orders@wmm.com |
| Miscellaneous | Audience award at San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival (1994); Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature (1995). |
| Annotated by | Nixon, Lois LaCivita |
| Date of Entry | 06/28/96 |
| Last Revised | 02/22/10 |