What a way to end the Shuswap Film Society’s season—with the feel-good British romantic comedy, Finding Your Feet.
It’s a bit of a rocky start to the movie for Lady Sandra Abbott, who’s been looking forward to Mike, her husband of 40 years, finally retiring. At the elegant party she throws for him, Sandra inadvertently walks in on her husband making out with her best friend. She throws a rather entertaining and public fit, packs her designer bags and heads into London. She seeks refuge at her estranged older sister Bif’s place. The two sisters could not be more different—Sandra’s a bit snotty and definitely straight-laced, while Bif is an aging hippie with a free love past who lives in a cluttered subsidized apartment and smokes pot with her buddy Charlie.
Bif keeps fit by attending dance classes for seniors at a nearby community centre. She encourages her sister to come along, but Sandra turns up her nose at the idea. But Bif’s colourful group of friends draws Sandra in, and she reluctantly joins the dance class. Sandra was a talented dancer in her younger years and finds new life in an old passion. The dance group decides to stage a flash mob performance in Piccadilly Circus for charity, the video goes viral, and they’re invited to perform in Rome and prepare feverishly for that performance.
Bif’s friends are an interesting lot. They’re all rebounding for various reasons (divorce, widowhood or loneliness) and aiming to keep their minds looking forward and their hearts open to romance. Anyone paying attention will see that spoiled society dame Lady Sandra Abbott and thoughtful barge-dwelling handyman Charlie are destined to be an eventual couple from the second they find themselves at odds.
Of course they don’t care for each other at first, but after they waltz together, it’s pretty much a done deal. She briefly has a change of heart when he fails to reveal everything about his personal situation, but ultimately their late life courtship blooms sweetly.
The relationship that may most strike a chord with audiences is the one between the two polar-opposite sisters, who manage to reunite and recall happy memories from the past. Slowly Sandra begins to warm up to Bif’s free spirited ways and the sisters become closer, as Sandra learns to be happy again.
Finding Your Feet is a somewhat formulaic story, but utterly enjoyable. It is funny, pleasant, has a lesson or two, hits the tear ducts and touches the heart strings. It also delves into the bumpier realities of senior living such as terminal illness, sheer loneliness and regular funeral attendance. The actors are top-notch and likeable, just eccentric enough to keep things interesting. The moral of the movie is: live with no regrets, be willing to take a leap of faith, and find your footing in life before it’s too late.
Saturday, June 2 is the showing of Finding Your Feet, at the Salmar Classic at 5 p.m. Beverages before the film, doors open at 4:15.
-Last week’s Market News incorrectly identified the May 30 film, School Life as the final film in the Shuswap Film’ Society’s season. The final film of the season is actually Finding Your Feet on June 2. The society will take a break for the summer months and resume movies again in September. The column will resume at that time as well.
