Aging stars brim with life in sitcom-like ‘Elsa and Fred’

  • By Robert Horton Herald Movie Critic
  • Wednesday, December 17, 2014 3:47pm
  • LifeGo-See-Do

Fifty years ago Shirley MacLaine was doing adorable-pixie roles in movies like “Irma La Douce” and “What a Way to Go!”, and Christopher Plummer was, well, the Captain in “The Sound of Music.”

Both actors are doing just about the same thing in “Elsa &Fred.” She’s still an unstoppable force of life, and he’s still moping around the house.

MacLaine doesn’t break into a chorus of “My Favorite Things” to shake Plummer out of his doldrums, but she does insist that they re-create the fountain-jumping scene from “La Dolce Vita.” Which is not a bad way for an old curmudgeon to get his mojo back, it turns out.

The film is based on a 2005 picture from Argentina, of the same title. MacLaine plays Elsa, who takes on the challenge of waking up her new neighbor Fred (Plummer) to the pleasures of life.

Fred, recently widowed, has been dumped in his apartment by his needy daughter (Marcia Gay Harden) and her overbearing husband (Chris Noth). Fred would prefer to be left alone, but that isn’t going to happen with Elsa kicking his butt.

The movie doesn’t have many surprises in store, but director Michael Radford (“Il Postino”) adds a few dashes of vinegar around the general feel-good mood.

The cast is pretty strong for the low-budget trappings, with George Segal dropping by as Fred’s old pal, James Brolin as a man from Elsa’s past, and the underused Erika Alexander as Fred’s caretaker. You might recognize the kid who plays Fred’s grandson as Jared Gilman, the boy from “Moonrise Kingdom.” Like other threads in the script, the grandson gets set up without much of a payoff.

The running theme about “La Dolce Vita” — the Fellini classic is Elsa’s favorite movie, and you know she’s going to wade into the Trevi Fountain before the fade-out — is pretty cute, but in general you keep wishing “Elsa &Fred” would shake itself out of the sitcom approach.

Of course the main draw here is the two leads, and they play the whole thing with a great deal of zest. MacLaine is relentless and doesn’t miss a beat, and Plummer (who turned 85 last week) continues his elegant run of silver-fox roles.

In the end, neither is given enough meat to chew on, which leaves us with a choice: cherish the chance to see two old pros stretching it out, or lament the fact that they don’t have better material. If you’re a fan, the glass is half full.

“Elsa &Fred” (2 stars)

Shirley MacLaine and Christopher Plummer are new neighbors, and she takes it upon herself to shake this old curmudgeon into living life again. There aren’t too many surprises in Michael Radford’s sitcom-style film, although the cast is strong and the two leads bring lots of experience and appeal.

Rating: PG-13, for subject matter

Showing: Sundance Cinemas Seattle

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.