ASSISTED LIVING

Year: 2003
USA: Cowboy Pictures
Cast: Michael Bonsignore, Maggie Riley, Nancy Jo Boone, Malerie Boone, Hance Purcell, Kathy Hogan, Jose Albovias, The Staff and Residents of the Masonic Home of Louisville
Director: Elliot Greenebaum
Country: USA
USA: 77 mins
USA Release Date: 2 February 2005 (Limited Release - New York)

Synopsis

ASSISTED LIVING follows 27 year-old Todd through his final day of work as a janitor at a nursing home. Todd smokes pot frequently on the job, which allows him to enjoy the surreal environment of the assisted living facility. He also breaks the monotony of his days with entertaining—and extremely unprofessional—diversions involving the residents: he rides through the halls in borrowed wheelchairs; he plays pool and Scrabble with them; he even "plays God" on the telephone, giving residents the illusion of speaking to their departed loved ones in heaven. But however much these activities cheer the seniors, Todd's behavior angers the staff and undermines the policies of the home.

It is ultimately Todd's interactions with Mrs Pearlman—a beautiful resident who longs for a visit from her son—that jeopardize his job. Mrs Pearlman, who is in the early stages of Alzheimer's, has difficulty distinguishing the real world from her memories of it. As her odd friendship with Todd develops, she begins to mistake the janitor for her son. When Todd in turn begins to assume the role, he rediscovers his own humanity and instigates a transformation for them both.