The Father (2020)
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An elderly man struggling with dementia experiences a fracturing reality as he navigates his daily life and his relationship with his daughter.
The story
Anne visits her father Anthony in his flat after he has driven away the latest of several carers. He has dementia and constantly forgets important life events and where things are around his flat, including his watch. He tells Anne he believes his carer stole his watch and that he will never move out of his flat. She tells Anthony she is moving to Paris to be with a man, which confuses Anthony since he does not recall any men in her life since the end of her marriage to James. Anne says that if he keeps refusing to have a carer, she will have to move him into a nursing home.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Anne visits her father Anthony, an octogenarian with dementia, in his flat. Anthony is confused by his daughter's plans and the presence of various carers. The narrative explores his deteriorating mental state as he encounters different people who appear to be the same individuals in different roles. He believes he is in his own flat, while in reality, he has lived with Anne for years. The film depicts his disorientation as he interacts with a man who is sometimes called Paul and sometimes James. Eventually, Anthony finds himself in a nursing home, where he realizes his true circumstances. He is cared for by nurses who appear to him as different people, including his daughter and a woman named Catherine. He ultimately breaks down in tears over his inability to understand his situation and the disappearance of his daughter.
- First release year
- 2020
- Runtime (minutes)
- 97
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Florian Zeller
- Writers
- Florian Zeller · screenplay; Christopher Hampton · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Anthony Hopkins · Anthony; Olivia Colman · Anne; Rufus Sewell · Paul / James; Imogen Poots · Laura; Olivia Williams · The Woman (Catherine); Mark Gatiss · The Man (Bill)
- Genres
- psychological drama
- Themes
- dementia; memory loss; aging
- Tone and mood
- psychological; heartbreaking; eerie
- Premise and plot tags
- unreliable narrator; father-daughter relationship
- Reception
- The film was acclaimed by critics, who lauded the performances of Hopkins and Colman, as well as the production values and the portrayal of dementia. It was described as one of the greatest cinematic experiences of the decade.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 88 · scale: 100 · review count: 51
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Actor · win; Academy Award · Best Adapted Screenplay · win; Academy Award · Best Picture · nomination
- Production trivia
- It was released in multiple countries including France, UK, and India.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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