THE GREAT UNEXPECTED

In his 70s, Joel Monroe proves he has plenty of life left in him despite being held “prisoner” at the Hilltop Nursing Home.

Joel shared a room at Hilltop with his wife, Lucey, until he awoke one morning to her unexpected death. When Lucey’s bed is given to Mr. Miller, a man in a coma, it only adds to Joel’s grief and loneliness. When Miller dies, Joel is not ready to share his life, such as it is, with a new roommate, let alone flamboyant Frank de Selby, a soap opera actor of bygone years. But Frank’s not one to take rebuffs seriously, and, after a rough start, the two became unlikely friends. They share heart-wrenching secrets while fighting the powers that be at Hilltop with cranky defiance and passive resistance, pulling off applauseworthy antics such as sharing a pint—or several—at various pubs around town. Mooney addresses issues of aging—and life in general—with humor. Yet at times, while championing issues the elderly face—feeling infantilized, marginalized, hopeless, and forgotten—he delivers a subtle, perhaps unwitting, parody of the aged, painting with a soft stereotypical brush, on occasion making some look silly. Thankfully the characters fall short of becoming caricatures, and the strong message that there is life and value in older folk resonates loud and clear and encouraging. This is a testimony to the powerful medicine that a friend can be.

An engaging chuckle about an elderly man who fights to regain the autonomy he deserves.