The Movie:

I'll See You in My Dreams is an honest and warmhearted dramedy about how life can surprise you and let you know that it's not done with you even in the twilight of one's years. Even though it's about an upper middle-class Southern Californian woman finding love and a new meaning in life during the later years of her life, it's not necessarily a "senior citizen movie".

The film's heartfelt insights into life is instantly relatable to any age group, and even though it shows old people doing fun and goofy things in a life-affirming way, it makes sure not to veer off into simple jokes about old people doing young people things, simply because that's supposed to be inherently funny. Yes, there's a long yet hilarious sequence of a bunch of senior women getting high on medical marihuana, but they end up acting like any group of friends who gets high together: They buy a bunch of unhealthy snacks and giggle their asses off. The scene is not constructed in a way to extract a cheap laugh. For that, watch the horrendously atonal "mom gets high in college" sequence in Transformers 2.

I'll See You in My Dreams begins with a quick rundown of Carol's (Blythe Danner) day. She's a single older woman living a quiet and uneventful life with her old dog Hazel. Upon Hazel's sudden death, something opens up in Carol and she decides to try new things in life before it's too late. First, she hits up an unusual friendship with her pool cleaner, Lloyd (Martin Starr), an aspiring songwriter struggling to find meaning in his life. While Carol reminds Lloyd that he has his whole life in front of him to shape his character, Lloyd brings out a piece of Carol's past that lay dormant for decades: She used to be singer in a jazz band. One night, Lloyd convinces Carol to go to a karaoke bar and she stuns everyone with her voice.

Carol's newfound courage pushes her to go out with Bill (Sam Elliott), a suave bachelor who decided to use his retirement money for having fun new experiences before kicking the bucket. As Carol's relationship with Bill develops into more than a casual fling, she realizes that new beginning are possible at any point in life.

The lack of a three act structure and convenient plot points were a refreshing change from usual examples of contemporary cinema, where it seems like every film has to have some edge and a thematic twist to it. Of course, the fact that I'll See You in My Dreams is supported by natural and insightful performances from the entire cast helps that case. Blythe Danner is simply delightful as she deftly portrays a complex character who wants to move on with her life despite some tragedies in her past. Just seeing Sam Elliott with a grin on his face and pretend-smoking a cigar while courting an unsuspecting Carol is enough to put a smile on anyone's face.

Yet it's Martin Starr as the melancholic pool cleaner who steals the show. Starr's great at playing smug nerdy douchebags (Just watch Silicon Valley for proof), but he's been typecast in that role during the last couple of years. I'll See You in My Dreams gives Starr an opportunity to play with a character who seems like his usual type at the beginning, before finding depth within such an archetype. Starr knocks that performance out of the park and brings out some of the warmth that made his character in Freaks and Geeks such a treat.

The Blu-ray:

Video:

With lots of bright and swanky Southern California locations, I'll See You in My Dreams has an evenly bright and colorful cinematography. The 1080p transfer does a great job bringing the film's bright look to home video in a crisp and clean presentation.

Audio:

I'll See You in My Dreams is a very dialogue-heavy film, and the score and sfx are very subtle. Therefore, not much should be expected from the DTS-HD 5.1 track that's offered on the disc, apart from clear dialogue and a decent sound mix, which is what the track delivers sufficiently.

Extras:

A Look Inside I'll See You in My Dreams: It probably took me longer to write the title of this sole feature than it will be for you to watch it. This is a 3-minute glorified trailer with brief interview snippets from the cast.

Final Thoughts:

I'll See You in My Dreams is not one of those films that's meant only for senior citizens to enjoy. It not only says a lot about the excitements and struggles one might face during the later years of life, but manages to say something profound about life in general. As long as we're alive, there are new experiences around the corner at all times. All we have to do is to open ourselves up to them.

Oktay Ege Kozak is a film critic and screenwriter based in Portland, Oregon. He also writes for The Playlist, The Oregon Herald, and Beyazperde.com