I Never Sang for My Father (1970)

In the heart of suburban New York resides an elderly couple, Tom and Margaret Garrison, pillars of society who have spent decades in their expansive home. However, the sheen of their upper-middle-class life is dimmed by the shadow of declining health. Margaret is grappling with the aftermath of a heart attack, while Tom, ever the stoic, silently succumbs to the subtle encroachment of senility, denying its existence. Their adult children, Gene and Alice, perceive their father through a different lens. For them, Tom is an inflexible, domineering figure, an emotional fortress who never offered the warmth and support they yearned for, a void filled by their compassionate mother. Tom's relationship with Alice is strained to the point of nonexistence since her marriage to a Jewish man, while Gene, a professor and writer living in the city, dutifully attends to his parents' needs, driven more by obligation than affection. Life takes a dramatic turn for Gene, a widower for a year, when he meets Dr. Peggy Thayer, a successful physician based in Los Angeles. As their relationship blossoms, Gene contemplates a fresh chapter in sunny California, yearning for change and a chance at love. This decision, however, is marred with guilt over potentially 'abandoning' his ailing parents, particularly his father whose own relationship with his alcoholic father was fraught with neglect. His mother, understanding yet concerned, warns him about the impact his departure might have on Tom, a caution that becomes all the more poignant when Margaret passes away, leaving Tom alone and stubbornly refusing assistance. Amidst this turmoil, Gene's estranged sister, Alice, urges him to seize control of his life, resisting their father's domineering influence. Caught in a whirlwind of emotions, Gene grapples with his longing for freedom and his sense of duty towards his unyielding father. He yearns to foster love for his father, but with time running out and emotional wounds running deep, he fears it may be too late, irrespective of the path he chooses. "I Never Sang for My Father" is a poignant exploration of familial bonds, personal freedom, and the struggle to reconcile the two.

I Never Sang for My Father is a drama movie featuring Daniel Keyes and directed by Gilbert Cates.

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