''Age-Old Friends'' is a 1989 television

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by

Allan Kroeker Allan Kroeker (born April 10, 1951, in Winnipeg, Manitoba) is a Canadian film and television director, cinematographer, screenwriter, film editor and film producer. He has the distinction of directing the series finales for '' Star Trek: Deep Spa ...

and starring

Hume Cronyn Hume Blake Cronyn Jr. (July 18, 1911 – June 15, 2003) was a Canadian-American actor, screenwriter and playwright. He appeared in many stage productions, television and film roles throughout his career, and garnered numerous accolades, includ ...

and

Vincent Gardenia Vincent Gardenia (born Vincenzo Scognamiglio; January 7, 1920 – December 9, 1992) was an Italian-American stage, film and television actor. He was nominated twice for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, first for '' Bang the Drum Slowl ...

, who won

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...

s for their performances. It was written by

Bob Larbey Esmonde and Larbey were a British television screenwriting duo, consisting of John Gilbert Esmonde (21 March 1937 – 10 August 2008) and Robert Edward Larbey (24 June 1934 – 31 March 2014), who created popular sitcoms from the mid-1960s unti ...

, based on his play ''A Month of Sundays''.

Premise

Two men at an affluent retirement home fight for their independence and dignity in old age.

Cast

as John Cooper *

as Michael Aylott * Tandy Cronyn as Julia *

Barry Flatman Barry Flatman (born March 12, 1950) is a Canadian actor. He began his career as a member of the comedy troupe Homemade Theatre Company, with whom he appeared on the CBC Television sketch comedy series '' Stay Tuned'' (1976–1977). Flatman later ...

as Peter *

Michele Scarabelli Michele Scarabelli (born April 11, 1955) is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her role as Tenctonese Newcomer Susan Francisco on the Fox sci-fi TV series '' Alien Nation'' and the five television movies that followed. Career Scarabelli ...

as Nurse Wilson *

Esther Rolle Esther Elizabeth Rolle (November 8, 1920 – November 17, 1998) was an American actress. She is best known for her role as Florida Evans, on the CBS television sitcom '' Maude,'' for two seasons (1972–1974), and its spin-off series '' Good ...

as Mrs. Baker * Aaron Schwartz as Dr. Spears

Reception

The ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' raved, "HBO tonight gives us the performance of the season in the story of the season. Hume Cronyn and ''Age-Old Friends'' are that outstanding."

Awards

Hume Cronyn won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie and Vincent Gardenia won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie.

References

External links

* 1989 television films 1989 films 1989 crime drama films American films based on plays Films scored by Stanley Myers 1980s English-language films English-language crime drama films {{US-tv-drama-film-stub