One of our favorite movies of 2025 so far is Sarah Friedland’s debut feature Familiar Touch, which opens in theaters in New York on Friday, June 20. The film follows an octogenarian with dementia, played by Kathleen Chalfant, as she settles into her new life in a nursing home. It’s a delicate, touching, and surprising work that evades clichéd depictions of elderly people—thanks in part to the collaborative process through which it was made. The film was shot in a real care facility in Pasadena, with residents participating in the production process and appearing in the film.
Chalfant, a stalwart of the New York stage, anchors the film with a towering performance. On today’s episode, Film Comment invited Molly Haskell, herself a stalwart of American film criticism, to interview Chalfant, after learning she was particularly impressed by Chalfant’s work in the film. Their fascinating conversation touches upon depictions of aging onscreen, Chalfant’s preparation for the role, how the film resists sentimentality, and more.
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