Living With Grace (Part of
the longer video, Grace)
[1984, 28 min.] Many educational videos portray case studies of Alzheimer’s
Disease within an informational context. Living With Grace focuses on the
experiences of one woman who is cared for at home by her husband, Glenn. This
video is a sensitive, honest rendering of Grace’s existence as a person who
is trying to cope with Alzheimer’s Disease.
Introduction
Many educational videos portray case studies of Alzheimer’s Disease within
an informational context. Living With Grace focuses on the experiences
of one woman who is cared for at home by her husband, Glenn. This video is a
sensitive, honest rendering of Grace’s existence as a person who is trying to
cope with Alzheimer’s Disease. Some of the images in the video are unforgettable.
These include Grace helping prepare a meal and asking several times, “Is it
supper?”; Grace singing “Jesus loves me” for one of the producers; Grace and
her husband being entertained by street performers; Grace blowing bubbles at
a family picnic; and Grace sitting quietly in church while the choir sings “Amazing
Grace.” In effect, the director forces viewers to “live with Grace,” throughout
the period of the video. She is in every scene; and the only narration is read
by her husband, whose character is revealed as affirming Grace’s need for security
and compassion. We are witness to a woman who is terrified by her mental deterioration.
We observe her uncertainty with her environment, the constant whining in her
voice, her aggressive behavior, and her relentless activity throughout the day.
She almost never is still; and when we see her in quiet moments, we feel the
relief that gives us an insight into the relief that is experiences by her caregiver
in similar moments. Her husband admits that eventually she will require institutional
care; and he also notes, “I can expect to face bankruptcy.” But the future does
not appear to deter his enjoyment of the presents; he is with Grace in a remarkably
loving and compassionate way. Showing those videos first would provide background
on the disease and its effects on caregivers. Then showing Living With Grace
would adds a significant dimension to the study of the of this devastating disease.
Pre-Viewing Notes
and Activities
- At the end of the film, when Grace is listening to the choir sing "Amazing
Grace," the viewer may be struck by how "normal" Grace appears. She sits quietly
in her pew, listening attentively to the music, holding back tears. Instead
of ending the video here, the director continues with more than fifteen separate
images of Grace, many from earlier scenes in the video, while the choir continues
singing. This ending scene utilizes an editing technique called a “montage,”
often used in sophisticated film treatments or music videos. The montage incorporates
a rapid succession of brief visual images with a provocative music score in
order to generate an emotional response in the viewer.
- In the case of Living With Grace, the director selects images we
have seen from earlier scenes and complements those images with the well-
known hymn, "Amazing Grace." Prepare your viewers for the technique by asking
them to pay particular attention to the way the director ends this video with
a unique combination of images and music. Ask them to watch for a time near
the end of the video when they suddenly realize that the flow of the narrative
has shifted in order to set up the ending scene..
Summary of Scenes
- Grace Kirkland is seated in a living room chair at home. One of the producers,
Susan Hadary Cohen, tells her, “We make documentary pictures.” Grace laughs,
“Blow me down!”
- Grace is in the kitchen frying hamburgers. Her husband, Glenn, stands next
to her. As she works we hear her husband’s voice-over summarizing symptoms
of behavior that led to the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease. Grace appears
distraught at times. She whimpers repeatedly and often reacts fearfully to
her environment. She frequently responds aggressively, but such responses
are not sustained. Despite her husband’s reassurance and gentle coaxing, she
continues to exhibit severe mood swings. She is confused about what meal they
are preparing.
- Time for dessert. Grace asks, "Did we have dinner?" She becomes agitated
when she sees Susan Cohen stirring a whipped topping. "That's not going to
work!" She rummages about in the kitchen, finding a hand mixer. Grace turns
the handle of the mixer roughly while Susan holds the bowl. We hear Glenn's
voice-over: "I marvel at Grace for her ability to remain relatively calm under
the circumstances. I know that if I didn't know what day it was or what time
of day it was, if I didn't know where I was, it would soon drive me buggy.
It must be very difficult for her." We see Grace set out the shortcakes for
the strawberry shortcake. She stops, puts her hand on her hip, and says, "Is
that all we're going to have? Strawberries!” Glenn coaxes her to spoon the
strawberries onto the shortcakes. She marches into he kitchen, holds up the
dessert, and sings, “Here comes the shortcake! They’re gonna get it! They’re
gonna get it!”
- After dinner Grace cleans off the table. We hear Glenn’s voice-over as he
admits that he will have to seek in-home care, day care, or nursing home care
eventually. "I don't look forward to that at all," he says. Back to Grace
in the kitchen. She rages while putting the last of the silverware away in
the kitchen sink drain. "I did it! I did it! I did it!"
- Susan Cohen sitting next to Grace in the living room. She asks Grace what
she does on Sunday. "Go to church and sing a song." Grace sings parts of two
songs, changing the last verse of one. Then we see Grace working acrostics
(word puzzles). She solves the puzzles easily. She turns to Susan. "I love
you, Susan. Come to see me again." Susan praises her puzzle-solving ability.
"I've worked these old puzzles so much," Grace says. She teases Susan, asking
her to find one of the scrambled words she already knows how to unscramble.
Susan says, "Grace, you are so lovable." Suddenly Grace tightens her facial
features, grimacing and shaking her head from side to side. "What kind of
a face is that?" Susan asks. "What about a smile for me?" Grace turns toward
her and smiles sweetly. "You're nice to me. I like you, Susan. Your name is
Susan, isn't it?"
- Grace and Glenn walking through a park. They stop to admire a cherry tree
in blossom. We hear Glenn's voice-over: "Religious faith, supportive friends,
becoming involved with the Alzheimer's Association, and sharing my experience
with support groups--all help me."
- Grace and Glenn at the doctor's office, so that the doctor can conduct a
follow-up interview regarding Grace's medical condition. Glenn sits between
them, looking on calmly. Grace sits rigidly in her chair, her mood swinging
between aggression and withdrawal. The doctor gives her three words--car,
pony, and nickel--and asks her to repeat them. She does. He asks her to subtract
seven from one hundred. She can not. Then he asks her to repeat the three
words he noted earlier. "And I forgot all of them," she groans. "One was car,
he prompts." She says, "I don't know the others." He asks her if she is worried
about anything. She says belligerently, "I don't worry. I never worry." He
asks, "Am I worrying you now by asking you all of these questions?" She snaps,
"You can ask me anything you want to! Anything! I want to go home!"
- Grace and Glenn eating a snack while they watch street entertainers on the
Baltimore waterfront. She enjoys a magician, who involves her husband and
her in his act. Later, at a picnic table with some of their children and grandchildren,
Grace appears happy and relaxed. "Oh, boy! I love dessert!" she blurts out.
We see Glenn and her blowing bubbles afterwards. She laughs mightily as the
bubbles surround them. "Just look at them!"
- Glenn driving the car to an adult day-care center. Grace is nervous and
restless. One moment she cries and another moment she laughs uncontrollably.
She sees a sign on a building. "Elderly! I'm elderly, too!" She laughs hysterically.
Glenn tries to reassure her. Inside the center, a staff person explains their
services. Grace comments on the woman's teeth and fingernails. "I don't want
to be here." Grace participates in music therapy with a group of day-care
clients. When they leave the day-care center, Grace runs from the camera.
- Later, while Grace and Glenn take a boat ride on a small canal, we hear
Glenn explain that when Grace eventually is placed in a nursing home, that
care will not be covered by any medical insurance plan. "I can expect to face
bankruptcy."
- Grace seated in church. Her husband is working in a cable television control
room above the sanctuary. His voice-over: "The future looks bleak. She will
be bedridden and won't know who I am or be able to respond to any help." We
see Grace singing along with the woman next to her. Both hold the hymnal.
During a prayer, we hear Glenn's thoughts: "We'll take each day as it comes.
I will continue to love her. She's been my faithful and loving wife for many
years." As the prayer continues, we see Grace sitting quietly, her head bowed.
- The choir begins to sing, "Amazing Grace." Grace watches quietly, attentive,
wiping away tears. As the singing continues, the director leaves this scene
and includes about twenty images of Grace from earlier scenes in the video,
showing many examples of her various mood swings, her interaction with her
husband, her moments of happiness and relaxation, her moments of fearfulness
and despondency. Near the end we see one image of Grace and Glenn embracing,
their arms clasped. Then we return to the church service. The choir ends its
song, and Grace sits quietly, looking serious and attentive. As the titles
go up, we hear Grace singing, and at the very end she says, “I don’t know.
I can’t remember.”
Discussion Questions and Sample
Worksheet
Text of The Great Circle
of Life: A Resource Guide to Films and Videos on Aging, copyright ©
1987, 1999, 2005, Robert E. Yahnke. All photographs copyrighted by Robert E.
Yahnke. All rights reserved. Contact author for permission to copy
photographs or reprint portions of text.