What It's About:

When they learn that the bank is foreclosing on their home, sixtysomething couple Barkley and Lucy Cooper (Moore and Bondi), who have fallen on hard times, find themselves in a tight spot. None of their five grown children can make room for both in their own home, so Lucy and Barkley are forced to separate. The disappointment of living apart is further exacerbated by their offspring’s selfish habits of mind. But Barkley and Lucy have arranged one last outing on the town…

Why I Love It:

If it weren’t so artfully constructed and movingly acted, you might say that Leo McCarey’s unsung Hollywood classic “Make Way for Tomorrow” was just too downbeat for Depression-era audiences. Even the studio tried to pressure McCarey to change his ending. But the power of this beautiful, rueful drama has a universal appeal that film lovers around the world—including Japanese master Ozu, who modeled his “Tokyo Story” after the film—have since found irresistible. Think of all your favorite tearjerkers, then “Make Way for Tomorrow.”