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Hillary Small is the duty manager at the local movie-house and leads a relatively lonely existence. She is sleeping with her boss and managing her bipolar disorder. When young Stephen joins the team, Hillary makes a new friend. They bond and Hillary confides that she has never seen a film in the theater. Stephen shares his struggles as a target of severe racism by skinheads in the town. They begin an affair and feeling overwhelmed with joy, Hillary stops taking the meds that help control her disorder. As her mental health deteriorates, the theater is awarded with a prestigious honor, the premiere of the film Chariots of Fire. Hillary's illness comes to a breaking point and she is institutionalized. During a terrible skinhead riot, Stephen is beaten and taken to hospital where Hillary visits. Eventually, Stephen confides in Hillary that he has decided to return to college, and Hillary actually sees the brilliant "Being There" in the theater. There is a final goodbye before Stephen goes to college, with the promise of maintaining their friendship in the future.
I can't express enough how much I loved this film. Yes, there is an element of appreciation for the movies (and you know I'm on board with that!), but the characters are so beautiful and fragile in their own ways, they find solace in each other, they live and love and struggle, but with the care that only two people who genuinely appreciate each other can do. This is truly one of the films that you should take the time to see if you can only squeeze in seeing a handful of Oscars nominees. Beyond beautiful.
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