A documentary film that highlights a heartbreaking guardianship dispute, covered by ElderLawAnswers four years ago, is up for an Academy Award. The 29-minute film, “Edith + Eddie,” is one of five nominees in the Documentary Short Subject category. The singer and actress Cher is one of the film’s executive producers.
“Edith + Eddie” appears to be a simple tale of two nonagenarian newlyweds -- one black, one white -- who are driven apart by legal maneuverings and a broken guardianship system. There are clear good guys and bad guys in the film. One of the apparent villains is an elder law attorney who was appointed an independent guardian in the case. Another, by implication, is the elder law profession itself.
But critical parts of the story remained off-screen, as Kaiser Health News writer Judith Graham discovered when she delved into the case. After reviewing court records and speaking to the independent guardian and several lawyers involved, as well as to family members not included in the documentary, Graham came to the conclusion that “real life is more complicated than in the movies.”
Click here to read Graham’s illuminating article, “A Tale of Love, Family Conflict And Battles Over Care For An Aging Mother.”
Update: "Edith + Eddie" did not win a 2018 Academy Award in the Documentary Short Subject category. For the full list of nominees and winners, click here.
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