Granny Weatherall (Geraldine Fitzgerald) is a spunky old lady of eighty who bosses around her doctor and her children. She seems so strong and in control, and yet she has never had the upper hand in her destiny. One morning, a flood of long-forgotten memories bring her to the realization that of all her accomplishments, she cannot console herself for the shame-filled day she was left standing at the alter. Still, her indomitable will to live and act independently infuses the last day of her life. Adapted from the short story by acclaimed writer Katherine Anne Porter ("Ship of Fools"), The Jilting of Granny Weatherall reminds us of the plight of many women who wait for life to claim them, rather than seek life out for themselves.
Acting
Fitzgerald carries 80 years of unspoken rage in every glance.
Direction
Haines blurs past and present like dying breath itself.
Writing
Porter's prose preserved, every sentence aches.
Director
Randa Haines
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Katherine Anne Porter wrote this in 1930, based on her own grandmother's deathbed — the 'jilting' was fictionalized revenge for real abandonment.
Randa Haines was one of few female TV directors in 1980; her refusal to sentimentalize Granny's death was quietly radical for the era.
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