A man is tasked with driving his embittered 80-year-old father-in-law cross country to be legally euthanized in Oregon, while along the way helping him rediscover a reason for living.
A surprisingly uplifting film about a very difficult topic, Youth In Oregon's remarkable ensemble cast elevate the story into something unique and profound.
70
Village Voice
Craig D. Lindsey
Oregon is more than a bittersweet look at a man deciding to end his life before he’s too invalid to have a say in the matter: It’s a study of how plain ol’ stubbornness can keep a family forever brimming with dysfunction.
58
The Film Stage
Unnamed
Youth in Oregon is a struggle to get through — in its frequently puzzling choices and missed opportunities — but it opens up and reveals itself with genuine catharsis in its closing that just, maybe, is worth the trip for the patient, forgiving viewer.
Is this all well-acted? It certainly is, especially by Langella. But all things being equal, I’d prefer to see him in a revival of “The Man Who Came To Dinner.”