You Won't Need Running Shoes, Darling

Mildred and Bob Todd are retired octogenarians who live in rural Ontario. With the river by their doorstep, a beloved garden and new friends, they savour life in daily rations. But just as the seasons change, so does their health. She is diagnosed with cancer. He has a fifth heart attack.

Hospital stays and home care now take precedence over mulching the garden. Gradually, Mildred and Bob accept the physical indignities, and their own mortality. Their passion for living carries them through the difficult times.

Over a critical two-year period, their daughter, acclaimed documentarian Dorothy Todd Hénaut, films their life. The result is a gritty, sensitive look at the human aging process.

The pastoral setting, and this elderly couple's tenderness and mutual care soften the reality of diminishing strength. With unfailing humour, Mildred sums it up when she says to her daughter: "You won't need running shoes, darling, to follow me around."