Everyone’s forgotten this indie movie except me — and I’m psyched it’s streaming free on Tubi
There are some movies you see that never leave you. Sometimes it’s a grandiose biopic of an inspiring person from history. Or maybe it’s a film from childhood that still leaves you with those twinges of nostalgia.
Every now and then, though, you’ll watch a movie that resonates with you simply because it’s truly remarkable. That’s how I felt when I saw “Strangers in Good Company” for the first time.
I caught this film on cable television only once after its 1990 release. It isn’t one of those movies that’s replayed constantly on different channels (like 1999’s “The Firm,” for example). After years of searching in vain to stream it online, I’m thrilled that it has finally landed on Tubi.
“Strangers in Good Company” tells the story of eight elderly women on a bus tour who get stranded at an isolated cottage when it breaks down. You won’t get an action-packed, exciting thriller with this movie. You likely won’t stay on the edge of your seat throughout. However, it will be one of the most touching films you’ve ever seen.
What is ‘Strangers in Good Company’ about?
“Strangers in Good Company” begins with a group of elderly women, some of them using canes, walking through the foggy mist as they discuss the next stage of their journey. We hear the soft voice of a narrator (Mary Meigs) explaining that they took a detour to visit Constance’s childhood summer home.
This is what inevitably leads them through the isolated Canadian countryside.
We’re taken back to that moment in time that brought us to the opening credits’ scene: their bus ride. We see each of the ladies on the bus exchanging conversation and quiet laughter with one another. The slow pacing sets the reflective tone you can expect to see throughout the film.
Then, the bus breaks down on a remote, rural road. With no help in sight, and this obviously being an era before cell phones were readily available, the women decide to set out on foot.
As they walk through a fairly rugged-looking grassy area, their bus driver, Michelle (Michelle Sweeney), hurts her ankle. She’s obviously in pain, and in an ironic twist, becomes reliant on the group of women for their support.
It’s not long before they find a cabin as their brief retreat until they can figure out how to find help. As the ladies settle in, the true beauty of the film emerges. Each one of them shares more about their real lives. The filmmaker shares actual photos of the women throughout their lives.
This is what makes the movie so one of a kind: You realize these aren’t actresses, but rather real women chosen for the film, due to their remarkably unique stories.
Why you should stream ‘Strangers in Good Company’
“Strangers in Good Company” provides eye-opening insights into the lives of those we often overlook in our youth-obsessed society. The film presents what these women have learned, their continuing hopes (which haven’t faded with age) and the weight of mortality that hangs on each of them.
We are also rewarded with singing from Michelle Sweeney, known for being a real-life jazz singer, and who is also the only Black woman in the group. It would have been nice to have more diversity among the women, but even with that lack, their unique bond really resonates.
All these years — or dare I say it, decades — later, “Strangers in Good Company” has remained with me. To be quite candid, I wish more movies were made like this. Witnessing the life journeys of people who are often not heard is an invaluable lesson.
Stream “Strangers in Good Company on Tubi
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