You sit down to watch this movie and all of sudden you’re being sucked into a fantasy world -- it’s Central Park going in and out of focus with that brrrring harp that signals magic. And then the voice over intrudes. Welcome to Mimi’s world.

Now I lived in New York as a college student and I love, let me tell you LOVE kooky old ladies. It is part of what makes the place not really magical but fantastical. And I al-ways fantasized that I would be one of them, tottering around those cracked sidewalks and questionable mud puddles with my leopard spotted umbrella, hat and slicker and little dog with it’s matching leopard spotted hat, umbrella and slicker. You get the pic-ture.

So I got all worked up when I realized I was laying in for about 90 minutes of NYC ec-centric. Yes, we’ve seen it before, the lives of those people crammed all together in tiny apartments and Mimi Weddell is certainly one them. Except she’s between 83-93 when this is being filmed. So here she is doing what looks like gymnastics and there she is tap dancing and at her voice lessons. But mostly she’s hauling herself around to vari-ous auditions because...like these types of NY (and LA characters) she’s held on tight to her dream. Of being an actor. And we celebrate that, at least I do, being a dreamer myself of course. Oh...and she’s got a family, so she’s not one of those weirdo hermit types. We learn her family descends from someone who fell off the Mayflower, but pre-sumably not until it was close to Plymouth. And she’s got 2 adult children who she lives with, or who live with her. It’s not exactly clear what the terms of this arrangement are.

My only reservation about this interesting jaunt through the life of someone who has lived a long time is that ultimately she isn’t as interesting as we are led to expect. Or if she is/was we don’t get to see the best bits. It’s like I’m not as interesting as I think I am. I didn’t make movies in the service of a fascist dictator and later become an un-derwater photographer like Leni Riefenstahl. I didn’t abandon America for a French village like Robert Crumb. I didn’t start punk revolution and then retire to obscurity in a library Arthur Kane only to come out for a reunion concert 30 years later. Those are just 3 examples of oddball eccentrics who were the subjects of excellent documentaries that are so absolutely absorbing that you can’t bear for them to end. I loved Mimi...well sometimes...and I found her somewhat inspiring. But then she also reminded me of what being a regular person is like, the settling, the compromises, the acceptance of what is. And that’s a good thing to look at. And we need to celebrate the accomplish-ments of age...well but do we? It’s not as much of a big deal anymore to be 93 and still doing stuff. That’s where we’re all headed but I can’t help but think...could there have been more? Oh and there’s something about her hat collection as well. Oh and she goes to Florence.

opens in Los Angeles, May 2, 2008

Directed by Jyll Johnstone, produced by Jyll Johnstone and Michael Arlen Davis. Re-leased by Canobie Films. Running time: 84 minutes.

With: Mimi Weddell, Sarah Dillon, Kit Dillon, Tom Weddell and Anna Weddell.