The Best You Can

For those who enjoy watching films, long flights offer a rare opportunity—not only to catch up on recent releases, but also to discover movies you might never have otherwise considered. That’s exactly how I came across The Best You Can.

The Best You Can (2025) is an American romantic comedy-drama written, produced, and directed by Michael J. Weithorn. The film follows Cynthia Rand (Kyra Sedgwick), a successful New York physician married to a significantly older husband, Warren, whose declining health and dementia place increasing strain on their relationship. When a security guard, Stan Olszewski (Kevin Bacon), intervenes during a robbery at Cynthia’s home, an unexpected connection forms between them. What begins as casual late-night texting gradually deepens into a meaningful emotional bond. As Cynthia grapples with guilt while caring for her ailing husband, and Stan confronts his own personal struggles, their relationship slowly evolves into love. After Warren’s death, they find comfort in one another and tentatively begin to build a future together. The film ultimately reflects on imperfect love, personal growth, and the possibility of moving forward despite loss and complex life circumstances, even in old age.

But does The Best You Can succeed as a gerontological film? It certainly engages with central themes of aging—dementia, cognitive decline, later-life relationships, and intergenerational connection. At times, it is humorous and undeniably watchable. However, my overall impression is that it does not offer particularly new or nuanced insights into these well-explored aspects of aging.

In the end, it makes for an easy, undemanding evening watch—but one that can just as easily be skipped.

2025

USA Director:

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xxam9-OQWzU