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ROO^MMATES

Synopsis:  At 107, Rocky Holeczek is the oldest employed baker in Pittsburgh.  His roommate is his grandson Michael, a 35-year-old surgeon whom he has raised since childhood; Rocky was seventy-five years old when the boy's widowed mother died. The five-year-old boy looks askance at the old man during the funeral service and wonders why he is whistling.  Later, Rocky explains that you must always whistle when your heart is broken. As Michael grows up he becomes very familiar with Rocky's idiosyncrasies — his obsession with work, his enjoyment of cards and bowling, his favorite Polish phrases and jokes, and his central belief that family looks after family. Listening to his grandfather's snoring and dream chatter becomes such a comfort to the boy that when he finally leaves home it is hard for him to sleep at night with all the silence. Michael goes to medical school in Columbus, Ohio. When Rocky has to vacate his home of 50 years, Michael insists that he move in with him. The rest of the house is rented by a friendly group of Chinese students, affectionately called "the communists" by Rocky. When Michael falls in love and marries Beth, a social worker, Rocky feels shut out and decides to stay in Ohio, where he is the oldest employed person in the city.  But eventually he rejoins the family after Michael moves back to Pittsburgh to do his residency in cardiology. Rocky, who now sees himself as obsolete because he can no longer get a job, learns to enjoy his great-grandchildren. After a family tragedy, he passes on his final bit of wisdom as a spiritual elder. "Roommates" is buoyed by a funny, colorful, and touching performance by Peter Falk as the inimitable Rocky. The screenplay celebrates the vital connection between grandparents and grandchildren. Over the course of the film, Rocky is a mentor, sharing the wisdom accumulated through years of experience; a role model, preparing Michael for what it is like to be old and a grandparent; a wizard, passing on a sense of delight; and a nurturer, helping his grandson see that the love he has to give his children is more important than anything else in life. "Roommates" offers a treasure trove of wisdom about life, love, and family.

          Genre: Comedy/Drama

          Directed by Peter Yates
          Writing Credit: Max Apple

          Cast:
          Peter Falk - Rocky Holzcek
          D.B. Sweeney - Michael Holzcek
          Julianne Moore - Beth Holzcek
          Ellen Burstyn - Judith
          Jan Rubes - Bolek Krupa
          Joyce Reehling - Barbara
          Ernie Sabella - Stash
          John Cunningham - Burt Shook
          Noah Fleiss - Michael at age 5
          Lisa Davis - Betty
          Rohn Thomas - Kevin
          Karl Mackey - Milan Postevic
          Reverend Zygmund Szarnicki - Funeral Priest
          L.A. McConnell - Bully At Baseball Game (as Chance Marquez)
          David Cutter - Peanut Vendor