Unhook the Stars

Unhook the Stars is a 1996 American drama film directed by Nick Cassavetes and starring Gena Rowlands, Marisa Tomei, and Grard Depardieu. Rowlands plays Mildred, a widow who befriends the wayward Monica Tomei, a single mother from across the street, and eventually finds herself babysitter of Monicas young son, J.J. Throughout the film, Monica and J.J. inadvertently teach Mildred valuable life lessons about herself and her relationships with others.

Mildred Gena Rowlands is a widow living with her rebellious, irresponsible twentysomething daughter Annie Moira Kelly in Salt Lake City. One day after a fight, Annie goes to live as a vagrant her boyfriend, leaving Mildred alone for the first time in her life. One morning, her wayward neighbor Monica Marisa Tomei knocks on Mildreds door, begging her to watch her young son, J.J Jake Lloyd so she can go to her work shift. Monica has kicked her abusive husband, Frankie, out of their house.Mildred agrees to watch J.J., and offers to babysit and take him to school whenever Monica needs her to. Mildred establishes a close relationship with J.J. and Monica, and J.J. eventually comes to refer to her as Auntie Mildred. Mildred reads to him, takes him to the park, and educates him on history by reading from her encyclopedias. At Thanksgiving, Mildred has Monica and J.J. over for dinner as well as her yuppie son Ethan David Sherrill and his wife Jeannie Bridgette Wilson. Jeannie is perturbed by Monicas brash behavior and cursing, though Ethan and Mildred seem disaffected by her personality. Ethan suggests that Mildred should move to San Francisco with him and Jeannie. ........

Source: Wikipedia