Kings Point (2012) - full transcript
In the 1970s and 80s, hundreds of thousands of senior citizens migrated from New York City to Kings Point, a typical retirement community, located just outside West Palm Beach, Florida. Lured by blue skies, sunshine, palm trees, and the promise of a rich social life, they bought their way to paradise for just a $1,500 down payment. Now, as an aging community faces its own mortality, paradise has begun to exact a higher price. Through the experiences of six longtime residents, 'Kings Point' captures both the allure and the darker complexities of living in a world where 'nobody gets too close.' Poignant, funny and dark, 'Kings Point' is a deeply empathetic portrait of the last act of the American Dream.
"In 1972, in New York City..."
"you couldn't go out in the street
at night..."
"and there was a lot of
robbery going on."
"Things were so bad in New York..."
"that people ran away
from all different areas..."
"where they were in danger,
and life wasn't so beautiful..."
"and the winters were cold,
and the traveling was miserable..."
"and they were ready to retire."
"They ran away.
They ran to Florida."
"And this place was a boom."
"Anybody that had a job..."
"and made a living could move
to Kings Point."
"It was safe,
and such a beautiful home."
"If you want to life upstairs,
it was 1,000 dollar more."
"They claimed that the insects
don't go to the second floor."
"Upstairs, downstairs?
What's the heck's the difference?"
"There were people lined up
with checks in their hand."
"Take my money, take my money."
"And so beautiful with bamboo
and various colors..."
"green, blue, yellow, orange."
"We've never seen these colors
in New York."
"My goodness. Here you only
have to put down 1,500 dollar..."
"and you could be a condominium owner
down here in Florida."
Would you...
Could you fall in love again?
- No, you can't
- I don't think so. My God.
You're older.
The feelings are different.
At 40 or 50, I could see it.
I could understand it more.
But at 70?
No. Definitely not.
It's...
I don't think any of the feelings
are there.
Some ladies, they've got to have
a male companion wherever they go.
One croaks, they got another one.
God.
The men, the men.
No, the women...
there's women like that. Yeah.
There are more women than men
that are like that.
They go through them like hotcakes.
And then this one dies.
They can't be alone, can't be alone
a minute without a guy.
Got to have a guy next to them
because they're desperate.
They got to have somebody.
They got to have somebody.
If you're one of these old guys,
they don't take care of you.
They can't. They need somebody
to take care of them.
And then you hear them sitting in...
making noises. I said, "Ugh."
And it's nauseating
when an old crock...
crock of shit touches me...
I'm not into that.
I don't need them.
Them or their sex or their money
or what have you.
I'm taking care of myself
very nicely.
Classic.
This is classic balsamic vinegar.
I don't know. Taste it.
Tell me if it's any different.
Wait, I've got to close the cap
because you never close the cap.
- I just opened it for you.
- Is that what you?
- That's right.
- But you've got to close the cap.
Bea got me locked up.
In a way, she's got me locked up.
And...
I have not met anybody...
that I really could connect to...
that I would really want
to go out with.
So, you know,
I just leave it as it is.
When I first met Frank,
I thought he's a nice guy.
That's about it.
I mean I didn't have any...
romantic thoughts about him.
He's basically good, I think.
Until he would cross me.
He'd better run for his life.
You know,
people see you together a lot.
Frank, I would say the same thing.
- And people do assume...
- They say, "Oh, yeah."
I tell them, "We're just friends."
They say, "Yeah."
They assume.
Why do they want to assume?
That's how people are.
- What?
- Friends.
We're friends.
What's wrong with being friends?
I didn't say anything.
Love comes in different forms,
I guess.
Not only...
- going to bed with each other.
- Right.
Concern could be deeply concerned
about someone.
Could that be love?
I don't know.
You know what love is.
- Or you dont? I dont know.
- Yes.
If I have something to do
on a Friday night...
going out on Saturday night
is enough for me.
It's companionship. You know, you got
somebody to do something with...
and it's nice.
- Finish your food.
- Okay, I will.
Kings Point is a place to be
where you're not alone.
You're alone, but you're not alone.
There are people around...
and there's always something to do.
When a widow is a widow...
she's got to look to do things
to keep her busy.
Else she'll die.
New York, New York.
- Do you have enough?
- That's it.
- Bea is going to get mad at me.
- I know. I know it...
but I know it can't be helped.
You know, she's going to say,
you know, "Why did you do that?"
She gets ballistic, goes crazy.
She's afraid
she's going to lose you.
- She never had me.
- Yeah, well, you know.
You know, I mean Jane's a friend.
I'm not looking to date Jane.
You know, I mean I know Jane,
how she is. She's emotional.
Right, Jane?
She's a lovely person.
And I don't want to play her
play with her, you know?
And that she wants somebody, right?
Right.
And I'm not the person for her.
I could love this guy.
I know. And she's a loveable person.
I could love her too, but...
that's not what I want, you know?
I'm looking for long-range, you know?
- You know what I'm thinking about?
- Yes.
- We've got to get out of here.
- Yes.
That's my friend Frank,
and that's his girlfriend over there.
And you're going to get hell.
So I know him.
- She cooks for him.
- You're kidding.
- Yeah, she does.
- That's all she does?
That's all she does is cook.
I don't believe it.
She must do more.
No. He says,
"No, she cooks."
Okay, let's go.
I'm ready to go.
I guess some people
get their pleasure...
from watching someone eat.
Everybody needs one friend.
We need more than...
No, just one that you can
really talk to...
and be very close with.
The others are
very good acquaintances.
- Where do you find them all?
- You don't.
You don't, okay. I just wondered...
When you...
When you're younger,
you have made friends.
When you came to Florida,
or wherever you went...
and you moved someplace else,
you made acquaintances...
and good acquaintances.
Not friends friends.
They're just not here anymore.
At this stage,
you're not making friends.
Nobody gets too close here.
They're afraid.
That's how they are here.
Everybody's for themselves...
what they can get out of you
I think I told them that.
What they can get,
anything out of you.
They use...
everybody's a user here.
So you get to become one yourself.
Do you remember what made
you want to move down 20 years ago?
Yes, my husband had a heart attack.
And he was told, "You cannot take
the winters in New York.
If you really want to have
a good quality of life...
get out of New York.
Go to California.
Go to Arizona.
Go to Florida."
I don't know
how content any of us are.
I think we have all
made our understanding...
we have all made our peace,
and we know what it is.
You try to fill your days
as best as you can.
You go to the malls.
You go to the Boynton Mall Tuesday,
Thursdays, and Saturdays.
You go to Town Center on Fridays.
Sundays, they have movies
at the clubhouse.
And there are times you stay home,
and other times you play mahjong...
in other words, you make
the very best of living in Florida.
I moved here 13 years ago
because I was afraid...
to live in the area.
The neighborhood changed.
So I migrated here to Florida.
And I love the weather.
I'm happy here. I like it.
And I got to the point where
you don't miss the family so much.
You know, you don't miss them.
Would you ever consider moving in
with your kids?
Never.
- Why not?
- I like to visit.
No, I have this health insurance
you know, in case they all have it...
home care.
That's if you get sick,
and you come home...
and they have a nurse.
So I spoke to my daughter-in-law...
the younger one. She said,
"What do you need it for?"
I said, "Hey, by the way,
if I get sick, God forbid...
are you going to be there
to take care of me?"
She didn't answer. She's very good.
She's very sweet. She's very caring.
And she didn't answer.
Knowing what I know today,
I would never move away.
In other words, I would never
move away from my children.
Because basically everyone's
very nice, everyone has friends here.
But children are children.
And as you grow older,
you begin to realize it's children...
...plus grandchildren.
And you miss a lot of their...
I miss a lot of their lives.
That's my youngest grandson, Spencer.
He's 13-years-old, and David is 16.
Now they come here for five days,
four days, a week, maybe ten days.
By the end of the time, they're pull
their hair out of their heads...
because there really
is nothing for them to do here.
- Five.
- Right. You've got five points.
Five points instead of three.
- How many cards?
- I have...
My husband passed on in 1983.
Suddenly.
He had the flu, and that was it.
And how was life different for you
after that?
It sucked.
You going to put that in?
Forget it.
And the friends who you're
friends with for 50 years?
- Forget it.
- Why?
Because they would go out,
and I would be behind.
Oh my, look at this.
- It's only number one.
- How lucky you are?
- Frank.
- I don't know how to play this game.
Frank, I know how to play.
But if you don't get the cards,
forget it.
Hey, when we're playing,
you're not my friend.
Hey, be nice.
You have five, six, seven,
eight of clubs.
- That's a flush.
- Throw a card.
You flush the toilet. You don't
flush, you don't have a flush.
See how he talks to me?
- And I'm throwing out the two.
- Don't tell me.
- I like that.
- Hooray!
- Hey, look at that. I won a quarter.
- Hey, I'm throwing this...
I'll be right back.
- All right?
- It's okay with me.
Frank.
Hi.
- Hi, Janey.
- Hello. Here we go.
It's been a year
since Manny passed away.
And I was thinking about him.
So being home alone tonight
I guess my thoughts were...
They weren't good.
- How are you?
- But now I'm okay.
I mean we're playing cards...
instead of in there dancing
and drinking, we're playing cards.
Thank you.
Frank. You want to knit?
- No.
- You want to knit?
You don't want a lemon drop?
When I look around,
it's frightening.
There are more singles living here...
than there were five years ago,
ten years ago.
And it begins to...
it's not...
It's frighten...
it's not that it's frightening...
because this is
just the way life goes.
But you don't know
what you want to do.
Do you want to stay here?
Do you want to go back to New York
to where your children are?
And if you do that, it's not
the great, the best thing either.
It's not. They have their own lives.
You have your life.
Your grandchildren have their lives.
It's not a very good trade.
Staying here is just about
the only thing you can do...
because you know people here.
You have a life here.
In New York, there's no such life.
And you don't have the time
to make it a new life.
Sick people, very sick indeed.
Very sick.
Both of them.
Alzheimer's.
- We're watching the store. Hi.
- Hi.
That's nice. It's an outing.
I once got sick.
They wouldn't come near.
They thought I was contagious.
They...
I was...
I don't know what I had,
but they wouldn't come near.
On the phone.
So what do you do?
I said, "I'm sick.
I can't go out. That's it."
And they were the only one,
the sickest one...
in the whole neighborhood,
she said, "I'm not afraid.
I'm dying anyway."
She had hepatitis.
She said, "I'll do...
what do you want?
I'll go get anything you want."
She came in and everything.
Everybody else wouldn't,
but she came in.
But not them.
I'm telling you.
All of them sitting like by the pool.
They're chummy bummies.
Not everyone feels very good.
And, not everyone wants to hear
what the next one has to say.
In other words, I don't want to know
your complaints.
I have my own.
You know, and nobody means it.
They really don't mean it.
I know I don't mean it.
But it's just a form of...
you just don't want to hear something
that is not very good anymore.
Self-preservation is number one.
Always. No matter what it is,
at what age. It doesn't matter.
Self-preservation is number one,
always.
That's the store here.
Pretty over here, isn't it, our view?
The golf course.
Is anyone from Kings Point
going to visit you here?
Why should they?
We're all in the same situation.
Alone.
Try to make new friends,
which really is very difficult.
Everything will work out.
Hello, Harry. Hi, how are you?
Yeah.
Where's Gladys? Did she leave?
Tell her to call me back.
If she ain't doing anything, the...
I'm in the house.
I have nothing to do. Yeah.
Maybe she wants to come over.
I don't know.
Okay.
You defrost them under the water.
I don't know
whether I would fall in love again.
I think I probably would try not to.
- Why?
- Because I don't want to get hurt.
Right?
I need affection.
I need closeness.
I need you know. I need to be...
I need real love.
I don't get that from Bea
because I...
you know, it's not going to work
with her.
She's good.
She's... I love Bea.
I love her.
But I don't want to get too close
to her...
because then, eventually,
I'm going to separate.
Because if I ever meet somebody...
you know, I mean I got to think
about my life.
And my life is not going to be
a real life that I want with Bea.
Thank you for being the person
that you are...
and for being my friend.
You have...
You have brightened my life.
What do you think?
If Bea were ten years younger...
be my age...
I would probably marry...
I would consider marrying her.
- So why is the age so important?
- I don't want to...
I put one wife...
I buried one wife.
I don't want to bury another one.
All right?
That's it.
I want somebody to bury me.
- Look at the nice hats.
- I'm not wearing it. No way.
Come on. How are you?
Happy new year to you.
Yes. We came here at 7 o'clock.
There's new year's eve.
The new year's eve party.
I haven't gone for nine years.
Since we became widows,
we haven't been going.
This keeps us busy.
That is sad.
There was a time
when you couldn't even...
you couldn't even get a table
for new year's eve. Look at this.
That's sad.
Five, four, three, two, one.
Happy new year.
"you couldn't go out in the street
at night..."
"and there was a lot of
robbery going on."
"Things were so bad in New York..."
"that people ran away
from all different areas..."
"where they were in danger,
and life wasn't so beautiful..."
"and the winters were cold,
and the traveling was miserable..."
"and they were ready to retire."
"They ran away.
They ran to Florida."
"And this place was a boom."
"Anybody that had a job..."
"and made a living could move
to Kings Point."
"It was safe,
and such a beautiful home."
"If you want to life upstairs,
it was 1,000 dollar more."
"They claimed that the insects
don't go to the second floor."
"Upstairs, downstairs?
What's the heck's the difference?"
"There were people lined up
with checks in their hand."
"Take my money, take my money."
"And so beautiful with bamboo
and various colors..."
"green, blue, yellow, orange."
"We've never seen these colors
in New York."
"My goodness. Here you only
have to put down 1,500 dollar..."
"and you could be a condominium owner
down here in Florida."
Would you...
Could you fall in love again?
- No, you can't
- I don't think so. My God.
You're older.
The feelings are different.
At 40 or 50, I could see it.
I could understand it more.
But at 70?
No. Definitely not.
It's...
I don't think any of the feelings
are there.
Some ladies, they've got to have
a male companion wherever they go.
One croaks, they got another one.
God.
The men, the men.
No, the women...
there's women like that. Yeah.
There are more women than men
that are like that.
They go through them like hotcakes.
And then this one dies.
They can't be alone, can't be alone
a minute without a guy.
Got to have a guy next to them
because they're desperate.
They got to have somebody.
They got to have somebody.
If you're one of these old guys,
they don't take care of you.
They can't. They need somebody
to take care of them.
And then you hear them sitting in...
making noises. I said, "Ugh."
And it's nauseating
when an old crock...
crock of shit touches me...
I'm not into that.
I don't need them.
Them or their sex or their money
or what have you.
I'm taking care of myself
very nicely.
Classic.
This is classic balsamic vinegar.
I don't know. Taste it.
Tell me if it's any different.
Wait, I've got to close the cap
because you never close the cap.
- I just opened it for you.
- Is that what you?
- That's right.
- But you've got to close the cap.
Bea got me locked up.
In a way, she's got me locked up.
And...
I have not met anybody...
that I really could connect to...
that I would really want
to go out with.
So, you know,
I just leave it as it is.
When I first met Frank,
I thought he's a nice guy.
That's about it.
I mean I didn't have any...
romantic thoughts about him.
He's basically good, I think.
Until he would cross me.
He'd better run for his life.
You know,
people see you together a lot.
Frank, I would say the same thing.
- And people do assume...
- They say, "Oh, yeah."
I tell them, "We're just friends."
They say, "Yeah."
They assume.
Why do they want to assume?
That's how people are.
- What?
- Friends.
We're friends.
What's wrong with being friends?
I didn't say anything.
Love comes in different forms,
I guess.
Not only...
- going to bed with each other.
- Right.
Concern could be deeply concerned
about someone.
Could that be love?
I don't know.
You know what love is.
- Or you dont? I dont know.
- Yes.
If I have something to do
on a Friday night...
going out on Saturday night
is enough for me.
It's companionship. You know, you got
somebody to do something with...
and it's nice.
- Finish your food.
- Okay, I will.
Kings Point is a place to be
where you're not alone.
You're alone, but you're not alone.
There are people around...
and there's always something to do.
When a widow is a widow...
she's got to look to do things
to keep her busy.
Else she'll die.
New York, New York.
- Do you have enough?
- That's it.
- Bea is going to get mad at me.
- I know. I know it...
but I know it can't be helped.
You know, she's going to say,
you know, "Why did you do that?"
She gets ballistic, goes crazy.
She's afraid
she's going to lose you.
- She never had me.
- Yeah, well, you know.
You know, I mean Jane's a friend.
I'm not looking to date Jane.
You know, I mean I know Jane,
how she is. She's emotional.
Right, Jane?
She's a lovely person.
And I don't want to play her
play with her, you know?
And that she wants somebody, right?
Right.
And I'm not the person for her.
I could love this guy.
I know. And she's a loveable person.
I could love her too, but...
that's not what I want, you know?
I'm looking for long-range, you know?
- You know what I'm thinking about?
- Yes.
- We've got to get out of here.
- Yes.
That's my friend Frank,
and that's his girlfriend over there.
And you're going to get hell.
So I know him.
- She cooks for him.
- You're kidding.
- Yeah, she does.
- That's all she does?
That's all she does is cook.
I don't believe it.
She must do more.
No. He says,
"No, she cooks."
Okay, let's go.
I'm ready to go.
I guess some people
get their pleasure...
from watching someone eat.
Everybody needs one friend.
We need more than...
No, just one that you can
really talk to...
and be very close with.
The others are
very good acquaintances.
- Where do you find them all?
- You don't.
You don't, okay. I just wondered...
When you...
When you're younger,
you have made friends.
When you came to Florida,
or wherever you went...
and you moved someplace else,
you made acquaintances...
and good acquaintances.
Not friends friends.
They're just not here anymore.
At this stage,
you're not making friends.
Nobody gets too close here.
They're afraid.
That's how they are here.
Everybody's for themselves...
what they can get out of you
I think I told them that.
What they can get,
anything out of you.
They use...
everybody's a user here.
So you get to become one yourself.
Do you remember what made
you want to move down 20 years ago?
Yes, my husband had a heart attack.
And he was told, "You cannot take
the winters in New York.
If you really want to have
a good quality of life...
get out of New York.
Go to California.
Go to Arizona.
Go to Florida."
I don't know
how content any of us are.
I think we have all
made our understanding...
we have all made our peace,
and we know what it is.
You try to fill your days
as best as you can.
You go to the malls.
You go to the Boynton Mall Tuesday,
Thursdays, and Saturdays.
You go to Town Center on Fridays.
Sundays, they have movies
at the clubhouse.
And there are times you stay home,
and other times you play mahjong...
in other words, you make
the very best of living in Florida.
I moved here 13 years ago
because I was afraid...
to live in the area.
The neighborhood changed.
So I migrated here to Florida.
And I love the weather.
I'm happy here. I like it.
And I got to the point where
you don't miss the family so much.
You know, you don't miss them.
Would you ever consider moving in
with your kids?
Never.
- Why not?
- I like to visit.
No, I have this health insurance
you know, in case they all have it...
home care.
That's if you get sick,
and you come home...
and they have a nurse.
So I spoke to my daughter-in-law...
the younger one. She said,
"What do you need it for?"
I said, "Hey, by the way,
if I get sick, God forbid...
are you going to be there
to take care of me?"
She didn't answer. She's very good.
She's very sweet. She's very caring.
And she didn't answer.
Knowing what I know today,
I would never move away.
In other words, I would never
move away from my children.
Because basically everyone's
very nice, everyone has friends here.
But children are children.
And as you grow older,
you begin to realize it's children...
...plus grandchildren.
And you miss a lot of their...
I miss a lot of their lives.
That's my youngest grandson, Spencer.
He's 13-years-old, and David is 16.
Now they come here for five days,
four days, a week, maybe ten days.
By the end of the time, they're pull
their hair out of their heads...
because there really
is nothing for them to do here.
- Five.
- Right. You've got five points.
Five points instead of three.
- How many cards?
- I have...
My husband passed on in 1983.
Suddenly.
He had the flu, and that was it.
And how was life different for you
after that?
It sucked.
You going to put that in?
Forget it.
And the friends who you're
friends with for 50 years?
- Forget it.
- Why?
Because they would go out,
and I would be behind.
Oh my, look at this.
- It's only number one.
- How lucky you are?
- Frank.
- I don't know how to play this game.
Frank, I know how to play.
But if you don't get the cards,
forget it.
Hey, when we're playing,
you're not my friend.
Hey, be nice.
You have five, six, seven,
eight of clubs.
- That's a flush.
- Throw a card.
You flush the toilet. You don't
flush, you don't have a flush.
See how he talks to me?
- And I'm throwing out the two.
- Don't tell me.
- I like that.
- Hooray!
- Hey, look at that. I won a quarter.
- Hey, I'm throwing this...
I'll be right back.
- All right?
- It's okay with me.
Frank.
Hi.
- Hi, Janey.
- Hello. Here we go.
It's been a year
since Manny passed away.
And I was thinking about him.
So being home alone tonight
I guess my thoughts were...
They weren't good.
- How are you?
- But now I'm okay.
I mean we're playing cards...
instead of in there dancing
and drinking, we're playing cards.
Thank you.
Frank. You want to knit?
- No.
- You want to knit?
You don't want a lemon drop?
When I look around,
it's frightening.
There are more singles living here...
than there were five years ago,
ten years ago.
And it begins to...
it's not...
It's frighten...
it's not that it's frightening...
because this is
just the way life goes.
But you don't know
what you want to do.
Do you want to stay here?
Do you want to go back to New York
to where your children are?
And if you do that, it's not
the great, the best thing either.
It's not. They have their own lives.
You have your life.
Your grandchildren have their lives.
It's not a very good trade.
Staying here is just about
the only thing you can do...
because you know people here.
You have a life here.
In New York, there's no such life.
And you don't have the time
to make it a new life.
Sick people, very sick indeed.
Very sick.
Both of them.
Alzheimer's.
- We're watching the store. Hi.
- Hi.
That's nice. It's an outing.
I once got sick.
They wouldn't come near.
They thought I was contagious.
They...
I was...
I don't know what I had,
but they wouldn't come near.
On the phone.
So what do you do?
I said, "I'm sick.
I can't go out. That's it."
And they were the only one,
the sickest one...
in the whole neighborhood,
she said, "I'm not afraid.
I'm dying anyway."
She had hepatitis.
She said, "I'll do...
what do you want?
I'll go get anything you want."
She came in and everything.
Everybody else wouldn't,
but she came in.
But not them.
I'm telling you.
All of them sitting like by the pool.
They're chummy bummies.
Not everyone feels very good.
And, not everyone wants to hear
what the next one has to say.
In other words, I don't want to know
your complaints.
I have my own.
You know, and nobody means it.
They really don't mean it.
I know I don't mean it.
But it's just a form of...
you just don't want to hear something
that is not very good anymore.
Self-preservation is number one.
Always. No matter what it is,
at what age. It doesn't matter.
Self-preservation is number one,
always.
That's the store here.
Pretty over here, isn't it, our view?
The golf course.
Is anyone from Kings Point
going to visit you here?
Why should they?
We're all in the same situation.
Alone.
Try to make new friends,
which really is very difficult.
Everything will work out.
Hello, Harry. Hi, how are you?
Yeah.
Where's Gladys? Did she leave?
Tell her to call me back.
If she ain't doing anything, the...
I'm in the house.
I have nothing to do. Yeah.
Maybe she wants to come over.
I don't know.
Okay.
You defrost them under the water.
I don't know
whether I would fall in love again.
I think I probably would try not to.
- Why?
- Because I don't want to get hurt.
Right?
I need affection.
I need closeness.
I need you know. I need to be...
I need real love.
I don't get that from Bea
because I...
you know, it's not going to work
with her.
She's good.
She's... I love Bea.
I love her.
But I don't want to get too close
to her...
because then, eventually,
I'm going to separate.
Because if I ever meet somebody...
you know, I mean I got to think
about my life.
And my life is not going to be
a real life that I want with Bea.
Thank you for being the person
that you are...
and for being my friend.
You have...
You have brightened my life.
What do you think?
If Bea were ten years younger...
be my age...
I would probably marry...
I would consider marrying her.
- So why is the age so important?
- I don't want to...
I put one wife...
I buried one wife.
I don't want to bury another one.
All right?
That's it.
I want somebody to bury me.
- Look at the nice hats.
- I'm not wearing it. No way.
Come on. How are you?
Happy new year to you.
Yes. We came here at 7 o'clock.
There's new year's eve.
The new year's eve party.
I haven't gone for nine years.
Since we became widows,
we haven't been going.
This keeps us busy.
That is sad.
There was a time
when you couldn't even...
you couldn't even get a table
for new year's eve. Look at this.
That's sad.
Five, four, three, two, one.
Happy new year.