The Road to Tender Hearts

Hartnett’s gift is to nestle genuine humor right alongside life’s most terrible tragedies. Here she again balances joy and tragedy, combining the comedy of a screwball road trip with a serious meditation on loss, grief, healing, and second chances. Along for the ride are a 63-year-old named P.J. who has an ailing heart and a drinking problem, his estranged 23-year-old daughter, his brother’s recently orphaned grandkids, and Pancakes, a tabby cat with unusual powers. They’re on a mission to reunite with P.J.’s old flame at Arizona’s Tender Hearts nursing home. This madcap ride manages to feel hopeful and heartwarming despite its sad subject matter.