What makes film a delightful (and essential) art form is its multipurpose capacity — it can, among other things, entertain, inspire, distract, enthrall, and enlighten; some movies achieve several of these things at once. For example, Going in Style, a comedy heist directed by Zach Braff (Garden State, Wish I Was Here), aims not only to charm but also to educate viewers about kidney disease, a serious ailment that affects 26 million people in the U.S. each year.
A remake of the 1979 movie of the same name, this 2017 iteration was written by Theodore Melfi (Hidden Figures) and stars Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and Alan Arkin as retired steelworkers whose lives turn to crisis when their pensions are cut by their former employer. Fearing destitution, the three men decide to rob the company’s bank to get “what they’re owed.” A secondary plotline involves Freeman’s character, who needs a kidney transplant but keeps his health struggle a secret from his friends and family.
Going in Style opens in Santa Barbara on Thursday, April 6, with a fundraising event for the National Kidney Foundation, which features a screening of the film followed by a panel discussion about the ailment. The panelists include Metropolitan Theatres’ Bruce and David Corwin, author Gwyn Lurie, and nephrologist Dr. Darol Joseff. Actor Billy Baldwin will moderate.