Ice Cream in the Cupboard

Based on Pat Moffett’s book, Ice Cream in the Cupboard details the turmoil that ensues for a happily married couple after Carmen (Claudia Ferri) is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease – which leaves Pat (Dana Ashbrook) scrambling to help her as best he can. Filmmaker Drew Pollins, working from a screenplay by John Rae and Jarret Rosenblatt, delivers an extremely earnest and well-intentioned drama that’s ultimately not quite as impactful as he’s surely intended, as the picture, which treads awfully familiar ground from start to finish, progresses at a sluggish pace that only intensifies the rather one-note nature of its midsection – with, at least, the less-than-captivating atmosphere generally alleviated by the impressively strong work of a talented cast. (Both Ferri and Ashbrook are undeniably excellent here, and the film also benefits from the top-notch efforts of such periphery players as Tobin Bell and Jaime King.) It’s clear, then, that Ice Cream in the Cupboard‘s mild success is cemented by a final half hour that packs a far more pronounced emotional punch than one might’ve anticipated, which does, in the final analysis, cement the movie’s place as an erratic yet often heartbreaking endeavor that effectively showcases two very impressive performances.

**1/2 out of ****