48/19
Angie and Pat have been together for over four decades, but after Pat’s unexpected death, Angie finds herself at the mercy of Pat’s family as she struggles to maintain her dignity and the home they’ve shared for over thirty years. Angie and Pat have been together for decades and have just hosted a Mid-Autumn dinner for Pat’s biological family, who are less well-off financially than Pat. The younger generation refers to her affectionately as “Aunt Angie.” However, when Pat dies in her sleep, Pat’s family treats Angie as a mere “friend,” lower in rank than the family, overrides her wishes, and gradually pushes her out. Their lawyer friend points out all of Pat’s errors of omission. Refusing to sign a will (Pat plans to start a new fashion retail business, rather than acknowledge the possibility of death), the execution of the will defaults to Pat’s brother. Not leaving written funeral instructions means that the biological family takes matters into their own hands. Not marrying abroad means that Angie has no moral standing, not the scant legal standing that such a document might provide. Having the apartment in Pat’s name only means that Angie has no rights. The best Angie can do is claim a dependent’s allowance from the estate. As Angie loses battle after battle, it is her chosen family who provide emotional support. This film is supposedly based on true events and shows the problems of not being prepared. Films on this theme appeared in North America a decade or two ago, but the problems mostly ended when same-sex marriage became legal. It reminds us that the fight for rights must continue, but before those rights are established, there are legal issues to worry about.
