Weak, frail and elderly, Harry (Charles Bay) struggles merely to drag himself out of bed. His perky Nancy Reagan lookalike of a wife Susan (Frances Bay), meanwhile, is full of life. Bustling about the kitchen, baking cookies, and banging away on the piano, Susan is a septuagenarian dream wife while her husband has all he can do simply to put his dentures in the right way.
Yet, Harry finally triumphs, hauling himself determinedly into the kitchen and sticking his hand into the cookie jar to complete his quest…only to have Susan deal a crushing and cruel-hearted reprimand with the smile of an angel plastered across her face.
Director Nicholas Peterson’s “Cookies for Harry” is sure to raise the hackles of card-carrying AARP-sters everywhere. That’s because this is truly a wicked little film; a one joke wonder that weirdly builds to its utterly unexpected cutting climax.
“Cookies for Harry” looks great, its garish photography matched by its Technicolor art design. It takes a beat or two too long to get to its punch line, but the pay-off, like piping hot chocolate chip cookies straight out of the oven, is worth it.
