Morning's at Seven (1982)

Based upon the Tony Award winning play, "Morning's at Seven" is the funny, deeply poignant story of the four aging Gibbs sisters and their quirky families in a small Midwestern town in the 1920s. Cora and Ida have lived next door to each other for years. Their youngest sister, Aaronetta, has lived with Cora and her husband, Thor, since she was a teenager. "Arry" constantly competes with Cora for Thor's attention, complicating the couple's marriage. Ida's husband, Carl, is tormented by "spells," feeling inadequate in the achievement of his life's goals. Esther, the oldest sister, lives a few blocks away but is forbidden by her husband, David, to visit her sisters, whom he thinks are intellectually inferior. Still, "Esty" sneaks down to visit whenever she can. Humorous but emotionally deep tensions arise as Cora plots for a new life alone with Thor, Arry tries to hang on to Thor, Cora struggles with David's intimidation, and Ida worries about Carl's spells. Everything comes to a head when Ida's and Carl's forty-year-old son, Homer, brings Myrtle, his fiancée of eight years, home to meet the family for the first time.