In normal times (i.e. not during the COVID-19 pandemic), 6,800 Americans die every day. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, fear of death ranks second on the list of top phobias in the U.S. Yet spiritual teachers have long recommended that we learn to live with death.

The early Christians known as the Desert Fathers and Mothers saw death as a companion who is always with us. For mystical Sufis, death is stepping across a threshold and being given another chance to awaken. The medieval Catholic Saint Benedict had monks keep skulls on their tables so they could remind themselves of the impermanence of life. Buddhist monks have used prayer beads made of human bones as a reminder of mortality.

American historian Michael Lese describes death as "the forbidden zone" which is wrapped in darkness and mystery. People used to die at home and their friends prepared the bodies for burial. Today "ordinary and inevitable death has become so rare that when it occurs among us it reverberates like a handclap in an empty auditorium."

With the release of Blackbird we all have a sobering, spiritual, and sensible opportunity to discuss the many important subjects surrounding death. It is directed by Roger Michell with a screenplay by Christian Torpe. This story was also made into a Danish film, Silent Heart (Stille Hjerte) directed by Billie August, for those who want to watch both of them and note any differences.

Kate Winslet as Jennifer and Mia Wasikowska as her sister Anna

Lily (Susan Sarandon) and her husband Paul (Sam Neill), a doctor, have invited their family members and a special friend to their gigantic and luxurious beach home. They are there to bid farewell to Lily who is suffering from ALS, an always fatal illness. Already she has lost movement in her hand and one leg. Rather than face the indignities of further decline, she has decided to end her life. Paul has obtained the drugs for this assisted suicide.

To alleviate some of the anxiety and tension, Susan has planned a Yuletide dinner and the giving of gifts. But her two daughters, Jennifer (Kate Winslet), a very controlling woman, and Anna (Mia Wasikowska), who has had some emotional problems, squabble over their mother's choice of euthanasia. Jennifer reluctantly wants to honor her mother's decision, but Anna is not ready to let go of her yet.

The family gathers for one last dinner.

Other guests express their reactions to what will take place. Anna has brought along her sometime girlfriend (Bex Taylor-Klaus) who as the outsider is more perceptive about what is going on than most of the others. Lily's grandson Jonathan (Anson Boon) is accepting but appreciates the opportunity to have a private conversation with her during which he reveals a secret. Liz (Lindsay Duncan), Lily's lifelong friend, also has a revelation that is sure to shock everyone.

Susan Sarandon hits all the right notes in her poignant performance as a complex elder who doesn’t like to depend on others yet is willing to let them depend upon her. By being death's companion, she has learned to be a more loving wife, mother, and friend.