"Harvest" Movie Review: When Good Cheer Isn't Enough to Stave Off Death

Robert Loggia gives a charming performance as Siv Monopoli, patriarch of a squabbling Italian family somewhere in New England. It's unfortunate that Harvest, written and directed by Marc Meyers, concerns Siv's decline and death, so that scenes of the old man happily riding his bike through town and amazing everyone with his joie de vivre alternate with scenes of him lying in bed in mortal agony. Sadly, there are more bed scenes as the movie goes on, as Siv is tended to by his two bickering sons, his martyr of a daughter, and his mopey college-aged grandson, who can't believe he has to spend summer vacation with the old folks instead of with his friends at the beach. Sure, life is tough, but we couldn't help but wish Siv had passed on some of his good cheer to his offspring.