Gena Rowlands, his wife of three decades and the star of most of his films, was at his side when he died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, said his publicist, Esme Chandlee.
She offers her home to Shaz, whose swearing, smoking, drinking and lesbianism at first seem like an affront to everything the God-fearing Esme values. A battle of wills begins, and a sad mutual past of child abuse emerges.