| To Kill a Mockingbird Aug-2010 | It's the 40th anniversary this wonderful book, and I took it out of the library for Michael (although I'm not sure he'll get to it this summer). But I knew we could find time to watch the movie, and we did. This is one of my all time favorites (book & film), and I can think of no better way to show Michael the racial conflicts that existed back in the 1930's and in some ways, still exist today. And of course that wonderful character Atticus Finch - a model of morality and the perfect father figure. When Erika is a few years older, I will share this movie with her as well. Comments: 0 | Add a Comment |
| American Splendor Jul-2010 | I know George Steinbrenner got more headlines when he died earlier this month, but for my money, losing Harvey Pekar was a bigger loss. So in honor of Pekar's death, I decided to watch this movie again. Pekar, an obsessive compulsive curmudgeon of a guy wrote the underground comic series American Splendor (no, I'm not into comics at all). This is a very cleverly made movie, with snippets of the real Harvey Pekar and his wife Joyce interspersed throughout the film (they make you realize just how good the actors portray them). And it's the only way you could believe that one nerdy co-worker was not a made up character. Comments: 0 | Add a Comment |
| Toy Story 3 Jul-2010 | I read great reviews of this movie, and heard anecdotally how good it was, and I must say it did not disappoint. Andy is heading off to college, and his toys inadvertently end up donated to a daycare which is actually a prison run by a big purple bear with a chip on its shoulder. Of course they must escape, and the entire escape scene is just marvelous (and involves Mr. Potato head turning into a tortilla). The Barbie and Ken characters also deserve a call out for their brilliant, adult-humor-that-kids-laugh-at-too lines. I also loved the way this movie ended (no I will not share the details here); a great ending not only to this third installment, but a wonderful way to wrap up the trilogy. To infinity and beyond! Comments: 0 | Add a Comment |
| Shrek Forever After (in 2D) May-2010 | The 4th Shrek movie, and while not a bad movie, definitely not as good as the first two, but better than the third. Shrek has a bit of a George Bailey moment and after agreeing to an ill-fated contract with Rumplestiltskin, ends up not being born which of course means he can't save Fiona, and the plot thickens from there. There were some good lines - that obnoxious little kid telling Shrek to "Do the roar," and the line about the chimichanga stand on the war map were our two favorites. I thought Donkey's quip about "you'll have to buy me dinner first" was good too, although only the adults in the theater laughed. And of course Puss'n'boots being too fat to roll over was quite funny. It occurred to me that parts of this would've been pretty cool in 3D, although I'm not sure it would've been worth the expense to see it that way. Comments: 0 | Add a Comment |
| (Original) Little Women May-2010 | The 1933 version, updated and put onto DVD, with Katharine Hepburn as Jo. One of my all time favorites. Comments: 0 | Add a Comment |
| Little Women Apr-2010 | This was the remake (released sometime in the 1990's I believe) with Winona Ryder as Jo and Susan Sarandon as Marmee. Even the kids sat and watched it with me, and as good as the original is (with Katherine Hepburn as Jo), this version is just as good. A wonderful story, and I wanted to refresh my memory after reading the book March. Comments: 0 | Add a Comment |
| Apollo 13 Apr-2010 | A true classic, and even though you know what happens, you're still on the edge of your seat. I always find it ironic that the astronaut who was pulled from the mission because he had measles never got sick, and then ended up figuring out the power up sequence to get the crew home safely. Comments: 0 | Add a Comment |
| Field of Dreams Feb-2010 | Never saw this, and now that I have I realize I wasn't missing a thing. This guys listens to a voice inside his head that tells him to build a baseball field in the middle of his cornfield, all so that he can have a game of catch with his deceased dad. Yeah right. Overly sentimental, and quite a let down. Comments: 0 | Add a Comment |
| Skylark Feb-2010 | This is the sequel to the movie we watched last week (Sarah Plain & Tall). Erika was the one who requested this, and it was pretty good. Family battles severe drought in the middle of Kansas during the early 1900's. Comments: 0 | Add a Comment |
| Wuthering Heights Feb-2010 | The original from 1939 with Merle Oberon as Catherine and a very debonair and dashing (and youthful) Sir Laurence Olivier as Heathcliff. My only complaint about this movie is that it only covers about half the plot of the book. There's nothing about Catherine and Edgar's daughter Cathy, nothing about Isabella running away from Heathcliff, nothing about her son. The movie does, however, do such an exemplary job of the plot it does include that this is still a great movie, despite the omissions. Comments: 0 | Add a Comment |
| Sarah, Plain and Tall Feb-2010 | This was a Sunday evening family movie, complete with dinner, drinks and popcorn. We all liked this movie about a mail order bride who travels from Maine to the midwest in 1910 to help a widowed farmer raise his two children. Oh and she helps him finally grieve for that first wife of his too. She immediately bonds with the six year old son (the mother died giving birth to him), and eventually wins over the daughter too. But that widower husband is a tough nut to crack, and it's not till the end of the movie that she finally gets it through his thick skull that he wants her to stay. We've put a hold on the sequel. Comments: 0 | Add a Comment |
| The Namesake Feb-2010 | Not a great movie, but not a bad movie either. It starts with an arranged marriage between an Indian couple who then move to New York and start a family. The story is mostly about their son, Gogul who changes his name to Nick, but then ultimately realizes why his father named him Gogul in the first place. And then there's the whole growing up all American and Westernized juxtaposed with his far eastern roots. India gives him his calling when he decides to study architecture after seeing the Taj Mahal, but then, after drifting apart from is American girlfriend, he marryies a woman from India who ultimately lets him down. It seemed like this movie should have had more depth than it did, but it's still a good story about the ties between family and culture. Comments: 0 | Add a Comment |
| Pride & Prejudice Feb-2010 | Hayley suggested this movie to me. This is the version with Keira Knightley (as opposed to the 8-hour BBC mini-series version). Not too bad, however, I'm embarrassed to say I've never actually read any of Jane Austen's books, so I sort of think parts of this were a bit Hollywood-ized. But it stays true to the key Austen traits such as a confident, free thinking female lead who does not come from affluence, and a debonair male lead who is not quite what he appears, and a drop-dead gorgeous male supporting actor whose looks disguise his bad intentions. Comments: 0 | Add a Comment |
| The Muppetts Take Manhattan Feb-2010 | I watched this with the kids one night. This is the movie where Kermit & Piggy get married. It's kinda 70's, but it's still got some great lines (as does every Muppett movie ever made). This is probably my least favorite of all the Muppett films, but it's still worth watching. Comments: 0 | Add a Comment |
| Walk the Line Feb-2010 | The story of Johnny cash, although it seemed a bit Hollywood-ized to me. Did he really propose to June Carter on stage like that? I guess he might have, but the whole scene seemed a bit far-fetched to me. His dad certainly was... well, let's just say you wouldn't describe him as "nurturing." But June Carter was, and she was the making of Johnny. I did like the concert scenes, I thought those were good. And I know this was a long movie, but it stopped in 1968 with the prison concert. A few screen titles let us know that Johnny & June continued to make music up until their deaths in 2003. It's a shame that this move overlooked that huge catalog of music - especially Johnny's last recording before his death. Comments: 0 | Add a Comment |
| Sense & Sensibility Feb-2010 | This was a stuck-in-Philly-during-the-blizzard-with-Hayley movie. We flopped down with a six pack of Magic Hat and snow coming down outside, and just immersed ourselves in classic Jane Austen Victorian romance. And what's not to like? Character twists and plot twists, but in the end everyone who deserves to be happy ends up happy. Comments: 0 | Add a Comment |
| Away From Her Jan-2010 | After 44 years of marriage, Fiona & Grant Anderson have to come to grips with Fiona's Altzheimer's. She moves into a home, and falls in love with another man. There were a lot of ironic events in this movie and you have to decide for yourself how you feel about Grant. Is he truly a good husband? is he finally getting his come-uppance for things he's done in the past? has he given up on Fiona or has his faith in her never wavered? Yes, he does some questionable stuff, but he does visit her every day, and he does make quite a self-sacrafice at the end of the movie in a last-ditch attempt to revive Fiona's spirits. Note that I'm not providing any specific plot details because I don't want to ruin this movie for anyone, we highly recommend it. Comments: 0 | Add a Comment |
| Harvard Beats Yale 29-29 Jan-2010 | A documentary about the Yale-Harvard football game that took place on November 23, 1968 in Harvard stadium. Both teams were undefeated for the first time since 1909 at the time of this final game of both their seasons. Yale was heavily favored, and honestly, the further along into the film this got, the more I kept asking myself how in the world Harvard was going to tie the game. Then there was also the social backdrop of the 1960's and the white-Republican-male attitude of Yale vs. the anti-war working class attitude of Harvard. This was a fantastic film - an incredibly exciting game, and really interesting interviews with the men who played in it. Comments: 0 | Add a Comment |
| For Your Consideration Jan-2010 | It's Christopher Guest, so beer is a pre-requisite for this movie. The actors and actresses on the set of a forthcoming movie named Home for Purim hear a rumor that there may be Oscar nominations in their future. The buzz around the film makes people act in strange ways. This film spoofed all those nightly entertainment shows perfectly. Comments: 0 | Add a Comment |