Movies, Mom & Me

Yes

2010-06-12T13:37:00.004-07:00

Who's watched: Watched and bought this movie AMD
Mentions: none
Commentary: Finally, one more AMD movie that isn't fluffy, not even close! I stumbled across this movie by chance when I was browsing Netflix. It sounded interesting. I fell in love with it as I began watching it and became even more intrigued when I realized that the entire script was written in poetry. It is so skillfully written, directed and acted that I can imagine lots of people watching this movie and never realizing it is poetic. It's modern day Shakespeare. The story was also mesmerizing, especially it's peculiar overview of romantic relationships, sly and ironic, erotic in an offhanded way, which makes it hard to call this movie a romance, although I'll include that label on this review. I was so enthralled that when I bought the movie I also bought the script and, as well, had a copy of this movie sent to one of my sister's who I just knew would find it as intriguing as I did. I also excerpted one of the monologues from the movie, over-narrated by a character who is in a nursing home, pretty much comatose and immediately dying, to read at my grief support group because it confirmed something I rather suspected from having attended my own mother's death; that the dying (and the dead) don't necessarily want their survivors not to grieve for them.

You've Got Mail

2010-06-12T13:29:00.004-07:00

Who's watched: Bought this movie AMD
Mentions: none
Commentary: Funny about this movie. Yes, it's yet another emotional and, this time, comedic fluff movie that I bought after my mother died, for the same reasons I bought all the others. It was, as well, one of the movies that I recorded on our DVR long before my mother died and kept there because both of us enjoyed watching it so much, thus, watching it now has the added dimension of remembering my mother's and my shared pleasure in the movie. Although we enjoyed the entire movie, we especially liked the title sequence featuring Harry Nilsson's "The Puppy Song". Too bad this guy died so young. This isn't the only one of his compositions that intrigue me. I bought it in order to erase it from the DVR and, of course, watch it at my leisure.

The Devil Wears Prada

2010-06-12T12:41:00.002-07:00

Who's watched: Bought this movie AMD
Mentions: none
Commentary: It seems, after my mother died, I ended up buying a pretty few of these movies that are pure fluff, either emotional, visual or both! Here's another. Actually, Mom saw this movie and liked it so much that if we noticed it playing when we were channel surfing we'd click into it, to the satisfaction of both of us. I linked it to Roger Ebert's review because one of the things I like about it is the "gee-whiz" quality he identifies in the movie. I also like the opening title sequence and the emphasis on fashion. My favorite aspect of the movie, though, is Meryl Streep's performance. She imbued her character with astonishing dignity, to the point where it almost made me wish I'd decided to become a corporate dragoness! I also consider this a type of pussy-flick...substituting "fashion" for "pussy"...but it carries the same watchable quality as pussy-flicks.

Flashdance

2010-06-12T12:21:00.006-07:00

Who's watched: Watched and bought this movie AMD
Mentions: none
Commentary: I admit it. I'm a Flashdance junkie, just like millions (maybe billions, considering its stunning entry into the global cultural lexicon; if you doubt this, watch Caro diario. Yes, the story is dumb, yes it's pretty much badly acted, yes it's a pussy flick, but I don't care. I love the music/dance sequences. My favorite is the "Maniac" sequence. My second favorite is the "Manhunt" sequence: LOVE it when the dancer crawls across the floor! My third favorite is the one that features a reaction to television. I found myself craving this film after my mother died, (much as I craved, with much personal embarrassment, the movie City of Angels) because I felt like I needed to feed off its energy. It worked, and still works. Did my mother ever watch it? Possibly, during one of its infamous (but infrequent) television reruns, although I can't remember. Whether or not she saw it, would she have liked it? Absolutely, for exactly the same reasons I like it. I refuse to say any more on the grounds that it might incriminate me.

Across the Universe

2010-06-12T11:59:00.004-07:00

Who's watched: Watched and bought this movie AMD
Mentions: none
Commentary: Although this movie was released before Mom's death, I didn't watch it until after she died, when it became available for rental. On first watching I determined that I wasn't particularly interested in owning it, even though it was entertaining. I wasn't impressed by the story. I did, however, find myself keeping the movie for several days and re-viewing the music segments, some of which I found captivating, and playing it in the background because I found that the reproductions of the songs by various artists added flavor to the compositions. I still resisted owning it, though, until I stumbled across a severely marked down copy. I don't find it an adequate substitute for The Beatles, but it's an interesting and informative adjunct.

Capitalism: A Love Story

2010-06-12T11:23:00.004-07:00

Who's watched: Watched and bought this movie AMD
Mentions: none
Commentary: Well, of course I own this movie! I watched it in the theater when it was first released, then bought a copy. I regularly force watchings upon relatives and friends. Much has been written and said about this movie which doesn't need repeating. I can tell you, though, that one moments I found the scariest was observing the slight smile on President George W. Bush's face when he announced the economic "global meltdown"; as though the plutocrats had not only orchestrated it but were rubbing their hands together with glee when it happened, knowing it would lead to a government bailout of the plutocracy and a startling, one time transfer of even more more wealth into their rarefied percent of the population. As it happens, the financial reform that is now being wrangled over in the Legislature will likely not prevent another economic meltdown (although it's debatable whether any more bailouts will be okayed, at least in the near future). I want to mention that I found some of the special features on the DVD as, if not more, interesting than the movie. Two in particular, Commie Taxi Drivers and The Socialist Bank of — North Dakota? [Both linked to their availability on Michael Moore's Website, where you can see all the special features] are especially hopeful. The movie can be relatively discouraging, so I have to be careful about repeat watchings. However, I have to say, Michael Moore's last line, "I refuse to live in a country like this — and I'm not leaving," more than makes up for the discouragement this movie and the some of special features dish out.

Catching Up

2010-06-12T11:00:00.004-07:00

    I'm adding a few movies to my list; all of them purchased after my mother's death. I suppose, in a way, I'm breaking an assumed rule, here, considering the name of the site, but a few of my friends use this site as a reference for movies they'd like to borrow and watch. As well, because movies played such a large part of Mom's and my life over the last years of her life, especially after she no longer found the theater experience comfortable, it is impossible for me to watch any movie in any venue, including at home, without thinking of her and speculating how she might have reacted to the movie.
    Poignant story: Yesterday I decided to attend the new version of The Karate Kid [I'm linking to this review because it's the kindest, although I was not as thrilled with the movie as Roger Ebert was; I very much enjoyed Jackie Chan, though, AND, there is one particular scene I can't get out of my head: At the final tournament there is a moment when the bully, Cheng, registers a facial expression of simultaneous confusion and insight; the shot is gone almost as quickly as it appears, but it's startling and left me thinking that Wang Zhenwei is an actor to watch) at our local theater. Aside from the fact that I liked the first (only the original, not particularly the sequels), the original was one that Mom loved and we'd watch whenever we found it on a television channel line-up. Although the theater was fairly packed, the seat in which I sat had an empty to my right. As the movie played, I noticed I was reaching over and laying my hand on the seat during sequences that I found interesting. When my mother and I watched movies, either at home or in the theater, I always sat to her left and she and I always reached over and touched one another when we found a scene or a bit of dialogue significant. Often we'd look at each other and smile, especially when we found our hands meeting in mid-air as they were traveling between us.
    Not sure, as I continue listing movies, here, if I'll mention how I think my mother would have reacted. Maybe...maybe not. I haven't actually purchased many movies since my mother died. Since the collection we have is more than enough for me, even minus those I've donated to the local library, and I don't find myself "losing touch" with the memory of movies I love, as my mother did, thus needing to watch them over and over, it mostly doesn't seem necessary to own any more movies than already exist in the collection. But, there have been a few...

P.S.: For these movies, in the area of the review labeled "Who's Watched:", in the following phrase, "Watched [and/or simply] bought this movie AMD", AMD stands for After Mom's Death.

As of May 1, 2010...

2010-04-29T21:47:00.000-07:00

...Blogger will no longer allow FTP publishing. Updates to this blog can be found at http://moviesmomandme.blogspot.com. This section of the journal will also remain at in it's domain directory, so accessing links should not present a problem.

Demetri Martin: Person

2009-04-12T07:18:00.005-07:00

Who's watched: G
Mentions: none
Commentary: I almost forgot about entering this DVD because its more or less permanent place is right by the DVD player. MFS sent this to me maybe two months ago, so, it's one of those post-Mom DVDs. I'm not sure whether she thought it was time for me to laugh, again, but that's what this DVD accomplished. I've watched it three times since she sent it. I've watched ALL the special features on this disc. I've looked up his show, Important Things (which is right now in repeat, but I still watch it, I need to be reminded of his attitude) on cable. I've watched episodes of that. This is one of my favorite types of humor: Droll, bizarre, outrageously unassuming, ridiculous...I LOVE this guy's take on the world, which, by the way, extends to his website (which is also VERY unassuming...there's almost nothing there and he appears white on white...hilarious in itself. His "music", his drawing, his skits, love 'em. This is one of the kinds of humor with which I was raised in my family. Watching Demetri Marin feels like coming home. And Laughing.

Yentl

2009-04-10T18:44:00.005-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: *1*
Commentary: This is the second movie I've bought since Mom died, strictly in memory of Mom, this time. This was one of her favorites. Although it didn't play on the cable channels often, I doubt that we ever missed a showing of it. There are many reasons she liked it: Its portrayal of a bright, gutsy young woman refusing to give up her dreams and desires in the face of a woman-stifling culture; its periodicity; its intriguing presentation of a woman who is so successful at masquerading as a man that she marries a woman who thinks she's an exceptional (because she's a woman) man (Mom has always loved gender-benders); the very messy, thus very realistic resolution. Although its not one of my favorites, I have to say that certain scenes have the power to mesmerize me, despite the outlandishness of the story. The movie wasn't released on video until this year, some months after Mom died. When I saw it at Costco I knew it was necessary for me to purchase it. And watch it, multiple times, I'm sure. In honor of Mom...and Momandme.

The Women (2008)

2009-04-10T18:22:00.004-07:00

Who's watched: G
Mentions: none
Commentary:  This is one of the few movies I've purchased since Mom died. It came out the Tuesday after she died. We'd talked about getting it so that we could compare it with the first version and looked forward to seeing it. I'd talked, the week before she died, about it's release coming up the next week. Thus, of course, I bought it.
  There are two critical schools of thought on this remake. The first is echoed in the link to the title of the movie above. The second is here, courtesy of The New York Times. The former expresses my sentiments, although not completely. Roger Ebert seems not to have watched either movie closely enough to realize that the remake actually follows the structure of the first one very closely. Some of the dialogue is even repeated. The resolution is completely different and the satire is toned down significantly so, yes, these are two "different" movies. And, I definitely missed the presence of the hats and the silly clothes that Sylvia wears in the first movie. I also missed the hilarious actress credit sequence from the first movie that wasn't even attempted in the second. I was curious to see what the producers of the remake would do with that. The second movie also explores the eternal mother character much better than the first, and I like the twist in the remake on the relationship between the mother and daughter. The first is much cattier, but the second portrays deeper friendships which would be trivialized by the catty fast talk of the first. Both movies, as well, have interesting fashion runway sequences. My preference is for the first. I prefer the context, love the fact that the movie switches to color for that sequence, and I love the clothes in the first movies' fashion sequence much better than the clothes in the second. I should have been born so that I could have been in my clothes-horse prime during the thirties through the early forties. For satiric dazzle I prefer the first movie. For emotional satisfaction I prefer the second. I'd love to know which my mother would have preferred. I will be keeping both movies.
  You'll notice that I categorized the first as a romance. It was. I can't categorize the second as such, because it isn't; unless you count romancing one's friends, and one's self, which is a clear slant of the second movie. Ah, what the hell; why not. It's a romance. Just not the usual kind.

Thank You for Smoking

2009-04-10T18:09:00.003-07:00

Who's watched: G
Mentions: none
Commentary: I rented this, fell in love with it as the ultimate in political instruction and purchased a copy for myself as a reminder of what I'll be up against if I ever decide to enter into politics (which I may) and how to give as good as I get. Although this movie is, of course, a broad satire, it is also a case of a no holds barred portrayal of reality being the satire. It isn't that I haven't been aware that much of politics is froth...it's that this movie made me realize that one can't beat the influence of froth unless one understands it and, as well, is willing to occasionally decorate one's priorities with froth. And, no, Mom never watched it. I made the choice not to show it to her. I was concerned that the speaking was so fast and furious that she would get lost in the shuffle. I now think I may have underestimated her ability to understand the point of this movie, and enjoy it. Maybe I'll do better next life.

State of the Union

2009-04-10T16:49:00.008-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: none
Commentary: Ah! This movie is a buried treat! I knew nothing about it when I spotted it at Costco. The play from which it is adapted continues to be produced and, apparently, over the last few years, has been considered especially timely: check out this link for proof. I purchased it solely on the strength of it being yet another Tracy/Hepburn movie. When Mom and I enthusiastically cracked the case that afternoon and watched the movie, we were both blown away! Aside from the fact that I can't believe this movie isn't more well known, it's extremely timely. It talks about political and economic issues with which we are still struggling; it suggests the possibility of not only a European Union but a World Union with a World Currency; it discusses the problems of corporate industry and talks about the relationship between management and unions...and, of course, it deals heavily with political corruption by lobbyists and business. It's story line includes a sub-story which is a frank exploration of marriage versus mistresses and the "sacrifices" wives and husbands appear to be obliged to make when one of them becomes involved in politics. It is yet another one of Frank Capra's movies and is clearly identifiable as one. And, it was made in 1948!
Mom and I were both wowed by this movie and wondered why it isn't considered among the Tracy/Hepburn classics, or among Capra's classics. We watched it multiple times before Mom died. I've watched it a couple of times since.

Spanglish

2009-04-10T16:41:00.003-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: none
Commentary: This movie is purely Mom's delight. From the beginning, when the narrator begins to tell the story of what her mother means to her, my mother follows the movie all the way through. That's why I decided to purchase a copy one day when I saw it selling at the grocery store at a ridiculously cheap price. I enjoy it, too...even though my Adam Sandler fandom runs more to movies like Punch Drunk Love. It was fun for me to watch Mom watching this movie, though. She just beamed through the entire show. I think she identified strongly with Flor.

Sister Wendy Collection

2009-04-10T16:24:00.005-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: *1*
Commentary: Our collection consists of the following:
Aside from the comments in the Mention, above, you should know that the theme for the series casts a spell over me, as well. My mother never tired of watching these videos. Neither do I.

Singin' in the Rain

2009-04-10T16:08:00.004-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: *1*
Commentary: I don't care why critics think it's a great movie...I just love it. Every single moment of it; especially the dancing and singing in the rain and the dance sequences with Reynolds, Kelly and O'Connor. LOVE watching O'Connor and Kelly together. They both looked like they just "[Had]'ta Dance"! Mom loved this movie, too. The only reason we didn't own it before last year is that it showed on TCM so much that it seemed as though we didn't need to own it...until I ran across a copy of it on the cheap and decided it was time. Also, I consider this movie film art because of the way dance was translated to the screen.

Sicko

2009-04-10T16:02:00.003-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: none
Commentary: I keep this movie as reference. I think it will come in particularly handy in the next few years. Mom and I both watched it. I think it bored Mom, especially since I insisted on watching all the special features which were, in many cases, more interesting than the movie. I care about this movie because I am one of Uninsured America. Since I was 22, I have had medical insurance for only nine months out of my entire adult life. In addition, I earned my fighting chops defending my fully insured mother against the USA Medical-Industrial Complex, including the insurance industry. Shouldn't surprise you that I'm a fan of this movie.

Sex and the City, The Movie

2009-04-10T15:39:00.004-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: *1*
Commentary: My reaction to this movie is complicated.
- I'm sure you've heard the following: "If you love the series, you'll love the movie." Not so. I agree that in order to become involved in the movie one has to be familiar with the series, but I love the series and the movie was a disappointment. I can see how my mother liked the movie. Aside from her reaction noted above, it was so colorful and splashed so broadly on such a huge canvas that it was kind of like watching a cartoon.
- That having been said, I was deeply affected, after my mother's death, by the scenes involving Carrie's mourning of what she assumed to be the definitive death of her relationship with Mr. Big. These scenes tugged mercilessly at my heart. At one point, the week after the first group of visitors left, I would watch the series of scenes, from her phone dropping at the wedding site when she hears that John has decided not to come to the wedding, straight through to her finally arising from an emotionally drugged three day sleeping binge in Mexico and joining the rest of her friends, endlessly. I would weep uncontrollably throughout...then continue my own mourning, which while it didn't include constant sleep, did include loss of appetite, drawing of all drapes, extinguishing of all sources of light and a strict isolation from everything that implies the continuation of life. That part of the movie continues to tug at my heart. On bad days, I make it a point to watch that series of scenes, yet again.
- I was completely disappointed in something about the movie, but I couldn't place my finger on what until MCS and MCNC came to visit in early spring and we watched the movie (they hadn't seen it). When MCS pronounced it, after having watched about a half hour of it, as "a bunch of privileged women buying things", I realized what bothered me about the movie: The hard-driven focus on fashion, which is so relentless that the story lines get lost in the shuffle. Although the series has a decent fashion thrust, it isn't relentless; nor does it obscure story lines and ideas. The movie, unfortunately, took the fashion/money thrust to the limit and, in doing so, limited the ability of the story lines to come through.
I'll keep the movie, though, as a part of my SATC collection. I hope the company doesn't plan to do another, though. My hope is that they consider all loose ends tied up tight. Enough is, as this movie proves, more than enough.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

2009-04-10T15:25:00.004-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: none
Commentary: I resisted placing this movie in our collection for some years, even though Mom insisted on watching it every time it came on TV and, I have to admit, I love the dancing, especially the "athletic" (as one critic called it) sequence involving the testosterone soaked brothers against suitors of the town vying for the affections of seven sprightly town maidens. Finally, winter before this last, I found it at Costco and brought it home for a weekend surprise. We watched the movie twice in a row, at Mom's request (and have watched it several times since). I was fascinated to discover that my mother's favorite dance sequence was the one done in the dead of winter while the seven brothers are chopping wood and bemoaning their singular (pun intended) fate. As she would watch that sequence, every time, she'd mention how much she liked it, her body would weave to the adagio accompaniment of the silken cowboy ballad and she'd swing her arm in an arc from her elbow each time an axe swung to a down beat. She loved the rest of the movie, as well, the Sabine Women sequence, in particular, and I loved watching her watch it. I will continue to love watching it and remembering the her high pleasure in the production.

Savages

2009-04-10T15:16:00.002-07:00

Who's watched: G
Mentions: *1* *2*
Commentary: I think I said everything that needs to be said about this film in the first of the Mentions. I am assigning it to the "caregiver" category, marginally, but I don't actually think of this as a caregiver's movie; even though most of the critics who watched it did. A lot of critics, I guess, haven't cared for elderly relatives and friends.

Requiem for a Dream

2009-04-10T14:56:00.002-07:00

Who's watched: G
Mentions: none
Commentary: I had wanted to watch this movie ever since it came out and somehow never got the chance. I never mentioned it to anyone, but I thought of it often. When we joined a rental service I put it in my queue but there were always so many other, much lighter movies that I placed before it because, somehow, I knew this wasn't a film Mom would want to watch. Then, during the spring of 2008 when Mom was in the hospital an rehab, out of the blue MFS sent me a copy of this movie...even though I'm sure I never mentioned my interest in it to her...it's become, since, a symbol of our psychic link.
This movie is frenetic, tragic and gorgeous, all at the same time. Ostensibly the story of what addiction (to a variety of "things", including dreams) can do to a person. It's wonderfully acted and so succinctly imagined, written, produced, directed and portrayed that, after one scene in which one of the characters sexually compromises herself for drugs, MFS told me she felt like she needed to take a shower after the scene. It's true: The movie throws the grime of desperation right through the screen at you. There's something in this movie to make anyone, everyone feel dirty. The desperation never lets up; it's like watching a family version of Titus Andronicus. Which, of course, thrills me. I don't know why I'm attracted to such spot-on portrayals of the dregs of life, but I am, and this one is a masterpiece. I've watched it three times since I've received it. I'll watch it again. I've even created the category of "tragedy" for it, because, oddly, despite my attraction to tragedy, except for some of the video adaptations of Shakespeare's plays, we have no other relentless tragedies. I think I held off while Mom was alive because I suspected that I wouldn't be able to watch them, much. I was right...but, (cackling deleriously and rubbing hands together) THE SCREEN IS MINE, ALL MINE, NOW...

Persuasion

2009-04-10T14:45:00.002-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: none
Commentary: I picked this up because Mom and I so enjoyed the video versions of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility that we own and a friend told me that I'd probably like this version of the JA novel, too. I'm usually wary of friends recommending movies to me, but she was right. Mom and I both enjoyed this one. Film adaptations of Jane Austen and others' works can be disappointing; Mom and I have been disappointed before. This one isn't. I still prefer the books, but this movie and the other two JA adaptations we own bring the characters and environments to life.

Legends of the Fall

2009-04-10T14:33:00.004-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: none
Commentary: I'm truly surprised that I never mentioned this movie in the journals because, after I'd first seen it, the year it was released, I was mesmerized by it and talked it up to everyone who would listen, rented it endlessly and forced relatives to watch it with me, etc. I've often tried to explain why this movie has such a hold over me. Luckily, Mom always enjoyed it, as she does most big country-spectacle-epics. The acting is poor to fair to good to very occasionally excellent (usually the minor characters ring in the excellence in acting); the story is, well, the father-son story at the base of it is reasonably interesting but predictable; but the whole business about bears and the fall...it resonates with my own interest in bears and the fact that I've always been unreasonably proud of being a fall baby and feel "special" because of that accident of birth timing. I tend to feel as though I am in a dream when I watch this movie. Weird, I know. But, I expect to unreasonably love this movie for the rest of my life. I was lucky that Mom enjoyed it, too, I think it was like reading a sprawling novel, for her, thus she indulged my need to watch this at least once a year, if not more.

Ordinary People

2009-04-10T14:26:00.001-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: none
Commentary: I picked this up on a whim. The memory of Mary Tyler Moore's performance in this movie haunted me for years. Stunning. When I stumbled upon across a copy on the cheap I decided to purchase it. Mom didn't remember having seen it; perhaps she didn't; but she enjoyed it as a family tragedy that "works out in the end". Mainly, my interest is in MTMs performance, the story doesn't interest me, much, but her performance, I could watch certain scenes over and over again. And I have. And I will.

Mrs. Brown

2009-04-10T13:57:00.004-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: *1*
Commentary: Despite the unresounding reception Mom gave this film when we first watched it, after some extensive wrangling I finally obtained a copy of it, solely because I wanted to watch it again, and again, and probably again. After a second watching of it, Mom warmed to it. It's a subtle movie, restrained acting in display of a restrained household...which is part of its magic. Judi Densch and Billy Connolly are wonderful in it.

Mongol

2009-04-10T13:21:00.003-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: none
Commentary: One of the advantages, for Mom & me, of subscribing to a DVD rental service was (and remains) the availability of foreign films. Slowly, because of my interest in films from everywhere, if they're good, she learned to handle foreign language films with subtitles. Our favorites, though, were the sweeping epics that communicate mostly without language. This movie became one of our favorites in 2008. You'd think, because it is mostly about conflict, sometimes bloody, short on specific cultural information, etc., we would have found it boring. Quite the opposite. Mom loved the scene-after-scene sprawl of the steppes. I loved the mythical ambience of the film.

Katherine Hepburn 100th Anniversary Collection

2009-04-09T19:30:00.003-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: none
Commentary: The Collection contains the following movies:
The Corn is Green
Morning Glory
Sylvia Scarlett
Undercurrent
Without Love
Of these, Mom's favorite was the first. Neither of us was particularly thrilled with the middle three, although we both thought it was appropriate that Hepburn, at one point in her career, played a woman who masqueraded as a boy. Mom liked the last more than me. I was disappointed because it was one of the few Tracy/Hepburn movies I hadn't seen and the description intrigued me...but, I don't know, their chemistry seemed off in this film, as though they were having a long personal argument underneath the script. It was distracting. Mom really liked the character that Hepburn played in this movie, which didn't surprise me...I think Mom imagined herself as "that type".

John Adams

2009-04-09T19:17:00.005-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: *1*
Commentary: Yet another one of those teaching videos, for Mom. The Mention says it all. Yes, we made it through the entire series before she died. Yes, she was shocked and intrigued at the vaccination and breast cancer episodes; worthy of pauses and further discussion between us. During the breast cancer surgery (which wasn't completely displayed), she speculated, aloud, how lucky MCS (who is a breast cancer survivor) was that "we" weren't living during "those days". The surprising aspect of this was that my mother remembered that MCS had breast cancer, several years ago.

The Jane Austen Book Club

2009-04-09T19:04:00.003-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: none
Commentary: This is a delightful pastiche of a movie with some very good ensemble acting and an interesting interlinkage of romantic stories that simply captured us. Look, especially, at Lynn Redgrave's performance as the mother of one of the characters. Brave and brilliant! I've watched this movie several times on my own, as well as the special features, because it, well, it feels good to watch it.

Inside the Actors Studio: Johnny Depp

2009-04-09T18:35:00.003-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: none
Commentary: With this commentary, I'm instituting the habit of attaching specific interview video clips from YouTube to the interviews (yes, I'll be going back and doing the same for other interview subjects covered here). Again, interview well enjoyed by both of us.

Inside the Actors Studio: Robin Williams

2009-04-09T18:11:00.005-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: See Inside the Actors Studio mentions
Commentary: Unfortunately, the Bravo TV site no longer keeps tabs on all the episodes through all the years, so it looks as though I'll be reverting to YouTube for title links from now on, which is actually better, in this case, anyway. I didn't, above, only because the link I used includes some interesting information about this interview. However, if you're curious, here and here are links to two excerpts from this delightful, entertaining interview. Once you get over to YouTube you'll notice that there are several other video clips from this interview. I recommend all of them. Mom and I viewed this several times. We never tired (and I never tire) of it.

Inside the Actors Stuido: Leading Men

2009-04-09T17:41:00.006-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: none specific to this DVD
Commentary: Although I remember the two of us delving into this DVD set soon after in arrived, I have no memory of three of the interviews [Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Sean Penn (YouTube clips linked to names)] and only a vague memory of one, Russell Crowe's (no YouTube clip of this). Hard to imagine that I spaced so much of these episodes, as I'm sure both of us enjoyed all of them...but, I received this sometime in 2008 and can only imagine that my concentration level was severely hampered by everything that was going on during Mom's last year of life. At any rate, the link connected to the title, above, gives a good overview of each interview...and writing this reminds me that I need and want to watch these episodes again!

Iron Man

2009-04-09T16:00:00.003-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: *1*
Commentary: My initial interest in this movie was that Robert Downey, Jr., plays the title character. I've never been disappointed with his work, even loved and admired some of it, and I couldn't imagine him playing a super hero. "Must really need the money," I thought, but I went for it, anyway. Perfect casting, I decided, just perfect, and good super hero story, too, good enough for me to want to own it after having rented it (and, I don't have a yen to own many super hero movies, although I try to watch as many as possible). Even though I purchased this movie some weeks before Mom's death and we both watched it (she wasn't thrilled with it), after Mom's death I found myself watching this movie several times...introducing it to relatives then watching it more on my own. I can't explain why, but it has provided me with inexplicable comfort since my mother's death. And, LOVE the suit...

Into the Wild

2009-04-09T15:30:00.004-07:00

Who's watched: G
Mentions: none
Commentary: Mom never saw this movie. I suspect she would have found it interesting, but I don't know, for sure. I'm basing my guess on her reaction to Grizzly Man, which was highly favorable and of which I'm surprised we never sought a copy. Anyway, I bought the movie on the cheap because I've always harbored a desire to take off and attempt to live "in the wild" and was curious about this movie, even though much of my reading about it had forewarned me that Christopher McCandless' journey was probably more about mental/spiritual/emotional/social (take your pick) illness than anything else and that he headed "Into the Wild" frighteningly unprepared, despite himself. Some have speculated that the movie is irresponsible. Thus, any leaning toward a romantic viewing of this film had been cleared before I watched it. Still, I enjoyed the story of what this man did, even though the movie is not completely clear on the brain chemistry or social environment behind his character and choice. It's a highly romantic retelling which, opposing the critics, I find appropriate. Despite this man's talent for personal tragedy, watching the movie has a tendency to allow me to (dangerously, I suppose) consider that, well, maybe someday...with quite a bit more preparation than an idea, I can assure you...

Holiday Inn

2009-04-09T15:15:00.005-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: none
Commentary: This was one of the last Christmas movies we purchased before Mom's death. I'd often wanted a copy of it because Mom had fond, though vague, memories of it. The version we purchased included the black-and-white and color editions. Although there are several b&w movies I'd refuse to watch in color, It's a Wonderful Life, for instance, or High Noon (yee gads, what a horrible idea, High Noon in color), the usual Tracy/Hepburn movies, Miracle on 34th Street (the original one), I have to say, I like this one in color better than the b&w version, although, in it's favor, that's the version we watched first. I gave Mom a choice and she chose color first. This edition contains a special feature which documents the colorization process. Once I understood how it's done, the idea didn't seem quite so disgusting. But, I still want my Now, Voyager in black & white.

Gladiator

2009-04-09T14:15:00.004-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: *1* *2* *3*
Commentary: As covered in one of the above Mentions, this movie was suggested by MFS. I was surprised at how much Mom loved it. I enjoy it, too. It's yet another spectacle movie for me (I should create a "spectacle" category, shouldn't I...I think I will, then add to it later) and I love a variety of the acting performances in this movie, particularly (but not solely) Richard Harris as Marcus Aurelius. Before he ever says anything in the movie his acting makes many aspects of Marcus Aurelius' character clear. We watched this movie on TV several times, in "to-fit-your-screen" format, before I finally purchased it. Much better in widescreen. On a whim, I watched the movie last night. I continue to find it supremely entertaining; and, as well, now that Mom's dead, surprisingly emotional, specifically at the end when Juba says, as he buries Maximus' personal idols, "I will see you again, but not yet." If you have any interest in this movie, I urge you to click into the link to the title of the movie, above, which will send you to a thorough and compelling critique of the historicity of the movie. Believe me, despite the astonishing number of historical inaccuracies in the movie, the critique renders watching the movie even more enjoyable.

Earth: The Biography

2009-04-09T14:06:00.003-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: none
Commentary: This is another spectacular BBC series that charts the evolution of the earth. Fascinating. We watched in when it broke on TV then decided we had to have it for reviewing. We watched it, in its entirety, a couple of times before Mom died.

Dead Poets' Society

2009-04-09T13:57:00.003-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: none
Commentary: Although Mom and I regularly watched all kinds of teaching movies, this is one of only a few we have in our collection. It's also a late comer, although both Mom and I saw it, both on TV and in the theaters, at least a few times before we bought it. It excites Mom to watch this movie, as it does all well done teaching movies. I like it because it's a Peter Weir production (so, we were destined to own it) and because it's done so well. Every time we watched this movie Mom would say, "This just makes me want to get back to the classroom," an work her arms as though she was revving herself up for a dash to the nearest school.

The Corporation

2009-04-09T13:43:00.002-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: none
Commentary: I purchased this DVD while Mom was in rehab in 2008, so it's definitely a late-comer to our library. I'd rented it and was so pleased with the movie and the accompanying website (linked above to the title) that I decided to purchase it. I was sure that Mom wouldn't be interested in watching it and hadn't planned to run it for her but I'd accidentally left the jacket on the coffee table next to her rocker. When she came home she noticed and asked about it. I gave her a little enthusiastic review, than told her I wasn't sure she'd be interested in it, but she wanted to "give it a try". Much to my surprise, she really enjoyed it. It was one of those videos which we occasionally paused to discuss points and issues. She never watched it more than once, it wasn't one of those for her, but, well, suffice it to say this movie taught me never to underestimate my mother's interest in anything, always check, first.

Touched by an Angel

2009-04-09T13:31:00.003-07:00

Who's watched: M & G, ad infinitum
Mentions: *1* *2* *3* *4* *5* *6* *7*
Commentary: For the most complete coverage of this series in our lives, best for you to click into the first Mention, above. Otherwise, suffice it to say that, as of this date, I still haven't been able to watch any of the episodes of this series (as I haven't since my mother's death), but refuse to pass these DVDs on to someone else.

City of Angels

2009-04-09T12:24:00.005-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: *1*
Commentary: Yes, Mom and I watched this movie a long time ago, when it first came out in video. Remembering how Mom enjoyed it (whether or not she believed in angels, I never asked her this, despite her interest in this movie and the Touched by an Angel series), when I noticed it on TV during our channel surfing episodes, if nothing else looked more interesting to her, I'd click into it. I watched the entire movie once. Although I was (an remain) impressed with the visualization of how the angels in the movie exist on earth, since I'd seen Wings of Desire long prior to watching this movie, became interested in this movie because I enjoyed the former and was sorely disappointed that the remake was sooooo much different than the movie upon which it was based, after my first watching, I subsequently paid little attention to it, except, I must mention, the panoramic shots of angels, which I continued to admire.
Then, Mom died, and, well, the rest of the story of my relationship to this movie and why I decided to purchase a copy of it is contained in the link up there in the Mentions section. And, yes, I'm still embarrassed by my late-realized attraction to certain scenes in this movie. It is, for instance, with some chagrin that I'm labeling (below) this movie in the "spiritual" category. Objectively, it's not, really, but I have to say, reluctantly, that the effect of the angel-vision scenes on me after my mother's death is emotional-spiritual (probably the "emotional" aspect is more important than the "spiritual" aspect).

The Blue Planet

2009-04-09T12:08:00.004-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: none
Commentary: This is another excellent series produced by the same people who brought us Planet Earth. I have a preference for nature shows that explore water environments and this one stacks up very well. Unlike March of the Penguins, it lives up to its hype, even if you're a regular watcher of the variety of channels that frequently host animal and geographical specials. While I have tended, over the years, to become a bit jaded in the company of Animal-Vegetable-Mineral programs, seeing as how we view so many of them, this one, like Planet Earth, engages me, every episode, every time, and, because of my sub- an unconscious veering toward water videos, adds an extra "dreamy" dimension for me.

The Buster Keaton Collection

2009-04-09T10:48:00.003-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: none
Commentary: This collection includes: Free and Easy; Spite Marriage; The Cameraman. Mom actually got bored with these movies during the first one we watched; I'm not sure which one that was. I however, was blown away by Buster Keaton and didn't much care whether or not I liked any of the stories (I didn't particularly care for the story behind Spite Marriage); I was much too engaged by Keaton's look and technique. I'd have to say, though, if pushed, that my favorite is The Cameraman. Although I'm not usually a fan of silent film parody, watching the romance in this movie reminded me of some of the silly incidents that boys in our neighborhood displayed when they were smitten with one or another of us sisters or our girlfriends.

Ben Hur

2009-04-09T10:22:00.005-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: None
Commentary: We acquired this movie just before last Easter when I was on a mission to obtain every jesus/bible related that we didn't already own. I didn't know whether she'd ever seen this movie, but she was up for it when I mentioned it to her and was immediately enraptured in it's sprawl. She's also, of course, a big fan of over-the-top drama of the period in which this was made. So am I, depending, and this movie didn't disappoint me, but, I have to say, The Ten Commandments is still my preferred movie spectacle film.

The Belle of Amherst

2009-04-09T10:01:00.006-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: None
Commentary: Decades ago, when this show debuted on PBS, Mom and I watched it separately, then together during a serendipitous visit when it was being aired again, and, as well, during one of those watchings I recorded it off the TV and we listened to it many times. Over the last year the desire to listen to it, again, came up between us and I couldn't find the old casette tape, so I scoured the internet and found a copy of the original video production. We watched it at least twice before Mom died. We enjoyed it as much as we did the first time around. Definitely a shared-favorite! We both felt that Julie Harris did a wonderful job of portraying a highly self-possessed, talented wordsmith of a woman who wasn't so much shy as a joyful loner.

Aguirre, The Wrath of God

2009-04-09T09:43:00.008-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: *1* *2*
Commentary: My mother's interest in this movie was a big surprise for me. I didn't expect her to enjoy it because it is subtitled, it portrays a brutal episode in history and Werner Herzog spared no one and nothing in making this movie, but she was mesmerized by it. Unfortunately, the only copy we were able to obtain was one that had been "formatted for your screen"...big problem with this movie, since it depends on panoramic scenes, especially in the beginning, but I don't think my mother notice or cared. I will probably keep tabs on versions of this movie an replace my copy with a widescreen version at some time in the future.

American Girl Movie Collection

2009-04-09T08:54:00.006-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: *1* *2*
Commentary: Although the "Mentions" are only for one movie, we watched all four with just about equal pleasure: Kit Kittredge; Felicity; Samantha; Molly. Although I'm sure there are excellent reasons to critique the movies, we just sat back an enjoye them. Mom's favorite was Kit Kittredge, the one that takes place during the Great Depression of the 1930s; at least, this is the movie that elicited the most enthusiastic response from her, possibly because she was a child during that period. My favorite was Felicity, the one that takes place just prior to the American Revolution. I understand yet another American Girl movie has been released, Chrissa. If Mom was still alive I don't think I'd be collecting this one because there is no obvious historical context and it looks like a highly moral 'tween version of Mean Girls. Much of the draw, for Mom an me, of this series, was the historical context.

I further thinned the movie collection today.

2009-04-01T15:26:00.009-07:00

    This batch will be donated to the local library.
    You can see, along the right, what movies I decided to dump. The real story, though, is contained in the movies I added to the dump pile then found myself pulling back because I wasn't as ready to let them go as I thought:

The Bible:  This movie hasn't yet been written up. It's one of those we bought while Mom was on Hospice. I was sure I wouldn't be interested in seeing this one again until I looked over the pictures on the back of the case and remembered Mom's reactions to some of the vignettes. Good memories. I want to watch this one again, at least once, before deciding whether to releasing it.
Update 4/3/09:  I polished off a watching of this one this morning and have decided that the library gets it. Too much scenery chewing. There is one interesting scene toward the end when Abraham and Isaac are wondering the ruins of Sodom and Gomorrah and Abraham is agonizing over his god's command to Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, as well as the necessity of obeying his god "in all things", but the scene wasn't interesting enough for me to consider keeping the movie.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show, 1st - 4th Seasons:  My reaction to letting go of this one surprised me. I took it off the shelf with no problem. Then, while I was diligently marking it as "no longer owned", I remembered the incident in which the police were called because we were watching back-to-back episodes of this series for several hours with the sound on high, so Mom could hear it...and apparently irritated the hell out of one of our neighbors. The memory made me laugh out loud...then I wept from realizing how much I missed our movie watching escapades. This'll have to wait for thinning until later.

Pee Wee's Playhouse, 1st & 2nd Seasons:  Of all the DVDs, I thought this was going to be an easy dump, because, although I loved this series when it was running in the 80's and Mom loved it as a break between serious movies, especially on days when she was feeling a little frisky, and, besides, it prompted her to talk about teaching, it can easily become irritating to watch. But, again, the memories trumped my ability to let it go.

The Robe:  This is another one of those Bible movies that hasn't yet been written up. I'm not sure if it will be. As I held the movie in my hands, ready to drop it into the box, I remembered a curious bit of narration, courtesy of the centurion character Richard Burton plays, at the beginning of the movie in which he states that there are only four types of Roman citizens, anymore: Politicians, patricians, centurions and slaves. Hmmm...I thought, I ought to watch that movie again, especially since I never saw the whole thing.
Update 4/2/09:  I watched it last night and it's back in the donation box. The narrative I remembered actually said that, at the time, there were more slaves in Rome than citizens...still provocative, but I'll remember that. Otherwise, it's one of those Bible spectacles that, in light of the much more gritty shows in either of the two Bible Collections I'm retaining, it's too overwrought and glitzy AND not enough overwrought and glitzy for me. How so? It doesn't come close to matching the deliciously over-the-top melodramatics of The Ten Commandments, my all time favorite outrageous fictionalization of Bible stories.

Spellbound:  The memories of Mom and me spelling the words as the movie played cinched me keeping this one a while longer.

The Story of Ruth:  Again, another Bible movie that I haven't yet written up and that Mom saw, a couple of times, but that I was too busy to pay it much attention. I need to watch this one before I let it go. It was one of Mom's favorites. I wonder if I can guess why when I watch it.
Update 4/2/09:  [See The Robe, above.] I also watched this movie last night and, although I find its 1960 Bible Movie smoothness irritating, the story is interesting, informative and it fits fairly nicely into the Bible Story Collections that I'm keeping (for the time being, anyway). I also like the ending genealogical recap which connects Ruth and Boaz to the House of David: Ruth and Boaz begat Obed, who begat Jesse, who begat David (who, by the way, begat Solomon). It is frequently a story's trajectory to (an from) the House of David that recommends it to the Abrahamic God story tradition. One of the reasons I find many of these videoed stories so interesting is that they easily clarify biblical ancestry and land movement among Abrahamic populations.

    Frankly, I thought I'd be able to get rid of more movies, but I discovered that there were quite a few movies that I liked at least as well as Mom, if not more, and, in more cases than I expected, the memories of watching the movies with Mom made it impossible for me to yet pass them on to others.
    Oh well. Maybe another day. In the meantime, I managed to gather all the movies into one area, which is good, and clean off a few more shelves in the bargain.

No More Movies for Mom

2008-12-27T12:43:00.003-07:00

As you may already know, my mother died on December 8, 2008, at approximately 0709. Thus, she and I won't be pleasuring together in movies, anymore. However, over the last year of her life we continued to collect and watch DVDs, so there remain several to enter, here, which I'll be doing throughout the coming months. As well, there is one movie I bought after her death specifically because I knew Mom was interested in seeing it, I wanted to see it, as well, and I want to enter it and guess at what her reactions to the movie would have been. I'll designate which one this is when I post.
Just so you aren't confused, despite my mother's death I continue to post at The Mom & Me Journals dot Net. If you're curious about what I could possibly have to say, now, that my mother is dead, click over and take a look.

The Queen

2007-05-06T02:35:00.003-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: None
Commentary: I bought this movie sight unseen, the day it was released, based strictly on Mom's (and, now, my) love of stories about English Royals and my admiration for Helen Mirren. One of my best purchases to date! Mom and I so loved the movie that we watched it twice the day it arrived, then again the next day. We (almost) endlessly discussed details of the movie, including: The appearance of the stag, that it was actually a 15 pointer and wondered if odd numbered points were excluded when rating a rack; the importance of Diana as an icon; the likelihood that the portrayal of Prince Charles was accurate; the difficulty of being a monarch in today's world, depending on where one lives; the history of the political significance of the English monarchy and whether it would outlive this century; Queen Elizabeth II's dogs; the ick factor of lamb stew, especially when it's cold; Mirren's astonishing range, considering her performance in Elizabeth I and The Queen; and many other aspects of the movie.
Yet another movie we'll watch over and over and over.

Planet Earth

2007-05-06T02:19:00.002-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: None
Commentary:  Don't tell me you're suprised we purchased this series! Thank the gods, the version with David Attenborough was available. Although we watched the series on TV when it aired on Discovery at the beginning of April (and immediately pre-ordered it), both of us had problems with Sigourney Weaver's narration. I didn't say anything until Mom spoke up and said, "That woman sounds like an old-time school marm! Couldn't they get someone better?!?"
  Yes, they could and did.
  Even if you're a veteran of animal and nature shows, as many Ancient Ones and their caregivers are, this series is a stunner. The addition of the three episode "Planet Earth-The Future" is oddly intriguing, since it involves interviews with died in the wool Greens and those who take issue with all the propositions included in the current global warming hysteria (yes, it is an hysteria, even if it turns out to be reliable), as a well as a smattering of people who are depressed by the realities inherent in trying to get humans to cooperate across the board in changing the ways we live on our planet.
  I noticed that the script is, first, a little contradictory. In one place it mentions that glacial movement is the most devastating eroder of landscape. Then, in another episode, it states that moving water is. Granted, they both states of H₂O, but their different states and properties have vastly different impacts upon the land. I vote for glacial movement. As well, I'm not sure how long this series was in development from the very beginning, but it inaccurately states, in the forest section, that a redwood is the largest living organism on Earth. A few years ago it was discovered that a mushroom was, in fact, the largest living organism. Truth is, we'll probably discover something that's even larger, one of these days.
    Nonetheless, this series is a stunner. We watched it again tonight (which is last night, now). I know we'll watch it again. And again.

Northern Exposure 6th Season

2007-05-06T02:09:00.001-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: None specific to this season
Commentary: We now have completed our collection of Northern Exposure seasons. This last season was, for many people, the most confusing. It's definitely the season I love the most, because of the many, many dream and fantasy sequences. I remember when this season first aired. Lots of people were put off by the appearance of the new doctor and his wife. The show stayed on its wide, every winding track, though, and the final episode was a credit to the entire series.
This is not Mom's favorite season, because she has trouble following all the dream and fantasy sequences. She watched it through like the moose-trooper she is, though, and I'm sure we'll watch all these episodes again and again.

The Godfather

2007-05-06T02:04:00.000-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: None
Commentary: This is a movie I've avoided purchasing for a long time, even though Mom and I enjoy watching it every time it appears on TV, whether uninterrupted by commercials and uncut or otherwise. It is, plain and simple, riveting. However, for some reason I could never bring myself to pay for it. Finally, I noticed what looked like a relatively unplayed copy of it at my favorite trade-in movie store really cheap (I later discovered that Costco was selling it cheap, by then, too, although not as cheap as the copy I purchased) and decided, yeah, we should have it.
Good choice. As soon as Mom hears the theme music, she settles back in her rocker with a subtle smile, as though someone is preparing to read her a Dickens novel cover to cover.

Cheers for Miss Bishop

2007-05-06T01:40:00.003-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: None
Commentary: We first saw this movie on TCM one evening about a month before I ordered it. Mom became so involved in it that she visibly cried at the end, and she doesn't cry easily. It's extremely idealistic. I can well imagine, although Mom didn't become (and had no intention of becoming) a spinster teacher, her attitudes toward teaching and education were much the same as portrayed in this movie. As well, I couldn't help but recall the line in Mona Lisa Smile in which the president of Wellesley, in 1953, states that higher education for women was unheard of a century ago. This movie accurately states that it was well heard of, which I already knew, anyway. Watching this movie in view of Mona Lisa Smile reminded me to be ever ready to reflect on the fact that, just as the 1950's clearly rewrote women's history according to its dictates for women, all history is rewritten, by era, according to what we want to see in it and get out of it. Made me wonder, too, as I have before, if this glitch in Mona Lisa Smile was intended or inadvertent. You'd think Julia Roberts' character, considering her championing of women's education, would have been aware of the presidents' blatant and incorrect reinterpretation of history and would have made some mention of this.
I found this movie so charming and so much fun as far as watching Mom watch it that first we rented it, then, when Mom yet again, sobbed at the end of the movie, I decided we had to have a copy. I ran across it in the A2ZCDS.com remastered version at my favorite local movie trade-in store and snatched it up. Not a good copy, though; not nearly as clear, visually or audibly, as the copy we saw on TV. I'm going to hunt for a better copy. I notice TCM has one on sale...hopefully, it will be the same as the one they broadcast. So, eventually this one will go back to where I purchased it; but not before I obtain a better copy of it. We've watched it twice since I've purchased it and I'm sure it will become one of our most watched movies.

Bobby

2007-05-06T01:24:00.003-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: None
Commentary:  This movie was given to us by a friend who is interested in politics, clearly remembers the 1960's (better than me, actually, since I went through a somewhat different 60's experience on Guam) and was sure she'd love the movie. She picked it up at Costco, where it was being sold with a free copy of a biography of RFK. She was completely disappointed in the movie, although not in the book, but said she wouldn't read it again and passed that off to us, too.
  Mom only sat through half the movie. I watched all of it. I understand what Estevez did in the movie and think he accomplished his goal, but I also understand why the critics were so divided on this movie. If I'd rented the movie, I'd've made a mental note not to buy it, even though many of its moments have stuck with me. I felt cheated that a lot of it was fictionalized...it seemed to me their was little to no reason to do this. However, I also found the vignettes involving and many of the performances excellent (I especially liked the vignette with Helen Hunt and Martin Sheen). Interesting and effective splicing of actual newsreel footage, too, although, frankly, The Queen does this better and more effectively.
    I don't think this is a movie that, on a second attempt at watching, Mom would discover she enjoyed. It isn't one I expect to watch again soon. I may add it to our ever expanding pile of movies for trade-in. I'll probably read the book, although I may not get around to it until after Mom dies.

The Nativity Story

2007-04-13T12:28:00.003-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: None
Commentary:  Yes, this is yet another jesus dvd that is a Jesus movie. We rented it first. For some unknown reason, I had the idea that maybe we had enough Jesus movies for Mom and she'd consider this one overkill, but I was wrong, which is why I purchased it for her. We've watched it several times.
  I appreciate it for the explanation it contains of certain cultural customs to which members of "The Holy Family" would have been obligated, but, more than this, some of the oblique symbology of the birth of Jesus is explained, such as the signficance of the gifts received from "the wise men". There is strong enough emphasis on the importance of the visiting of the shepherds that I finally understood this aspect of the Jesus Nativity Story. And, the parallel story of Elizabeth and Zechariah is well woven into the presentation.
  My mother, of course, is enthralled with the movie. The more apparently realistic Bible movies are, the more she likes them. This one rang a bell for her. She even enjoyed the offhand comic relief of the three wise men.
  I may have mentioned this before: I'm not Christian, never have been, actually, even though I was raised in what would be considered a typical Christian household of the 50's and 60's, which is to say, only mildly religious but with a strong emphasis on morality and ethics, not necessarily connected to but often echoing Christianity in particular. Because my mother is deeply spiritual, though, and uses Christianity as her spiritual touchstone (and, for a few other reasons, as well), I spent a fair amount of time (still do, in fact) investigating and thinking about Christianity. I've been at the point, for some years, where I firmly doubt the existence of the historical Jesus as presented in Christianity (even the Christian gospels hint that the Jesus they present never existed) but, because much of the symbology and beliefs are ubiquitous in many theistic and nontheistic religious doctrines and practice, the entire area of spirituality bounded by religion fascinates me and Christianity, being the first religion to which I was introduced, thus the one with which I am most familiar, is a good jumping off point for me. This movie, in particular, is a succinct reminder of the power of the Jesus story, Jesus mythology and Christian dedication. As well, while I was absorbing Elizabeth's story alongside Mary's, I was suddenly struck by the importance of the mothers of gods, in stories such as these, always being in some way barren, or, in the case of the births of great leaders of a theistic religion, the birth itself or the baby being threatened, thus the birth of the god or the leader is usually (except, for instance, in the case of Abram/Abraham), somehow miraculous. I don't know why I never before paid attention to this.
  Soon after we watched this movie a few times and had some stimulating conversations about Christianity in particular and spirituality in general, I decided to rent The God Who Wasn't There so Mom could get a better idea of why Christianity interests me but doesn't cause me to "fall on [my] knees". No, this isn't a movie we'll be purchasing. I was familiar with most of the stuff in it when I originally saw it and don't need it as a resource. But, Mom found this movie interesting and worthy of discussion, although it didn't sway her belief in her religion. I didn't expect this. Even those of us who aren't swayed by beliefs in gods and the ritual detail of god centered religions often have belief systems that make no rational sense but hold sway over us, anyway. At any rate, something I realized when we discussed spirituality and religion from the point of view of The God Who Wasn't There is that Mom is firmly centered in life-here-and-now rather than death-in-the-sweet-by-and-by. This, I think, is the important difference between her spirituality and that of many people who consider and call themselves Christians.
   The Nativity Story is not nearly as spiritually powerful for me as, say, The Little Buddha, for instance, but it's provocative, nonetheless, and I can count on it to trigger interesting discussions about religion and spirituality between my mother and me.

An Unfinished Life

2007-03-10T00:41:00.000-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: None
Commentary: This movie surprised us both. I rented it on the strength of Lasse Hallstrom's, Morgan Freeman's and Robert Redford's participation, even though it's gotten little favorable press. While it's true that it's an example of Hallstrom's uneveness as a director, it's also true that it's a solid story solidly presented with so few stilted scenes that these are easily ignored. Mom refers to this movie as "the bear movie" and we've watched it several times. It's not hard for me to watch repeatedly, either. It has more than a few interesting, subtle moments that catch one's eye: The smile on Griff's face when she's driving the truck; Jean's handling of a couple of assholes in the restaurant in which she's waitressing; several of the scenes between Griff, Einar and Mitch. The bear, as well, is commanding. There is a priceless scene which the bear is roaming a neighborhood and during one section of the scene a woman exits, sees the bear, and quickly reenters her home. It's a short, sweet, telling little scene of what it's like to live in bear territory.

Fiddler on the Roof

2007-03-09T19:18:00.001-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: None
Commentary: I'm not sure it's even necessary to talk about why my mother loves this movie. It has been easy for me to forget to purchase because there is something about Topol's performance that irritates me, but, I like everyone else's performances, love the dances, love the fiddler, love most of the songs, usually sing along to them when the movie plays...so, when it showed up on cable one day a month or so ago and Mom was so sure we owned it that she asked me to replay the dancing at the wedding party, I realized, oops, it's time to purchase it!

Funny Lady

2007-03-09T19:08:00.003-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: None
Commentary: Mom like this one better than Funny Girl. I'm not sure which I like more. From my point of view, these two movies are completely different and this one almost doesn't, in my mind, qualify as a sequel to the first. Everything seems different about the Fanny Brice character Barbra Streisand plays in this one; so much so that her continued infatuation for Nicky Arnstein seems unbelievable. There are some splendid production numbers in this movie, Ben Vereen is incredible and James Caan is a huge surprise. We watched this on TCM during their "31 Days of Oscar" this year and Mom's eyes popped when she watched it. They're still popping...we've watched this movie a couple of times since I purchased it.

Elizabeth

2007-03-09T18:56:00.004-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: None
Commentary: Yes, that's right, yet another "Elizabeth" movie, just as good and just as involving as the others. I almost feel as though I should have a category label of "elizabeth movies" or, perhaps, "english royals movies", as A Man for All Seasons definitely qualifies for the same category. Mom has already mentioned that she wants to see the movie The Queen, as well, and I suspect we will end up owning this one. So far, the only English Royals movie she's seen and in which she lost interest halfway through was Mrs. Brown, which I immensely enjoyed. She was so distracted through it, though, that I haven't yet considered purchasing it; although it has occurred to me to rent it again, run it by her once more and see how she likes it. Could be that this one is not "period" enough for Mom. Could also be that the movie about Elizabeth II will be the same kind of experience for her. We'll see.

On a Clear Day You Can See Forever

2007-03-09T18:24:00.001-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: *1*
Commentary: I was surprised to see that I mentioned this movie in my journals, albeit some time ago. I'd forgotten about it until some cable channel showed it not too long ago, I clicked into it and Mom was not only thoroughly entertained by it but enjoyed the idea that time can collapse forward as well as backward. It's very dated, true, and the singing is not well woven into the movie, but Streisand's performance, especially as her re- and pre-incarnated personalities, is riveting. Jack Nicholson has a forgotten part in this movie, as well, which renders it fun to watch, simply because he participated in this movie long before he became known for his portrayals of ticklish, "Nicholsonian" characters.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

2007-03-09T18:20:00.002-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: *1*
Commentary: Yet another that is well covered in the one mention of it in the main journal. Can't think of much else to say except that Mom remains highly entertained by this movie...and so do I.

After Life

2007-03-09T18:10:00.002-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: *1* *2*
Commentary: Again, another movie in which the "mentions" say it all; except for an update: We've watched this movie a couple more times since I purchased it. Each time, I question Mom on her one preferred memory. Each time, she comes up with a variety of memories but still can't decide which she'd keep and which she'd allow to be blocked.
One other thing: I noticed, when I received our purchased copy, which came in a DVD case with, you know, the usual info sleeve, that my interpretation of the movie, that one relives their chosen memory for eternity, is exactly the way the sellers of the movie to the U.S. interpret it. Here is the specific part of the cover blurb: "With the help of dedicated caseworkers, each soul is given three days to choose one cherished memory from their life that they will relive for eternity." Interesting that the English subtitles for the movie don't exactly explain this. Makes me wish I was fluent in Japanese, so I could tell if the original script for the movie suggests this. I wonder if this interpretation is strictly a U.S. cultural interpretation or if the movie is meant to communicate this and does so in the Japanese dialogue. Comments from anyone who is fluent in both Japanese and English in regard to this mystery would be welcome.

One Night with the King

2007-03-09T12:54:00.004-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: None
Commentary: This is the story of the biblical Esther with additional drama and eye candy. Although some of it is authentic, much was added in order to attract an audience. I don't think it got very good reviews, but I've noticed, as well, that Costco has increased its stock of this movie in order to accommodate the high demand for it on DVD. I understand that demand. It is thoroughly involving and enjoyable to watch. John Rhys-Davies is commanding, as always, the portrayal of Esther is enjoyably whimsical, the King of Persia, which not particularly well acted, is played by a man who has a sufficiently exotic charisma, even the part of Haggai is noteworthy. It's fun, as well, to watch the cameos of Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif. It is full of eye candy, a rival to The Ten Commandments, at least in this respect, and the dramatic emphasis is satisfying. Although it is probably the least accurate of the movie bible portrayals that we own, I would have to say that it's one of my mother's favorites. At this writing we've probably viewed it four times, three at my mother's request, and we've had it only two weeks. Much to my ambivalent chagrin and delight, it's a winner in our household.

The Bible Collection

2007-03-09T12:37:00.003-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: None
Commentary: This set of Old Testament Stories, covering Abraham, David, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and Samson and Delilah, is the collection that most captures my interest. Mom considers it a continuation of The Bible Series. My favorites are the stories of Joseph, Abraham and Moses, as it is a delight for me to watch Ben Kingsley and Richard Harris in anything. One of the aspects of both this and The Bible Series that I appreciate is the obvious attempts to authentically capture the time periods. I notice, especially, the tight use of space and the fact that they are somewhat less full of eye candy as, say, the productions of The Ten Commandments and One Night with the King.

The Bible Series

2007-03-09T12:16:00.003-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: None
Commentary: This set contains the stories of three Old Testament characters and a review of the first book of the Old Testament: Esther, Jeremiah, Solomon and a review of Genesis. Mom is, of course, transfixed by all the movies. My personal favorite is the story of Solomon, although I appreciate the production of Esther's story, especially after having seen One Night with the King. It is this series and The Bible Collection that prompted me to institute a new label, "bible movies", as these don't quite fit in the category of "jesus dvds".

Rain Man

2007-03-08T12:37:00.001-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: *1*
Commentary: Well, I wrote such a dissertation on the movie at the site of the one "mention" that I think I pretty much said it all.

ISTAS: Barbra Streisand

2007-01-06T12:39:00.003-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: *1*
Commentary:  The fact that this interview actually has a "Mention" is an indication of how often we've watched it: Every time we can.
  Considering how much even James Lipton looked forward to this interview, you'd think it would be easy to be disappointed. Exactly the opposite. This interview is actually a performance, a masterful one, "Barbra as Barbra". It is thrilling to witness over and over again. Rarely does one of the guests who isn't billed as a comedian produce such a show. Bernadette Peters did. Barbra Streisand did.
  Despite her reputation for being cloaked, she was amazingly forthcoming in this interview. James Lipton is good (although he's had his failures, most notably and regrettably, Richard Gere).
  This video is part of the Icons Collection.

ISTAS: Robert Redford

2007-01-06T12:29:00.002-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: None
Commentary:  We've seen this one before, possibly more than once, because it's so good, but of the two repeats, we decided on this one.
  Robert Redford is a charmer about whom it can be said, "He's not just cute, he's got brains [and lots else], too." It is fun to rediscover this through this interview. Another thing that always surprises me about this interview is to rediscover that he talks like a graphic artist, even an architect. Good interview. If you get a chance, catch it.
  This video is part of the Icons Collection.

ISTAS: Clint Eastwood

2007-01-06T12:19:00.004-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: None
Commentary:  Although I was anticipating this would be a wonderful interview, I was delighted with the quality of "wonderful". Last night was the first time either Mom or I had seen this one. Mom and her sister used to haunt Clint Eastwood movies, although Mom has little memory of them, now. I remember them going to see The Outlaw Josey Wales together when it first came out, at that plush, behind the upscale mall movie theater in Scottsdale. In fact, I think I may have gone with them.
  Although I am little familiar with much of his early work, Unforgiven is a particular favorite of mine and I greatly admire is directing abilities, as well as his acting.
  Clint Eastwood did not disappoint. I think the thing I liked about him most and even Mom mentioned as an outstanding feature is that he seemed, at the time of the interview, as delighted and overwhelmed by his accomplishments as everyone else; although not at all disparaging of himself; rather of others for having so little faith and imagination.
  This video is part of the Icons Collection.

ISTAS: Paul Newman

2007-01-06T12:00:00.002-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: None
Commentary:  This was the first time either of us had watched this one. I was so ready to love it, especially since it is the inaugural episode of the series. Although I found Mr. Lipton's lack of glasses interesting, as well as the addition of one question to The Questionnaire [a question regarding what one's reincarnational being preference is; I'm sorry this question has been ousted], the interview was so full of inside jokes and references I sometimes wondered if the students were floundering a little, too. I must confess, I was watching it in snippets while doing chores, so I missed some. This may color my opinion. When (as, "if" is unnecessary) I see this again, if it strikes me differently, I'll report back.
  This interview had lots of clips, so Mom loved it.
  This video is part of the Icons Collection.

Inside the Actors Studio

2007-01-06T11:31:00.002-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: *1* *2* *3* *4* *5* *6* *7* *8* *9* *10* *11* *12*
Commentary:  Now, you see, if you have any familiarity with my main journals, old or new, at all, you'll know why the series gets a listing and each separate episode that becomes a part of our library rates a solitary listing.
  Because we are ever faithful watchers of this program and it inevitably provokes discussion, it is mentioned many times in my journals, twelve, it seems, to be exact.
  I cannot tell you how pleased I am that this series is finally being sold on DVD to the public. I turned myself onto it by accident when I became exposed to cable TV the year I turned back from Seattle. I've been a devotee ever since, recruited my mother and my niece, who is planning on following the actor's call and is working hard at it...have semi-recruited at least one sister. I am unashamed to refer to the show. It is honey in the rock of television.
  Anyway, each episode is reviewed separately. I haven't yet purchased the Dave Chapelle episode because I haven't seen it and I'm hoping it will come together with other episodes...maybe a comedy collection.
  Anyway, in general, I am so pleased that they are releasing some of the older episodes. Some of those are my favorites: Martin Landau, who took his role as a teacher seriously and, thus, was probably the most fascinating guest this show has ever hosted; Shelly Winters; Peter Falk; oh that was a dynamite one, so was Shirley MacClaine...oh, and Eli Wallach, oh, wow, they don't have his interview listed, that's a surprise! I wonder if they have, hold on...yeah, they've got Jerry Lewis, maybe Eli Wallach appeared on behalf of someone else...need I go on?
  This show is important to us. We watch reruns. We watch our tapes. I will be continuing to collect this series.
  For the record, of the four in this collection, I have not seen two: the Clint Eastwood and Paul Newman interviews. So, even I'm curious to see what I'll think of them.

Mr. Jones

2007-01-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: None
Commentary:  I was reminded of this movie when I heard that James Brown died early Christmas morning last year. The "Feel Good" song will forever be linked with this movie, for me, because it was perfect "song" casting. And, this movie will forever be a touchstone movie for me.
  It is the acute portrayal of a man with whom I was in love and involved for many years, until his death by suicide in a mental hospital, to which he had voluntarily committed himself because of, well, a bout of suicidal depression. He was the same age as Mr. Jones at his death. He was, in fact, like Mr. Jones in every respect, including delusions of being able to fly, except that his raw talent was not in music but in graphic art. When I saw the movie, by accident, actually, the year after it was released (it ended up on TV, as I recall) I was astonished at the portrayal. I have, since then, used it as the dictionary to which I refer when my former, dead lover comes up in conversation.
  The day James Brown died I remembered the movie and decided I wanted it in our collection. For reference. Cheap DVD on Amazon. I noticed, over and over, as I found myself reading the comments (which I almost never do), everyone else's story with this movie is the same as mine. It describes, perfectly, someone they love. As well, everyone had problems with the trajectory of the relationship between psychiatrist and patient and what it implies about "love conquers all". If you've loved one of these extraordinary people who has succeeded in taking his or or her own life, you know that love is not enough. The problem wasn't lack of love, or the type of love you offered.
  I can now afford to be lax about this problem with the movie. When I watched the movie again, with Mom, this time, I was once again electrified, from the very beginning, by Richard Gere's performance. If Ralph had lived to see this movie (he died in November, 1993) he would have danced gleefully and chanted, "That's me, that's me!"
  I'm not going to come out with of vote of grandeur for this movie that it doesn't posses. For some reason, though, because this movie exists, it is a comfort to those of us who have our Ralphs.

Unfaithful

2007-01-06T11:04:00.001-07:00

Who's watched: Me, only
Mentions: *1* *2*
Commentary: It took me a long time, and a great price, to decide to own this movie. I have to say, although, overall, for me, it's an enjoyable watch, especially considering the major change in Gere's "leading man" persona, I don't know, the story doesn't take it far enough for me. But, I was reminded of the aforementioned (in a "Mention") sex scene in some television compendium show of the 10 sexiest movie scenes in the last 100 years, I don't know, and this scene was one of them. I was reminded just previous to haunting our local DVD trade-in store. I had forgotten how riveting that scene is, and, a few others, as well.

Secondhand Lions

2007-01-06T10:55:00.001-07:00

Who's watched: Both, partially
Mentions: None
Commentary: Yes, although we haven't completely watched it, we own it. This is the movie that MCF tried to get Mom and me to watch over Christmas. Mom fell asleep on the couch. I saw parts of it and began to understand why they raved about it. I think we will enjoy this movie, too, and watch it again. From what I saw, it reminds me a little of Holes in structure, but I may be mistaken about that. Hmmm...today seems like I good day to watch this for the first time. If anything else strikes me about this movie and/or Mom's reaction to it, I'll be back. Please note, the labeling is pre-viewing.

Magnolia

2007-01-06T10:38:00.002-07:00

Who's watched: only G
Mentions: *1*
Commentary:  I don't know whether my mother will ever see this movie. I saw it in the theater when it first came out. It was a case of 12 Monkeys all over again. Lots of hype and lots of delivery but no delivery that matched the hype.
  I picked up a cheap copy when I turned some videos in because I wanted to see it again, now, some years later, for reasons I explain in the "Mentions" link above. I was surprised that I found myself liking individual achievements spectacularly well: Macy's performance, his character: Exquisite. The Cruise vignettes: Amazing. So, I decided to keep it.
  Why is it possible that Mom won't see this movie? It think it would bore her and she would wonder, outloud, why it is considered to be "apocalyptic". Which, actually, I also wonder.
  I also, by the way, consider this the third in my category of "caregiver" movies. If you've seen it, you'll know why.

Mary, Mother of Jesus

2006-12-24T12:48:00.003-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: None
Commentary: This one is a bit of a surprise. We discovered it one evening while searching through the channels looking for movies. Mom's eyes latched onto the title and we clicked into it, then caught a later run to catch what we'd missed. It's a made-for-TV movie that is more about Mary's imagined influence in Jesus' life than it is about Jesus. It was made by the Kennedy family, to what purpose I'm not sure, but it's intriguing, especially the parts that suggest that the parables of Jesus were actually stories Mary told Jesus, when he was a child, in order to illustrate ethical and moral values. I found the first viewing intriguing but quickly realized it wouldn't be one that I'd watch repeatedly. Mom, though, was quite taken with it and requested that we add it to our collection, so that's what I did. It's been watched once again since it arrived, and, again, Mom said, "I think we should get a copy of that movie." I reminded her that we did, and she just watched it. Interestingly, it reminded me of Anne Rice's book, Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt. I wonder if either influenced the other.
It reminded me that the theaters are currently featuring a new movie about Mary's story, so to speak, The Nativity Story. I imagine, when that's in DVD once we've rented it, Mom will want that one added to our collection, as well.

Little Miss Sunshine

2006-12-24T12:38:00.000-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: None
Commentary: I rented this movie for us out of curiosity. We both we so charmed by it that we decided, after watching the rental a second time in as many days, to purchase it. I was surprised at how much Mom enjoyed it. From the little I knew about it I thought I would love it and Mom would find it boring, so her interest in the movie surprised me. It's one of those movies I consider completely perfect and, of course, it features Toni Colette. It's easy for me to like movies in which she's featured. Even if the movie is a bomb (and, I have yet to consider one of the movies in which she's featured a bomb, although there are some that I wouldn't add to our collection, like In Her Shoes, which is pleasant enough but not something I'd seek to watch again), I always enjoy her performances.
Mom was, by the way, astonished at the girls' beauty pageant. "Something's not right about that," she said. I was pleased that she was struck by this.

The Last Temptation of Christ

2006-12-24T12:24:00.002-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: *1* *2* *3*
Commentary:  I noticed, in the mentions, one of them states that Mom always thinks she wants to see this movie, then she gets bored with it. This is no longer true. It is now one that she asked after the last time we did a "jesus movie" festival, so, this year, I purchased it.
  For me, as well, the more I watch the movie, the more I like it. I tend, now, to ignore the discontinuities, like yet another Nordic Jesus, Harvey Keitel as a red-headed Judas and Barbara Hershey's bee-stung lips. Especially since I've read the book, I tend to appreciate the story more for what it symbolizes rather than what it portrays.
  I think what Mom likes about it is the gritty realism and the startling detail, like how the crosses are made. We watched this movie again, recently, right after I ordered it and just after a couple of other Jesus movies. It seems that each movie has its own version of how crucifixion crosses are constructed, which mom noticed this time around, which led to yet another Jesus movie festival.
  The only disappointing aspect of this movie was that it promised subtitles and they may exist but they aren't listed in any of the menus so I'm not sure if listing this as a feature was an error or if there is an Easter Egg technique to cuing them. I need to check this out. It does not feature Closed Captioning. I was afraid this would be a problem for Mom but the first time we watched it after receiving it, Mom had no problem with it. This is, at any rate, primarily a visual feast for her, so I guess that's why it doesn't matter. As well, the dialogue is not mumbled or distorted by other sound tracks.

The Santa Clause 2

2006-12-24T12:15:00.003-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: *1*
Commentary: This is not my favorite movie of the series but Mom seems to like it more than the original, so I purchased a copy for our Christmas sub-collection. I think what she likes is the focus on Mrs. Clause. If it had been possible, she probably would have married Santa Claus, back when she was a fertile, marriage-inclined woman.

The Santa Clause

2006-12-24T12:09:00.001-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: *1*
Commentary: We first saw this some years ago. Both of us were charmed by it, so it has become one of those movies that I search for on television every year around Christmas time. I finally decided, this year, it was time to add it to our collection.

Mrs. Doubtfire

2006-12-24T12:01:00.001-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: *1*
Commentary: This is yet another one of those movies that I expected would have been mentioned several times in the journals, since, for years, every time I notice it on TV I cue it for both of us. Although I've gotten to the place with it that I pay attention to maybe about a third of it, the rest has gotten a bit tiresome for me, Mom remains riveted to it every time it plays. Aside from it being one of her beloved gender bender movies, she loves the story and is quite fond of the relationship between the father and the kids. I've been trying to find a decent widescreen DVD copy of it for ages. Finally, this fall, one was released and I snapped it up. It arrived about a week before this review is being published. Mom has watched it twice, with rapt attention, since it arrived. This was definitely a must have for our collection.

Northern Exposure: 5th Season

2006-11-23T11:40:00.000-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: None
Commentary: This is the season that contains one of my favorite story-in-a-stories, "The Warrior and the Stallion", to which I've linked the title, above.

The Polar Express

2006-11-23T11:14:00.001-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: None
Commentary:  We've owned this movie for almost exactly a year, now. I'm not surprised there are no mentions of it in any of the journals. Last year, during a period when my Christmas Spirit was fairly high, I bought this movie on the strength of a recommendation of a friend who, knowing how much Mom likes Christmas and movies, thought she'd love this one. Last year, though, both of us were underwhelmed by the movie. Although it's only 100 minutes, Mom said, at the end, "Well, I'm glad that's over. It seemed to go on forever."
  I wasn't particularly thrilled with the animation. I remember seeing the first movie made in this style of animation, a science fiction piece in which Ed Harris was one of the stars. There was something disturbing for me, watching a movie who's intent was to be so animated it appeared to be real and yet wasn't. It was this same effect that bothered me about this movie.
  At any rate, we decided to put it in our "to be traded" pile. Every time I accessed the pile during the ensuing year, though, I left this movie alone. I decided to try it on Mom this year, just in case, before I took it in for trade. This was a good decision. We decided to watch it last night. I told Mom we were watching it with an eye to whether or not we would keep it. I don't know whether she remembered this. What I do know is that she was thoroughly involved in the movie, this time. It even kicked off what I expect will be a Thanksgiving weekend of watching all our holiday movies (which are few, at this time). I was still so distracted that I chose to perform chores and advance Thanksgiving dinner prep. But, Mom was thoroughly satisfied; so, I guess it's a keeper; and now I'm entering it on our list.

The Greatest Story Ever Told

2006-11-21T13:47:00.005-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: *1*
Commentary: Yet another one of Mom's "jesus-dvds" (I use this term tongue-in-cheek, as I also consider The Ten Commandments a "jesus-dvd"). I didn't think we'd ever own it because, the last time we watched it on TV I noticed there was no closed captioning. I found a cheap copy of it at the grocery store today, though, with closed captioning (although no English subtitles, which is unfortunate since closed captioning is sometimes kind of iffy on our set) so decided I'd get it for Mom. I think this is one of her favorites of this genre; not because it features yet another Nordic Jesus, but because of the scope and grand presentation. And, it's length. Weighty movies work better for her when they go to extreme lengths. This is not my favorite, but I am attracted to it's spectacle.
Now all we need to do is procure a copy of The Last Temptation of Christ [we finally did procure a copy of this movie] and Mom will figure we're set.

Dr. Strangelove

2006-11-12T17:21:00.000-07:00

Who's watched: G, I think
Mentions: None
Commentary:  My confession is this: I think I've probably seen this entire movie, but I've never seen the entire movie in one sitting. I have memories of seeing parts of it while watching a football game. Weird, I know.
    I got it because this, also, was at a very low sale price, not Costco, and I have, for some time, very much wanted to see the movie of a piece.
    I don't think my mother has ever seen the movie, in whole or part, and I don't think it would command her attention. I think she'd consider it boring.

sex, lies, and videotape

2006-11-12T17:16:00.002-07:00

Who's watched: G
Mentions: None
Commentary: I purchased this one just for me. This is one of my little movie delights, has been for a long time. I expect at some point that I will watch it with Mom. When I first came to live with her I would have been willing to say that she probably wouldn't like this movie because she is sexually modest and wouldn't be able to get past the movie's focus on sex. Now, I think, because of the movie exposure she's had to sex through me, I think she might at least find the movie interesting to watch once, although I doubt it would become one of her favorites.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

2006-11-12T17:14:00.001-07:00

Who's watched: Only G, I think
Mentions: None
Commentary: I assume my mother hasn't seen this, although, when I lived in Seattle and for about a year or so after I came to live with her in Mesa, despite what she's always professed as an inability to understand "English English" she watched a lot of English comedy stuff on PBS and, later, through cable, BBC, so, maybe she has seen it. Anyway, again, on sale, and, again, I wanted to add it to my collection, although it may be awhile before I view it. I would like to own The Life of Brian in the same spirit.

The Man Who Would Be King

2006-11-11T23:48:00.001-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: None
Commentary:  I didn't know about this movie version of Rudyard Kipling's story (which I read some time in late high school, I think, in a collection of short stories, and remained haunted by it) until te late 1970's when the sister of a good friend of mine told me of the movie, extolled it's virtues, told me it was her "favorite", that it was showing on television that night and persuaded me to watch it. I was enchanted. Not only did the half remembered story come back to me in full, the movie overshadowed the story, for me, so well is it done. It is a movie I've never forgotten. A few years after I came to live with Mom and we began renting movies, I scoured several video stores before I found it. Mom loved it, too. I've rented it since, a couple of times, so I was thrilled when I ran across a copy of it. I was determined to buy it, cheap or not, as long as it was letter-boxed, which it was.
  The presentation is sparkling, but, being a very cheap version, the movie is cut in two; half on one side of the DVD, half on the other. This surprised us wen we watched it this afternoon. "I don't remember it having an intermission," I said.
  "I couldn't tell you," responded Mom, "I don't believe I've ever seen this movie."
  Good. I can get away with watching it a few more times before she becomes suspicious!
  For the curious and uninformed, while looking for links about the movie I came across the original short story here. Don't be put off by the "Chapter 1" after the title; the entire story is there.

I, Claudius

2006-11-11T19:57:00.002-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: *1* *2*
Commentary: My mother and I discovered this separately, together, many years ago when it first came out. I think we weren't even in the same state, but were in close touch and both of us mentioned it. Unfortunately, this version has no CC, and, whereas Mom had trouble with British accents at the time, now they wreak havoc upon her ears. But she remembers the story, loves watching it unfold again and loves the spectacle.
Damned fine cast, by the way!

Unforgiven

2006-11-11T18:00:00.000-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: None
Commentary: My mother used to be a Clint Eastwood fan with her sister, once they began living close to each other in their latter years. They saw them all of Eastwood's stuff, the old and the new. I never figured out if my mother was truly an Eastwood fan or her sister's fan and thus willing to do anything that would bring her closer to her sister.
At any rate, although I've seen very few Eastwood movies, I saw this one, I can't remember where or why, when it first came out, and was surprisingly impressed. So, when, one evening, some years ago, my mother suggested that we "rent a Clint Eastwood movie", this is the one I picked. Good choice. Aside from Morgan Freeman being in it, she loved the idea that a gunslinger could get old and have trouble reestablishing his former skills in a stab at morality. Since I bought the movie about a year ago, we've seen it a couple of times. Every time she sees it, she either says, "Your Dad would have liked this," or, "You know, I'll bet Jean would like this one, we should have her over sometime to see it. Wouldn't that be fun!"

The Year of Living Dangerously

2006-11-11T17:56:00.000-07:00

Who's watched: G
Mentions: None
Commentary: This is one of what I consider to be Peter Weir's more mysterious movies. Every time he does a movie about obvious political conflict, I come away with a sense that the big picture is disastrously easy to miss in the detail of living politically.
I never think of this movie when Mom and I are deciding what to watch together. I expect she will never see it, simply because I don't think of it, even when we have a Peter Weir fest, which we do about once a year. I think she would find Linda Hunt's performance entertaining and noteworthy, but in a Samuel Johnson kind of way. Otherwise, I don't think she would find the story at all involving. Although I may be wrong. If I ever discover that I am, I will certainly update this report.

The Truman Show

2006-11-11T13:00:00.000-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: None
Commentary: The first time my mother watched this she said, enthusiastically, that she enjoyed it. The second time I watched it in her presence, she paid no attention to it. The third time, not too long ago, she stared at the screen in a daze but insisted on sticking with it, then announced at the end that "...it doesn't seem to have much of a point." In some ways, I consider this movie a barometer of my mother's mental acuity on the day she happens to see it.
This is, by the way, one of my favorite Weir movies.

The Ten Commandments

2006-11-11T12:58:00.003-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: *1* *2* *3* *4* *5*
Commentary: Although I can't remember my journal comments, I'm sure, if you're even a semi-regular reader of my journal(s) about my mother, you know that this is one of my mother's all time favorites, and I've come to enjoy it, as well. I love the opulence the story, the acting and the sets. I am proud to say that I can quote dialog from this movie. I never get tired of my mother wanting to see this movie. Each time she decides to watch this movie, the chances always become excellent that I will drop what I'm doing and join her.

The Shawshank Redemption

2006-11-11T12:56:00.001-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: *1*
Commentary: Although I don't normally 'force' my mother to watch movies I know she'll find unpleasant, even though most of this movie takes place in a prison and doesn't spare the detail, I 'forced' her to watch this movie, even the very difficult scenes. I told her, before I sat her down to watch it, that the movie was one of the most uplifting movies she is likely to watch, but in order to reap the full benefit, she must watch the entire movie, even the parts that are hard to watch.
My insistence was worth it. The movie has become one of my mother's favorites, and she delights, now, every time she hears Morgan Freeman's voice, even in another movie, because she associates it with the surprises and pleasures of this movie.

The Passion of the Christ

2006-11-11T12:53:00.005-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: *1* *2* *3*
Commentary:  For both my mother and me, the controversy over this movie was beside the point. My mother is an aficionado of both Jesus and religious movies, so, of course, she had to see this one. If I hadn't been living with my mother when it came out, I probably would not have seen it, but not in some sort of intellectual or spiritual protest. I wouldn't have bothered because I know the story so well and know what I believe about the issues it raises.
    The rough and violent nature of the movie bothered neither of us. We discussed, briefly, whether Jesus was singled out for unusual torture, as, basically, his crucifixion was all in a day's work, and he wasn't the only person crucified on the day he died, nor was he the only person ever convicted of exactly the type of political treason that sent him to Golgotha.
    Other than that, my mother's favorite "character" in the movie is the oblique, white head of who she assumes to be "satan", or, more appropriately, as she expressed it, the spirit of evil and selfishness luring Jesus to turn his back on his mission. The head reminds me a bit of the spirit masks floating about in Spirited Away.
    The movie is definitely a winner from the "Bible Movie" perspective, for my mother.

The Lion King

2006-11-11T12:43:00.002-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: *1*
Commentary: Again, I'm not a fan of animation, but this pulled me in when the shot of the zebras on the plain, at the beginning of the movie, dissolved into the shot of ants carrying leaves along a tree branch; or vice versa, I'm not sure which way the shot dissolved. At any rate, I find it very entertaining. So does my Mom. It has, though, been awhile since we've seen this one.

The World's Fastest Indian

2006-10-11T13:31:00.000-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: None
Commentary: I rented this movie out of dim curiosity because I enjoy Anthony Hopkins' work and like to see everything in which he acts. Lo and behold, I know this man. This man is my very extraordinary Chandler nephew and this is a portrait of what he will be like when he is middle aged and old. He is in his 20's, now, and is such a natural, as well as, now, well-trained and highly skilled inventor/repairer, and such an adventurer that it could be said that he does both in his sleep. Both Mom and I were astonished at this portrait and practically fell over each other exclaiming, "That's [nephew's name] in sixty or seventy years!" That's why we own this movie. And, yes, I recommended it to the nephew in question. I figured he'd get a kick out of seeing himself in the future.

Why We Fight

2006-10-11T13:30:00.001-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: *1*
Commentary: I think my "mention" says it all. We have, by the way, seen this movie twice since purchasing it. The second time I cued it immediately after we sat through a viewing of The Fog of War, using it as a painlessly painful history reminder.

United 93

2006-10-11T13:29:00.001-07:00

Who's watched: M & G
Mentions: *1*
Commentary: The "mention" is so complete that it may as well be a review of how Mom and I related to this movie. No need to add anything, I think.