Movies, Mom & Me

• 
  Commentary:  This is not even close to my favorite Streisand movie. As well, it's kind of an afterthought. I've seen it more than a few times over the years. I very likely even saw it at least once with Mom. I haven't thought of this movie in, oh, years, though. Then, suddenly, a couple of weeks ago, it was occupying some of my prominent brain real estate. I figured I could handle this by watching a stream of it somewhere or checking it out of my local library, but, alas, I have only a few streaming channels, none of them was hosting it and my library, although it has four copies, all of them are "temporarily unavailable" which means, in library-speak, they're probably all being repaired or replaced. I couldn't get it out of my mind, though, and finally looked around for a good deal on the disc. And found it.
    I know, I know. For a lot of people this is Streisand schlock. I like Streisand, schlock or not, though, and I enjoy this movie, in particular, especially the appearance of Lauren Bacall and the way these two super-divas portray their on screen relationship as mother and daughter. It's wonderful to watch two screen masters spark off one another. Watching this movie always reminds me that I haven't got nearly enough representations of Lauren Bacall's work in my movie collection. I need to work on that.
    Jeff Bridges holds up nicely, too, and makes the wise choice to stay out of the way of the two leading ladies as they conjure their magic.
    My almost immediate thought after finishing my watching of this movie was, "That was sweet!" Immediately on its tail I thought, "Oh, wow, 'sweet', how long has it been since I thought of a movie as 'sweet', enjoyed its sweetness, or even watched a movie that I thought might be 'sweet'!?! Do I even own any other 'sweet' movies???" So, I searched through the title list to the left, over there, and realized, yeah, I not only own movies that I would class as 'sweet', I watch 'sweet' movies fairly often and enjoy them! So, I've compiled a list, which I'll add to this journal a bit later. I haven't decided, yet, whether I want to just list the movies or define why I consider them 'sweet', or, more specifically, what about them seems 'sweet' to me. I mean, I suspect, everyone has a slightly different personal definition of 'sweetness', right? What is mine, at least, what is mine for movies? Stay tuned.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Barbra Streisand	Rose Morgan-Larkin	Jeff Bridges	Gregory Larkin	Lauren Bacall	Hannah Morgan	George Segal	Henry Fine
  Mimi Rogers	Claire Morgan	Pierce Brosnan	Alex	Brenda Vaccaro	Doris	Austin Pendleton	Barry

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1996
    Directed by Barbra Streisand.

Labels: barbra-streisand, comedy3, jeff-bridges, romance5

# posted by gail @ 22:05    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  Under construction.
    This movie was not particularly well reviewed, despite having solid stars in all the leads and most of the second string cast and, as well, no slouchy acting. I've read loads of reviews of this movie, though, which means that critics paid attention to it, even if they found it hard to take for all sorts of reasons.
    I've always liked it. I'm not sure why this movie was mostly excoriated. The story is solid. The acting is solid. Maybe the subject matter was uncomfortable for a lot of (male) critics to handle. Maybe it exploded their personal views of elite hookers. I don't know. Doesn't matter. Now I own it.
    More later.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Barbra Streisand	Claudia Draper	Richard Dreyfuss	Aaron Levinsky	Maureen Stapleton	Rose Kirk	Karl Malden	Arthur Kirk
  Eli Wallach	Herbert Morrison	Robert Webber	Francis MacMillan	James Whitmore	Judge Stanley Murdoch	Leslie Nielsen	Allen Green

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1987
    Directed by Martin Ritt.

Labels: barbra-streisand, courtroom, eli-wallach, psychological2

# posted by gail @ 12:22    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  Yes, I know, a lot of people consider this a pedestrian movie. Many critics who initially reviewed it chose to snipe at it even when granting the occasional kudo for this or that aspect. Frankly, I decided to obtain this movie because every time I watch the Sex and the City episode (season 2, episode 18, Ex in the City in case you're ever curious, too) in which "the girls" compare Carrie's relationship with Big to this movie and, subsequently, Carrie quotes the line from The Way We Were, "Your girl is lovely, Hubbell", in a chance meeting with Big at the end, I always wonder, hmmm, maybe I should watch that! I have checked it out from the library at least a couple of times, including before my mom died. She loved Sex in the City [her favorite character was Samantha Jones (I know, sounds crazy, but my mom was calm, cool and collected and adventurous in many of the same ways Samantha Jones is)] and was curious about this movie, too. I don't remember her reaction to it, though, so it must have been underwhelming. And, actually, I never remember my own reaction to it. So, I decided, since this movie continues to cross my mind every time I watch that Sex and the City episode and I suddenly, again, have a desire to watch it, I should add it to my collection.
    By the way, although most critics were nit-pickety harsh, not all of them were. All three of the Three Movie Buffs (all of whom are men) thoughtfully gave this movie high praise. I've attached a link to their reviews to the link for this movie just before the infamous Carrie quote. All three opinions are an enlightening read, especially if you've ever felt conflicted about this movie.
  Rewatched 3/5/22  As I rewatched this movie, I had in the back of my mind that I might, once again, eliminate it from my collection. I've decided to continue to keep it.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Barbra Streisand	Katy Morosky	Robert Redford	Hubbell Gardiner	Bradford Dillman	J. J.	Lois Chiles	Carol Ann
  Patrick O'Neal	George Bissinger	Viveca Lindfors	Paula Reisner	Herb Edelman	Bill Verso	James Woods	Frankie McVeigh

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1973
    Directed by Stanley Pollack.

Labels: barbra-streisand, dramaE, james-woods, political5, robert-redford, romance5

# posted by gail @ 14:31    0 comments    email......this post

• 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.
    Rewatched: 3/5/22 - Today, 3/6/22, I read the Isaac Bashevis Singer story upon which this movie is based. The story is much more subtle and complicated than the movie. As I rewatched the movie yesterday, I realized, and was frustrated, that Hadass is only barely drawn. This is even more true of the written story. However, I find the character of Anshel deeper and more compelling in the written story than in the movie, except that Anshel's sympathy toward Hadass is far more evident in the movie than in the written story, which is something I prefer about the movie.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Barbra Streisand	Yentl Mendel	Mandy Patinkin	Avigdor	Amy Irving	Hadass Vishkower	Nehemiah Persoff	Rebbe Mendel
  Steven Hill	Reb Alter Vishkower	Allan Corduner	Shimmele	David de Keyser	Rabbi Zalman	Miriam Margolyes	Sarah
  Doreen Mantle	Mrs. Shaemen	Lynda Baron	Peshe	Ruth Goring	Esther Rachel	Jack Lynn	Bookseller

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1983
    Directed by Barbra Streisand.

Labels: barbra-streisand, buddy, drama6, fantasy2, female-director3, gender-bender, mom-favorite1, nehemiah-persoff, period3, political3, popcorn-and-soda2, religion2, romance2

# posted by gail @ 18:44    0 comments    email......this post

• 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.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Barbra Streisand	Fanny Brice	James Caan	Billy Rose	Omar Sharif	Nick Arnstein	Roddy McDowall	Bobby Moore
  Ben Vereen	Bert Robbins	Carole Wells	Norma Butler	Larry Gates	Bernard Baruch	Eugene Troobnick	Ned

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1975
    Directed by Herbert Ross.

Labels: barbra-streisand, biography1, dance, dramedy1, musical1, romance2

# posted by gail @ 19:08    0 comments    email......this post

• 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.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Barbra Streisand	Daisy Gamble/Lady Tentrees	Yves Montand	Marc Chabot	Larry Blyden	Warren Pratt	Bob Newhart	Dr. Mason Hume
  Simon Oakland	Dr. Conrad Fuller	John Richardson	Sir Robert Tentrees	Jack Nicholson	Tad Pringle	Mabel Albertson	Mrs. Hatch

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1970
    Directed by Vincente Minnelli.

Labels: barbra-streisand, coming-of-age1, dramedy1, fantasy2, jack-nicholson, period4, popcorn-and-soda3

# posted by gail @ 18:24    0 comments    email......this post

• 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.
    Interviewer:  James Lipton
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of this actor.
    Release Date: 2004
    Directed by Jeff Wurtz.

Labels: barbra-streisand, interview, TV1

# posted by gail @ 12:39    0 comments    email......this post

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  None
• 
  Commentary:  Mom has never cared for Barbra Streisand, neither her voice nor her presence. I have always adored Barbra Streisand without question. Having said this, we both enjoyed this movie and Mom has a few other Barbra Streisand favorites, like Nuts and Yentl (here's my own post about Yentl, neither of which we've yet collected (I acquired Yentl the April after Mom died). She also has a problem with Omar Shariff. She considers him overwhelming. I think he's great in this movie.
  Update 7/31/21:  Forgive me, but this reminds me of a funny story to tell on myself. Soon after I'd discovered Barbara Streisand, long before this movie came out, I used to wander around the house singing Streisand songs I'd heard on the radio, trying, as hard as possible, to imitate her voice. I asked my mother, once, if I sounded at all like Streisand and she replied, "Oh, much better!" I'm sure she said this because she had no love for Streisand's voice, and I knew this, so I dismissed her comment. During the same period but a bit later, though, I was told by a friend who overheard me vocalizing on "the slab" (the concrete foundation of an abandoned tennis court in our housing area), one day, that I sounded like Mahalia Jackson. Although I was startled, considering who I was trying to imitate, I was also familiar with Jackson's voice and was deeply complimented by her comment. Truth is, though, I do not have a good singing voice because I don't have a good ear for my own voice. I do for instruments being played, including when I play them, but I can't hear myself slip when my voice goes off-key. So, no chance that I'll ever be "discovered", even though I continue to sing, and hum, throughout odd moments of the day.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Barbra Streisand	Fanny Brice	Omar Sharif	Nicky Arnstein	Kay Medford	Rose Brice	Anne Francis	Georgia James
  Walter Pidgeon	Florenz Ziegfeld	Lee Allen	Eddie Ryan	Mae Questel	Mrs. Strakosh	Gertrude Flynn	Mrs. O'Malley

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1968
    Directed by William Wyler.

Labels: barbra-streisand, biography2, dramedy2, musical2, period5, romance3

# posted by gail @ 02:20    0 comments    email......this post