Movies, Mom & Me

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  *1*
• 
  Commentary:  Although we haven't watched this in awhile, we've watched it more than once. It is one I know will keep Mom occupied from beginning to end when she doesn't want to do anything else but wants to remain awake; I'm able to share in movie moments with her, since the movie has a fair number of satisfying moments, and this is important. It is, for my mother, primarily a "woman's movie" in the old tradition: Women sharing the deep secrets of womanhood; comedy and triumph at the expense of the men, who are clueless; in the end, the men are proud of their women but remain clueless, the women are proud of themselves and remain a society closed to the men; and the children, if there are any, remain clueless but promising. A film of old and treasured (and sometimes questionable) sensibilities.
  Update 11/17/2021:  This post was originally published February 6, 2005. It was one of the accidental deletions that occurred, which is covered in this post.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Helen Mirren	Chris Harper	Ciarán Hinds	Rod Harper	Julie Walters	Annie Clarke	Linda Bassett	Cora
  Annette Crosbie	Jessie	Celia Imrie	Celia	Penelope Wilton	Ruth Reynoldson	Geraldine James	Marie

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2003
    Directed by Nigel Cole.

Labels: comedy2, helen-mirren, mom-favorite2, popcorn-and-soda6, women's-movie2

# posted by gail @ 19:02    0 comments    email......this post

• 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 this movie; and many other aspects of the movie.
    Yet another movie we'll watch over and over and over.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Helen Mirren	Queen Elizabeth II	Michael Sheen	Tony Blair	James Cromwell	Prince Philip	Helen McCrory	Cherie Blair
  Alex Jennings	Prince Charles	Roger Allam	Robin Janvrin	Sylvia Syms	The Queen Mother	Tim McMullan	Stephen Lamport

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2006
    Directed by Stephen Frears.

Labels: biography1, docu-drama, helen-mirren, historical3, period3, political3, royals, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 02:35    0 comments    email......this post

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  *1* *2*
• 
  Commentary:  See, also, commentary on Elizabeth R. Although I confessed to preferring, by a minor edge, Glenda Jackson's epic, truth is, it depends on my mood. They are both lush, but in this HBO production the lushness is almost palpable. They are both dramatic but, in this production, there is more emphasis on Elizabeth's emotional life. The curiosity, to me, is that Mirren's and Jackson's portrayals are side-by-side excellent and, rather than competing with one another, it is as though one fleshes out the other. Neither my mother nor I ever tire of watching either.
    Sidebar:  My mother prefers the hairstyles in this one.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Helen Mirren	Queen Elizabeth I	Jeremy Irons	Earl of Leicester	Hugh Dancy	Earl of Essex	Toby Jones	Robert Cecil
  Patrick Malahide	Sir Francis Walsingham	Ian McDiarmid	Lord Burghley	Barbara Flynn	Mary, Queen of Scots	Ewen Bremner	King James VI
  Geoffrey Streatfeild	Sir Anthony Babington	Toby Salaman	Dr Lopez	Charlotte Asprey	Frances Walsingham	Eddie Redmayne	Southampton

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2005
    Directed by Tom Hooper.

Labels: biography1, drama9, elizabeth-I, helen-mirren, historical3, period4, political3, royals, TV2

# posted by gail @ 13:17    0 comments    email......this post

• Who's watched:  G
• Mentions:  None
• 
  Commentary:  This one was a "freebie" with another movie, I can't remember which one. With Willem Dafoe, Helen Mirren and Robert Redford I thought this would be an interesting little piece. It wasn't quite as interesting as I thought, although I always enjoy watching all these actors. Mom hasn't watched it. I'll probably forget to mention it to her.
  Update 8/11/21:  No, I didn't keep this film. I didn't completely dislike it. I just realized, when it came time to cull my collection, I hadn't watched it more than once and probably wouldn't. So, I gave it to the library. If I decide I want to watch it, again, it's there for me. My library system, as it turns out, has four copies.
  Update 10/19/24:  I know. Bizarrely, I re-added this movie to my collection. Truth is, I've never forgotten it and when I find myself ruminating on it, I find myself wondering about this character quirk or that plot point or an idea in the movie's philosophy. In fact, just a few hours ago I was watching a movie essay in which this film was featured. Since I didn't remember exactly what the reviewer was talking about, and since the movie is extraordinarily cheap, now, I decided, what the hell, I'm placing another order, why not include this movie.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Robert Redford	Wayne Hayes	Helen Mirren	Eileen Hayes	Willem Dafoe	Arnold Mack	Alessandro Nivola	Tim Hayes

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2004
    Directed by Pieter Jan Brugge.

Labels: action3, dramaB, helen-mirren, robert-redford, willem-dafoe

# posted by gail @ 20:32    0 comments    email......this post

• Who's watched:  G
• Mentions:  *1*
• 
  Commentary:  For my reaction to this movie, see the write-up for Ray.
    Roger Ebert did drop a review on this movie, although he was not thrilled with it. He split with Gene Siskel on it.
    Critics, in general, were vehemently split-to-negative on this film after its initial release. For this reason, the Reception section of the Wikipedia write-up is an interesting read. It has gained a much better reputation in the years since its release. When I first saw the film, in the theatre, although it was gritty, I liked it so much that I continued to recall scenes and bits of dialogue from it in the years hence, which is why I finally obtained a copy.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Harrison Ford	Ali Fox	Helen Mirren	Margot Fox	River Phoenix	Charlie Fox	Conrad Roberts	Mr. Haddy
  Andre Gregory	Reverend Spellgood	Martha Plimpton	Emily Spellgood	Melanie Boland	Mrs. Spellgood	Dick O'Neill	Mr. Polski

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1986
    Directed by Peter Weir.
  
  

Labels: adventure4, dramaC, harrison-ford, helen-mirren, peter-weir, suspense2

# posted by gail @ 19:10    0 comments    email......this post