Wednesday, May 18, 2022
Dave
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: This is one (of the many) that Mom never has any recollection of watching, yet we watch it a lot, usually during a cold, stormy afternoon/evening binge of this movie and The American President, of which she has a somewhat better memory. She likes feeling hopeful about what's best in the U.S., so do I, and both of these movies help, while the love stories provide comedy relief.
As a footnote, may I add that I am a West Wing freak; my mother is not, but she tolerates me. No, we have not bought any collections of West Wing episodes. I have forbidden myself to do so. When, for instance, would I watch them? I watch little enough of what we have, and then, usually, only peripherally, now. It's been a hard lesson to learn that if only I like it, my indulgences in it will be few and far between. I'm okay with this; it's just been a hard learning.
Update 11/2/08: I was given the entire West Wing series for Christmas a few years ago by a friend of mine; see the link.
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 Kevin Kline Dave Kovic/Pres. William Harrison Mitchell Sigourney Weaver Ellen Mitchell Frank Langella Bob Alexander Kevin Dunn Alan Reed Ving Rhames Duane Stevensen Ben Kingsley Vice Pres. Gary Nance Charles Grodin Murray Blum Laura Linney Randi Bonnie Hunt White House Tour Guide Anna Deavere Smith Mrs. Travis Faith Prince Alice Tom Dugan Jerry
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1993
Directed by Ivan Reitman.
Labels: ben-kingsley, comedy2, kevin-kline, laura-linney, political5, popcorn-and-soda6, presidential, shared-favorite, sigourney-weaver
Sunday, May 08, 2022
Love Actually
- Who's watched: M & G, many times
- Mentions: *1*
- Commentary: Okay, I don't know whether to be ashamed or not to say that I not only love this movie, I am in love with it. It has the ability to both soothe and encourage me. So, we watch it a lot. I know my mother enjoys it and sticks with it every time. I don't know if she has the same kind of gut reactions to it that I do. Fairly recently, toward the end of the holiday season, I watched this movie on dvd in the evening with Mom then turned right around and watched the entire movie again on cable. My mother did not stay up for the cable viewing.
Again, another post, written on 2/7/2005, that I managed to delete on 5/7/2020, found the hidden original, and have reposted it.
Update 5/8/22: This is a reposting of a previous post dated 2/7/2005 that I managed to recover.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Alan Rickman Harry Emma Thompson Karen Hugh Grant David Martine McCutcheon Natalie Colin Firth Jamie Lúcia Moniz Aurélia Liam Neeson Daniel Thomas Sangster Sam Bill Nighy Billy Mack Gregor Fisher Joe Chiwetel Ejiofor Peter Keira Knightley Juliet Andrew Lincoln Mark Laura Linney Rodrigo Santoro Kris Marshall Colin Abdul Salis Tony Billy Bob Thornton U. S. President Rowan Atkinson Rufus Heike Makatsch Mia Olivia Olson Joanna
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2003
Directed by Richard Curtis.
Labels: alan-rickman, Christmas, colin-firth, comedy2, emma-thompson, laura-linney, me-favorite4, popcorn-and-soda6, romance3
Monday, August 23, 2021
Primal Fear
- Commentary: I'm so pleased I am adding this movie to my collection! After watching The Illusionist (yet again) a couple of nights ago, I realized that, although I have a few Edward Norton fixes in my library (besides The Illusionist I have American History X, The Bourne Legacy, and Birdman), I don't have enough. While I love his performances, even if they are not lead performances, as in the last three I just mentioned, I decided it was time to add a few movies in which he's the lead actor. This one, of which I never tire, I've seen and look forward to seeing again and again. Another will be joining my collection in a couple of days that I haven't seen, in which Norton plays a detective with Tourette's syndrome. I've heard good things about the story and he's got loads of wonderful actors flanking him, so I'm particularly excited about its arrival.
Especially because of the surprise ending, this movie contains a signature performance, and is enjoyable no matter how many times I've seen it.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Richard Gere Martin Vale Laura Linney Janet Venable John Mahoney Shaughnessy Alfre Woodard Shoat Frances McDormand Molly Edward Norton Aaron/Roy Terry O'Quinn Yancy Andre Braugher Goodman Steven Bauer Pinero Tony Plana Martinez Stanley Anderson Rushman Maura Tierney Naomi
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1996
Directed by Gregory Hoblit.
Labels: edward-norton, john-mahoney, laura-linney, richard-gere
Friday, April 10, 2009
John Adams
- 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.
Update 8/2/21: Well, Whad'ya know! The Washington Post is still allowing access to it's movie reviews, at least. Old ones, anyway. Thanks, WP! Just for that, I'll bold your reference and link to you!
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Paul Giamatti John Adams Laura Linney Abigail Adams Stephen Dillane Thomas Jefferson David Morse George Washington Tom Wilkinson Benjamin Franklin Rufus Sewell Alexander Hamilton Justin Theroux John Hancock Danny Huston Samuel Adams Clancy O'Connor Edward Rutledge Željko Ivanek John Dickinson Ebon Moss-Bachrach John Quincy Adams Sarah Polley Abigail Adams Smith Andrew Scott William S. Smith Mamie Gummer Sally Smith Adams Samuel Barnett Thomas Adams Tom Hollander King George III
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2008
Directed by Tom Hooper.
Labels: david-morse, drama7, historical2, laura-linney, paul-giamatti, period3, political3, presidential, tom-wilkinson, TV1, war1, željko-ivanek
Savages
- 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.
To me, this movie is more about the self-care of the brother and sister as they finally have to deal with the damage inflicted upon them by their father, try to heal and not carry his brutality further as their father's legacy to them. It's not a film, to me, about giving care, it's a film about cutting loose from abusive parental care. It is, at its core, a hopeful film about renewing one's spirit.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Laura Linney Wendy Savage Philip Seymour Hoffman Jon Savage Philip Bosco Lenny Savage Peter Friedman Larry Guy Boyd Bill Lachman Debra Monk Nancy Lachman Margo Martindale Roz Rosemary Murphy Doris Metzger David Zayas Eduardo Gbenga Akinnagbe Jimmy Tonye Patano Mrs. Robinson Cara Seymour Kasia
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2007
Directed by Tamara Jenkins.
Labels: caregiver, drama6, female-director3, laura-linney, satire1
Saturday, November 11, 2006
The Truman Show
- 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.
Once again, the title for this post is linked to an alternate source.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Jim Carrey Truman Burbank Laura Linney Hannah Gill/Meryl Ed Harris Christof Noah Emmerich Louis Coltrane/Marion Natascha McElhone Sylvia/Lauren Garland Holland Taylor Truman's Mother Brian Delate Truman's Father Paul Giamatti Simeon
Here is a link to the Wikipedia article on this film.
Release Date: 1998
Directed by Peter Weir.
Labels: coming-of-age1, drama8, fantasy3, laura-linney, me-favorite2, paul-giamatti, peter-weir, popcorn-and-soda4, satire2
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Searching for Bobby Fischer
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: *1*
- Commentary: Just an absolute gem of a movie, from the casting of every part to the story. Quietly inspirational. Whenever we watch this movie Mom always sighs at the end and says, "That just makes me feel good about being alive."
Ditto.
Additionally, this movie is loaded with amazing actors, from the leads to the bit parts. They all deserve recognition for this effort, so I've listed just about all of them in the table, below.
In case you're interested, you might like to access this link to the script for this movie.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Max Pomeranc Josh Waitzkin Joe Mantegna Fred Waitzkin Joan Allen Bonnie Waitzkin Ben Kingsley Bruce Pandolfini Laurence Fishburne Vincent Livermore Robert Stephens Jonathan's teacher David Paymer Kalev Hal Scardino Morgan Pehme William H. Macy Tunafish father Dan Hedaya Tournament director Laura Linney Josh's school teacher Tony Shalhoub Chess club player
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1993
Directed by Steven Zaillian.
Labels: ben-kingsley, biography1, drama9, joan-allen, laura-linney, laurence-fishburne, shared-favorite, teaching
Sunday, February 13, 2005
A Simple Twist of Fate
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: This is one of those accidental gems I found when trying the dregs of a video store back in 2002, I think it was, when Mom had no energy but would stay up for movies and TV. I'm familiar with the story of Silas Marner, and I'm impressed with what Steve Martin does in film. I remember watching it by myself, first, then enthusiastically turning it over to Mom, then taping it off a cable network (bad copy). Its muddled melodrama doesn't bother me. Mom and I consider it an 'up' movie.
Update 5/9/2022: I still consider this a delightful little movie and find an excuse to watch it at least once a year, even though, considering how much we watched it when Mom was alive, you'd think I'd be tired of it by now. Not so. It's a surprising gem. Steve Martin managed to wrangle some surprising and amazing talent to perform in this movie, too, which is probably one of several circumstances which makes this movie so enjoyable.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Steve Martin Michael McCann Carolyn McCormick Elaine McCann Alana Austin Mathilda McCann Gabriel Byrne John Newland Laura Linney Nancy Newland Catherine O'Hara April Simon Stephen Baldwin Tanny Newland Michael Des Barres Bryce
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1994
Directed by Gillies MacKinnon.
Labels: dramaB, laura-linney, mystery2
