Movies, Mom & Me

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  Commentary:  Despite its meager but complimentary review-of-sorts in the Reception section of this movie's Wikipedia write-up, the truth is, it's hard to find a review of this movie, let alone a positive review. This surprises me because I saw the movie sometime between its release in theaters and 1993, on home video, and I still remember it, still remember enjoying it, so much so that, when I was reminded of it a few days ago when ordering The Infernal Affairs Trilogy, I decided to purchase a copy.
    Regarding the all-over-the-map reviews of this movie, metacritic collates a score of "generally favorable reviews". The Los Angeles Times has a muddled write-up, praising some aspects of the movie while excoriating others, as does the WAPO review attached to the title of this post.
    I was introduced to this movie by my next door neighbor in Seattle who managed (and, later, owned) a video rental store. I was riveted. So was she, I might add, although she'd seen the movie more than a few times. I have not seen this movie since. I've been reminded of it a lot throughout the intervening years, just not when I was renting or buying videos. Now, that situation has been corrected, I'm pleased to say. I'm really looking forward to Richard Gere's delightfully smarmy performance of a disgustingly smarmy cop.
    Once I receive the movie and watch it, again, I'm sure I'll be back, so, consider this post under construction.
  Update 11/15/22:  I've been watching this movie throughout the night, on again, off again. I was not disappointed! It is full of thrilling suspense. The acting is solid. The storytelling is point-by-point and leaves no holes through which the watcher might fall at the end. The entire movie is rather like looking at a crooked smile. When you turn away you're still a bit on edge, but you know the crookedness is "right", the only way, really, it could be. I remembered my first watch of it as deeply satisfying, and, just so, it was, again. And, man, I gotta tell ya, those late 80's-early 90's clothes and hair styles! What a treat! I'd forgotten that's what people who were considered part of "the professional class" wanted to, and did, look like back then! I'm glad I obtained this movie. I'll definitely be watching this again.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Richard Gere	Ofc Dennis Peck	Andy García	Sgt Raymond Avilla	Nancy Travis	Kathleen Avilla	Laurie Metcalf	Sgt Amy Wallace
  Annabella Sciorra	Heather Peck	William Baldwin	Ofc Van Stretch	Faye Grant	Penny Stretch	Elijah Wood	Sean Stretch

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1990
    Directed by Mike Figgis.

Labels: action4, andy-garcía, detective1, laurie-metcalf, loose-cannon-cop, neo-noirB, popcorn-and-soda7, richard-gere

# posted by gail @ 15:35    0 comments    email......this post

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  Commentary:  Under construction.
    No, I'm not a Mormon, nor anything religious, for that matter, but I am always curious about religious movies, including those that are promotional. Although I haven't yet seen this one, from what I've read about it, it is surely promotional of the LDS faith. That should be fun! Of course, I'll report back.
    BTW, although the review attached to the title of this post is of the 2016 remake of the original play and this movie is a filmed version of a 1989 stage production, the review is interesting and revealing about the play, regardless of how it was made. It was also the most complete review I could find, and, a big plus, it's by a querulous Mormon.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Erik Hickenlooper	Jimmy	Cori Jacobsen	Julie	Davison Cheney	Tod	Bart Hickenlooper	Wally
  D.L. Walker	Harold Greene	Marianne Thompson	Pam	Marvin Payne	Dad	Gay Parvis	Mom

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1989
    Directed by Bob Williams.

Labels: §5, goflexB, popcorn-and-soda7, religion2

# posted by gail @ 13:45    0 comments    email......this post

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  Commentary:  I know, I know, what the hell am I doing with the following three movies?! It's complicated. I've never been a Christian but I am related to some people who were, back in the day, rabid evangelistic Christians. I don't know if they've ever seen these movies but I do know that they were far out and away from Rabid Evangelical Christianity when the first movie was released. They were, in fact, extraordinarily dismissive, and sometimes, it seemed like they were secretly afraid, of Christianity in particular and religion in general, by that time.
    My story with these movies is a bit different. When I was a teenager and my relatives (mentioned above) were rabid evangelical Christians, I became fascinated with Rabid Evangelical Christianity because I knew both of these relatives to be intelligent and thoughtful, so I had an impossible time understanding why, why, either of them not only became REC's but quickly rose to the rank of leaders among their Christian cadre.
    At this point, not being a believer, in the strict Abrahamic sense or in any religious or philosophical sense, I began studying the tracts they were distributing, going to a meeting, here and there, featuring Brother Burke (this link is to Brother Burke's son, who continues his father's pentacostal ministry on the same island, out of the same church where my relatives were churched), the local REC head. I even went to a Billy Graham "event" in a large arena and collected literature on REC beliefs. And read it. And remained flummoxed. How in the world, I wondered, could anyone fall under the spell of these beliefs, especially since they were unfalsifiable?
    Within a year or so I put my curiosity aside. I think I wasn't interested in knowing what, exactly, attracted my relatives to these beliefs and this community. I had more interesting, and more urgent, things to do. Then, in 1995 the first Left Behind book came out and I couldn't resist, even though my relatives had long ago renounced their REC beliefs. I read it. It was a fairly fun read. Kind of exciting. I knew all the faith details so none of it was shocking, nor did I take any of it personally. Five years later, though, the story was produced as a movie, the first in the trilogy which I, just today, added to my movie collection. At this point I have to tell you, I cannot remember when I first viewed the first movie, but it was a hell of a lot of fun, a real popcorn-and-soda pleasure. All the actors were so earnest, despite often being bad at what they were doing. The scenery was mostly, well, meh, but sometimes interesting, even eye-popping. The story flowed well. It was an emotionally romping good couple of hours. As years went by, when I was presented with the chance, I often rewatched the first movie and the other two. Just plain, good, afternoon fun. So, I decided, if I could find a good cheap price (which I did, recently) I'll add them to my collection.
    The catch is, these movies are still being churned out. Nicolas Cage starred in a 2014 reboot of the first movie in the trilogy. I haven't seen that one. Perhaps, some day, I will. Kevin Sorbo also mixed story lines together from the trilogy and has a movie in post production which will be releasing soon. I have no idea if I'll be seeing that one. Depends on whether I can see it, initially, at least, for free. If you are at all familiar with Kevin Sorbo's last some years of movie work, your response to the news of him joining the Left Behind franchise is, likely, "Of course he did!"
    Frankly, I'm only mildly surprised at Nicolas Cage's involvement with a movie based on these, ahem, stories. I mean, the possibilities for a real, secular blockbuster certainly reside in the pages of these novels. I can think of only one movie that incorporates this belief system into an excellent production: The Rapture. Yes, I own a copy of it. If you've ever experienced astonishment and disbelief over REC, you might enjoy The Rapture. It wasn't an audience attracter, although critics loved it. I'm thinking the reason it's so hard to produce an audience-rousing and critic-delighting film from these story elements is that anyone from the U.S., anyway, is frightened of the belief system these stories portray, even if they, themselves, don't believe in it.
    Anyway, this is just an initial post, no official movie write-ups, yet. I need a fresh watch of the movies listed below to really get into individual write-ups. So, yes, this post is Under Construction. I'm not sure if I'll be writing up the individual movies separate from one another or, for that matter, separate from this post. Stay tuned. I think this might be fun.
  
    Left Behind I: The Movie
    Commentary:  Under construction.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Kirk Cameron	Buck Williams	Brad Johnson	Captain Rayford Steele	Gordon Currie	Nicolae Carpathia	Janaya Stephens	Chloe Steele
  Clarence Gilyard, Jr.	Bruce Barnes	Chelsea Noble	Hattie Dunham	Colin Fox	Chaim Rosenzweig	Daniel Pilon	Jonathan Stonagal

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2000
    Directed by Vic Sarin.
  
    Left Behind II: Tribulation Force
    Commentary:  Under construction.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Kirk Cameron	Buck Williams	Brad Johnson	Rayford Steele	Clarence Gilyard, Jr.	Bruce Barnes	Janaya Stephens	Chloe Steele
  Gordon Currie	Nicolae Carpathia	Chelsea Noble	Hattie Durham	Krista Bridges	Ivy Gold	Lubomir Mykytiuk	Rabbi Tsion Ben Judah

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2002
    Directed by Bill Corcoran.
  
    Left Behind III: World at War
    Commentary:  Under construction.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Louis Gossett Jr.	President Gerald Fitzhugh	Kirk Cameron	Buck Williams	Brad Johnson	Rayford Steele	Jessica Steen	Carolyn Miller
  Gordon Currie	Nicolae Carpathia	Janaya Stephens	Chloe Steele	Chelsea Noble	Hattie Durham	Charles Martin Smith	Vice President John Mallory

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

Labels: apocalyptic, popcorn-and-soda7, religion2

# posted by gail @ 17:21    0 comments    email......this post

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  Commentary:  Under construction.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Arnold Schwarzenegger	T-800 Terminator	Linda Hamilton	Sarah Conner	Edward Furlong	John Conner	Robert Patrick	T-1000 Terminator
  Earl Boen	Dr. Silberman	Joe Morton	Miles Bennett Dyson	S. Epatha Merkerson	Tarissa Dyson	Dean Norris	SWAT team leader
  Michael Edwards	2029 John Conner	Michael Biehn	Kyle Reese	Jenette Goldstein	Janelle Voight	Xander Berkeley	Todd Voight

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1991
    Directed by James Cameron.

Labels: apocalyptic, dramaF, horror2, popcorn-and-soda7, science-fiction2, spectacle2, super-hero2, suspense3, thriller3, tragedy2, violence4

# posted by gail @ 13:04    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  Well, people, I looked, and looked, and looked and couldn't find a review of this movie by Roger Ebert anywhere (although the reviews from Three Movie Buffs, to which I linked to the title of this post, more than suffice). I was sure I was, somehow, just missing it. Then, I chanced upon this admission, courtesy of IMDb and a dead link to "ReelzChannel", although Reelz certainly does exist, but searches there for "Roger Ebert" and "Terminator", came up with no results. In case you don't want to wander over to the link, it says that Roger Ebert admitted in 2009 that he'd never seen this movie.
    That just didn't seem plausible, and I'm nothing if not dogged, so, of course, I continued to look and discovered this clip from Siskel & Ebert's television show At the Movies in which Ebert not only admitted to liking the movie, but particularly liked the peculiar angle of the love story. Although the clip is not dated, it is clear from the conversation that Siskel & Ebert were reviewing it during the movie's first theater run, which was in 1984.
    Why is all this important? Well, through the many years since its release, this movie has gone up and up in audience and critical appraisal. The following two links to articles about the movie at Roger Ebert.com [30 Minutes on the Terminator] and the first two movies of the Terminator series [James Cameron's great double feature] underline this growing enthusiasm. In addition, the movie is certainly memorable. Not only did I remember it well, as I described to MFS a few days ago, "There's nothing like watching Arnold Terminator unfold into earthly existence."
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Arnold Schwarzenegger	The Terminator	Michael Biehn	Kyle Reese	Linda Hamilton	Sarah Conner	Paul Winfield	Ed Traxler
  Lance Henriksen	Vukovich	Bess Motta	Ginger	Rick Rossovich	Matt	Earl Boen	Dr. Silberman

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1984
    Directed by James Cameron.

Labels: apocalyptic, dramaF, horror2, popcorn-and-soda7, science-fiction2, spectacle2, super-hero2, suspense3, thriller3, tragedy2, violence4

# posted by gail @ 13:42    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  To me, this is the frontier version of Giant. It's a bit more romancy, yes, but the central conflict is essentially the same: the challenges of capitalistic success in western America. And, anyway, it's a delight to see Jean Simmons and Charlton Heston in such off-track roles. This movie played with Giant back to back (doesn't matter which is played first) is a great way to spend a precipitous afternoon. In fact, there are some precipitous days coming up shortly. Guess what I'll be doing through at least one of them!
    Finally, yes, I know, many critics considered it silly and cliché ridden. I know it's silly and cliché ridden. And, still, I consider it one of the ultimate pop-corn-and-soda movies of all time.
  Update 6/9/2022:  This post was originally published on 1/16/2021 but disappeared from public view. I am now reinstating it.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Gregory Peck	James McKay	Jean Simmons	Julie Maragon	Carroll Baker	Patricia Terrill	Charlton Heston	Steve Leech
  Burl Ives	Rufus Hannassey	Charles Bickford	Mjr. Henry Terrill	Alfonso Bedoya	Ramón Gutierrez	Chuck Connors	Buck Hannassey
  Chuck Hayward	Rafe Hannassey	Buff Brady	Dude Hannassey	Jim Burk	Cracker Hannassey	Dorothy Adams	Hannassey Woman

  
    Here's the Wikipedia write-up for this movie.
    Release Date: 1958
    Directed by William Wyler.

Labels: adventure2, carroll-baker, charlton-heston, drama2, gregory-peck, historical1, jean-simmons, period1, popcorn-and-soda7, romance1, western

# posted by gail @ 11:55    0 comments    email......this post

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  Commentary:  This movie is a not-quite-so-guilty pleasure for me. I have usually been able to find it playing on a streaming service without commercials once a year or so, but, I have access to only two streaming services (that's all I need, actually, considering that, despite my huge number of owned movies, I don't watch movies or programs a lot). Lately, I've been experiencing my hunger, again, for this movie, and was left with no outlets through which to assuage it, which has never before happened. Just out of curiosity I thought, you know, I wonder how much it would cost if I just owned this movie. I found an astonishingly cheap price for a new press in widescreen with subtitles and, knowing that I will watch this movie again and again, grabbed it. It just arrived. I'll be luxuriating in it shortly.
    Lots of film critics lauded this movie, including Jennifer Lopez' performance in it. That's what accounts for the "not-quite-so-guilty" part of my pleasure in this movie. The part of my pleasure about which I feel guilty is that it depends upon Selena's tragic end. Without the short and shocking trajectory of her life she likely would have continued to be a huge, cross-sectional star, but I doubt there'd be a movie about her. She may have become an acting, as well as a singing, star, in her own right, and, likely, either way, her existence doing what she did so well would have produced at least as much wealth for her family as her tragedy probably has, but, well, to be blunt, untimely tragedy tends to generate at least as much attention, if not more, as success. Sad truth.
    Much worthy attention was paid to the making of this movie. All the choices made, the actors, the carving of the story for maximum effect, the production, the presentation, are top notch. It is unfortunate that all this excellence had to be lavished on presenting a tragedy, rather than a long-lived phenomenon.
  Update 3/23/2022:  Yes, yes, yes, I spent most of yesterday afternoon and evening watching my copy of this movie. May I say, it is the premier popcorn-and-soda movie of my collection. Although just a few minutes over two hours, I rewound and rewatched so many sections of it that I spent at least four hours luxuriating in it.
    I plan to watch Netflix's version, Selena: The Series, for comparison. It received low to middling reviews from professional critics (with the exception of the immediately previous review, which has an interesting perspective, from Roger Ebert dot com) and was rebuked even more for "occasionally [struggling] to tell its subject's story with depth or perspective" (a quote from the Wikipedia article about the film) than the film. IMDb users, however, [(1997 movie), (2020-21 series)] ranked the two practically the same: above middling. The consensus seems to be that while professional critics are looking for something with more depth (which I'm not sure is possible without a thorough companion story about Yolanda Saldívar, Selena's side-business manager and murderer), off-the street (so to speak) critiques from watcher-plebes are, largely, satisfied and disappointed with both depictions in equal measure and for the same reasons, giving the series a slight, and, I think, insignificant, edge.
    Once I finish viewing the series, if I think I have anything cogent to add, I will, but, if not, well, what you read above is what you get.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Jennifer Lopez	Adult Selena	Edward James Olmos	Abraham Quintanilla, Jr	Constance Marie	Marcela Quintanilla	Lupe Ontiveros	Yolanda Saldívar

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1997
    Directed by Gregory Nava.

Labels: biography3, coming-of-age2, dramaE, edward-james-olmos, jennifer-lopez, musical2, popcorn-and-soda7, tragedy2

# posted by gail @ 12:18    0 comments    email......this post

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  Commentary:  Roger Ebert didn't like this movie very much. He only gave it two stars and a middling review. Other reviewers were equally ambivalent. They, at the time and through time, were in the minority, although a rather large minority. Audiences, however, were not ambivalent. It's a crowd pleaser, a perennial favorite and, dare I say, one of my favorite Christmas movies.
    Despite Roger Ebert's dismissal of it, it's been re-reviewed and revisited twice since the movie was released: Once in 2013 by Matt Zoller Seitz and again in 2015 by Brain Tallerico when a commemoriative set of the entire series of movies was released.
    Truth be told, the only movie in the series I've seen is this one. In fact, until I read one of the articles above, I was only vaguely aware that there was a collection surrounding this character. I can't imagine that I'll be catching up on the sequels, but, this year, for some reason, I wanted this movie to be a part of my Christmas celebration, and the Christmas part of my movie collection.
    More later, when I watch it.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Bruce Willis	John McClane	Alan Rickman	Hans Gruber	Alexander Godunov	Karl	Bonnie Bedelia	Holly Gennero-McClane
  Reginald VelJohnson	Al Powell	Paul Gleason	Dwayne T. Robinson	De'voreaux White	Argyle	William Atherton	Richard Thornburg
  Tracy Reiner	Thornburg's assistant	Clarence Gilyard	Theo	Hart Bochner	Harry Ellis	James Shigeta	Joseph Yoshinobu Takagi

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1988
    Directed by John McTiernan, Jr.

Labels: §, action3, alan-rickman, Christmas, dramaE, popcorn-and-soda7, suspense3, thriller2

# posted by gail @ 15:15    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  I haven't yet watched this movie, although the write-up on the back almost makes me feel as though I have. Pretty much, it sounds like a follow-up to Giant, or, perhaps, vice versa. Both movies were released in 1956 (I don't know which one was released first), which means they were being produced at the same time. Both star Rock Hudson (my goodness he was a busy actor), although in completely different roles. Both take place on oil "plantations" (so to speak). Both involve the reprobate behavior of a key male character and some twitchy moves by children.
    If you read the Wikipedia articles about both movies, though, it's clear they had nothing to do with one another. Each has different source material. Character arcs are, well, similar, but not the same, and not attributed to the same types of characters, nor are those characters played by the same types of actors. I think the character of the times produced both of these movies at the same time ... but with clearly individual and peculiar emphases that do not cross-over with the other film. I'm guessing on this next musing, but it also sounds like this movie is going to be much more tragic than Giant, which I anticipate with relish.
    At any rate, I'm exceedingly excited to watch this one. Seeing it may trigger yet another watching of Giant, just for the fun of comparison.
    Wow! Look at how much I've written and I haven't even yet watched this movie! Stay tuned.
    By the way, I'm guessing at all the stuff I've written above, having not seen the movie yet, so there's a good possibility that my label assignments will change after I watch the movie.
  Update 5/17/2022:  Okay, I've seen this movie, now. At least twice. Possibly a third time. Primarily to watch, yet again, Dorothy Malone's riot of a performance as MaryLee Hadley! The character, herself, packs a harloty punch and Dorothy Malone knows just how to twist it up and let it loose. One of the aspects of her part that I admire is that it includes more than a few scenes where she is simply thinking, remembering, and Malone is spectacular at this.
    Although, of course, the movie focuses on the men, one dubious, another stalwart, and I think the message has something to do with the virtues of growing up poor versus growing up rich, this story clearly belongs to the women. Lauren Bacall, herself, is no slouch in the "I'm thinking" department. Between the two women and their internal assessments of the situations that arise due to the career machinations of the men, really, this is a women's picture par excellence. The men just sort of go about their somewhat dull, sometimes nasty, business, and nurture these lusts for the women from the side. The women play the judge and the jury and their verdict is what decides the trajectory of this picture. Fun, fun, fun! I cannot recommend this movie enough!
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Rock Hudson	Mitch Wayne	Lauren Bacall	Lucy Moore Hadley	Robert Stack	Kyle Hadley	Dorothy Malone	Marylee Hadley
  Robert Keith	Jasper Hadley	Grant Williams	Biff Miley	Robert J. Wilke	Dan Willis	Edward Platt	Dr. Paul Cochrane
  Harry Shannon	Hoak Wayne	John Larch	Roy Carter	Roy Glenn	Sam	Maidie Norman	Bertha

  
    One of Roger Ebert's Great Movies.
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1956
    Directed by Douglas Sirk.

Labels: Criterion3, douglas-sirk, melodramaA, popcorn-and-soda7, rock-hudson, romance5, southern-gothic, tragedy2

# posted by gail @ 15:43    0 comments    email......this post

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  Commentary:  I just watched this movie this evening (8/20/21). I'd forgotten how absurd it is and, yet, despite it's absurdity, how compelling it is emotionally. Its ability to compel rests solely on the shoulders of two of the actors: Barbara Stanwyck as Stella Dallas and Barabara O'Neil as Helen Morrison Dallas. Yes, I know, there are actors in this movie who have more screen time than Barbara O'Neil, particularly the actors who play Laurel Dallas, Steven Dallas and Ed Munn. But none holds a candle to the ardent performances of these two actors.
    I'd love to be able to give you a good reason for my love of this film, for the fact that I can't seem to get enough of it. I'll tell you, though, each time I watch this film it's personally embarrassing for me to be overcome, yet again, by the gush of pure feeling I experience when watching it. Even as I'm sitting right in front of the screen absorbing it, I'm embarrassed by how I'm reacting. I'm not sure whether this means its good or bad, I just know that, every once in a while, when I feel the need to take a bath in sentiment, crazy and disjointed as Stella Dallas is, this movie does the trick.
    I did, some years ago, watch the Bette Midler remake, called simply, Stella. Even though I was looking forward to seeing it when I heard about it, I remember nothing about the story, the film or my reaction to it, which was probably insignificant. I haven't had the urge to re-view it since, even though, in the meantime, I've watched this Stella Dallas multiple times. I don't know why Bette's wasn't effective for me. And, "frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."
    Glenn Erickson of DVD Savant, whose reviews I often use, he's especially good with old and obscure movies, has written about the film twice. His earlier review is linked to the title of this post, above, and is dated 3/26/2005. Here is his later review, dated 1/1/2014. He has slightly different things to say about the movie in each review, although much of both reviews are the same.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Barbara Stanwyck	Stella Martin Dallas	John Boles	Stephen Dallas	Ann Shirley	Laurel Dallas	Barbara O'Neil	Helen Morrison Dallas
  Alan Hale	Ed Munn	Marjorie Main	Mrs. Martin	Tim Holt	Richard Grosvenor III	George Walcott	Charlie Martin

  
    Here is the Wikipedia write-up for the film.
    Release Date: 1937
    Directed by King Vidor.

Labels: barbara-stanwyck, marjorie-main, melodramaA, mother-daughter-dynamics1, popcorn-and-soda7, women's-movie2

# posted by gail @ 16:15    0 comments    email......this post

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  Commentary:  This movie is a subtly horrific construction that can't escape the description "woman bashing", but, being a Bette Davis/Miriam Hopkins movie, it's incredibly engaging and fun to watch. I have to admit, even though it's a period piece and we're quietly encouraged to take this into consideration when judging Davis' and Hopkin's character's beliefs, actions and decisions, the circumstances proposed in this movie are almost too contrived to be believed. And, yet, watching Hopkins and Davis negotiate through them, well, you just kind of sit back, snuggle in for a good couple of hours and reach for the popcorn bowl.
    This movie initiates the use of a new label, by the way, "mother-daughter-dynamics1". So far, it's the only one in this category, but I'm sure I have several that qualify, which is why I placed a "1" after the label name, and will search them out later. Right off the bat, for instance, Now, Voyager comes to mind.
    For an interesting, thoughtful and wide-ranging essay on the subject of mothers sacrificing for daughters and other movie-mother insights, check out Mothers in the Movies. This movie is one of many mentioned in the essay.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Bette Davis	Charlotte Lovell	Miriam Hopkins	Delia Lovell Ralston	George Brent	Clem Spender	Jane Bryan	Clementina
  Donald Crisp	Dr. Lanskell	Louise Fazenda	Dora	James Stephenson	Jim Ralston	Jerome Cowan	Joseph Ralson
  William Lundigan	Lanning Halsey	Cecilia Loftus	Henrietta Lovell	William Hopper	John Ward	Frederick Burton	Mr. Halsey

  
    Here's the link to the Wikipedia write-up for this movie. As well, the link in the title of this post will lead you to DVD Savant's review of this movie; first review on the page.
    Release Date: 1939
    Directed by Edmund Goulding.

Labels: bette-davis, miriam-hopkins, mother-daughter-dynamics1, popcorn-and-soda7

# posted by gail @ 00:37    0 comments    email......this post