Movies, Mom & Me

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1*
3. Commentary:  Our collection consists of the following:
   • The Complete Collection (European)
   • Sister Wendy's American Collection
   • Sister Wendy at the Norton Simon Museum
     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.

Labels: collection, documentary, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 16:24    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1*
3. 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.

Labels: comedy, dance, film-art, musical, romance, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 16:08    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  none
3. 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.

Labels: action, dance, dramedy, musical, period, romance, shared-favorite, spectacle

# posted by gail @ 15:25    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1* *2* *3*
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.

Labels: action, adventure, drama, historical, period, political, shared-favorite, spectacle, suspense, violence, war

# posted by gail @ 14:15    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  none
3. 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.

Labels: documentary, dream, film-art, political, science, shared-favorite, TV

# posted by gail @ 12:08    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. 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.

Labels: audio-visual, biography, period, shared-favorite, TV

# posted by gail @ 10:01    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. 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.
   

Labels: biography, docu-drama, historical, period, political, royals, shared-favorite

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

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1* *2*
3. 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.

Labels: drama, dream, fantasy, film-art, haunting, shared-favorite, spiritual

# posted by gail @ 18:10    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1*
3. 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.

Labels: adventure, buddy, caregiver, road-movie, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 12:37    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. 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.

Labels: road-movie, satire, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 12:38    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1* *2* *3*
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.

Labels: bible movies, drama, fantasy, haunting, jesus-dvds, period, shared-favorite, spiritual

# posted by gail @ 12:24    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. 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.

Labels: dramedy, shared-favorite, TV

# posted by gail @ 11:40    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. 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.

Labels: adventure, drama, haunting, period, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 23:48    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1* *2*
3. 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!

Labels: biography, drama, historical, political, shared-favorite, TV

# posted by gail @ 19:57    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1* *2* *3* *4* *5*
3. 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.

Labels: bible movies, drama, period, shared-favorite, spectacle

# posted by gail @ 12:58    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1*
3. 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.

Labels: drama, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 12:56    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1*
3. 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.

Labels: adventure, animated, kids, musical, royals, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 12:43    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. 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.

Labels: adventure, biography, docu-drama, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 13:31    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1* *2*
3. Commentary:  Both Mom and I could watch this movie every day for a year, then turn around and watch to celebrate the following New Year's Day. Plus, this video includes the full length docu-video about the Kendall's School of Dance, which inspired Baz Lurhmann to write this story. This documentary, alone, is worth the price of the video...and then, you get the main feature! What a treat!

Labels: dance, drama, romance, satire, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 13:27    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1* *2* *3*
3. Commentary:  Ahhh...be still my heart! I love this movie so much it's hard for me to decide whether this or All About Eve is my favorite Bette Davis movie. First, of course, Bette Davis. What a character she plays in this! What a wonderful job she does! Second, the story. I consider the end strikingly unusual, but, I reminded myself that this movie played in 1942: Women were losing men to war, revelling in their independence and sudden ability to make a living and be both needed and wanted by the workforce...I guess I shouldn't consider it quite so striking. And then, of course, there's Claude Rains. My infatuation with this man is absolutely unreasonable. I kept wanting and expecting Davis' character to become romantically involved with his character, a psychiatrist. And, then, of course, the cigarettes. Read the mentions for information about how they went over in our household...definitely a surprise.
     I can't, unfortunately, comment much about Paul Henreid's performance. For me, he was simply an object off which Davis bounced. However, there was one other performance in the movie I considered devastating: Gladys Cooper as Mrs. Vale. Not only was her character wickedly written, her performance was flawless. her portrayal was so subtle, she transformed Mrs. Vale into a quiet horror; always much better than an obvious horror.
     This movie is a part of the Bette Davis Collection.

Labels: collection, drama, romance, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 13:24    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  Although I'm nowhere near a Bette Davis expert, this movie seemed to me like a Bette Davis miscast, at first, although my inordinate love of Claude Rains took my mind off this for quite awhile. Despite this, it didn't take long for me to believe her portrayal; a credit to Davis, not the casting, I think. Mom loved the intense, obvious melodrama. She also got lost in the lush period flavor and imagined, afterward, that the movie had been in color; which I understand is a typical reaction to both this movie and Jezebel. I'd watch this movie again, just for the pleasure of watching Claude Rains again.
     This movie is a part of the Bette Davis Collection.

Labels: collection, drama, period, romance, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 13:23    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  This is one of those movies that, when we stumble across it on TV we always watch. It enthralls both of us. We never tire of it. There isn't a false note in the casting. As well, Shaw brings a special, light, provocative touch of madness to his portrayal of Henry VIII that is thrilling to glimpse. This will be a perennial favorite of ours.

Labels: drama, historical, political, royals, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 13:22    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1*
3. 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.

Labels: biography, drama, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 09:04    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1* *2* *3* *4*
3. Commentary:  It never fails to amaze me that Mom enjoys this show as much as I do. I didn't expect her to. I thought she'd find the broad satire tense and boring, but it's not uncommon for her to find it laugh-out-loud funny and the legal issues intrigue her. It never fails that, after a show, we find ourselves discussing some aspect of the show we've just viewed. We'll definitely be watching and collecting all seasons.

Labels: satire, shared-favorite, TV

# posted by gail @ 08:57    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  I bought this movie on a hunch. I'd seen it a couple of times on PBS. The second time, I insisted my mother watch it. Unfortunately, both times it was shown without closed captioning and the New Zealand accents threw her for a loop. I thought, though, if she could see it with captioning she'd really enjoy it, so, when I noticed a copy of it for sale, I bought it. I was right. She not only enjoyed the movie but was interested in the special features, as well, even though they didn't have closed captioning. This is a strangely dreamy movie, while appearing to be firmly set in reality. It's one of the most unusual coming-of-age movies I've ever seen. I'm sure we'll be watching this again.

Labels: drama, fantasy, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 22:41    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1*
3. Commentary:  We watched this one afternoon on TCM and our interest in it surprised us both. Every performance is a delight. The film of the story is much better than the book, full of character scrutinizing scenes. My mother teared up at the end of the movie; very unusual for her. When I saw a copy of it being sold, I had to have it. We watched it again, the day I bought it. Again, my mother was transported to tears at the end. We'll be watching this again.

Labels: period, romance, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 22:37    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  Pure delight for both Mom and me. This is a keeper and one we'll watch frequently.

Labels: biography, historical, musical, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 17:11    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  Mom and I have caught this at least three times when it's showed on PBS during their funds drives. For both of us it's the Cosmos of philosophy/spirituality.

Labels: documentary, shared-favorite, spiritual

# posted by gail @ 17:07    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  I bought this because we never caught the entire show on PBS and it intrigued both Mom and me. We haven't had it very long but have watched it twice. After the second watching I ordered the book. I'm sure it will be one that she and I will read aloud together. Although my mother considers herself a Christian and has a grounding in and much respect for C. S. Lewis' theology, both times we've watched this, during some of the explanation of Freud's thought journey to atheism, my mother has said, "You know, he's got a point, there."

Labels: documentary, shared-favorite, spiritual

# posted by gail @ 17:06    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1* *2* *3*
3. Commentary:  This is one of both of our's long time favorites. Even with the series at hand, if we're channel surfing and discover an episode we watch it. We will definitely be collecting all the seasons, even the much maligned (and much deserving of being maligned) last season.

Labels: comedy, satire, shared-favorite, TV

# posted by gail @ 02:27    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1*
3. Commentary:  I've seen this three times; Mom's seen it twice. The first time we weren't using Closed Captioning and she found the English accents irritating. The second time around she thoroughly enjoyed it and we watched the entire series, six hours, I think, in one afternoon-evening marathon. This is my favorite video recreation of this story.

Labels: period, romance, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 02:26    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1* *2* *3*
3. Commentary:  All time favorite for both of us. Right up there with My Best Friend's Wedding.

Labels: comedy, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 02:23    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  We both adore this movie. I've rented it a couple of times, so finally decided it was time to buy it. Mom has an attraction to movies about people who aren't prepared to handle babies but have to, anyway. I like Diane Keaton.

Labels: comedy, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 02:14    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  none, yet
3. Commentary:  We've only watched this season informally in TV reruns. It's just one of our "must haves". I know we will watch it, probably in a marathon.

Labels: dramedy, shared-favorite, TV

# posted by gail @ 07:26    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1*
3. Commentary:  We've only just received and begun to watch this season. I think this is the one where they do lots more dream work. I'm hoping this is the season when they produced the episode with Maggie and the bear.

Labels: dramedy, shared-favorite, TV

# posted by gail @ 07:25    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1* *2*
3. Commentary:  Another absolute favorite. I discovered this movie playing on one of the independent film channels. The entire movie is perfectly luscious, including the music, and the photography. The acting is superb. It should be a Required Viewing film for anyone who cares for an Ancient One.
     The first time I viewed this film, I bought it lock stock and barrel. The second time, I was a little uneasy with what hit me as mawkishness in the act featuring the pregnant runaway and some of the Twin Brothers episode. On the third viewing, though, I was fine with everything. Ancient Ones are often mawkish. Sometimes thoughtfulness leads to a kind of mawkishness.
     My mother always identifies with the spirit of Alvin Straight, and loves the fact that this man was (and remains in character) an Iowan.

Labels: adventure, biography, drama, haunting, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 07:18    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1*
3. Commentary:  This is one of my all time favorite movies. I treated MCS to this movie (showing at the Valley Art in Tempe, AZ) and dinner, I think, when the movie first came out in 1981. We were both mesmerized by it. I have seen it several times since and never fail to fall under the spell of these two guys sitting at dinner and talking. The waiter is magical, although I didn't really appreciate his performance and character until my second viewing. I searched for this movie for a long time in widescreen format DVD and have as yet been unsuccessful in locating it. In the meantime, I have this version, the only version fit for U.S. consumption of which I know.
     Mom was enchanted by this movie, as well, the first time she saw it, even though it has no captioning. When I purchased it (I got a deal) a couple of weeks ago, she had trouble with it, primarily because of the lack of captions. Could be she needs an ear cleaning, again.

Labels: buddy, drama, film-art, haunting, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 07:17    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1*
3. Commentary:  This is a little symphony of a movie that I discovered some years ago on the Sundance channel, stayed up after my first viewing long enough to set up tape for a second run, and showed the tape to my mother the next day, knowing that despite the movie being in Dutch with English subtitles, she'd love the movie and especially Antonia, because there is much of Antonia's spirit in my mother, even though their lives are quite different. We watch this movie fairly often, now, whenever one or the other of us needs to revel and refresh ourselves in the strength of lineage and the march of time.

Labels: drama, haunting, period, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 15:14    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  This is one of those movies that has a magnetic affect on both my mother and me. Although it's not the best school movie I've ever seen (my vote on this score is for The Paper Chase, although I'd consider The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, as well, and, a few others, come to think of it, The Blackboard Jungle, Goodbye Mr. Chips), from the cords of the opening music it drafts both of us into college, again, from our own perspetives. When we view this movie we always review the featurettes.
       I have to admit, though, and here is a good place, she and I are both suckers for school and education movies. Sometimes it's pathetic.
   Update 6/13/06: Since I first wrote this short review we've watched this movie on the average of once a month, at my suggestion. During tonight's watching I was uncustomarily analytical about some of the aspects of this movie that I love.
   • All the performances are a delight to watch and utterly convincing, with the exception of Julia Roberts' performance. Tonight I finally figured out why, in this movie of incredibly performed roles (even the bartender at the wedding and "Mrs. Stone" the waitress are spot on) the star fell just short of matching her colleagues' level: She's, well, Julia Roberts and, as such, is no longer able to be a character. She is always Julia Roberts playing a character. This is unfortunate in movies such as this.
   • The romance between Roberts' character and West's character is inauthentic, unconvincing, distracting and boring. It's possible that Roberts' character needs some sort of quickie affair in this movie as a device to underline her single status and her attitudes toward sexual attachment, but the one written and acted didn't work.
   • The background music is both unobtrusive and evocative; so much so that the strains of the theme played behind the menu evoke pleasurable anticipation for the movie.
   • The subject matter, despite being heavily covered in many other movies and, at the time of this movie's release, seemingly dated, lurks in women's souls deeply and is still not well addressed by society, thus, continues to have a powerful effect. As well, the characters and the story are so well developed that the period piece effect actually contributes to the emotional effect of the layout of the issues.
   • The camera work is subtle and masterful. No camera effect is used for the sake of the effect alone.
       The more I watch this movie, the more I realize it is a gem of a movie. As I watched it tonight I realized, if asked, I would bet that this movie is going to be one of those It's a Wonderful Life movies...not appreciated in its time nearly as much as it will be appreciated, decades later than its time, as a classic.

Labels: drama, period, political, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 22:55    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G, both more than many times
2. Mentions:  *1* *2* *3* *4* *5* *6*
3. Commentary:  That's right, we've finally got it, watched it the same day I purchased it for us, and enjoyed it, once again, as though we only vaguely remembered it.

Labels: caregiver, drama, period, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 22:51    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1*
3. Commentary:  This is one of our Spectacle Movies, sort of like Gone with the Wind. It's too lavish and bright to watch often, but it makes a great dessert. It's one of those movies where we often catch ourselves saying, during the viewing, "Oh, yeah, I forgot about that! I love that!"

Labels: biography, historical, shared-favorite, spectacle

# posted by gail @ 10:37    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1*
3. Commentary:  When we are in the mood to be perfectly delighted, we watch this movie. I've even gone out of my way to rent it when I think we need a shot of what it offers. It worked for us last night when we watched it.

Labels: buddy, comedy, romance, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 10:36    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  Here's another one where I'm stunned I've never mentioned it in this journal. We've been regular renters of this movie since one of my nieces introduced us to it when it first came out on video. We don't quote dialog from it, yet, but, there is that danger.

Labels: buddy, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 10:33    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1* *2* *3*
3. Commentary:  We are hypnotized by this series, as well. I know; we should get out, more. But, what a way to go.

Labels: comedy, kids, shared-favorite, TV

# posted by gail @ 02:00    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1* *2* *3* *4*
3. Commentary:  You already know a lot about our love affair with this series. We finally saw the pilot, yes, another one of those. We were not disappointed.
       My mother loves the moose. I notice that Janine Turner's name appears against the moose in a particularly gawky stance. Interesting.

Labels: dramedy, shared-favorite, TV

# posted by gail @ 01:59    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1* *2* *3* *4* *5* *6* *7* *8* *9*
3. Commentary:  This series is like school for both of us. We watch anywhere from 3 to 7 episodes a week. They are played throughout the day, spark conversation, sometimes I use them to keep Mom awake a little longer.
       We are, by the way, nowhere near the end. I think, at this posting, we're lost somewhere in the third year. There is always a year's block on our floor in front of the dvd player, in case Mom wants to watch TV and there's "nothing on", and Animal Planet has lost its charms.
       I still, by the way, have not seen how Judsea Dax dies.

Labels: science-fiction, shared-favorite, TV

# posted by gail @ 01:57    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  Mom doesn't like this one as much as the other two Hepburn/Tracy movies we have. I think she considers some of the sentiment about marriage dishonest. She also, for some reason, has a hard time following the conversation in this movie; maybe because a lot of political and sports metaphors are used.
       I consider it an unusually brave movie, for the time because of the subject matter and for all time because it dares to complicate the issues of love and marriage for highly ambitious women, something we continue to consider daring, today.
     This movie is a part of the Tracy/Hepburn Collection.

Labels: collection, dramedy, shared-favorite, tracy-hepburn

# posted by gail @ 01:55    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  The attraction for my mother with this movie is the wide swaths of glimpses into Amish life. I love the music [Maurice Jarre; the Jarres are my favorite father-son environmental composers] and the movie's seamless construction. We share our favorite scene: Hands down, the barn raising. My mother has been heard to say while this scene was unfolding, "Wouldn't it be nice to live that way again?" Telling comment: I believe it shows that she considers the way (and area within which) she was raised as a child culturally and spiritually similar to Amish society.
       One other scene that always gets a rise out of her: When the heroine tells her father-in-law that he shames himself. "Good for her," my mother has been known to cheer.

Labels: drama, mystery, shared-favorite, weir

# posted by gail @ 01:54    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1*
3. Commentary:  Both my mother and I tend to forget, between watchings of these movies, how riveting they are. Typically, we watch one of these movies when we want to watch something and have absolutely no idea what we want to watch. It's hard to pick a favorite; these are four of Chaplin's greatest, but juging from her reaction, I think Mom's favorite is probably Modern Times, she loves the man-in-the-cogs scene and never fails to say, "I wonder how they did that?!?", and mine is The Great Dictator, for too many reasons to mention.

Labels: collection, comedy, satire, shared-favorite, silent

# posted by gail @ 20:31    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  This is another Little Buddha movie for both my mother and me. We dive into this and let it nourish us at least once every couple of months. My favorite spirits are the face masks. My mother's favorite spirit is the dragon "prince".

Labels: adventure, animated, kids, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 19:17    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  This was a pleasant surprise for both of us. I rented it on a hunch, since one of my sisters was a teenaged Jesus Freak and I'd had much experience with both teenage Fundamentalist Christians and Christian High Schools. I was apprehensive about how Mom would react, but she was as tickled with it as I was. When I noticed it at Costco, remembering that we'd watched it twice on rental, I bought it. We watched it again that night.

Labels: satire, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 19:12    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G (both in theater and on video)
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  The first time my mother and I saw this movie it was new, just in the theaters. She, MFS and I went with my mother's sister, niece and nephew. We saw it at the Los Arcos Cinema in Scottsdale. The audience, during the credits, gave the movie a standing ovation. This was the first time any of us in our related group had ever been to a film that elicited so much from the audience.
       I don't know if Mom remembers. I do know that the day I purchased this movie, some months ago, brought it home, wrestled it out of its wrapping and dropped it into the dvd player, Mom and I relaxed, knowing that being overwhelmed by a movie is possible more than once.

Labels: drama, satire, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 19:07    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G, more than once
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  Something about the scene in which the invading army comes over a snow ridge. Something else about that "song and dance" number about what it takes to be a man. Something else about it being a Chinese fairy tale. I don't know if Mom likes it for the same reasons I do, but I know she likes it. I've even replayed the "Be a Man" song for her when we are watching it.

Labels: action, adventure, animated, kids, period, shared-favorite, suspense

# posted by gail @ 15:03    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G, many times
2. Mentions:  *1* *2* *3* *4* *5* *6*
3. Commentary:  This is a sort of "grahsshoppah" movie, for me, but of a somewhat more serious vein, like listening to Alan Watts tapes.
       Mom enjoys the movie, as well, as adult religio-spiritual fairy tale. We actually view this movie, or parts of it, a lot.

Labels: drama, dream, shared-favorite, spiritual

# posted by gail @ 14:59    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  Another favorite that we watch fairly often, when we need to believe in political integrity.
       Mom especially likes the state dinner for the French President and his wife. Every time we watch that scene she can't help but say, "Wouldn't you just love to attend one of those dinners?" The truth is, I think she would like to spend her entire life going from State Dinner to State Dinner. It would suit her.
       I particularly like that, after I'd established my affection for the movie, a good friend of mine told me that he considers me the real life Sidney Allen Wade. I spend a lot of time preening in as I watch this movie.

Labels: dramedy, political, presidential, romance, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 10:47    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1* *2*
3. Commentary:  I think I've said quite a lot about our reactions to this movie throughout the main journal. We both find it entertaining and "feel good" inspirational.

Labels: dramedy, political, romance, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 10:46    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G, many times
2. Mentions:  *1* *2* *3* *4* *5* *6* *7* *8* *9* *10*
3. Commentary:  We both remain fascinated with this show and continue to watch it, and discuss it while watching it, regularly. As you can read in the mentions, we have eccentric opinions about and reactions to this show.

Labels: dramedy, erotic, shared-favorite, TV

# posted by gail @ 10:45    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G, many times and off-season
2. Mentions:  *1*
3. Commentary:  This movie turned me into a Jimmy Stewart and Frank Capra fan. It used to irritate Mom, though, because it is so believably dark (which is what I love about it...by the time Jimmy Stewart is hanging over the bridge, you're thinking, yep, that's the only way). Now, she focuses on Donna Reed and Beulah Bondi.
       I remember reading somewhere that this is the only Capra movie in which the monster does not receive his comeupance. And, Lionel Barrymore is a superb monster in this movie.

Labels: Christmas, drama, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 08:36    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  This is one of my favorite romantic comedies. There isn't anything about it I don't like. When I purchased the movie, though, for some reason I thought my mother wouldn't like it, so I planned my first "owned" viewing while she napped. She awoke and joined me during the scene in which "the big French Oaf" assents to play an original composition on the piano for dinner guests he's just met. After the scene she asked if we could start the movie again.
       I remember once, after watching the movie, Mom said, "Isn't it interesting how such a bad ending can make you feel so good?!?"
       I remember responding that, yeah, I'd never thought about it but, at the end of this story, you have absolute confidence that their love triumphed, and will continue to triumph.
       At one other watching, Mom sat back satisfied at the end and said, "I remember seeing that movie when I was teaching. It came out about the time those Hepburn/Tracy movies came out."
       In case you're wondering, I did not disavow her of this notion. It is a great compliment to this movie that my mother considers it in the same category as the Hepburn/Tracy romantic comedies.

Labels: comedy, romance, shared-favorite, weir

# posted by gail @ 08:31    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  I am probably more of a fan of this movie than my mother. She loves the eye spectacle, and every time we watch it, which is at least once a year, she mentions several times that she would have loved to have lived during the period of the regal, stately Southern U.S.
       For me, I love reminding myself that the best, most successful romance in the history of romance stories contains a heroine who is wily and unredepemptive and whose one sterling quality is her ability to survive, despite who she hurts in the process. The hero, a scoundrel himself, is more sympathetic than the heroine.
       When we watch this movie, it is always a "planned" watching; in other words, we plan appropriate food, make sure the phone ringer is off, and settle in for several hours. It is, for us, an Event Movie.

Labels: drama, period, romance, shared-favorite, spectacle

# posted by gail @ 08:29    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G, many times
2. Mentions:  *1* *2* *3*
3. Commentary:  As I recall, my mentions of this movie speak for both my mother's and my delight in it. Aside from my favorite scene with Bruce the Shark, which I've seen many times, I love being transported by the oceanic graphic environment of the movie. It is truly one better than the ocean, only because it is so available. Watching the movie is practically like having a virtual experience without the nerve stimulation technology.
       My mother, I should note, usually takes a nap after this movie.

Labels: animated, dramedy, kids, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 23:15    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. 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 [11/2/08: I was given the entire series for Christmas a few years ago by a friend of mine; see first link above]. 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.

Labels: comedy, political, presidential, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 23:13    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1* *2*
3. Commentary:  This one transports both of us. I purchased it because we watched it so much on cable, then I recorded it and we watched it some more. The music and the European time period are major attractions for my mother. She really likes stories of women raising children alone with strength and courage, too. The fairy-tale quality of the story mesmerizes both of us.

Labels: drama, period, romance, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 23:12    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched: M & G
2. Mentions: *1*
3. Commentary:
   Mom: This is, to my surprise, one of my mother's favorite's of any type, despite it's darkness and irony. She's especially hooked on the last spread, the death number. I think part of the attraction for her is that it is a very well done, very watchable musical. I'm not sure about the rest of her attraction.
   Me: Its simply one of my all time favorites. We watch it every couple of months.

Labels: drama, satire, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 09:35    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched: M & G
2. Mentions: *1*
3. Commentary: One of our all time favorites. "Hel-lo Amanda..." need I sing more?
     This movie is a part of the Tracy/Hepburn Collection.

Labels: collection, comedy, shared-favorite, tracy-hepburn

# posted by gail @ 09:34    0 comments    email......this post