The Post shows that the power of the press is still relevant in a day of fake news

Movie Title:      The Post

Grade:  B+

Rating: PG-13,

In a Nutshell: Spielberg, Hanks, Streep.  Powerhouse combination that reminds us why they’re the masters of their trade. 

Surprisingly, this is the first time all three have worked together on a film. 

Oscar bait?  Yeah, probably.  It has already received several nominations by the Golden Globes and National Board of Review.  Is an Academy Award next?  Probably not.  We’ll see.

                                        

Tips for parents: 

• Children and teens will be bored out of their minds.
• Some profanity.
• As more and more traditional newspapers die a slow death due to the internet, kids might think the film is irrelevant, but there is much to be learned about the Constitution as the Pentagon Papers are introduced to this younger generation.  As talk of “fake news” has become a part of everyday conversation, director Steven Spielberg raced to finish this film with unprecedented speed.  Clearly, he thought the content was extremely relevant.  Spielberg thought it was ironic that the pendulum has swung in journalism from ’71 to ’17.

Uplifting theme: 

• Women in  business.  The film is dedicated to a woman, Nora Ephron, who helped  uncover the Watergate scandal in 1972.
• Freedom of the press vs. government security
• “The Founding Fathers gave the free press the protection it must have to fulfill its essential role in our democracy.  The press was to serve the governed, not the governors.”  Justice Black’s opinion
• Power, politics, truth

                                            

Things I liked:

• I loved how the last scene bleeds into the Watergate scandal.
• Nixon’s actual voice is used when he’s talking from the Oval office.
• Interested in this topic?  You’ll want to see the movie All The President's Men.  In fact, the last scene of this movie is almost shot for shot the same as the first scene in All The President's Men.
• I always get a kick out of Bradley Whitford in everything.
• Usually the comic relief, it was interesting to see David Cross as a serious journalist.

Things I didn’t like:

• The first half of the movie moves very slowly.
• It's a bit heavy-handed.
• It can get confusing with lots of names to try to keep straight.

Funny lines:

• “It must be precious cargo.” – Flight attendant

“Yeah.  It’s just government secrets.” – Bob Odenkirk (Howard Simons)

Interesting lines:

• “The only way to protect the right to publish is to publish.” – Ben Bradlee   (Tom Hanks)
• “I always wanted to be part of a small rebellion.” – Bob Odenkirk
• “Whatever happens tomorrow, we are not a little paper anymore.” – Ben Bradlee 
• “You know what my husband used to say about the newspaper?  He called it the first rough draft of history.” -  Kay Graham  (Meryl Streep)

Other good movies about the freedom and power of the press:

             

                                        @trinaboice

Florence Foster Jenkins reminds us AGAIN why we adore Meryl Streep

Movie Title:   Florence Foster Jenkins

Grade:  B

Rating: PG-13, 110 minutes

In a Nutshell:  This period dramedy spotlights a brilliant and ever talented Meryl Streep, although this film won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.  

I can really relate to Florence, however.  My singing voice is terrible, but I love music.  How wonderful it would be to have something beautiful come out of my mouth when I sing.

Florence Foster Jenkins was an heiress and socialite who desperately wanted to be an opera star, despite her lack of talent.  Those around her sheltered her from the ugly truth, something which is both sweet and irresponsible at the same time.  The dilemma: crush someone’s dreams with a dose of reality or enable their blind delusion by supporting their dream?

Uplifting theme: 

• “Music matters.” – Florence Foster Jenkins
• “Music has been, and is, my life.” – Florence
• Money can buy an awful lot.
• Supportive kindness, friendship, and loyalty.
• Oh, to dream.
• There's more to stardom than talent.  Of course, reality TV has already taught us that.

Things I liked:

• It was fun to watch Florence’s passionate reactions when she listened to music.
• Fans of the Big Bang Theory will get a kick out of Simon Helberg playing pianist Cosme McMoon.  His facial expressions are picture perfect.  His performance exceeds expectations and is sure to secure more spots on the Big Screen.
• Hugh Grant gives a mature and tender performance as Florence’s devoted, yet unfaithful husband, St. Clair Bayfield. I love how he dotes on her, calls her "Bunny", and makes her feel like she is truly loved and treasured.
• Bathtub full of potato salad.  Ha ha
• It’s actually hard to sing badly.  Meryl Streep seems to relish in those moments.  I loved Meryl’s singing at the very end.
• You get to hear the voice of the real Florence during the closing credits, as well as see some pictures of what she looked like.

Things I didn’t like:

• You will hear some truly terrible singing.  It can start to really grate on you and tear you down with weary.
• It’s slow-moving. 
• Such ridiculous excess and self-indulgence.

Interesting lines:

• “The lady is a lesson in fidelity and courage and that’s why we love her.” – Chrisitan McKay (Earl Wilson)
• “Yours is the truest voice I have ever heard.” – St. Clair
• “People may say I couldn’t sing, but no one will say I didn’t sing.” - Florence

Funny lines:

• “The Verdi lunch always begins with a soup.  You know that!  How could we begin the lunch without a soup?  There would be a riot!” - Florence

Tips for parents:   

• Most kids will be insanely bored.
• Some profanity.
• Discussion of infidelity.

Suffragette movie honors women who sacrificed so much for our voting rights

Movie Title:    Suffragette

Grade:  B+

Rating:  PG-13, 1 hour 46 minutes

In a Nutshell:    I teach a Politics class at a local college, so I was especially excited to see how Focus Features would handle this period piece in film.

The story is compelling and yet, it's only a short introduction to what some of our female forebears went through to secure for us the right to vote.   With a presidential election occurring in the United States this year, how many of you will take the time to vote?  Do you appreciate your right to vote?

The list of countries and the dates that women were given the right to vote is shown at the very end of the movie.  What’s surprising is the absence of many countries around the world who have still not granted women’s suffrage.

Uplifting theme: 

•  Like all rights, we who have them often forget the terrible price that was paid to have governments recognize and protect them.
• The ability to effect social change always requires sacrifice.
• “Never underestimate the power we women have to define our own destinies.” – Emmeline Pankhurst
• “We do not want to be law breakers.  We want to be law makers.” – Emmeline Pankhurst
• “Never surrender.  Never give up the fight.” – Emmeline Pankhurst
• “If it’s right for men to fight for their freedom, then it’s right for women to fight for theirs.” - Maud (Carey Mulligan)
• What rights are you willing to lose everything in order to gain?

Things I liked:

• The incredibly talented cast includes Carey Mulligan (I adore her), Meryl Streep (who doesn’t adore her?), Helena Bonham Carter (talented character actress), and Brendan Gleeson (I really hated him by the end of the movie).
• If you continue to think about a movie after watching it, then it's a good movie, right?
• The sets were generally believable.  Nice job.
• Your heart will break for these women.  Nice job.
• The main events illustrated in the film were historically accurate.
• It will leave you wanting to know more.
• Abi Morgan, who also wrote “The Iron Lady” (which I loved), creates interesting characters who have internal struggles of morality and doing what's right.

Things I didn’t like:

• After decades of being ignored on the issue of women’s suffrage, Emmeline Pankhurst issued a call for civil disobedience.  It definitely caught everyone’s attention, and the women involved felt they had no other option in order to be taken seriously.  Some people in today's society feel the same way about certain issues. Unfortunately, it's a dangerous course of action.  As Brendan Gleeson's character states, “Violence doesn’t discern.  It takes the innocent and the guilty.”
• The majority of the men are portrayed as disgraceful monsters.
• Meryl Streep gets very little screen time (4 minutes).  Shame.  To learn more about her character, check out the 2007 film "Suffragettes'.
• All of the bad reviews I've seen about this film were written by men.

Interesting lines:

• “You want me to respect the law?  Then make the law respectable.”  - Violet Cambridge (Anne-Marie Duff)
• “It’s deeds, not words that will get us the vote.” – Helena Bonham Carter
• “We break windows.  We burn things, because war is the only thing men listen to.” – Violet Cambridge
• “I would rather be a rebel than a slave.” - Maud 

Tips for parents:   

• Some profanity, including 1 F-bomb.
• Some violence, including bloody scenes.
• You see the rear end of a woman in the first jail scene when the women are changing into their prison clothes.
• Women are subjected to all kinds of terrible treatment by men.  
• Teenage girls need to get off their cell phones and watch this.

Ricki and the Flash hits DVD on November 24

OUT ON DVD November 24, 2015

Movie:     Ricki And The Flash

Rating:    PG-13, 1 hour 42 minutes

Grade:   D

In a Nutshell:    Written by a guy named Diablo, this film features three-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep.  Did you know she has been nominated 19 times for an Oscar?  Unfortunately, this film isn’t going to win her any awards. 

What’s fun is watching Meryl’s real-life daughter, Mamie Gummer, play the daughter of Meryl’s character.  Mamie looks a lot like her mom, but hasn’t hit her mother’s successful stride yet in films.  Even though her first movie role was when she was only 2 years old, she is still young in her career, so hopefully she’ll follow in her mom’s footsteps someday.

Uplifting Theme:

·         “It doesn’t matter if your kids love you or not.  It’s not their job to love you; it’s your job to love them.” – Greg

·         You give your life to what you value most.

·         No family is perfect.  Blood may be thick, but forgiveness is required.

Things I liked:

·         Kevin Kline is always a pleasure to watch.

·         Rick Springfield sings and acts alongside Meryl as her lover and member in her band.  He's had some plastic surgery that makes him look....um...plastic, but he sounds great.  His character is sweet and believable.

·         It always cracks me up when movies want to poke fun at real companies, but they have to change the name.  For example, Ricki works at “Total Food.”  ha ha

·         SPOILER ALERT:  When Ricki stays at her ex-husband’s home, I was sure it was going to end in a romp down memory lane, but was pleasantly surprised when Pete was able to pull himself together and resist temptation.  Wow, what a refreshing twist.
      Who doesn't love Meryl Streep?

Things I didn’t like:

·          There’s not much of a plot.  It’s kind of like the writer and director just wanted to make a movie where Meryl Streep could sing again.  She looks like she’s having a lot of fun singing, although the music isn’t really that great.  (And I LOVE 80's rock music and Meryl Streep!)  Her voice sounded much better in Into The Woods (Theatrical)  and  Mamma Mia! The Movie .

·         Meryl Streep’s character sometimes waivers between acting like a helpless 80 year old and a rebellious teenager.   The writing seemed uneven.

·         It’s really sad to see the kind of life that Ricki traded her family for.

·         Ricki sleeps with her make-up on.  Gross.

·         The family members treat each other terribly with such disrespect and intolerance.  I wouldn't want to live in either household.

      SPOILER ALERT:  The ending is very predictable and shallow.  Just because people dance to Ricki's music, does that mean her children truly forgive her?  Does that mean she's going to be a part of their lives from now on?  Have things really changed?  Has the protagonist really grown?

Funny lines:  

·         “Do you have a gig tonight or do you always dress like a hooker from night court?” – Julie

·         “OMG, she’s parenting.  Someone get a camera.” – Joshua

·         “Why don’t you skip therapy today?  Call in sick.” – Ricki

“I am sick.  That’s why I’m in therapy.” – Julie

·         “A Big Mac lives forever.  I saw it on 60 Minutes.” – Ricki

Tips for Parents:

·         A lot of profanity and trash talk.

·         Ricki is a terrible role model and mother.   This isn’t a great movie for your kids, but if they watch it, you can have a good conversation about parenting, families, forgiveness and love.

Other movies where Meryl Streep sings:

          

And for some really great music:

Into the Woods brews mixed messages for adults and children

Movie:  Into the Woods

PG, 2 hours 5 minutes

Grade: A-

In a Nutshell:  Once upon a time, there was a Broadway musical that Disney remade as a feature film for families. This deconstructed twist on some of the familiar The Brothers Grimm fairy tales is an interesting brew of humor, music, slanted wisdom, dark moments, and unsatisfying endings.  

I had such high hopes for this movie. Two years ago we all laughed and cried and sang to Les Miserables (2012) on Christmas day.  This is definitely no Les Miserables (2012) .  It's not even last year's Frozen .  I wish…

Uplifting Theme:
      ·         Be careful what you wish for.

•          You are not alone.  No one is alone.
•          “Careful the tale you tell.  That is the spell.”   That’s good advice for Director Rob Marshall and Stephen Sondheim.

Things I liked:

•          I’ve always loved Chris Pine and his beautiful blue eyes.  Who knew he could sing too?  In an interview with Anna Kendrick, she said that Chris was very shy about his singing voice.
•          With very little CGI, the scenery and landscapes in the film are beautiful and feel like fairy tale settings. 
•            Lilla Crawford, who was FANTASTIC, replaced another girl as Red Riding Hood, after only one week into filming!  Her voice sounded like a real Broadway voice, unlike in this year’s Annie, starring Quvenzhane Wallis.
•       Some of the lyrics are pretty witty, evoking eager laughter and winces from the audience I sat with.
•       The story has not one prince, but two, played by Chris Pine and Tony nominee Billy Magnussen.  Their duet together is hilarious.
•        Anna Kendrick does a great job as Cinderella and will soon grace the big screen again in Pitch Perfect 2.  I have high hopes for that movie too.

·          

Things I didn’t like:
      ·         For a Disney musical, the ending was a downer.  It had a dark satire like Sondheim's style in 
            the incredibly disgusting Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street .
      ·         The messages in the songs are mixed.  Life is full of moral dilemmas and so is this story.

•      None of the melodies are very memorable.  I do remember they sang "Into the Woods!" a lot.  ha ha  Quite a few songs from the original musical were cut from the movie.
•     Several people die horrible deaths.  It’s not an innocent movie for children and is very dark in spots.   Jack’s mother smacks him often and the audience gasped each time.  Cinderella’s step-sister smacks her.  Red Riding Hood stomps on the baker’s foot.  There are some gruesome moments, but I won’t give you any spoiler alerts….just a head’s up for parents.
•   Johnny Depp's role is way too short. I would have liked to see Christine Baranski sing more as well.  She and Meryl Streep created a fun spark together in Mamma Mia! The Movie

Funny lines:
·         “I was raised to be charming, not sincere.” – Cinderella’s Prince   (The audience booed when he said that.)
·         “I wish my house were not a mess.”  - Jack’s mother (Tracey Ullman)  Me too, Tracey.  Me too.
·         “Perhaps it’ll take two of us to have this child.” – Baker
·         “This is ridiculous!  What am I doing here?  I’m in the wrong story!” – Baker’s wife
·         “I’ll gladly help you with your house.  There are times I actually enjoy cleaning.” – Cinderella

·          

Interesting tidbits:

•  Director Rob Marshall almost chose some of the actresses he had already worked with for the role as the witch, such as Catherine Zeta-Jones (Chicago), Kate Winslet, Nicole Kidman, and Penelope Cruz.  Can you believe he didn’t pick Idina Menzel?  Still, Meryl Streep did a great job.
•    You may have recognized the young boy who played Jack (Daniel Huttlestone) from Les Miserables (2012) .
•  James Corden plays the baker.  He begins hosting his new talk-show in just a month.
• In the original musical, there was a role of narrator.  Some big names were considered for this part as well: James Earl Jones, John Cleese, Alan Rickman, Christopher Plummer, and even Disney favorites Julie Andrews and Angela Lansbury!
• Emily Blunt, who is warm and charming as a baker’s wife who can’t bare children, was actually pregnant during the filming!  You can notice her baby bump in one of her later scenes with Cinderella's Prince.
• You might also have recognized one of Cinderella’s step-sisters, Lucy Punch.  This is her 4^th time playing this role: Ella Enchanted [HD] , Cinderella 2000, and a BBC version of Cinderella.
•  Emily Blunt (the baker’s wife) and Meryl Streep (the witch) also starred together in The Devil Wears Prada .

Tips for Parents:  There are several themes that are too adult for young children, even though this is a Disney production.  There is some violence and morbid scenes.

 If you liked this movie, you might also like:

 

The Giver asks great questions about life and free will

Movie Title:   The Giver [HD]

PG-13, 1 hour 40 minutes

Grade:  B

In a Nutshell:  If you haven’t read the best-selling young adult novel The Giver by Lois Lowry, you’ll understand the movie well enough, but also won’t know what you’re missing.  The book provides more depth than the movie, which is usually the case when literature is brought to life on the big screen.  No matter…the film’s content has a lot to offer to those who are brave enough to discuss one of life’s most important questions: which is better: forcing everyone to live in peace or allowing free agency that can threaten peace? 

Uplifting theme: 

• There must be opposition in all things.  You can’t feel complete joy unless you know sorrow.  You can’t choose good if there is no evil.
• Despite the sorrows, dangers, and ugliness in the world, life is worth living every minute.  Humanity is full of flaws, but also possesses incredible beauty.   
• One person can make a difference.

Things I liked:

• I like how the movie starts in grays, blacks and whites, but as Jonas gains knowledge, he is able to see more color.  Knowledge does, indeed, color your world.
• As a college professor and author, I liked the Community’s rule to use “precise language.”  Admittedly, I’m a Grammar Nazi.
• It’s always good to see Oscar winners Meryl Streep and Jeff Bridges in anything.
• There is some symbolism in the film that allows the viewer to dig deeper, such as using an apple to disobey one of the Community’s commandments.
• I think Brenton Thwaites does a great job of portraying Jonas, who is both thrilled and frightened by what he learns about the world.
• Cameo appearance by Taylor Swift. 
• I liked the uncertainty of the ending.  We don’t know what’s inside the house, but the exciting possibilities are endless.  Isn’t that how life is when you have choices?

Things I didn’t like:

• Katie Holmes plays a lifeless, robotic mother with bad posture.  You never see her smile once, which is, of course, appropriate for the grey existence within the Community.  It seemed inconsistent with the father’s behavior (played by Alexander Skarsgard), who laughs and shows compassion.  Even more incongruent was his ability to (SPOILER ALERT) kill one baby without feeling any emotion, while bringing home another one to save it.
• There really isn’t any humor in this film.  The only line that got a smirk out of the audience was when The Giver explains to Jonas “You’ve had a dream – a combination of fantasy, reality, emotions, and what you had for dinner.”
• It starts out feeling a lot like the recent movie Divergent.
• I hate watching any babies cry.
• (SPOILER ALERT)  The kisses between Jonas and Fiona had zero passion.  Unfortunately, there was no chemistry between actors Brenton Thwaites and Odeya Rush.
• The movie poster makes it look like Anna Kendrick is in the film, but she's not.

Insightful lines:

• “Just like music, there’s something you can’t see with your eyes…inside you.”  - The Giver
• “Listen to what’s calling from inside.”  - The Giver
• “Faith is seeing beyond.”  - Jonas
• “Memories are not just about the past – they determine our future.”   - The Giver
• “Everything is connected.  Everything is a balance.  Where there is good, there is bad.” – The Giver
• “A dwelling is not a home.  A home is more.”  - The Giver
• “The boy must hold in the pain.”  - Chief Elder
• “When people have the freedom to choose, they choose wrong every time.”  - Chief Elder
• “You have the courage.  Let me give you the strength.”  - The Giver
• “With love comes faith and hope.”  - The Giver
• “We are living a life of shadows, of echoes.” – The Giver
• “If you can’t feel, what’s the point?” - Jonas

Tips for parents:   Older children and teens will especially be able to relate to the idea of wanting to fit in and not being “too” different.  Jonas explains “I always thought I saw things differently.  I never said anything.  I didn’t want to be different.  Who would?”  Parents have a challenging task of helping their children discover their talents and and teaching them to embrace their uniqueness with confidence.  Parents should take advantage of the opportunity to sit down with their kids after this movie and discuss what qualities they think their children possess that makes them special.

If you liked The Giver, then you might also like: