Film Friday In the spirit of the final weeks of summer when Americans are going to the beach and visiting theme parks, I thought I’d turn to a thoroughly enjoyable film where a magical transformation takes place at a carnival. The film is Penny Marshall’s Big (1988), starring Tom Hanks as a 13-year-old (Josh) who […]
Tag Archives: Film
Escape from Adulthood
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At Films Abroad, Why Do I Laugh Alone?
Film Friday Vic: What film are we talking about? Lin: Does it matter what film? Vic: Of course it does. Lin: You choose then. Friday night. Not in a foreign language, ok. You don’t go to the movies to read. […]
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Bill Gaston, Caryl Churchill, Dr. Strangelove, Europe, Good Body, Paul Quarrington, Philadelphia, Ravine, Slovenia, Travel Comments closed
The (Out of Control) Passion of Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson in Braveheart Film Friday Mel Gibson is in the news again with recorded rants against his girlfriend that are so vicious that even his ardent supporters are backing away. (You can learn about, and even listen to, the rants here but I advise caution.) I’ve never been a Gibson fan and this website […]
Talking to Kids about Movies
Stand by Me (Rob Reiner, 1986) Film Friday First, a quick prayer of thanksgiving: my father, who is responsible for my love of literature and film, underwent successful surgery on a blocked artery Tuesday. He had been experiencing sharp pains and a stent was installed. Such are the miracles of modern medicine that, by Thursday […]
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Children, League of their Own, Parenting, Penny Marshall, Rob Reiner, Stand by Me Comments closed
The Greatest Generation’s Citizen Kane
Charlie Kane sold to a bank Film Friday Several weeks ago I wrote about the impact that the movie Citizen Kane had on my father in the months before he was drafted into the army in 1942. I was so fascinated by his response that I collaborated with him on an article about what Citizen […]
Toy Story 3: The Great Escape
Film Friday There were no good adult movies in town last weekend so Julia and I went to see Toy Story III. Any superlatives thrown Pixar’s ways are well deserved. Toy Story III is a gem. Like any good children’s story, it articulates a number of basic childhood fears, especially that of being abandoned, and […]
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Childhood, Children's Film, Prison Film, Toy Story 3 Comments closed
Freeing Oneself from Past Trauma
Soledad Villamil (Irene), Ricardo Darin (Esposito) Film Friday Warning: The following essay contains spoilers. Today I sing the praises of The Secret in Their Eyes, the Juan Jose Campanella film from Argentina that won the 2009 Foreign Film Oscar. It is more than a gripping film about investigating a murder, although it is also that. […]
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Juan Jose Campanella, love, Mystery, politics, Secrets in Their Eyes Comments closed
The Grand Illusion that We Fight Over
Film Friday I wrote Tuesday and Wednesday about Robert Frost’s “Mending Wall” and the fences that divide us, both externally and internally. Today I write about one of the great humanistic films about dividing lines: Jean Renoir’s 1937 classic La Grande Illusion. The final scene of the film reminds me of “Mending Wall.” Two World […]
