Year: 2021

“Respect”(2021). Cast: Jennifer Hudson, Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Mary J. Blige, Marc Maron, Skye Dakota Turner, Kimberly Scott, Audra McDonald, Hailey Kilgore, Tituss Burgess, Gilbert Glenn Brown, Tate Donovan, Albert Jones, Saycon Sengbloh, LeRoy McClain, Heather Headley, Brenda Nicole Moorer, Lodric D. Collins. Director: Liesl Tommy. Screenplay: Tracey Scott Wilson. Story: Callie Khouri and Tracey Scott Wilson. Web site. Trailer. Becoming ourselves is often a challenging process. We may have difficulty feeling our way through a cloudy morass of ideas and suggestions, and we might be unsure how to separate the good from the bad. This can be particularly daunting when we’re young, bombarded by others who think they know what’s best for us, leading to confusion and uncertainty that carries on into adulthood. So how we sort this out? It certainly helps to have inspiring examples to show us the way to find our true selves, as seen in the uplifting new biopic, “Respect.” When telling the life story of an iconic and complicated figure like soul singer Aretha Franklin (1942-2018) (Jennifer Hudson), it can be difficult to get everything right. Decisions regarding what should and shouldn’t be included in such a film can be fraught with difficult choices, ...

“Cured” (2020 production, 2021 release). Cast: Interviews: Dr. Frank Kameny, Kay Lahusen, Dr. Charles Silverstein, Rev. Magora Kennedy, Dr. Lawrence Hartmann, Ron Gold, Dr. Richard Green, Dr. Richard Pillard, Don Kilhefner, Richard Socarides, Dr. Saul Levin, Harry Adamson, Dr. Robert Campbell, Gary Alinder. Archive Footage: Barbara Gittings, Dr. John Fryer, Dr. Charles Socarides, Dr. Robert Spitzer, Dr. Judd Marmor, Rick Stokes, Dr. Alfred Kinsey, Dr. Evelyn Hooker, Dr. Irving Bieber, Dr. Alfred Bloch, Dr. Lawrence Hatterer, Dr. Jerry Lewis Jr., Sally Duplaix, Morley Safer, Mike Wallace, David Susskind, Harry Reasoner, Roger Mudd, President Bill Clinton, President Barack Obama. Directors: Patrick Sammon and Bennett Singer. Web site. Trailer. PBS Broadcast Site. Imagine being saddled with a label that was anything but true. What’s more, imagine being cruelly persecuted for that erroneous characterization, subjected to emotional and even physical abuse and mutilation, making life unbearable. Prejudice, discrimination and harassment are nearly constant companions, and such treatment is often inflicted by one’s nearest and dearest, including family members. If it’s possible to picture that, then you have an idea what it might have been like for members of a patently and unfairly disrespected minority community that did nothing to earn or deserve such ...

What constitutes abundance in our lives? It can take many forms, both good and bad, but what matters most is what we do with it. Find out more by reading “Abundance and the Silver Screen” in the September issue of Modern Warrior magazine. For more about this uplifting new online publication, click here ...

With summer winding down, we’re coming to the end of another movie season, but we’re not done yet! Find out what’s left in store on the next edition of The Good Media Network’s Frankiesense & More video podcast with yours truly and special guest host Danielle Findlay. Tune in Thursday August 26 at 1 pm ET on Facebook Live, available by clicking here, for a lively discussion of releases worth seeing in theaters or via streaming. And, if you don’t see the show live, catch it later on demand! ...

Reviews of “Pray Away,” “Nine Days” and “The Lost Leonardo,” as well as a podcast preview, are all in the latest Movies with Meaning post on the web site of The Good Media Network, available by clicking here ...

Tune in for the latest Cinema Scribe segment on Bring Me 2 Life Radio, Tuesday, August 24, at 2 pm ET, available by clicking here. And, if you don’t hear the show live, catch it later on demand on Spreaker, Spotify, Apple, iHeartRadio, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Deezer, Podchaser and Jiosaavn ...