This Week in Movies with Meaning
Reviews of "Won't You Be My Neighbor?", "I Am Somebody" and "Mountain" are all in the latest Movies with Meaning post on the web site of The Good Media Network, available by clicking here.
‘Neighbor’ showcases the spirit of kindness and compassion
“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” (2018). Cast: Interview Footage: Joanne Rogers, James Rogers, John Rogers, François Scarborough Clemmons, Yo-Yo Ma, Elizabeth Seamans, Margy Whitmer, Davis Newell, Joe Negri. Archive Footage: Fred Rogers, Robert Kennedy, Tom Snyder, Christa McAuliffe, John O. Pastore, Betty Aberlin. Director: Morgan Neville. Web site. Trailer. Showing a little kindness goes a long way, especially to those in need of compassion, nurturing and support. This is particularly true when it comes to young ones, who often struggle with the fundamental task of trying to understand how the world works, an increasingly challenging task in an ever-more complicated reality. For 30 years, an unlikely television personality undertook that very task, giving attention, encouragement, wisdom and support to those [...]
Check out Writers Assembled!
I'm thrilled to announce that I'm this week's Featured Author on the Member Profile feature of the Writers Assembled Facebook group. Throughout the week (Monday through Saturday), I'll be addressing questions posed by the group regarding my work, my writing process and other topics. If you're a fellow writer, a fan or someone who's interested in my work and the method to my madness, check it out!
‘Book Club’ celebrates second chances at love
“Book Club” (2018). Cast: Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, Mary Steenburgen, Andy Garcia, Craig T. Nelson, Don Johnson, Richard Dreyfuss, Alicia Silverstone, Katie Aselton, Wallace Shawn, Ed Begley Jr., Mircea Monroe, Joey Stromberg, Sabrina Friedman-Seitz. Director: Bill Holderman. Screenplay: Bill Holderman and Erin Simms. Web site. Trailer. As the years pass by, it can be easy to let our lives (and ourselves) slide. Those of us who have attained a certain age may unwittingly fall into the trap of believing that the best years are behind us, that the joys of our youth and young adulthood are no longer available or take too much effort to recapture. This is especially true when it comes to our love lives. But [...]
‘First Reformed’ assesses our choices and their results
“First Reformed” (2018). Cast: Ethan Hawke, Amanda Seyfried, Cedric Kyles, Victoria Hill, Philip Ettinger, Michael Gaston, Bill Hoag, Frank Rodriguez. Director: Paul Schrader. Screenplay: Paul Schrader. Web site. Trailer. The weight of the world is quite a load for anyone to carry, even those who believe they’re best equipped to do so. Holding up under such circumstances can easily be more than one can bear, but some take up the challenge anyway. Why? That’s a key question for a beleaguered protagonist in the gripping new drama, “First Reformed.” Pastor Ernst Toller (Ethan Hawke) is, somewhat ironically, a troubled soul. As a former military academy chaplain who has suffered a number of personal tragedies and a crisis of conscience, he’s been [...]
‘Filmworker’ celebrates the beauty of creative vision
“Filmworker” (2017 production, 2018 release). Cast: Interview Footage: Leon Vitali, Ryan O’Neal, Matthew Modine, R. Lee Ermey, Danny Lloyd, Stellan Skarsgård, Marie Richardson, Tim Colceri, Pernilla August, Julian Senior, Lisa Leone. Archive/Feature Film Footage: Stanley Kubrick, Malcolm MacDowell, Keir Dullea, Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Marisa Berenson, Vincent D’Onofrio, Tom Cruise. Director: Tony Zierra. Web site. Trailer. Director Stanley Kubrick is arguably one of the most brilliant filmmakers who ever lived. Though he wasn’t particularly prolific and his productions came more sporadically in his later years, he nevertheless was responsible for such classics as “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” (1964), “A Clockwork Orange” (1971), “Barry Lyndon” (1975), “The Shining” (1980), “Full Metal Jacket” [...]
Check out The Cinema Scribe
Tune in for the latest Cinema Scribe segment on Bring Me 2 Life Radio, Wednesday, June 6, at 12:45 pm ET, available by clicking here. And, if you don't hear it live, catch it later on demand!
This Week in Movies with Meaning
Reviews of "First Reformed," "Book Club" and "Filmworker," as well as a magazine article preview, are all in the latest Movies with Meaning post on the web site of The Good Media Network, available by clicking here.
‘Pope Francis’ leads by belief – and example
“Pope Francis – A Man of His Word” (2018). Cast: Pope Francis, Wim Wenders (narrator). Archive Footage: President Donald Trump, President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, House Speaker John Boehner, House Speaker Paul Ryan, Secretary of State John Kerry, Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Israeli President Shimon Peres. Director: Wim Wenders. Screenplay: Wim Wenders and David Rosier. Web site. Trailer. In an age as cynical as ours, it’s rare to come upon someone who genuinely appears to say what he means and mean what he says. That’s especially true for those in positions of authority; their statements often ring hollow or are rife with hypocrisy. So it’s indeed refreshing to find out that there are those [...]
‘Inspiring Lessons’ in Up Words Magazine
I'm thrilled to announce the publication of my new magazine article, "Inspiring Lessons from the Silver Screen," found in the latest issue of Up Words magazine. Find out how to access the entire issue at the publication's Facebook page by clicking here.