This Week in Movies with Meaning
Reviews of "The Plague" and "Viva Verdi!", as well as a Windie Awards recap and a review of the best and worst movies of 2025, are all in the latest Movies with Meaning post on the website of The Good Media Network.
Enjoying Life’s Third Act on The Cinema Scribe
Tune in for the latest Cinema Scribe segment on Bring Me 2 Life Radio, beginning Tuesday February 10, 2 pm ET.
‘Viva Verdi!’ celebrates the joy and power of creation
One of the most inspiring messages I’ve run across in my life maintains that “The greatest joy is in creation,” a message that, ironically, came my way via a Chinese fortune cookie just as I had begun work on my first book. The timing couldn’t have been better, as this sentiment fed directly and abundantly into my writing. It proved to me at the time – and ever since – that creativity is essential to help keep us feeling young, fulfilled, prolific and vital. And, not surprisingly, that notion has also been crucial in the lives and well-being of a remarkable group of seniors who reside in a truly special retirement community in Milan, Italy, one that celebrates the joy and power of creation.
The Worst of 2025
With 2025 now in the books, it’s time to look back on the year in movies. In this second of three blogs, I spotlight my Bottom 10 Films of 2025.
The Best of 2025
With 2025 now in the books, it’s time to look back on the year in movies. In this first of three blogs, I spotlight my Top 10 Films of 2025, followed by 10 Honorable Mentions and an open-ended list (in alphabetical order) of other releases that I found noteworthy or worth a look.
Empowerment on The Cinema Scribe
Tune in for the latest Cinema Scribe segment on Bring Me 2 Life Radio, beginning Tuesday January 27, 2 pm ET.
‘The Plague’ matches wits with disempowerment
Anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of a bully’s wrath can understand the hurt, anxiety and self-esteem issues that frequently accompany such physical and emotional trauma. The abusive taunting, teasing, mockery and ostracism that come with such cruel treatment can leave its victims devastated for years afterward, making it difficult, if not impossible, to recover. And this doesn’t even account for the awkwardness that the abused go through in seeking to assimilate into society and its everyday course of conduct. However, such incidents – as painful as they can be – frequently lead to valuable life lessons in empowerment and overcoming adversity.
This Week in Movies with Meaning
Reviews of "Sentimental Value," "Eleanor the Great" and "Rebuilding," along with a Windie Awards preview, are all in the latest Movies with Meaning post on the web site of The Good Media Network,.
The Virtues of Compassion on The Cinema Scribe
Tune in for the latest Cinema Scribe segment on Bring Me 2 Life Radio, beginning Tuesday January 13.
‘Rebuilding’ celebrates the virtues of compassion
When the slate gets involuntarily wiped clean, we generally have two choices available to us: (1) walking away and starting anew or (2) attempting to rebuild. Both options usually represent hard choices, not only because of the effort required, but also due to the emotional anguish we’re likely to face. Of those two choices, the restoration option can be particularly trying, given that, as we go through it, we’re constantly reminded of what we lost. However, there are also things to be gained, especially when it comes to the compassion, assistance and support we’re likely to receive from those who want to help.