Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 984th Edition

Welcome to the 984th Edition of my series.  I hope everyone is doing okay in these times.  On June 19th and 20th, New Castle has a Juneteenth celebration.  On the 20th, Guilty By Affiliation Wrestling is having a free show at 7:30 where I will be ring announcing.  I may have another announcement when I get back in a couple weeks but until then I will get on with my selections for the week.  

Law and Order True Crime:  The Menendez Murders (2017):  I start the week out with this mini-series which was created by Rene Balcer.  This centers around the murders Jose and Kitty Menendez, played by Carlos Gomez and Lolita Davidovich, whose own sons kill them citing the abuse that has happened through the years.  Miles Gaston Villanueva and Gus Halper star as Lyle and Erik Menendez who use the abuse defense in hopes of acquittal.  Edie Falco plays attorney Leslie Abramson who dedicates herself to the defense of the brothers and deals with a lot of red tape from the judge and prosecution in Los Angeles.  Chris Bauer, Sam Jaeger, Dominic Flores, Constance Marie, Josh Charles, Heather Graham, Elizabeth Reaser, Molly Hagan, Anthony Edwards, James DuMont, Julianne Nicholson, Larry Cedar, Mark Moses, David Warshofsky, Harry Hamlin and many others co-star in this film.  This is the first mini-series from the LAW AND ORDER franchise and so far the only one.  This is based on the years long trial of the Menendez brothers and the media circus it would become.  This takes a good look into the events and some of it was dramatized as the opening would always say.  Falco does a great job as Abramson.  This is available to watch on AMC + and Britbox with a subscription of Prime.

A Zookeeper's Wife (2017):  Niki Caro directed this film which is based on the novel by Diane Ackerman and is based on true events.  Jessica Chastain and Johan Heldenbergh star as married couple Antonina and Jan Zabinski who run a zoo in 1939 Poland.  Unfortunately, it was being run by Nazi German in WWII and Antonina leads an effort in hopes of saving the Jews.  Daniel Bruhl, Efrat Dor, Iddo Goldberg, Shira Haas, Micahel McElhatton, Matha Issova, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a very uplifting and heartbreaking film.  The most heartbreaking part was seeing the zoo getting destroyed.  This conveys a lot of the heroism from this era with a very emotional performance out of Chastain.  This is available to watch on Peacock.

I Love Boosters (2026):  Boots Riley directed and wrote this dark comedy.  Keke Palmer, Taylour Paige, and Naomi Ackie star as Corvette, Mariah, and Sade who are known as the "Velvet Gang".  They like to shoplift from the Metro Designers fashion chains which are run by Christie Smith, played by Demi Moore, and then sell the items at a more reasonable price.  LaKeith Stanfield, Mahdi Cocci, Rachel Walters, Kara Young, Adam Devine, Don Cheadle, Robin Thede, Melissa Haas, Hannah Alline, Jason Ritter, Viggo Mortensen, Sarah Elaine, Elza Gonzalez, Will Poulter, Eric Andre, Poppy Liu, and many others co-star in this film.  Mortensen is a narrator of a documentary within the film so we get his voice.  I have really only scratched the surface in my description.  It is a satire on green and inflation in what I got out of it.  I felt Cheadle, Moore, and Poulter were the most entertaining parts of the film in their much different roles, especially Don Cheadle.  There are also some very interesting sci-fi elements.  This was worth a trip to the theaters.

Jefferson Circus Songs (1975):  This is my animated short for the week which was directed by Susan Pitt.  This features stop-motion animation with a carnival sort of world.  This shows cardboard cutouts interacting with children clad in clown wigs, monkey masks, and princess costumes.  This is mostly of note for the animator Pitt who was known for a handful of independent animated shorts, possibly ASPARAGUS being the most known.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel and on Youtube.

L'Atalante (1934):  Jean Vigo directed and co-wrote this French film.  Jean Daste and Dita Parlo star as the newlywed couple Jean and Juliette.  Jean is a ship captain, and Juliette must join him in the river life which proves to be a very difficult adjustment.  Michel Simon, and Louis Lefebvre co-star in this French film.  This shows a lot about working through issues in a marriage.  This also has some great cinematography.  Vigo had a very short-lived but very influential career as he died at the age of 29 of Tuberculosis.  This still remains a very popular French film and is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Desk Set (1957):  Walter Lang directed this film which is based on the play by William Marchant.  Katharine Hepburn stars as Bunny Watson who works for a big TV network.  She starts to become a bit concerned when the mysterious Richard Sumner, played by Spencer Tracy, has come to computerize the office.  This has people fearing for their jobs and starts a bit of an attraction between the leads as one might guess.  Gig Young, Joan Blondell, Dina Merrill, Sue Randall, Neva Patterson, Henry Ellerbe, Nicholas Joy, Diane Jergens, Merry Anders, and many others co-star in this romantic comedy.  This is the eighth of nine films between the iconic duo of Tracy and Hepburn.  This is a good look at the early days of computerization and the concern that has lasted through the modern days.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

The Woodsman (2004):  Nicole Kassell directed this film which is based on the play by Steven Fechter.  Kevin Bacon stars as Walter who has been released from prison after 12 years for being a child molester.  He is able to find a job and finds unexpected solace with his co-worker Vicki, played by Bacon's wife Kyra Sedgwick.  Through it all, it becomes impossible for him to escape his past.  Yasiin Bey, David Allen Grier, Eve, Benjamin Bratt, Carlose Leon, Michael Shanon, Kevin Rice, Hannah Pilkes, and many others co-star in this film.  They tacked a very taboo subject matter as described.  This is a character study to the core and shows the human element of someone like Walter.  Bacon does a great job in this film in such a controversial sort of role without really making him into a monster.  This is available to watch on Prime, TUBI, Plex, Pluto TV, and the Roku Channel.

Twentieth Century Oz (1976):  Chris Lofven directed this adaptation to the L. Frank Baum story which takes place around the world of rock and roll.  Joy Dunston stars as the 16-year-old Dorothy who after a van wreck, she finds herself in an alternate world.  She sets out to see the last concert of the Wizard, played by Graham Matters, and is accompanied by three unusual men who are the equivalent of the Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion and the Tin Man.  She is also being pursued by a thug whose brother Dorothy accidently kills with the van.  Bruce Spence, Michael Carmen, Gary Waddell, Robin Ramsay, Ned Kelly, and many others co-star in this movie.  I guess this is Australia's answer to THE WIZARD OF OZ.  It mostly follows the movie we know, just in a much different way.  Curiosity got the best of me when I came across this on Kanopy where it is available to watch.

Not Wanted (1949):  Elmer Clifton directed this film which was based on the screenplay by Paul Jarrico and Ida Lupino.  Sally Forrest stars as Sally Kelton who hooks up with the charismatic piano player Steve, played by Leo Penn, and runs away from her unhappy home.  She has a fling with Steve, but he soon heads to the next town.  When forming a relationship with Drew, played by Keefe Brasselle, who just can't win Sally's heart away from Steve.  She also becomes pregnant by him making her life more difficult.  Wheaton Chambers, Ruth Clifford, Ruthelma Stevens, Virginia Mullen, and many others co-star in this film.  This is Clifton's last film and Ida Lupino would take over directing duties after Clifton suffered a severe heart attack.  This is at a time where motherhood out of wedlock was very taboo and I guess I'm dealing with a couple very taboo topics this week.  A lot of this film centers around Kelton's guilt of the pregnancy and how her judgment was very clouded by the decisions she made.  This is available to watch on Kanopy, Prime, and Plex.

Tightrope (1984):  I end with this dark thriller which was directed and written by Richard Tuggle.  Clint Eastwood stars as Detective Wes Block who is going after a serial killer and rapist while getting too close in his investigation.  Wes also struggles to balance his job and his single fatherhood with his daughters who also become a target.  Genevieve Bujold, Dan Hedaya, Alison Eastwood, Jenny Beck, Marco St. John, Rebecca Perle, Regina Richardson, Randi Brooks, Jamie Rose, and many others co-star in this thriller.  I see I have a lot of very dark subject matter this week.  This is a very intense and disturbing film and a darker one for Eastwood I would say.  I watched this just as Eastwood announces his retirement from film though this was always planned.  Thank you Clint, I wish you the best in your retirement years and thanks for all the great movies you have given us through the years.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and I will back in a couple weeks which so far includes Paul Newman, Spencer Tracy, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 983 Edition

Welcome to the 983rd edition of my series.  I hope everyone is doing well in these crazy times.  For those of you in and around my area, I'm competing in Downtown Idol in Downtown Muncie during Muncie Artswalk on Thursday.  It starts at 5:30 so I don't really know when I will be going.  I will shut up and get on with my selections for the week.  

Living Proof (2008):  Don Ireland directed this Lifetime tv movie which is based on a true story.  Harry Connick Jr. stars as Dr. Dennis Slamon who dedicates his life to looking for a cure for breast cancer that goes beyond chemotherapy.  When finally developing something that he thought would finally be progressive, he must deal with his superiors.  Tammy Blanchard, Amanda Bynes, Jennifer Coolidge, Angie Harmon, John Benjamin Hickey, Regina King, Swoosie Kurtz, Paula Cale, Amy Madigan, Bernadette Peters, Trudie Styler, Bruce McKinnon, Jackson Hurst, Tom Nowicki, and many others co-star in this tv movie.  This is a very feel-good movie and is rather inspirational.  It is a true story about not giving up and making progress to curing cancer.  

Tomorrow Never Dies (1997):  Roger Spottiswoode directed this Bond film which is based on the character created by Ian Fleming.  Pierce Brosnan reprises his role of James Bond in his second outing of 007.  Bond teams with Chinese agent Wai Lin, played by Michelle Yeoh, and must go after the corrupt media mogul Elliott Carver, played by Jonathan Pryce, who is making his own news coverage in hopes of starting a war between Britain and China.  Teri Hatcher, Ricky Jay, Gotz Otto, Joe Don Baker, Vincent Schiavelli, Judi Dench, Desmond Llewelyn, Samantha Bond, Colin Salmon, Geoffrey Palmer, Julian Fellowes, Terence Rigby, Cecilie Thomsen, Nina Young, Gerard Butler, and many others co-star in this Bond film.  This is a lot of high-octane fun with a great Bond girl in Yeoh.  The previous film GOLDENEYE was criticized some for having a lack of gadgetry and they make up for it in full in this one.  

Emily the Criminal (2022):  John Patton Ford wrote and directed this independent film.  Aubrey Plaza stars as Emily who is struggling in with her high student debt and has a hard time finding a good job due to her criminal record.  She comes across work where she becomes a "dummy shopper" and buys goods with a stolen credit card.  Theo Rossi co-stars as Youcef who is the middleman of the criminal scheme.  Bernardo Badillo, Janice Sonia Lee, Wesley Han, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Brandon Sklenar, Amje Elharden, Jonathan Avigdori, and many others co-star in this film.  Plaza puts on a great performance as a struggling young adult.  It is also a very well-written script on the struggle for someone in debt and someone with a criminal record.  This is available to watch on TUBI.

Ars (1959):  This is my French documentary short for the week which was directed by Jacques Temy.  This takes a look at Jean-Marie Baptiste Vianny who was the pastor of Ars in Auvergne who had very strict habits.  Demy narrates this short talking about Vianny's extreme measures as a priest and trying to understand him.  This would also be the start of a great career for Temy who did some short films first.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

The General (1926):  Clyde Bruckman and Buster Keaton directed this silent comedy.  Keaton stars as train engineer Johnny Gray and he loves his Annabelle Lee, played by Marion Mack.  This takes place in the Civil War times where it was every man's duty to fight in the war.  When trying to enlist, Johnny is rejecting with the thought that he was too valuable in his work to join leaving Annabelle to believe he is a coward.  He gets brought in anyway when Union spies take his train "the General" with Annabelle on board.  Glen Cavender and Jim Farley co-star in this comedy.  This is one of the most popular silent films of all time.  Keaton gives lots of funny moments within a very serious situation.  

Ten Little Indians (1974):  Peter Collinson directed this movie which is based on the novel by Agatha Christie.  Oliver Reed, Elka Sommer, Richard Attenborough, Stephane Audran, Gert Frobe, Herbert Lom, Maria Rohm, Adolfo Celi, Alberto de Mendoza, and Charles Aznavour are all invited to an isolated desert in the Iranian desert by someone named U.N. Owen, voiced by Orson Welles.  When there, a cassette tape plays and accuses each of them of a crime they got away with where they die one by one.  They finally realize that the killer is one of them and must figure out who they can trust.  This is a pretty good adaptation of the popular story.  I believe this story inspired the SAW franchise and even CLUE.  Where can we go wrong with a couple Bond villains from the Connery era.   This is available to watch on Kanopy.

Song Sung Blue (2025):  Craig Brewer directed this biopic which is based on the 2008 documentary of the same name by Greg Kohs.  Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson star as married couple Mike and Claire Sardina who form a Neil Diamond cover band called Lightning and Thunder.  They would become rather successful, even getting the attention of Eddie Vedder, played by John Beckwith, who would have them open for Pearl Jam.  They would go onto have a lot of triumph but also a lot of heartbreak along the way.  Ella Anderson, Hudson Hensley, King Princess, Michael Imperioli, Fisher Stevens, Jim Belushi, Mustafa Shakir, Jayson Warner Smith, Cecelia Riddett, Sean Allan Krill, Jim Conroy, Kena Anae, Darius Rose, Shyaporn Theerakulstit, Chacha Tahng, and many others co-star in this biopic.  I feel this was a tribute to the cover bands that are out there today.  I also believe this is the first biopic to be based on a cover band.  This also took a really deep look into mental health with some issues Claire was having.  Jackman and Hudson made a great duo in this film.  This is available to watch on Peacock.

The Deadly Trap (1971):  Rene Clement directed this film which is based on the novel THE CHILDREN ARE GONE by Arthur Cavanaugh.  Frank Langella and Faye Dunaway star as married couple Philippe and Jill who are living in Paris with their two children.  They are having issues where Frank is troubled at work to do illegal activities and Jill is mentally unstable.  The children go missing making it more difficult for Jill and leaves questions for her mental state.  Barbara Perkins, Maurice Ronet, Gerard Buhr, Jill Larson, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a slow burn sort of thriller.  It is hard to explain beyond what I already did.  Dunaway puts on a great performance as the unstable mother.  This is available to watch on Prime.

The Great Dictator (1940):  Charles Chaplin directed and wrote this very thinly veiled satire on the Holocaust.  Chaplin stars in a dual role where he plays the dictator Adenoid Hynkel who has an awful lot of resemblance to Adolf Hitler and he plays a Jewish barber who is trying to avoid persecution.  His role of the barber is more like his typical role of the Tramp while playing Hynkel was quite different.  Paulette Goddard, Jack Oakie, Reginald Gardiner, Henry Daniell, Billy Gilbert, Grace Hayle, Carter DeHaven, Maurice Moscovich, Emma Dunn, Bernard Gorcey, Paul Weigel, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This was a very daring film at the time as Hitler was still in power and even banned it in German and all Nazi-occupied countries though he is said to have obtained a copy and watched it.  At the end, there is a great speech which still resonates today.  This is available on HBO Max, Plex, Pluto TV, and Indieflix shorts which requires a Prime subscription.  

52 Pick-Up (1986):  I end the week with this film which was directed by John Frankenheimer and based on the novel by Elmore Leonard who also co-wrote the screenplay.  Roy Scheider stars as L.A. construction magnate Harry Mitchell who has an extramarital affair with a stripper named Cini, played by Kelly Preston.  A tape surfaces from three blackmailers lead by Alan, played by John Glover, who has a lot of monetary demands.  Ann-Margret co-stars as Harry's wife Barbara who gets caught in the middle of the blackmail.  Vanity, Robert Trebor, Lonny Chapman, Doug McClure, Clarence Williams III, Alex Henteloff, and many others co-star in this action film.  If anyone has experience with Elmore Leonard novels, they will know they are always rather complex in the story and in the characters and this is no different.  Glover might be one of the most despicable villains of all time.  The story could get a little convoluted at times but it kept my attention.  This comes from Cannon films which always managed to put out some interesting works.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel, MGM +, TUBI, and Pluto TV.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike I will be back in a couple weeks with the next one which so far includes Julianne Nicholson, Jessica Chastain, Demi Moore, Katherine Hepburn, Kevin Bacon, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 982nd Edition

Welcome to the 982nd Edition of my series.  I hope everyone is hanging in there in these crazy times.  I don't really have much going on right now so I will just shut up and get on with my selections.

The History of Future Folk (2012):  John Mitchell and Jeremy Kipp Walker directed and wrote this sci-fi music comedy.  Nils d'Aulaire stars as Captain Trius who was sent by the planet Hondo to take over our planet.  When on Earth, he discovers music and decides not to go through with it and establishes a new life as musician Bill Hunt.  When the alien Kevin, played by Jay Klaitz comes to Earth, he also falls in love with music, and they form a folk duo called Future Folk.  Julie Ann Emery, April Hernandez Castillo, Onata Aprile, Dee Snider, and many others co-star in this.  I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this film.  D'Aulaire and Klaitz are also a folk duo in real-life with the same name of Future Folk so this is an origin story.  The love story going on is also a very good element.  The soundtrack is also very clever and was just a great movie all around in my opinion.  This is available to watch on Youtube.  

The Namesake (2006):  Mira Nair directed this film which is based on the novel by Jhumpa Lahiri.  Kal Penn stars as the American born Gogol whose parents are Indian immigrants.  He wants to fit into the American world but has a hard time with his parents being very traditional.  Irrfan Khan, Tabu, Jacinda Barrett, Zuleikha Robinson, Brooke Smith, Ruma Guha Thakurta, Sukanya, Sabyasachi Chakrabarty, and many others co-star in this film.  This centers around the character Gogol but is really about the family and even the extended family in general.  It is a very moving coming-of-age story and a great story of Indian culture.  There are lots of really good elements in the film and really worth a look, especially to learn of the title.

Outlaw Justice (1999):  This is my western for the week which was directed by Bill Corcoran.  Country music legend Willie Nelson stars gunslinger Lee Nelson who has reformed but is brought back in after his friend Tobey, played by Waylon Jennings, is killed.  Joining him is fellow gunslinger Jesse Ray Torrance, played by Kris Kristofferson, Sheriff Dalton, played by Travis Tritt, and Tobey's reluctant son Bryce, played by Chad Willett.  Sancho Gracia, Jonathan Banks, Simon Andreu, Jorge Bosso, and many others co-star in this western.  This is billed as THE LONG KILL on imdb and other things but renamed OUTLAW JUSTICE.  Also, I don't know why Johnny Cash did not join his fellow Highwaymen for this movie.  Mostly of worth to see the country legends and seeing Willie Nelson with a gun.  This is available to watch on TUBI, Pluto TV, and the Roku Channel.  

Two Knights of Vaudeville (1915):  This is my silent short for the week.  This centers around two black actors trying their hand at stage comedy.  This is mostly of historical significance.  This was made through the Ebony Film Corporation which was white owned but African American producer Luthor Pollard used it as a vehicle for getting the black race on the screen.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

1776 (1972):  Peter H. Hunt directed this musical which was written by Peter Stone and Sherman Edwards.  This is a musical retelling of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  William Daniels stars as John Adams who is determined to get independence from England.  Along with Ben Franklin, played by Howard Da Silva, they are able to coerce the soft-spoken Thomas Jefferson, played by Ken Howard, into writing the document that we know today as the Declaration of Independence.  Donald Madden, John Cullum, Roy Poole, David Ford, Ray Middleton, William Hansen, Blythe Danner, Virginia Vestoff, and many others co-star in this musical.  This is the 250th anniversary of the Delcaration and I know of a couple of theaters in my area putting on this show.  I had the honor a few years ago of playing Samuel Chase of Maryland which was a really good time.  Da Silva is perfect as Franklin in this film.  This has some fun music numbers and a good look at this piece of history.  This is available to watch on TUBI.  

Anatomy of a Murder (1959):  Otto Preminger directed this trial film which is based on the novel by John D. Voelker who used the name Robert Traver.  James Stewart stars as attorney Paul Biegler who agrees to defend Army Lieutenant Frederick Manion, played by Ben Gazzara for the murder of a bartender.  Manion claims that he did it in defense of his wife Laura, played by Lee Remick, who was raped.  Without going into too much detail, nothing is as it seems.  Arthur O'Connell, Eve Arden, Kathryn Grant, George C. Scott, Orson Bean, Russ Brown, Murray Hamilton, Brooks West, Ken Lynch, John Qualen, Howard McNear, Alexander Campbell, and many others co-star in this film.  For the time, this kind of pushed the envelope in the world of film.  I learned that Stewart's own father hated this movie so much that he took out an ad in the paper for people not to see it.  Voelker wrote this novel and based it on his own case when he was an attorney.  This holds up well as a trial film and is very highly ranked amount the trial genre.  

All We Imagine as Light (2024):  This is my Indian film for the week which was written and directed by Payal Kapadia.  Kani Kusruti and Divya Prabha star as nurse roommates Prabha and Anu living in Mumbai.  They each lead different lives where Prabha longs for her husband in German while Anu is having a secret affair with a Muslim man.  Chhaya Kadam, Hridhu Haroon, Azees Nedumangad, Anand Sami, and many others co-star in this film.  This is more of a character driven film of the main characters longing for a better life.  This is the first film from India to screen in competition at the Cannes Film Festival.  

The Big Clock (1948):  John Farrow directed this film which is based on the novel by Kenneth Fearing.  Charles Laughton stars as publishing tycoon Earl Janoth who commits murder in an act of passion and tries to frame his associate George Stroud, played by Ray Milland, who investigates the murder himself.  Maureen O'Sullivan, George Macready, Rita Johnson, Elsa Lanchester, Harold Vermilyea, Dan Tobin, Harry Morgan, Richard Webb, Elaine Riley, and many others co-star in this film.  When I first started watching and reading the plot, I jumped to the conclusion that Milland was going to be the villain with his history of villainous characters.  I was wrong and it was good to see him on the other side for a change.  This was a pretty compelling Film Noir and is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Network (1976):  Sidney Lumet directed this film which was written by Paddy Chayefsky.  Peter Finch stars in his very iconic role of Howard Beale who is a news anchor and not getting the rating he was, so he is about to be fired.  Beale goes on a very cynical rant when announcing he was leaving which got better ratings.  Faye Dunaway co-stars as network head Diana Christenson who decides to use Beale and he becomes the "mad prophet".  As time goes on, Beale starts to become a bit much leaving the network to decide what to do with him.  William Holden, Robert Duvall, Wesley Addy, Ned Beatty, Arthur Burghardt, Jordan Charney, Kathy Cronkite, Ed Crowley, Jerome Dempsey, Conchata Ferrell, Cindy Grover, Darryl Hickman, Michael Lombard, Beatrice Straight, and many others co-star in this very satirical film.  This has the very iconic line of "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore."  I suppose this is very ahead of its time in the news essentially becoming show business.  Unfortunately, Finch died before the Academy Awards took place where he won the Oscar but was not there to celebrate.  Kathy Cronkite is the daughter of famous news anchor Walter Cronkite and co-stars as a Patty Hearst type character.  Many big actors declined the Howard Beale role but Finch was the right man for the job.  This is a very timeless classic.

Hey Watch This (2010):  Christian Charles directed this live special which would reunite the iconic duo of Cheech and Chong.  They are back with their usual drug humor and do a variety of sketches and revisit things from the movies, most notably UP IN SMOKE.  Chong's wife Shelby Chong has a few scenes and is pretty funny herself.  I would recommend getting to know the duo from their older works before getting into this one.  This is available to watch on TUBI, Plex, and Howdy with a Prime subscription.

Well, that is it for this week, but I do have a special segment in tribute to last week's holiday Mother's Day and I return so read on for that section.  Tell me what you like and dislike and I will be back in a couple weeks which so far includes Amanda Bynes, Judi Dench, Aubree Plaza, Buster Keaton, Orson Welles, and many others.

MOTHER'S DAY MADNESS

This is a series of selections where there is a notable mother character whether a good or bad mom.

Frozen River (2008):  Melissa Leo plays a struggling single mother in this film who goes to some 

extreme measures to help her family.  Courtney Hunt wrote and directed this film which takes place days before Christmas.  Melissa Leo stars as Ray Eddy who is unable to get the hours necessary at her job but wants her children to have a good Christmas.  When she meets Lily, played by Misty Upham, of the Mohawk tribe, she learns she can make money smuggling immigrants.  Charlie McDermott co-stars as Ray's teenage son T.J. who resorts to his own ways of helping his struggling family.  Michael O'Keefe, Mark Boone Junior, James Reilly, Jay Klaitz, and many others co-star in this film.  This is not an easy movie to watch but it is a very well-written script with good performances.  Leo is perfect as the struggling single mother resorting to such extreme measures to make the necessary money she needs.  This is available to watch on TUBI.  

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Pretty Lethal (2026):  This was an unexpected selection from when I went to visit my friends Carrisa and Arto and Carrisa just happened to be starting this movie and found there was a mother in this film to fit into this segment.  Uma Thurman plays a mother in this horror comedy and maybe not the best mother of all time.  Vicky Jewson directed this horror film which was written by Kate Freund.  A group of ballerinas are on their way to a prestigious dance competition, but their bus breaks down.  Lydia Leonard plays the instructor Miss Thorna who leads five ballerinas in Maddie Ziegler, Landa Candor, Avantika, Iris Apatow, and Millicent Simmonds.  They end up a remote in hoping for some help but find themselves in a very violent situation at an inn lead by the bitter former ballerina Davora Kasimer, played by Uma Thurman.  Julian Krenn, Miklos Beres, Adam Boncz, Krisztian Csakvari, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a very violent film to say the least.  I liked how the ballerinas relied on their ballet skills to apply to fighting and the did so in a pretty big way.  This was a pretty fun film to watch, especially the fighting in my opinion.  This is available to watch on Prime.

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Rocks (2019):  This one has a mother, played by Layo-Christina Akinlude, who leaves her kids so maybe not the most ideal mom in the world.  Sarah Gavron directed this British film which was written by Theresa Ikoko.  Bukky Bakray stars as Rocks who is left to fend for herself when her single mother leaves and struggles to raise her little brother.  Kosar Ali, Ruby Stokes, Sarah Niles, Sharon D. Clarke, Islah Abdur-Rahman, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a very independent film which centers around the script.  This is a very gritty coming-of-age film and brutally honest.  Unfortunately, this did not get a very wide release, but I did find a version on Youtube.

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Miss Virginia (2019):  I go to another single mother, played by Uzo Aduba, who was determined for her son and the other inner-city youth to get a good education.  R.J. Daniel Hanna directed this film which is based on true events.  Aduba stars as the struggling inner-city mother Virginia Walden who can see that her teenage son James, played by Niles Fitch, is headed down the wrong path.  When trying to get her son into a private school, she cannot afford it in the end and launches a movement with the help of Congressman Cliff Williams, played by Matthew Modine.  Vanessa Williams, Aunjanae Ellis-Taylor, Adina Porter, Amirah Vann, Nadji Jeter, Erik LaRay Harvey, Kimberly Hebert Gregory, Amanda Christine, April Grace, and may others co-star in this film.  This is a very moving and feel-good story of a mother doing what she can to help her son.  It shows a community banding together for what is right.  This is available to watch on Starz and Kanopy.

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Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018):  This is where I am in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and I thought it could fit this segment.  Michelle Pfeiffer plays Janet Van Dyne who is the mother to Hope.  Peyton Reed directed this superhero film.  Paul Rudd reprises his role as Scott Lang and is now on house arrest following the events of CAPTAIN AMERICA:  CIVIL WAR.  Hank Pym, reprised by Michael Douglas, and Hope Van Dyne, reprised by Evangeline Lilly, turn to Paul for help in bringing back Janet from the Quantum realm.  They have other people giving them trouble that they must overcome.  Michael Pena, Walton Goggins, Bobby Cannavale, Judy Greer, Tip "T.I." Harris, David Dastmalcian, Hannah John-Kamen, Abby Ryder Fortson, Randall Park, Laurence Fishburne, and many others co-star in this superhero film.  This is a very fun sequel that is about as good as the original.  This is the first to really play into the Quantum realm I suppose when comes a key part of the next couple AVENGERS film.  My source for the timeline order of the MCU is Marvel in order: How to watch MCU in chronological and release order.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus.

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Crisscross (1992):  Goldie Hawn plays a mother who was left to fend for herself when her husband leaves and resorts to becoming a stripper to support herself and her son.  Chris Menges directed this film which is based on the novella by Scott Sommer, who also wrote the screenplay.   This takes place in 1969 Key West set against the backdrop of the Apollo moon landing.  Hawn stars as Tracy Cross who becomes a stripper finding that it is more money.  This is much to the dismay of her son Criss, played by David Arnott, who resorts to dealing cocaine in hopes his mother can stop stripping.  Arliss Howard, James Gammon, Keith Carradine, Steve Buscemi, Paul Calderon, David Anthony Marshall, Deirdre O'Connell, Anna Thomson, Neil Giuntoli and many others co-star in this coming-of-age story.  This is a very deep story with Hawn in a more rarer dramatic performance.  Arnott does a good job but he would not go onto do anything else in film.  This is available to watch on MGM +, TUBI, and Pluto TV.

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Wild Prairie Rose (2016):  Suanne Spoke is the mother for this one who is an ailing mother and her daughter returns to a small town to help her.  Deborah LaVine directed this film which was written by Sharon Green.  This takes place in 1950s South Dakota with Tara Samuel starring as Rose Miller who returns to care for her ailing mother Pearl, played by Spoke.  While there, she decides to shoot a local movie and gets help from the local deaf man James, played by Troy Katsur.  In the process, they also fall for each other leaving Rose to decide what she must do.  Maya Brattkus, Courtney Jones, Amy Schulz, Cliff Schuz, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a very moving film of small-town life.  It is also a really good look at a relationship between a person that can hear and a deaf person and trying to understand one another.  This is available to watch on Prime, TUBI, Pluto TV, Plex, and the Roku Channel.

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Let the Right One In (2008):  Karin Bergquist is the mother of this film who is the mother of Oskar and may be a little disengaged with her son.  Tomas Alfredson directed this Swedish vampire film which is based on the novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist who also wrote the screenplay.  Kare Hedebrant stars as the bullied 12-year-old Oskar.  He becomes friends with his mysterious next door neighbor Eli, played by Lina Leandersson, who harbors a rather dark secret and helps Oskar with the revenge on the bullies, maybe a little too much.  Per Ragnar, Ika Nord, Patrik Rydmark, Johan Charles, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a very violent and beautiful story.  I feel some of this movie is left for our own mind to analyze.  This is some great foreign horror and this is available to watch on Prime.

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Insidious (2010):  Rose Byrne is the mother in this supernatural horror film and must protect her son who is now comatose.  James Wan directed this horror film which was written by Leigh Whannel, who also co-stars in this film.  Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne star as married couple Josh and Renai Lambert.  They are about to move into a nice new house with their three children.  Strange things start to happen and their son Dalton, played by Ty Simpkins, who becomes comatose.  They find there is more of a supernatural cause than an illness cause for the coma.  This leads them to hire paranormal investigator Elise Rainier, played by Lin Shaye, to investigate these happenings.  Angus Sampson, Barbara Hershey, Andrew Astor, Corbett Tuck, Ruben Pla, and many others co-star in this supernatural horror film.  This is the start to quite a franchise.  This is some pretty clever horror in my opinion along with some good performances.  It also has a good family element to it where a family must band together.  This is available to watch on HBO Max.  

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The Opposite of Sex (1998):  Christina Ricci is the mother in this film who is actually a mother to be and seems far from ready.  Don Roos directed and wrote this dark comedy.  Christina Ricci stars as the teenage Dedee Truitt who runs away from home and goes to live with her gay half-brother Bill, played by Martin Donovan.  When getting there, Dedee starts to seduce Bill's boyfriend Matt, played by Ivan Sergei, and becomes pregnant.  This starts all kinds of accusations and scandals.  Lisa Kudrow, Lyle Lovett, Johnny Galecki, William Lee Scott, Ivan Sergei, Megan Blake, Colin Ferguson, Rodney Eastman, Heather Fairfield, and many others co-star in this film.  This has a lot going on in this film.  I really liked the narration of Ricci where she kind of tries to play with the audience.  Lots of colorful characters and a good script keep this very enjoyable.  This is available to watch on the Roku Channel.

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TUBE TIME

George and Tammy (2022-2023):  This is another worthy selection for Mother's Day with Jessica Chastain as the mother Tammy Wynette so I brought back this section.  Abe Sylvia created this series which is based on the book THE THREE OF US:  GROWING UP WITH TAMMY AND GEORGE by Georgette Jones who is the daughter of George Jones and Tammy Wynette.  Jessica Chastain stars as hairstylist Virginia Pugh who we would all know as country star Tammy Wynette.  Early in her career, she would meet up with fellow country legend George Jones, played by Michael Shannon.  This takes a look at their relationship both personally and professionally.  They got married but Jones's alcohol problems and Wynette's painkiller problems would make things very complicated.  Steve Zahn, David Wilson Barnes, Walton Goggins, Joshua C. Allen, Kate Arrington, Kelly McCormack, Katy Mixon Greer, Katie Beth West, Riley Cooper, Cecily Ferguson, Mike Eli, Regan Ciccarelli, Pat Healy, Tim Blake Nelson, and many others co-star in this music biopic.  This is a six-episode series with all of the episodes being around an hour long.  Chastain and Shannon played their roles very well including their own singing voices.  This is a great looks at the ups and downs of these country icons.  This is available to watch on Paramount Plus.

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