HORSES
This is only a wild guess, but I’d say about 99% of the kids who wanted a pony for Christmas didn’t get one. As a not-very-reasonable substitute, how about some of the best movies about horses? 
Any discussion of horse movies must start with the marvelous Black Stallion (1979). A young boy is marooned on a desert island with a magnificent black stallion. Their rapport and the photography are both amazing. The second half, in which they are rescued and the boy (Kelly Reno) becomes the horse’s jockey under the tutelage of trainer Mickey Rooney, is ok but not wonderful. But the first half is mesmerizing. Kids love this.
While most of the films in this article are fairly old, 2019 produced an excellent horse movie, The Mustang. Though fictional, it is based on a real program in Nevada in which prison inmates train horses. Inmate Roman has been assigned to train Marquis, only recently brought in from the wild. It doesn’t go well for quite a while, but persistence pays off and the man and the horse become a good team. That’s enough to give you the idea. This is one fine film, but for adults only. 
Perhaps the very best horse photography ever is in The Man From Snowy River (1982), an Australian “western” with our own Kirk Douglas and hundreds of gorgeous horses. Their run down the mountain is completely thrilling. Kids won’t much like the love story but the horse stuff is great.
Mickey Rooney showed up 35 years earlier in the fabulous National Velvet (1944). Elizabeth Taylor (already stunningly beautiful at 12) wins a horse in a raffle and determines to make it a racing champion, and to do the riding herself. Fabulous scenery (in addition to Miss Taylor) and excellent horse photography. For the whole family.
Similar and only a step behind is My Friend Flicka (1943) with Roddy McDowell as the lad determined to make a winner of his horse and Preston Foster as his dubious 
dad. Faithfully adapted from Mary O’Hara’s beloved book, it’s a pleasure throughout. 
More great horse photography. For all ages.
Black Beauty (1994) is often sold and not always well-loved, but his story is compelling. This version is superior to the earlier ones and while it will bring you and the kids at least to the edge of tears, you can count on a happy ending for all.
For grown-ups only, The Horse Whisperer (1997) features Robert Redford as a gentle restorer of damaged horses. The Misfits (1961) has Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable and Montgomery Clift as three misfits who love wild horses. Phar Lap (1984) may be the best story ever made about horse racing. The subject was an Australian national hero who died in a mysterious fashion on a trip to the United States. Great racing photography.
All of the films in this article are available on DVD.

                                                           The Coen Brothers
                                                          part 1
The Coen brothers, film makers of the weird, remind me of some not-so-legendary hitters of my youth, say Dick Stuart or Frank Howard. When they stepped up to the plate they either struck out or hit it out of the park. Their homers, however, tended to be tape-measure jobs.
Fargo (1996) won them an Oscar for best screenplay. Best described as a comic murder mystery, it is their most accessible film and a solid commercial hit. Frances McDormand also won an Oscar for best actress as a pregnant police chief in a small Minnesota town. Wry observations on the local mores, and terrific performances by McDormand and William H. Macy as a two-bit hustler in way over his head. 
In Blood Simple (1985) a husband hires a seedy private eye to murder his cheating wife. McDormand, Dan Hedaya and especially M. Emmett Walsh are superb, but the best thing is the intricate Coen screenplay that keeps you guessing to the very end. Unusual camera angles and shots strengthen the Coen’s unique spin on film noir.
Raising Arizona (1987) is a bizarre comedy viewers tend to either love or hate.  Holly Hunter and Nicholas Cage are a childless couple who badly want a baby. When they see a magazine article about a couple with quintuplets, they resolve to snatch one  for themselves on the curious theory that no one with five children the same age will notice that one of them is gone. Some of the funniest chase scenes ever.
Miller’s Crossing (1990) is a splendid gangster film, topped only by the Godfather trilogy. John Turturo, Gabriel Byrne and Albert Finney head a fine cast in a movie long on style and story. There are the patented Coen triple and quadruple crosses; you’re never sure what will happen. Slow starting, but stick with it, it’s worth it.
Crimewave (1985) is a real mess about thugs on a killing spree. Barton Fink (1991) starts out being about playwright John Turturo going to Hollywood to write a screenplay then  halfway through it falls down and can’t get up. The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) features Tim Robbins as a know-nothing who mysteriously rises to the top of a heartless corporation. Hard to follow and not worth the effort. 
The Big Lebowski (1998) is somewhere between great and goshawful. John Goodman is excellent as a wacky Vietnam veteran; Jeff Bridges is Jeff Bridges. Call it a solid single.
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. None are suitable for children under 14.
And as they say on TV, but wait, there’s more! Stay tuned for part 2 on the Coens.


 

                                                         A YEAR OF DOCS

If you like documentary movies, this year’s films should suit you to a tee! I count at least eight worth seeing so far, and the year isn’t over.
Maiden is the improbable but true story of a group of determined women who enter the Whitbread Around-The-World yacht race. Tracy Edwards, a cook in her day job, gathers a mismatched bunch of British women to try their luck and skill. They are demeaned and belittled by the yacht racing establishment and the world in general. Undaunted, they brave bad weather, high seas and a sometimes leaky boat in an attempt to complete an incredible feat.
Pavarotti documents the career of Luciano Pavarotti, perhaps the world’s greatest tenor. Even if you don’t like opera much (me neither!) you will love this film. The singing is just super and he was one heck of a guy. Generous almost to a fault, he spread his talent and money freely. And Lord, what a voice! Do NOT confuse him with the disgraced Placido Domingo! 
You don’t have to be all that old to remember the glory days of 60 Minutes. And the news terrier who just wouldn’t turn loose was Mike Wallace. Mike Wallace Is Here is about that legendary reporter and the many people he hacked off. I remember him as being used as a threat- watch out, Mike Wallace could cover this!
Toni Morrison went from humble beginnings in Ohio to legendary books, the Nobel and Pulitzer Prizes and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am does a good job outlining her life and work. I must confess Beloved and Song Of Solomon are sort of over my head, but she is clearly one of our greatest writers. 
Molly Ivins was a Texas reporter and gadfly. She was unequaled in sticking it to the famous and prominent. Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins is a bushel of fun even if you are a reddish person. She famously called George W. Bush “Shrub” and that will give you an idea of her persona.
In 1980 Communist China, in a completely misguided effort to control population growth, enacted a policy of limiting couples to having only one child. Violators were severely punished. The main result was that most people wanted sons, not daughters. The number of female babies killed is an unredeemable scandal. Another result was a dearth of marriageable women for many years. The policy finally ended in 2015. One Child Nation is an eye-opening film about this draconian policy. Strangely enough, it is banned in China!
Other 2019 docs of note include Aquarela, a surrealistic paean to water, and Knock Down The House, the story of the four young women Democrats who changed Congress. 
All of the films in this article are available on DVD. All are for adults, but Maiden would be fine for mature young girls.

                                                            Larry McMurtry

Larry McMurtry is alive and well at 83 years old at this writing. He was involved in the making of some of the greatest movies of all time. Some were taken from his novels and he wrote the screenplay for others. These are the best of those films.
Hud (1963) is based on McMurtry’s fine novel Horseman Pass By. It is a terrific film featuring Paul Newman as a thoroughly bad guy. He was nominated for an Oscar, but lost to Sidney Poitier for Lillies Of The Field, in which Poitier’s character is as nice as Newman’s character was nasty. Patricia Neal and Melvyn Douglas did win Oscars, as did James Wong Howe for cinematography. On a cattle ranch threatened by bovine disease, patriarch Douglas tries to steer his errant son Hud in the right direction with very doubtful results. 
The Last Picture Show (1971) is an absolutely splendid film about the denizens of a small, dusty Texas town. Their lives and loves range from desperate to hectic. Larry McMurtry co-wrote the screenplay with director Peter Bogdanovich. They were nominated for an Oscar but lost to Ernest Tidyman for The French Connection. Ben Johnson and Cloris Leachman won statues for their performances. The film got six more nominations. Well, Airport was nominated for best film but not Last Picture Show. Good grief!
Terms Of Endearment (1983) won just about everything on Oscar night. It was based on Larry McMurtry’s fine novel of the same name. James L. Brooks won an Oscar for his screen adaptation. Other winners included best movie, best director (Brooks), Shirley MacLaine for best actress and Jack Nicholson for best supporting actor. This is a real tear-jerker with MacLaine at the bedside of dying daughter Debra Winger. Nicholson has a fine time as MacLaine’s romantic interest and reluctant family member.
Brokeback Mountain (2005) featured a screenplay which won the Oscar by McMurtry and producer Diana Ossanna. This is a daring, taboo breaking movie that will either outrage you or break your heart. Maybe both. Jake Gyllenhaal and the late Heath Ledger are hired to protect their boss’ sheep in a cold, lonely locale. Their proximity leads to romance, though both go on to “normal” lives after the job is over. 
And finally, what I think is the best mini-series ever made, the marvelous Lonesome Dove (1989). McMurtry and director Peter Bogdonavich wrote the screenplay about retired Texas rangers hired to drive cattle from Texas to Montana. Gus, played by Robert Duvall, and Call, played by Tommy Lee Jones, are perfectly paired. Gus is the garrulous fun-loving rascal and Call is the silent, brooding don’t-mess-with-me partner. Also appearing along the way are Diane Lane, Robert Urich, Danny Glover, and a host of others. Their adventures include a flood, a stampede, an Indian attack, and a snake encounter. It is Duvall’s constant chatter that carries this four-episode film, though he has plenty of help. This very successful series sired a bunch of follow-ups, including Return To Lonesome Dove, Streets Of Laredo and Dead Man’s Walk. As is usually the case, these “offspring” are just OK. 
All of the films in this article are available on DVD. All are for adults

                                                THE WAR OF THE WORDS
Words, as such, don’t at first blush seem to be a good source for movies. But it turns out that there are at least five very good movies based on words. For no reason I can think of, all of these films came out in the 2000's. 
Akeelah and the Bee (2006) is about a studious girl from south LA who becomes a spelling whiz. Veterans Lawrence Fishburne (as a stern taskmaster) and Angela Basset (as a sort of hit-and-miss mom)  provide solid support, but the movie (and our heart) is stolen by young Keke Palmer. Largely because of her, it becomes super cool to be a good student. 
Spellbound (2002) is a documentary about the National Spelling Bee. It was nominated for an Academy Award. It follows eight teenage contestants from their local bees to the big one. It’s uncanny how much suspense is built up by the movie’s story and pace. And check out the words these kids can spell!
Bee Season (2005) tries to do more with the spelling bee format, and largely succeeds. Father Richard Gere and mother Juliette Binoche find their marriage is slowly sinking. He finds an outlet coaching their precocious daughter Eliza (Flora Cross) in spelling contests. There’s a trick to how she does it- you’ll have to find out for yourself. Large lessons are learned about winning, losing, trying and giving. 
Do you like crossword puzzles? I am a big fan. Whether you like them or not, you will like Wordplay (2006). The film centers around New York Times puzzle editor Will Shortz and his merry band of fans and followers. Former president Bill Clinton and The Daily Show host Jon Stewart are counted among the group, and appear in the movie with delightful insights into puzzling as a hobby or habit. There is, of course, a contest 
and the tension builds nicely. There are also some dandy revelations about how puzzles are constructed and how different people go about trying to solve them.
Last, and perhaps least, is another documentary, Word Wars (2004) which is about an international Scrabble competition and those who participate.  The world of Scrabble, like any sport, has its superheroes and its also-rans and villains. These people are very strange! But interesting! 
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. All are suitable for all ages, but the boredom factor will come into play for most 8 and under.
 

                             THE FORGOTTEN WAR- 70 YEARS LATER
Unbelievably (to me, anyway) next year marks seventy years since the Korean War began in 1950. While nowhere near the fertile movie ground of WWII or Viet Nam, Korea did spawn a handful of excellent films.
M*A*S*H (1970) has a much darker, manic tone than the popular TV series it sired. Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould, Sally Kellerman, Tom Skeritt, Gary Burghoff and Bud Cort were virtual unknowns. M*A*S*H is director Robert Altman’s breakthrough film. Its bloody O.R. and irreverent wisecracks are a microcosm of the war.
The Manchurian Candidate (1962) is a good political thriller that features heart-pounding suspense and some neat plot twists.  Frank Sinatra is good as a government agent as is Angela Lansbury, uncharacteristically venomous . Some wag has said Lawrence Harvey was typecast as an automaton, but he makes a good one. Harvey was a POW of the North Koreans, and they have tried to program him into the perfect killing machine. Can Sinatra reprogram him?
A James Michener story is the basis for Men Of The Fighting Lady (1954) with Van Johnson and Walter Pigeon. The Lady of the title is the aircraft carrier from which dangerous raids are launched into North Korea. The battle footage and special effects are so good that the Pentagon called Film Editor Gene Ruggiero on the carpet to explain how he got this footage. The answer was, standard war footage and painted backdrops, skillfully edited. It was good enough for the Pentagon and good enough for an Oscar, too.
Another Michener tale is the backbone of Sayonara (1957) which garnered Supporting Actor Oscars for Red Buttons and Miyoshi Umeki. Marlon Brando, James Garner and Martha Scott complete the cast of this tale of interracial love during the Korean War. Frankly, it's a little dated, but has its moments.
The Steel Helmet (1951) was actually made during the Korean War.  It is directed by a virtual unknown, Samuel Fuller, and the best known cast member is Steve Brodie. And yet, it probably comes about as close as any movie to showing what it was really like in Korea. This is a very good sleeper.
Pork Chop Hill (1959) was an actual place in Korea, and this fine movie portrays an American unit's order to hold the hill against the advancing Chinese hordes at all cost. Gregory Peck heads a stellar cast that also features Rip Torn, George Peppard and Harry Guardino. Hard-hitting and authentic, it has a decidedly dark tone like most movies about the Korean War. 
All of the movies in this column are available on DVD. None are suitable for children under 12.

                                                          FLIM FLAM FILMS
We all like to be fooled (if it doesn’t cost too much) and to see others take the bait.  Herewith are the best flicks about scams, flim-flam movies. 
Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018) is based on Lee Israel’s book of the same name. In this film we’re in on the scam from the start, only wondering if they’ll get caught.  Melissa McCarthy portrays the woman who gets really good at forging the signature of authors and creating valuable editions. Richard Grant plays her abetter, often taking their forgeries to dealers for cash. This is a fascinating story well played. Both actors were nominated for Oscars, but lost to Olivia Colman for The Favourite and Mahershala Ali for Green Book.
The Sting (1973), which won the Oscar for best movie, has both Paul Newman and Robert Redford, and Scott Joplin’s wonderful ragtime music. The story lets you in on the scam but still manages to fool the ill-tempered victim (Robert Shaw) and most of the audience (me included). So, at the end, you get this wonderful jaw-dropping jolt of understanding and it all falls into place. Loads of fun.
George C.Scott stretched a bit as The Flim Flam Man (1967) but you eventually buy into his character and enjoy yourself as he charms and cheats his way across the South. Michael Sarazin is his too-honest apostle. We’re in on most of the scams; the fun is in watching him work them.
House of Games (1987) is director-writer David Mamet's successful venture into Alfred Hitchcock territory. Nothing is as it seems and you are kept guessing to the end. Joe Mantegna is the con man and Lindsay Crouse the psychologist who is in over her head. Mamet's dialogue is always slightly stagy, but you get over that in 10 minutes and are trying to figure out who is doing what to whom. 
Under Suspicion (1992) is a snappy, surprising little con game of a movie with Liam Neeson (before he was anybody) as a down-at-the-heels PI and Laura San Giacomo as his employer. Her late husband was a famous painter and some of his canvasses are missing. Neeson is on board to recover them and thinks he knows how
to come out  with more than his salary. Neat turns in the plot right to the end.
Paper Moon (1973) features the irresistible father-daughter team of Ryan and Tatum O’Neal (Oscar, Best Actress). Tough con-man Ryan finds orphan Tatum is a fast learner and soon she is better at their various scams than he is. Funny, touching without too much schmaltz, and a lot of fun.
All of the movies in this column are available on DVD. All but House of Games  and Under Suspicion are fine for kids eight and up. 

                                                               I DON’T GET IT
                                                              Part 2

In September of 2016 I ran an article titled “I Don’t Get It”. It featured movies I liked but did not understand (at all!) Many readers were stunned that Mr. Movie didn’t understand these. Well, as promised way back then, there are more!
The most recent is the oddly-titled The Last Black Man In San Francisco (2019). Jimmie and his best friend Mont work on the house built by Jimmie’s grandfather although someone else lives there. This awkward scenario continues until the tenants move out. Jimmie moves in, squatting in the house until someone else buys it. He resumes living with Mont and his grandfather. He is last seen rowing a boat toward Golden Gate bridge. I don’t get it!
Birdman (2014) is hardly obscure. It won Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. It stars Michael Keaton (as the Birdman) and features Amy Ryan, Zach Galifianakis and Edward Norton. The title character was a famous superhero, played by Mr. Keaton. He hears Birdman as an inner voice. He wants to mount a play based on a Raymond Carver short story. He fantasizes flying through the city as Birdman. At the end of his play, he shoots himself before a live audience. I don’t get it!
In Her (2013) Joaquin Phoenix plays Theodore Twombly, a lonely guy who falls in love over the phone with his artificial intelligence virtual assistant.  The contact, Samantha, is voiced by Scarlett Johannson. Those who know Theodore, including his ex-wife, are uncomfortable with his attachment to a computer voice. He tries and fails to form attachments to real persons, and is heartbroken when Samantha tells him she is leaving the computer service. Spike Jonze (yep, that’s his name!) won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Good for him. I don’t get it!
I greatly admire the work of director Sofia Coppola (Somewhere, Marie Antoinette, Lost In Translation). Her very first effort was The Virgin Suicides (1999) and I really liked it. Don’t ask why. The five Lisbon sisters are tightly controlled and watched by their extremely protective parents played well by James Woods and Kathleen Turner. The movie has some young men in the town reflect back on these girls and how they loved them from afar. Eventually all five girls commit suicide. I don’t get it!
I’m not sure you’re supposed to understand Holy Motors (2012), a French-German collaboration. I’m not sure either spoke the other’s language! Anyway, it is a series of unconnected vignettes, most of which are intriguing. In the first one, a man wakes up and goes through a secret door in his apartment. He is then in a crowded theater where a young child and a giant dog wander up and down the aisles. After that, it gets weird! I really don’t get it. But I really liked it!
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. All are for grown-ups

                                                 ROBERT FORSTER 

        Robert Forster, a consummate professional,  died recently at 78. He had over 200 appearances in movies and TV shows. He seemed to be working constantly.  At the time of his death two of his movies (El Camino and Phil) had just been released. One of his best known roles was as the sheriff in the quirky TV show Twin Peaks. Well, most of his movies weren’t very good, but Mr. Movie will try to pull the gold from the dross. 
Mr. Forster’s last appearance of note was in the excellent underrated What They Had (2018).It is a good, and timely,  portrayal of the family situation that many face. The family’s matriarch is fading into dementia. The kids want her to be in a care facility.  The father is dead set against it, insisting he can take care of her. Such stubborn insistence has been faced by many children. But she is the love of his life and he just can’t let go. Mr. Forster shines as the adamant father.  Blythe Danner, Hillary Swank and Michael Shannon complete a crackerjack cast. 
Robert Forster’s first appearance on the radar was as John Cassellis, a news photographer striving to keep his distance from the frenetic rioting at the 1968 Democrat convention. (Mr. Movie remembers these events because he was tuning them in. Many of you weren’t born then.) Anyway, Medium Cool is a sort of docudrama about this historic incident. And Mr. Forster is very good in it. 
Jackie Brown (1997) is Quentin Tarantino at the top of his game. Pam Grier has the title role as a mid-level bag woman. Robert Forster is Max Cherry, her willing helper. Jackie manages a complicated triple-cross that leave lots of bodies and missing money and she manages to leave the country with finances and body intact. Mr. Forster was nominated for an Oscar for his part, but lost to Robin Williams as the math teacher in Good Will Hunting. 
Robert Forster plays an aging but still agile diamond salesman in Diamond Men (2000). His employer wants him gone, desiring younger and hungrier salesmen. The boss decides Forster’s character is the perfect person to train his replacement, ably played by Donnie Wahlberg. Their road trip-buddy film-coming of age flick is well done and somewhat instructive about aging out of a job before your time. 
Mulholland Drive (2001) is just a very weird movie. That it was written and directed by David Lynch puts you quickly in the picture. And yet, is has been ranked as one of the greatest films of the century. I find the open-ended plot baffling, but Robert Forster, Naomi Watts and Laura Harring do their best with what they have. 
All of the films in this article are available on DVD. All are for grown-ups.

                                             THE PLAY’S THE THING
A splendid, and somewhat overlooked, movie from 1999 is Topsy-Turvy, an entertaining biography of the famous operetta composers, Gilbert and Sullivan. It is also a fascinating look backstage at the world of theater and a delightful glimpse at the rigors of writing and producing for the stage. Any movie fan interested in the components of live theater will adore Topsy-Turvy.
Al Pacino’s lifelong infatuation with Shakespeare’s Richard III provides the basis for the intelligent and riveting Looking For Richard (1996). With a few of his friends (Kevin Spacey, Winona Ryder, Estelle Parsons, Aidan Quinn, et al) Pacino first dissects a scene, relates it to modern life, then the cast performs it. Another wonderful film for anyone interested in the theater, Shakespeare- or life.
A variation on this theme is the remarkable Vanya On 42nd Street (1994) in which we watch the actors, director and small audience experience Chekov’s Uncle Vanya. Director Louis Malle’s version of David Mamet’s play is almost hypnotic as we watch the actors become the characters and the rehearsal become the play, and both somehow become real life. Wallace Shawn, Andre Gregory and Julianne Moore head a fine cast. 
Woody Allen’s Bullets Over Broadway (1994) is his take on the creative process involved in live theater. Diane Wiest (Oscar, best supporting actress), John Cusak, Chaz Palmienteri, and Jennifer Tilly have a ball in this constantly funny and engaging film. Cusak is a struggling playwright who sells out in a heartbeat to get his 
play produced, even if involves placating the mob and casting their moll as the heroine. One of Woody’s delightful entertainments, without a serious bone in its body.
Shakespeare In Love (1998) brought the Bard to the masses, enchanted everyone with its humor and heart, and won the Oscar for best movie. Gwyneth Paltrow (Oscar), Joseph Fiennes, Judy Dench (Oscar) and Geoffrey Rush gleefully lead this romp through 16th century theater. Shakespeare decides against “Romeo and Ethel” as a title, and decides to leave out the pirates in his latest play. He also strives to get paid rather than to get famous.
Annette Bening owns Being Julia (2004) lock, stock and barrel, but that’s ok because she is absolutely super as an aging actress who still knows a trick or two. She seems always “on stage” to her college-aged son and her producer-husband (Jeremy Irons). She is roughly pushed aside by a director and young ingenue. Then she pushes back!
All of the films in this article are available on DVD. All are suitable for children 12 and over.

                                                    WEDDING BELLS
Weddings are an excellent movie subject, and one of the most popular was the exuberant My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002), which unknown Nia Vardalos wrote and starred in. It is a tremendous amount of fun. The contrast between the bride’s seemingly unending bevy of outgoing, emotional relatives and the groom’s buttoned up Ivy League parents is constantly funny, and you’ll learn of the healing properties of Windex!
Implausible as it may seem, an even better ethnic wedding film than Greek Wedding appeared the year before, and is almost unknown. Monsoon Wedding (2001) is the story of an arranged Indian wedding priced way beyond the means of the bride’s doting parents. By turns humorous and serious, it examines the tangled web of families, traditions, secrets and loyalties in new and exciting ways. 
Another excellent sleeper is Muriel’s Wedding (1994 Australia) in which our heroine leaves the farm for the bright lights of Sydney with her adventurous girlfriend and gets married for all the wrong reasons. Constantly surprising, and with a cast of little-known Aussie actors, this is a treasure about what is important and what is not.
Weighing in from England is the delightful Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994). This is the movie that introduced us to the charmingly awkward Hugh Grant and to the icily beautiful Andie MacDowell. Mr. Grant is a confirmed good-time guy who suddenly notices that all his friends are tying the knot. Playing the field no longer seems such a great idea. Ms. MacDowell captures his heart and is harder to get than a 
moon rock. There are delightful moments at all the weddings, and at the funeral. Milestone events are sometimes a wake-up call, even for a good-natured rake like Mr. Grant.
Julia Roberts’ best friend in My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997) isn’t a girl, it’s childhood buddy Dermot Mulroney. The two had pledged that if they were both still single at age 28, they’d just marry each other. But Mulroney shows up with fiancé Cameron Diaz, and Ms. Roberts goes pleasantly ballistic, trying all sorts of subtle and obvious ploys to sabotage the wedding. I’ll let you find out how it ends.
Other good wedding movies include Father of the Bride (1950) with Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor. The 1991 remake with Steve Martin is a pale imitation. For something completely different, there’s Robert Altman’s A Wedding (1978) with his usual cast of thousands and disjointed story line.
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. All are fine for 10 and up.

                                                         SALESMEN

Even in this day of the internet and smart phones, the traveling salesman and saleswoman who personally calls on customers is still the backbone of American commerce. Are there good movies about them? I thought you’d never ask!
The mother of all salesman flicks is Death of a Salesman, from Arthur Miller’s Pulitzer-prize play which is a microcosm of American commerce and family life.  And we have three excellent versions. The first, in 1951, features the late Frederic March as Willy Loman, Mildred Dunnock as his long-suffering wife, and Cameron Mitchell and Kevin McCarthy as the sons. The 1985 version stars Dustin Hoffman and John Malkovich. Both of these are good; the earlier one is a shade better. Also quite good is a 2002 Broadway play with Lee J. Cobb. Beware the 2008 version- it’s in a weird format that won’t run on most DVD players. 
Diamond Men (2001) has the underrated Robert Forster as the old veteran diamond salesman and Donnie Wahlberg as the raw rookie on the circuit. The veteran’s health and age are pushing him out, and he is offered a short respite to train the young guy. It’s a real culture clash, which is entertaining, and there are several nice twists and turns before an ending you will like.
The cast of Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) reads like a who’s who of actors. Kevin Spacey, Alec Baldwin, Jack Lemon, Al Pacino, Ed Harris, and Alan Arkin are fine in David Mamet’s play about desperate real estate salesmen, who are really more like con men. A terrific character study, both of the salesmen and of America.
       Few actors can compare to Danny Devito as a sleazeball and he is at his smarmiest in Barry Levinson’s Tin Men (1987) about two siding salesmen, who become 
even more hostile when their cars collide in Baltimore. A very young Richard Dreyfuss is good as Danny’s nemesis. Sometimes an uneven blend of comedy and pathos, Tin Men is entertaining if unresolved.
Last but hardly least, Salesman (1969) is a Maysles brothers documentary that follows real Bible salesmen on their daily rounds, their get-togethers and their sales meetings. An incredible job of cinema verite work, the film is so real and sometimes heart-breaking that parts of it are hard to take. But if you want to know what it’s like to be a salesman in America, you can’t do any better than this.
All of the movies in this column are available on DVD.  All are grown-up films.

                                                                CHINA
2019's outstanding The Farewell examines the age-old conflict between modern Chinese-Americans and the traditional way. Billi (actress Awkwafina) is a 30-year-old writer who is pretty well Americanized. She returns to China on the news that her beloved grandmother is dying of cancer. When she arrives she discovers that no one has told the old lady about her condition or her prognosis, and Billi must not tell either. Also, she must not look sad! Touching and funny, this is an outstanding film. The ending is a zapper!
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) is available on DVD. And though its high-flying martial arts sequences might be a little better on the big screen, it is still a terrific rental. This marvelous film marks the complete coming of age of the Chinese cinema and perhaps has raised the bar on fight scenes to unreachable levels. Crouching Tiger features two great love stories, mystery, suspense, and the most incredible flying circus martial arts panorama of all time. It won an Oscar as Best Foreign Film and was even nominated as Best Movie.
But there’s a lot more to Chinese films than kung fu. Raise The Red Lantern (1991) is a timeless set piece on the place of women in society, though the story of the beautiful concubine is centuries old. The acting and the costumes are  first rate.
Ju Dou (1989) is one of several films in this column banned in China. In it, a young girl’s arranged marriage to a much older factory owner is the center of a story of intrigue, infidelity and the sometimes stultifying effects of tradition. 
Farewell, My Concubine (1993) uses Chinese traditional opera as its centerpiece and as a metaphor for the chaos wrought by the Cultural Revolution. Another non-favorite in China, it includes a forbidden love triangle, great scenery and acting, and a look at a facet of another culture completely unknown to most Americans. 
The Story Of Qiu Ju (1992) is a terrific movie with a story that travels well to almost anywhere. A simple village woman’s husband is beaten up by the powerful 
village chief. She will not rest until there is both an explanation and an apology.  Her struggles with the bureaucracy and her refusal to give up are both amusing and heartening. The undertow here is a sly look at how bureaucrats don’t really help  anyone but themselves, which is just as true in China as elsewhere.
All of the films in this article are available on DVD, including the first one, and all are adult fare.

                                                         ANN MILLER
Betty Grable’s were more famous, but Ann Miller’s legs were better. Ms. Miller left this world at 81, and I picture her tap dancing her way through the pearly gates to the great delight of everyone. She could tap 500 times a minute, and smile through every one of them. 
As she said herself, she was always the second girl, the slightly kooky friend of the female star. When Cyd Charisse broke a leg before filming began on Easter Parade (1948), MGM turned to Ms. Miller who responded brilliantly. Granted, Fred Astaire and Judy Garland are the stars in this spectacular musical, but Ms. Miller is just as good and lights up the screen with her dancing. If you get a chance to see this, notice the gorgeous Technicolor. They truly don’t make them like that any more. 
In Stage Door (1937) Ann Miller holds her own with some true legends: Katherine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, Lucille Ball and Eve Arden. This is a fine film about young women trying to make it big in show business while they work at dreary low-paying jobs and share a beat up boarding house.
To me Ann Miller’s shining hour is in On The Town (1949). She has a couple of great tap numbers, the costumes and scenery are fabulous, and with Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly and Vera-Ellen this is a fun film about three sailors with only a 24-hour leave in New York City. 
In Room Service (1938) Ms. Miller had the courage (or lack of sense) to appear on the same screen as the Marx Brothers, who clown and ad lib their way through a luxury cruise. Ms. Miller is a good-natured lady along for the ride. There’s a scene with about a hundred people in a stateroom- how did they do that?
Ann Miller appears in Kiss Me Kate (1953) not, of course, as Kate but as her girlfriend. Kate is Katherine Grayson, her husband is Howard Keel, and this is a wonderful musical take on Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. There is great dancing and the Cole Porter score is marvelous. 
Some other Ann Miller outings worth a look include Too Many Girls (1946), Lovely To Look At (1952), and Hit The Deck (1955), all from the golden age of musicals. Ms. Miller’s last appearance on the silver screen is in David Lynch’s utterly confusing Mulholland Drive (2001).
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. All are fine for all ages except the last one.

                                                               RIP TORN


Rip Torn died recently. He was 88. I always assumed he picked that quirky name to sound tough. Many famous actors have changed their name to something easier to remember- Tina Fey, Vin Diesel, Whoopi Goldberg, etc. But no, that is Rip Torn’s real name! Well, Torn is his family name and men in the family had been called Rip for several generations. He had a glowery countenance, perfect for playing bad guys. I cannot remember a movie where he smiled. 
He logged nearly 200 credits in movies and TV. Mr. Movie is here for you, to rip(!) out the gold from the dross in Torn’s dossier.
Let’s begin with his one Academy Award nomination. It came in 1983 when he portrayed Marsh Turner in Cross Creek, the excellent film based on Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’ classic autobiographical story. Mary Steenburgen plays the author, who leaves her husband and New York after buying a Florida orange grove sight unseen. Her interaction with the locals becomes the basis for her very successful novel, The Yearling. Rip Torn’s character is forced to shoot his daughter’s pet deer after it eats all of the family’s vegetables. By the way, Torn lost to Jack Nicholson for Terms Of Endearment.
Pork Chop Hill (1959) is one of the very best Korean war movies, and Rip Torn appears as Lieutenant Walter Russell. The Americans and South Koreans take Pork Chop Hill from the enemy, but suffer grievous losses. The Chinese are massing to retake the hill, but the allies are still urged to hold out despite the overwhelming force against them. Gregory Peck has the major role in the film, but the cast includes an astonishing list of actors who went on to become stars: Martin Landau, Woody Strode, Harry Guardino, Robert Blake, George Peppard, Gavin MacLeod, and Harry Dean Stanton. It’s fun to see all these guys when they weren’t yet famous.
Marie Antoinette (2006) is the fairly accurate biopic of the Austrian beauty who lost her head in the French Revolution. She is sent to France to marry the future Louis XVI and produce heirs. She doesn’t for many years and the French blame her, though her husband seems impotent or uninterested or both. Much later he finally gets the idea and a daughter is born. Rip Torn plays his father, Louis XV, who dies of smallpox. Kirsten Dunst has a great time playing the flighty Marie.
In both of the first two Men In Black (1997) and (2002) Rip Torn is the boss of the two leads, Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith, who go around outing and blowing away aliens who look like ordinary people. Rip is appropriately dictatorial and frequently angry. 
Rip Torn can also be seen as Big Daddy in the TV movie of Cat 
on A Hot Tin Roof (1984).
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. All are for grown-ups.

                                                FRANCO ZEFFERELI

Franco Zefferelli lived to the great old age of 96. He was one of a group of Italian directors to be nominated in the U.S. for a direction Oscar. This group also included Luigi Visconti, Federico Fellini, Michaelangelo Antonioni and Bernardo Bertolucci. Franco’s nomination came for the ground-breaking Romeo And Juliet (1968). He lost to Carol Reed for Oliver. A really tough call but no big argument here.
Anyway, Franco’s Romeo and Juliet was different from earlier ventures, in that he used really young actors, just as the original play called for. Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting are teen-agers, just as the original characters were. Both of these actors now fit into the “whatever happened to” category, but the movie is just so romantic and wonderful, who cares?
Franco Zefferelli made a career of bringing Shakespeare to the screen, and most of his efforts are wildly successful. His Taming Of The Shrew (1967) featured two of the true icons of movies, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. Neither of which was famous for being easy to direct, but Franco brings it off in fine style. Those flashing eyes of Elizabeth as the feisty Kate and with Burton as the domineering Petrucio are hard to resist. The story is not really up to modern political correctness, but hey, this is 17th century stuff, and it’s stood up pretty well! 
Zefferelli’s version of Othello is spelled the Italian way, Otello (1986). That’s maybe because his version is actually a film of the Verdi opera. The cast members are, of course, opera singers. The incomparable Placido Domingo has the title role and sings up a storm as the slightly clueless leader. Iago is appropriately venal, Cassius crudely oportunistic, and Desdemona completely wronged (and murdered). I’m not much of an opera fan, but this one is really good!
There are at least a dozen film adaptations of Hamlet. Franco Zefferelli’s 1990 version is near the top, with a stellar cast. Mel Gibson plays the conflicted hero and reminds us here of how good he could be. Helena Bonham Carter shines as the doomed Ophelia, Glenn Close is Queen Gertrude, Alan Bates King Claudius, and Ian Holm the wretched Polonius. I needed subtitles to follow the dialog, but they are available in most versions.
And there are many versions of Jane Eyre, the timeless Charlotte Bronte classic about a plain orphan girl trying to get along in a hostile world. Zefferelli’s 1996 version is really good, with Anna Paquin as childhood Jane and Charlotte Gainsbourg as adult Jane. William Hurt is just fine as the puzzling Mr. Rochester. The story is somewhat compressed in this one, but the main themes are there. 
Tea With Mussolini (1999) is the frankly autobiographical story of an illegitimate boy taken under the wing of female British expatriates before, during and after World War II. My goodness, what a cast: Cher, Joan Plowright, Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, and Lily Tomlin. The young Franco is played by a series of Italian actors I never heard of. A very interesting treatment of a very difficult time. 
All of the films in this article are available on DVD. All are for adults.

                                                                 ELVIS 


So I’m buttonholed by a fan in the grocery store. “I want to know why you’ve never done an article on Elvis Presley movies?” “Um”, I replied, “because they’re  awful?” “Maybe so,” he continues, “ but we’re huge Elvis fans and we need some guidance through his 30-plus movies. C’mon man, do your job!” So ok, I’ll do my best. 
Elvis’ filmography is contained in 10 short years- 1957-1967. And in that time span the studios frantically rushed to cash in on his popularity. The results are some truly awful movies and a few that aren’t so bad. 
I’ll begin with King Creole (1958). It is based on a Harold Robbins story, A Stone For Danny Fisher and in addition to Elvis, has Walter Matthau and Carolyn Jones. It is directed by Michael Curtiz (Casablanca) and was a commercial and critical success. Elvis later said his role as Danny Fisher was his favorite. Danny drops out of high school and works to support his family. They move to New Oreans and Danny winds up singing at the King Creole club. After several fight scenes and several songs, it all ends  pretty well. 
Flaming Star (1960) stars Elvis as the son of a Kiowa mother and a Texas rancher father. He happily works at the ranch until the Kiowa indians start raiding settlers in the area. He is caught between two worlds and the film is about his determination to find his way between. At Elvis’ insistence, two of the four songs were cut from the film as he wanted to be taken more seriously as an actor. Though not a great commercial success by Elvis standards, the film was well received by most critics and audiences. 
Viva Las Vegas (1964) has Elvis as a Formula 1 race car driver intent on winning the Las Vegas Gran Prix but needing money to buy a new engine for his car. The beautiful and famous Ann-Margaret is on board as the love interest and there are ten song and dance numbers to rev up the film. 
Jailhouse Rock (1957) was Elvis’ first film and one of his best. This film, together with his legendary appearance on the Ed Sullivan show (from the waist up!), sealed his place as the number one rock and roll star of his time. Okay, maybe all time! The movie stars Elvis and nobody else you ever heard of. It begins with him doing time for manslaughter and developing his singing and dancing. The famous scene in the prison was one of his best. The songs were recorded later and dubbed into the film. Elvis lip-synched them! 
Well, Elvis fans, it’s pretty much downhill from here. There are 27 more Elvis films and none of them are very good. All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. And all are fine for all ages. 

                                                          2018 SLEEPERS
                                                         Part 6


Ok, this is the last bunch of sleepers from 2018. And there are some really good ones!
The Guilty is a Danish thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The entire movie is shot in a 911-type call center and focuses on the policeman who receives the call and tries to act on it in time. And it suddenly dawns on him that at least one caller is not a stranger. I was never sure what would happen- the formula for a good thriller! 
Puzzle is one of those good little movies I love. Kelly MacDonald is just wonderful as the bored housewife who discovers a real talent, and tries to keep it a secret. She has a the ability to assemble jigsaw puzzles correctly and quickly. Lo and behold, there’s a contest for that sort of thing. (This is America, after all). Answering an ad, she pairs up with a man with a completely different background. They are really good  together and enter a national contest. She finally confesses her secret talent to her family and they are stunned by this changed woman. 
Private Life is about a middle-aged couple trying desperately to have a child. As they seem to try everything, we hope something will work. It seems that most things don’t. Paul Giametti and Kathryn Hahn are the hopeful parents-to-be. Is there a light at the end of the tunnel? You won’t find out here.
Widows is the female version of all those heist movies, such as the Ocean’s group. Viola Davis leads an unlikely group of women whose husbands have either been killed or sent to prison. Their missing husbands owe the mob a truckload of money and the bad guys expect the women to pay it back. They stumble upon a heist plan hatched by one of the husbands and decide to go for it. Do they make it? Is this a Hollywood film? But there are some delicious twists and turns getting there. A fun movie!
From the Japanese anime tradition  comes the fanciful, engaging Mary And The Witches’ Flower. Not quite up to the splendid films of Hayao Miyazaki (Kiki’s Delivery Service,eg), it is still an enchanting journey with exquisite animation. Mary accidently becomes a witch and finds her red hair to be a plus instead of a detriment. Her adventures at the witches’ academy and beyond are just plain fun!
All of the films in this article are available on DVD. Only the last one is suitable for children. 

                                                             Sylvia Miles

       Sylvia Miles died recently at 94. She had quite a career in TV and movies. She was the consummate character actress. Casting directors loved to plug her into their celluloid spaces. She logged well over 100 TV and movie appearances. She is one of those actors you maybe can’t place but when you see her picture you say, “oh, yeah.” She famously dumped a plate of food on the head of critic John Simon after a particularly nasty review of her acting in a play!
She played Cass, a woman inviting Jon Voight upstairs for sex in Midnight Cowboy (1969). She was on the screen a memorable six minutes, but nonetheless was nominated for an Oscar. But she lost to Goldie Hawn for Cactus Flower. Midnight Cowboy is a terrific film which won the Best Movie Oscar. Dustin Hoffman as the wretched Ratso is really good, as is Mr. Voight as Joe Buck. At the time, it became the first x-rated film to win the award. The X rating was changed to NC17 later. Midnight Cowboy is fairly tame nowadays, and is now rated R. 
Farewell, My Lovely (1975) is a delicious film noir with the unbeatable Robert Mitchum as Raymond Chandler’s Phillip Marlowe. It has the requisite seamy interiors and a complicated plot that begins at the end and has Mitchum explain what happened. It works! Sylvia Miles garnered another Oscar nomination, this time for an 8-minute scene as an  alcoholic former dancer. She expertly stumbles through the scene but she has a clue that Marlowe needs to solve the case. She lost to Lee Grant for Shampoo. 
92 In The Shade (1975) is a somewhat convoluted film starring Peter Fonda and Burgess Meredith. Fonda plays Tom Skelton, a young man trying to start a fishing guide business in Florida. This is not well received by the existing boat captains and things quickly get really nasty. Sylvia Miles has a frankly bit part as Bella. Don’t blink or you’ll miss her.
Evil Under The Sun (1982) is a British whodunnit with Peter Ustinov as the redoubtable Belgian sleuth, Hercule Poirot. This is one of those Agatha Christie stories with a double handful of suspects which Poirot must sift through to find the killer. Sylvia Miles and James Mason appear as Odell and Myra Gardener, New York theatrical producers. They are among the suspects. That’s all I’ll tell. 
There are two Wall Street movies, the original in 1987, and Wall Street:Money Never Sleeps (1992). The first one is pretty good,  with Kirk Douglas (“greed is good”) as a sleazy trader and Charlie Sheen as his too apt pupil. These are not nice people! The second one is a pale knock-off not worth your time. Sylvia Miles plays the same shady realtor, Dolores, in both films. 
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. All are for grown-ups.

                                          SEE YOU IN THE FUNNY PAPERS
Hollywood has made quite a success with movies taken from comic books. Batman, Superman, Iron Man, X-Men. But with movies made from the newspaper comic strips- not so much. Still, there are a few bright spots in a limited category.
The top of the line, for me, is Annie (1982), the movie from the Broadway musical about Little Orphan Annie. Aileen Quinn is the comely orphan, Albert Finney megarich Daddy Warbucks, and Sandy as Sandy. Carol Burnett just about steals the film as Miss Hannigan, the put-upon matron of the orphanage. The songs are quite wonderful. 
A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1969) is faithful to the beloved comic strip. There are several equally good made-for-TV films about the erstwhile hero, one for Christmas, one for Easter, one for Valentines, etc. There something about the round-headed kid that we all identify with. I love the gimmick that when an adult talks, all you hear is “wack wack wack wack” which is what most kids hear. 
Dick Tracy (1990) is Warren Beatty’s baby. He stars as the square-jawed detective and he directed the movie. The Fisher-Price technicolor sets and costumes are eye-popping. Lots of Beatty’s good friends show up: Al Pacino, Madonna, Eliot Gould, Mandy Patinkin, and Charles Durning to name a few. Not much of a plot, but quite a visual treat. 
Younger readers won’t even remember the L’il Abner strip, as creator Al Capp has been dead for many years. But the 1959 film is a pretty fair rendering of the denizens of Dogpatch. Peter Palmer (who?) is the title character, with various little-known actors as Daisy Mae, Marryin’ Sam, Mammy and Pappy Yokum, etc. 
Over The Hedge (2006) is a faithful rendering of the cute comic strip about woodland creatures learning to live with suburban humans and to love all things Twinky. Dennis the Menace (1993) just doesn’t make it on the screen. The strip is still around, and Dennis is still five years old after a half-century. Walter Matthau soldiers on as the acerbic Mr. Wilson, but Mason Gamble is simply annoying as a way-too-old Dennis. The 1969 version with Jay North as Dennis is no better. 
There are two Garfield movies (2004 and 2006) and both are really bad. The wise-cracking cat is merely a mean-spirited pest in these movies.  
I’ve saved the worst for last. Popeye (1980) is simply dreadful. Robin Williams as the spinach-loving sailor and Shelly Duvall as his true love Olive Oyl are completely wasted in this dreary slog. 
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. All are fine for all ages.

                                                           2018 SLEEPERS
                                                          Part 5



A Simple Favor turns out to be anything but. Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick) becomes best friends with Emily Nelson (Blake Lively). The women have sons attending the same elementary school. Emily asks Stephanie to care for her son while she attends to some personal business. Two days later, there is no sign of Emily and she isn’t answering texts or phone calls. Eventually Stephanie involves the police, and from there things get really complicated. This film has more twists and turns than Chubby Checker. But it is fun.
Journey’s End was produced to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. And it does so wonderfully well. Concentrating on British soldiers in the trenches, it chronicles both the boredom and the terror that accompanied them on a daily basis. Okay, it is not a cheerful film but it helps you understand what it was like to be a soldier in this terrible war. 
Lean On Pete is the unlikely story of a boy and a horse. Charlie Plummer plays 15-year-old Charlie, living hand to mouth with his single father in Oregon. He goes to work for crusty horse owner Del (Steve Buscemi) and befriends the boss’ rider Bonnie (Chloe Sevigny). They enter races in the lowest rung of horse racing, with most of their mounts ending up in the glue factory. Charlie falls for Lean On Pete, a damaged horse scheduled for slaughter. He runs away with the horse, encountering many people and adventures, in a quixotic search for a caring aunt. Charlie Plummer is so real it’s almost scary. Warning: This is not Black Beauty or Seabiscuit. It is tough going, but worth it. 
Leave No Trace is the story of an Iraq veteran suffering from PTSD who is living in a national forest with his teen-age daughter. Will (Ben Foster) and Tom (Thomasin McKenzie) live way off the grid. They only encounter other people when they go to town for supplies. When a jogger discovers them and turns them in, their home in the woods is over. They try various scenarios to make it in society. She does well; he does not. He wants to return to the woods. She tells him “What’s wrong with you isn’t wrong with me.” 
Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her mother 40 whacks. And when she saw what she had done, she gave her father 41. Most of us have heard that whimsical murder rhyme. Lizzie tells the story the way it may have happened. Parts of it are true, parts fictional. In any event it makes a dandy movie. Chole Sevigny plays Lizzie and Kristin Stewart plays Bridget, the Irish maid who disrupts the household in many ways. She and Lizzie become an item, and when Lizzie’s father discovers this, tragedy beckons. 
All of the films in this article are available on DVD. All are for adults. 

                                                     SCHOOLTEACHERS
While we don’t pay them very well and we tend to make their professional lives pretty miserable, we Americans still have a love affair with the idea of schoolteachers. Hollywood has noticed this and turned out at least 50 films about teachers.
Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995) pulls us in almost against our will and we cheerfully wallow in this sentimental story about the impact a teacher can have on a school and the students that pass through it. Mr. Holland is a struggling musician when he accepts a teaching job to make ends meet and 30 years later is still at it. Richard Dreyfuss is Mr. Holland, the band director and music teacher who has no idea of the effect he has had on others until he retires. That his family has suffered for his dedication only adds to the mix.
Robin Williams is reined in and quite good for at least the first three-fourths of Dead Poets Society (1989). This interesting film demonstrates how the passion of a committed schoolteacher can bring a subject to life and enrich those fortunate enough to come under his sway. The melodramatic ending is not for all tastes, but on the whole this is a fine film. 
In The Prime of Miss Jean Brody (1969) the teacher has more of an impact on the lifestyles of the students than on their learning. This complex and somewhat bittersweet film shows that this is not always a good thing. The girls are Miss Brody’s life and her not-always-gentle guidance molds the characters and outlooks of a 
generation of young women. Maggie Smith is superb as Miss Brody, and she won an Oscar for what is perhaps her finest performance. 
The fact-based Stand and Deliver (1987) features a virtuoso performance by Edward James Olmos as a no-nonsense teacher in a ghetto school. By sheer force of will he guides the reluctant students to conquer an Advanced Placement Calculus Test.  This is an excellent film about the power of scholarship and the ability to communicate it. 
Good-Bye, Mr. Chips (1939) is such a well-known film about teachers that Mr. Chips has entered the language. This version with Robert Donat in his Oscar-winning title role is much superior to the 1969 version or any others. Greer Garson and Paul Henreid contribute nicely to this gentle, timeless story. Mr. Chips has taught and inspired boys his entire adult life. His leave-taking is a blow to them all.
All of the films in this column are available on DVD. All are suitable for 10 and up.

                                                      2018 Sleepers
                                                    Part 4

Here’s another generous helping of 2018 movies that didn’t get much attention, but which I think were pretty good.
What They Had is an excellent portrayal of the family situation so many face. The family’s matriarch is fading into dementia. The kids want her to be in a caring facility.  The father is dead set against it, insisting he can take care of her. Such stubborn insistence has been faced by many children. But she is the love of his life and he just can’t let go. Blythe Danner, Hillary Swank, Michael Shannon and Robert Forster comprise a crackerjack cast. 
In the early years of talkies, no one was bigger than Laurel and Hardy. Audiences loved the pair, and the signature line, “This is a fine mess you’ve got us into,” was known throughout the world. Stan and Ollie is a very good bio pic about the last years of their partnership. Having been ousted by the Hollywood studios, they attempt a music hall tour of Britain with mixed results. Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly are spot on as the comedic pair. Several of their famous gags are shown to good effect. 
One of the most famous sports confrontations in history is portrayed quite well in Borg vs. McEnroe. Sverrir Gudnason portrays his fellow Swede Bjorn Borg while Shia LaBeouf plays the famous American brat, John McEnroe. Most even casual tennis fans recall McEnroe’s signature comment to any questionable call: “Seriously?” These two could not be more different. Borg is the silent introvert, McEnroe the Type A opposite. The film leads up to their famous confrontation at the 1980 Wimbledon singles championship. It’s worth watching for the tennis alone, and the accompanying stories are also quite good. 
Alpha is a convincing depiction of how wolves became domesticated friends, and eventually evolved into dogs. The story takes place in paleolithic Europe some 20,000 years ago. A young warrior, Keda, falls over a cliff and is presumed dead by his tribe. He encounters and helps a wounded wolf and together they try to make their way back to Keda’s tribe. The depiction of prehistoric animals and scenery is spectacular.
American Animals is the true story of how some college students attempted to steal several valuable books from Transylvania University’s rare book collection. The movie shifts back and forth between the actual thieves and the actors playing the thieves in the movie. The actors are all unknowns which adds to the authenticity of the story.  The ending is not one you’d expect and you won’t find it here!
All of the films in this article are available on DVD. All are for grown-ups. 

                                                            DORIS DAY

A perky, bubbly blonde who was the perfect Girl Next Door to millions, Doris Day lived to the good old age of 97. She had a splendid singing voice, and her hits like Que Sera Sera are still heard frequently. Her sterling film career was just about equally divided between romantic comedies and darker dramas. 
Many of the romantic comedies paired her with the handsome Rock Hudson. She was nominated for an Oscar for her role as Jan Morrow in Pillow Talk (1959). Day plays an interior designer who shares a party line with lothario Hudson. She complains about his phone use, he decides to meet her without revealing his identity and of course romance blossoms. Until mutual friend Tony Randall spills the beans. The movie received six Oscar nominations, and won for Best Original Screen Play. Day was nominated for Best Actress but lost to Simone Signoret for Room At The Top.
Day, Hudson and Randall teamed up in two more romantic comedies: Lover Come Back (1961) and Send Me No Flowers (1964). These are pleasant entertainment but not especially memorable.
Day’s first appearance of note was opposite Kirk Douglas in the biopic Young Man With A Horn (1950), based loosely on the life of musician Bix Beiderbecke.
Douglas plays cornetist Rick Martin who works his way up to the big bands and a doomed marriage to a bad girl (Lauren Bacall). Day is the band’s soloist and stands by Rick when his drinking lands him in a rehab facility. A happy ending, typical for the time, is tacked on, one not even close to the true story. 
Doris Day’s only appearance in an Alfred Hitchcock movie is as Jo McKenna
 in The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956). Jimmy Stewart plays her husband, Dr. Ben McKenna. They are vacationing with their young son in Morocco when everything breaks loose. The plot is too complicated to summarize here, but I will say that this film contains a famous scene where a murder is supposed to take place at a concert. The gunshot is to be covered by a cymbals crash. The tension builds.
She gets a chance to use that marvelous voice in The Pajama Game (1957), a musical comedy spawned by a Broadway play. It is about a pajama factory in Iowa. Day plays Babe, one of the workers and a union leader. The story is a little dated, but there are really good songs like Hernando’s Hideaway and Hey There.
A complete change of pace for Doris Day is in the thriller Midnight Lace (1960). She plays Kit Preston, terrified of a stalker who threatens her constantly and from several directions.  It also features Rex Harrison and John Gavin, and has a surprise ending I don’t think you’ll see coming. 
I’ve really only hit the high spots of Doris Day’s film career. You might want to check out Calamity Jane (1953) or April In Paris (1952). Oh, and Day had a very successful TV show for five years (1968-73).
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. They are fine for all audiences. 

                                                            FILM NOIR
So what is “film noir” anyway? Well, it’s French for “dark film”. Think L.A. Confidential (1997) or Chinatown (1974), two excellent fairly recent examples of film noir: World-weary heros, underworld types, very bad girls with hearts of lead, lots of smoky atmosphere. To paraphrase Justice Stewart on pornography, you’ll know a film noir  when you see one (and when you do see one you’ll have a good time!)
Hollywood keeps trying out variations on the film noir formula, often with good success. But the classic film noir movies were made from 1937-1950. The most famous, and one of the best, is The Maltese Falcon (1941). With Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade, a private eye who’s been around the block too many times, Mary Astor as his glamorous employer, and Sidney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre as very bad guys, this is a superb cast. The ambivalent ending is just right, the stuff that dreams are made of.
This Gun For Hire (1942) features Alan Ladd as a small time thug bent on revenge, and made him a star. Veronica Lake is the quintessential film noir bad girl and Robert Preston (The Music Man himself) shows what he can do as the bad guy. The story keeps your interest, but it’s the characters that really shine.
Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall are an unbeatable combination and practically set the screen on fire in The Big Sleep (1946). From a Raymond Chandler story with a screenplay by no less than William Faulkner (among others) the dialogue is just marvelous. The plot is so convoluted no one can figure out who did what to whom, but then it’s so much fun that nobody cares.
Robert Mitchum was probably the definitive film noir leading man. Those hooded eyes and that whiskey voice are put to great use in Out Of The Past (1947). Mitchum finds he cannot escape his thuggish history and becomes involved with mobster Kirk Douglas and bad girls Rhonda Fleming and Jane Greer in very criminal matters. 
In Force of Evil (1948) the much underrated John Garfield is superb as a criminal lawyer for the mob, whose morals have gone over the hill. Marie Windsor (My Friend Irma!) is the girl. Beautifully photographed in black and white; not to be missed.
Perhaps the last entry from the classic age of films noir is Touch Of Evil (1948).
It was directed by and starred Orson Welles, who absolutely exudes evil as a corrupt cop. Charlton Heston (with a moustache!) and Janet Leigh add to the cast of a film that is as dark as they get. 
Other good examples of film noir: Criss Cross (1949), Crossfire (1947), In A Lonely Place (1950), and They Live By Night (1949). All of the movies in this article are available on DVD.  All are for those 12 and up.