Ryan O’Neal

        So good looking he was almost pretty, Ryan O’Neal captured the hearts of female film fans everywhere. He had an incredible run of movies in the 1970's and then just kind of flamed out. He always had plenty of work, but personal problems dented his career after initial success. He died recently at 80.

    Love Story (1970) was his first big break. As Oliver, he loved and tended to the slowly dying Jenny (Ali McGraw). This is a four-handkerchief flick that leaves no tears unshed. It also immortalized the catch phrase “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” I think those of us who are married may quibble with this, but it’s famous nonetheless. The 2021 film with the same title is an Indian movie and no relation.

Paper Moon (1973) is a terrific film with Ryan as scam artist Moses Pray and his real daughter Tatum as Addie Loggins. Moses is tasked with getting Addie from Kansas to her relatives in Missouri. His attempt to con her out of her inheritance backfires and he has to take her on as a fellow con artist. Though only a child, Addie is a willing participant as the pair wreaks  flim-flam havoc across the mid-west.  Tatum not only steals the movie but also wins the Oscar as Best Supporting Actress. Not bad for a 9-year-old! 

  Ryan O’Neal is the title guy in Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon (1975). He is an Irish scamp who fights in the Seven Years War, weds a titled woman, climbs the social ladder and has many adventures. Kubrick was nominated for three Oscars for this film but the only wins were for technical achivements. His cinematography broke new ground and is still praised today. The film is listed in the director’s poll at 12th and the critics’ poll at 45th. But- it is way too long: 3 hours and 23 minutes! In theaters it had an intermission. You can have one at home (if you can find this movie).

Continuing with his appearance in really long movies, Ryan O’Neal plays General James Gavin in A Bridge Too Far (1977). He is certainly not one of the major cast members, an all-star assemblage including Sean Connery, Gene Hackman, Dirk Bogarde, Anthony Hopkins, Robert Redford,  Michael Caine and Sir Laurence Olivier. This film chronicles the Allies’ landing far behind the front lines in Holland, to capture a vital bridge. Things don’t go well and the attempt fails miserably. Running just one minute short of three hours, one snarky critic labeled it “A film too long.”

The final appearance of Ryan O’Neal in a film of note is as the title character in The Driver (1978). He is a well-known criminal driver and the police want him. They offer three low-level thugs a deal if they can deliver The Driver. They envelope him in a heist and things get complicated. No more revelations here.

All of the movies in this article are for adults only, except Paper Moon which can be enjoyed by most any age. 

                                                                 Frances Sternhagen

    Frances Sternhagen left us recently at 93. What a showbiz career she had! She won two Emmys for Cheers (playing Millicent Carter, Noah Wyle’s mom) and once for Sex and the City. She was nominated seven times for the Tony, and won twice, for The Heiress and The Good Doctor. She has well over 100 listing for movies and TV roles. If you Google her you will be nodding in recognition at her picture.. Her movie resume’ is outstanding.

    In the poignant, often funny, Up The Down Staircase (1967) she has a nice turn as the school librarian. The title comes from students being written up by the assistant principal, for going the wrong way on the stairs! Sandy Dennis is the star, a newly minted teacher in a tough big city school. The administrative quagmire and the disruptive students haven’t improved much in the intervening fifty-plus years! 

Outland (1981) is a good sci-fi film set on Jupiter’s moon Io. A colony of workers mine lithium in this difficult environment. O’Neil (Sean Connery) is one of the few good guys when there is a worker’s deadly revolt. Frances Sternhagen plays Dr. Lazarus, the outpost scientist. She helps O’Neil overcome the attack of the bad guys in ingenious ways. 

Landfall (2001) features Frances as Emily, a courageous indomitable woman who has lived through two of Florida’s worst disasters: The 1935 Labor Day hurricane, and Hurricane Andrew in 1992. These are, of course, real events. It’s a star turn for Ms. Sternhagen. The recreation of the storms is intermixed with actual footage and is truly scary. Of course, Florida has had hurricanes since 1992 that are just as bad or worse, but that doesn’t detract from this good film. 

Julie and Julia (2009) is a real charmer. Meryl Streep appears as Julia Child, who defied French sexism, went to cooking school, wrote Mastering the Art of French Cooking and became a TV personality. The book contains dozens of recipes, most of them quite complicated. Never mind. Julie (Amy Adams) lives in New York City in a tiny apartment with a tiny stove. She decides that she will make every recipe in the Child book during the course of a year. Frances Sternhagen appears (briefly) as Erma Rombauer, the author of another iconic cookbook- The Joy Of Cooking. She sees both Julia and Julie as interlopers into her her domain. Fortunately, both of them ignored her. This delightful film is based on the book of the same name, and yes, this actually happened. If you’ve never seen it, do yourself a favor. And oh, yes, by all means read the book!

All of the movies in this article are for adults. While there’s nothing harmful about the first and last, I don’t think kids would really enjoy them. 

                                                       Good Films You Never Heard Of

                                                                        Part 8

From Mr. Movie’s endless vault (almost) I present another clutch of pretty good films you probably never heard of. Give one or two a look.(If you can find them!)

    Even if you don’t like baseball (shame on you!) I think you would enjoy Fastball (2016), a very good documentary  It explores the science and the myths about baseballs being thrown at incredible speeds. Nolan Ryan, Hank Aaron and other notable baseballers join narrator Kevin Costner in this fascinating doc. Many players insist that a fastball rises as it crosses the plate, while scientists say this isn’t possible. The debate rages on- and it is lots of fun to watch it! 

I freely admit a lifelong love of all things Winnie The Pooh. So of course I really liked Christopher Robin (2018), a film about the little boy grown into a man. When trouble comes, Pooh shows up in his back yard. Together they return to the Hundred Acre Wood where all the other little animals are on hand to help. Oh bother! Things get bumpy but smooth out quite well. 

Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018) Is based on Lee Israel’s book of the same name. Melissa McCarthy portrays the woman who got 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.

What They Had (2018)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. 

The Fault In Our Stars (2014) is a better than average coming of age flick, marked indelibly by the wonderful breakout performance of Shaliene Woodley. Veterans William Dafoe and Laura Dern pump up the supporting cast, but this is Ms. Woodley’s movie, lock stock and barrel. Though she’s only 32, she already has over 50 acting credits. This one is worth seeing just for her performance.

All of the movies in this column are available (somewhere). The first three are fine for all ages. The last two, grown-ups only.