Blog

  Manchester by the Sea is a relentless white-knuckle drama. There are too many horrors for these ordinary, decent people who try so hard to live ordinary, decent lives.  Manchester […]...

  In the Heat of the Night (1967, rating “Approved,” 110 minutes) is a message film. The message was red hot in 1967, considering the civil rights violence of the […]...

    There are several plot lines in Good Will Hunting, and of course you know about this one: genius janitor solves math problems on blackboard at night and also […]...

    I watch Hard Times (1975, rated PG, 93 minutes) every year, because it’s a heroic story, because it’s complete unto itself, because it generously invites the viewer to […]...

  About 55 years ago, Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy and Sidney Poitier and Katharine Houghton got crazy in Hollywood and filmed Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967, not rated, 108 […]...

  The breaking of a heart can take so long… I watched Ethan Frome (1993, rated PG, 99 minutes), then I read the book, then I watched the movie again, it’s easier […]...

  Emperor of the North (1973, rated PG, 118 minutes) is a heroic film. Do yourself a favor: plan to watch it twice. Get the picture: a tramp named “A No. […]...

Dirty Dancing (1987, rated PG-13, 100 minutes) invites you to go deeper than the “ugly duckling/Prince Charming/red hot final dance” story—the powerful elements of the film are Baby’s naiveté, and her […]...

  Conspiracy is an almost flawless portrayal of naked evil being done by powerful men, each of whom has lost or abandoned his moral compass. It is dry, withering, completely transparent, […]...

  Here’s the big bad spoiler: there’s a love story in Brokeback Mountain (2005, rated R, 135 minutes). It has cowboys. It has scenic mountains. It has pickup trucks and big empty […]...

If you’re a fan of Henrik Ibsen’s stark, unforgiving play, you’ll love this film version of A Doll’s House (1973, rated G, 95 minutes). Both have the same undercurrent of desperation. […]...

Recently, a patron recommended Clock Dance by Anne Tyler.  She remarked, “this book has Anne Tyler’s wonderful quirky characters.” I quickly checked out the book and am happy to report […]...