Tuesday & Thursday   7:00 pm movies

Abstracts -- July, 2018

Adventures of Robin Hood
When Prince John (Claude Rains) and the Norman Lords begin oppressing the Saxon masses in King Richard's absence, a Saxon lord (Errol Flynn) fights back as the outlaw leader of a rebel guerrilla army.  This 1938 classic was one of the first full color movies, and has been loved ever since.  This version has been carefully restored to the same brilliance as when it broke records in 1938.

Hopscotch
Grounded with a desk job by incompetent superiors, a clever CIA agent retires and writes a tell-all memoir that will embarrass his bosses, prompting him to go on the run and elude them.  In the process he hopscotches around the world in a hilarious adventure as he plays Mozart to accompany his typing, assisted by an old flame.

Chariots of Fire 
Two British track athletes, one a determined Jew (Ben Cross), and the other a devout Christian (Ian Charleson), compete in the 1924 Olympics.  Their struggles and conflicts build to a climax as they board a steamship to cross the English Channel and bear the load of preparations and tension under the pressure of world competition.

Analyze This
A psychiatrist (Billy Crystal), bored with his patients, finds himself forced to take on a mob Godfather (Robert de Niro) as a patient who has suddenly become soft and vulnerable in a world that solves differences with a gun. These two worlds clash at the psychiatrist’s wedding and the mobster’s Mafia meeting where weakness could prove fatal. The journey to a cure in these two worlds creates unique humor.

Absolute Power
A career thief (Clint Eastwood) witnesses a horrific crime involving the U.S. President.  To cover the crime the President (Gene Hackman) uses his power over the FBI and other agencies in an attempt to murder the thief and anyone he has contacted.  You are shocked by how such power can overwhelm opponents, but the thief outwits the President.

Driving Miss Daisy
An old Jewish woman (Jessica Tandy) and her African-American chauffeur (Morgan Freeman) in the American South have a relationship that grows and improves over the years.  Freeman’s unique performance and Tandy’s willful portrayal bring memorable comedy to the conflicted demonstrations of tolerance and prejudice and ultimately long-lasting friendship in this moving story.

The Goodbye Girl
After being dumped by her live-in boyfriend, an unemployed dancer (Marsha Mason) and her 10-year-old daughter are reluctantly forced to live with a struggling off-Broadway actor (Richard Dreyfuss).  The actor’s noisy habits and strange behavior irritate the dancer but eventually each shares in the struggles of the other as the daughter is the first to fall in love with the actor, reluctantly by the dancer because she fears being dumped again.

National Velvet
A jaded former jockey (Mickey Rooney) helps a young girl (Elizabeth Taylor) prepare a wild but gifted horse for England's Grand National Sweepstakes.  This classic movie exemplifies the homey goodness of general-audience productions of the era, including Lassie Come Home which introduced Taylor a year earlier.

North by Northwest
In this Alfred Hitchcock classic, a hapless New York advertising executive Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) is mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies headed by Philip Vandamm (James Mason), and is pursued across the country while he looks for a way to survive.  Thornhill is thrust from one surprising threat to another until he survives a harrowing climb down from atop the president monument on Mt. Rushmore with Mason’s beautiful girlfriend (Eva Marie Saint).

 

Abstracts -- August, 2018

Presumed Inocent
As lawyer Rozat [Rusty] Sabich (Harrison Ford) investigates the murder of colleague Carolyn Polhemus (Greta Scacchi), he finds himself more connected to the crime than anyone else.  Tension builds in this portrayal of Scott Turow’s* first novel as Rusty finds himself accused of the crime, in part because of his romantic involvement with Polhemus.  Rusty’s wife has borne the pain of this involvement and eventually the murder itself.
___*A student of famed Stanford writing teacher Wallace Stegner

Singin' in the Rain*
Long-time dancing partners Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) and Cosmo Brown (Donald O’Conner) put on a mesmerizing show of comedy dancing virtuosity as Lockwood fends off no-talent Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) and falls in love with upstart Kathy Selden (teenage Debbie Reynolds).  Jean Hagen’s Lamont is hilarious as her scatterbrain struggles with the introduction of talkies reveals Lamont’s squeaky voice, which must be replaced by Selden’s dubbed voice.
___*I had no idea when I watched this, my first movie in Los Angeles after driving from Chicago following graduation from Illinois Tech in 1952, that it would become a premier classic of the Hollywood musical comedy era. 

The Whole Nine Yards
Struggling dentist "Oz" Oseransky’s (Matthew Perry) life is turned upside down when famous gangster Jimmy "The Tulip" Tudeski (Bruce Willis) moves in next door, and his loathsome wife Sophie (Rosanna Arquette) convinces him to inform a notorious mob boss about the gangster's whereabouts.  The hapless Oz is caught between the murderous Tudeski and the mob boss as each plots to kill the other.  Eventually Oz sides with Tudeski and uses his dental skills to hide the body as he falls in love with the mob boss’s girlfriend.

Grumpy Old Men
A lifelong feud between two neighbors since childhood only gets worse when a new female neighbor moves across the street.  Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau take this inane plot and make it an uproarious rampage through their comic talents, knocking over garbage cans every time they stop at a bait shop for worms, tossing fish to rot in the other’s car, dragging an ice fishing shack to thin ice and generally being a thorn in the other’s side.  Their deep down love for each other comes out as Matthau saves Lemmon after he collapses with a heart attack. Both perform crazy antics from beginning to end, amended by gems from Burgess Meredith and sexy doings by Ann-Margret.

Two Weeks Notice
Harvard educated lawyer Lucy Kelson (Sandra Bullock) uses her career for social activism. George Wade (Hugh Grant) is the suave public face of a development firm that Lucy routinely opposes.  Wade has a reputation as a lady's man, with legal counsels a series of beautiful female lawyers with questionable credentials who have acted more as his casual sex partners.  Needing a real lawyer, he offers Lucy the job of his legal counsel on a chance meeting.  Lucy, who has no intention of being the latest of his bed partners, accepts the job as she feels she can do more good from the inside.  This oil and water relationship gives rise to many humorous conflicts and ultimately a love interest.

Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Seven elderly Britons, for a variety of reasons, respond to an online ad and travel to Jaipur, India, where they find run-down hotel with a young, exuberant, and optimistic host.  Evelyn, newly widowed, wants low-cost experience, Graham seeks a long-ago love, Douglas and Jean have lost their pension in a family investment, Muriel needs cheap hip surgery, Madge seeks a rich husband, and Norman is chasing women. India affects each in different ways, enchanting Douglas and Evelyn while driving Jean deeper into bitterness. Their host, young Sonny, has dreams but little cash or skill; he also has a girlfriend whom his mother dismisses. Stories cross and discoveries await each one.  An outstanding cast fills the film with belly laughs and pathos.

Water For Elephants
After his parents' death, veterinarian student Jacob Jankowski (Robert Pattinson) is left penniless and homeless.  Events lead him to joining the circus as their vet, working under their unstable boss August (Christoph Walzt whose violent tendencies give everyone reason to be cautious around him, including his beautiful and quiet wife Marlena (Reese Whitherspoon), whom August is very possessive of and who Jacob finds himself soon falling in love with.

Philomena
When former journalist Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan) is dismissed from the Labour Party in disgrace, he is at a loss as to what do. That changes when a young Irish woman approaches him about a story of her mother, Philomena (Judy Dench), who had her son taken away when she was a teenage inmate of a Catholic convent.  Martin arranges a magazine assignment about her search for him that eventually leads to America.  Along the way, Martin and Philomena discover as much about each other as about her son's fate. Furthermore, both find their basic beliefs challenged.

The Quiet Man
Sean Thornton (John Wayne) has returned from America to reclaim his homestead and escape his past.  Sean's eye is caught by Mary Kate Danaher (Maureen O’Hara), a beautiful but poor maiden, and younger sister of ill-tempered "Red" Will Danaher (Victor McLaglen). The riotous relationship that forms between Sean and Mary Kate, punctuated by Will's pugnacious attempts to keep them apart, form the main plot, with Sean's past as the dark undercurrent.


Abstracts -- September, 2018

The Untouchables
Federal Agent Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) sets out to stop Al Capone (Robert de Niro).  To work around rampant corruption, he assembles a small, hand-picked team, a Chicago beat cop (Sean Connery) among them.  With the team, Ness rapidly advances from abject failure to a series of busts that threaten Capone’s grip on the city. Capone’s most easily proven crime is Federal tax evasion, which the team accomplishes with testimony from Capone’s bookkeeper.  There is much intrigue and mob-instigated violence on the way.

Annie Hall
Alvy Singer (Woody Allen), a forty year old twice divorced, neurotic, intellectual Jewish New York stand-up comic, reflects on the demise of his latest relationship, to Annie Hall (Diane Keaton), an insecure, flighty, Midwestern WASP aspiring nightclub singer.  Alvy not only reviews the many ups and downs of their relationship, but also reviews the many facets of his makeup that led to him starting to date Annie.  Those facets include growing up next to Coney Island in Brooklyn, being attracted to the opposite sex for as long as he can remember, and enduring years of Jewish guilt with his constantly arguing parents.  Non-stop funny incidents and quips from beginning to end.

In the Heat of the Night
Detective Virgil Tibbs is caught up in the racial tension of the US South when he is arrested after the murder of a prominent businessman.  Tibbs was simply waiting for his next train at the station in Sparta, Mississippi and the confusion is soon resolved.  But when local police chief Gillespie learns that Tibbs is the Philadelphia PD's number one homicide expert, he reluctantly asks for his assistance.  The murdered man, Mr. Colbert, had come to Sparta from the North to build a new factory and his wife and business associates immediately point the finger at Endicott, the most powerful man in the county and the one who had the most to lose if a major new employer comes to the area.  Tibbs' life is clearly in danger but he perseveres in a highly charged and racially explosive environment until the killer is found.
 
Rear Window
Professional photographer L.B. "Jeff" Jefferies breaks his leg while getting an action shot at an auto race.  Confined to his New York apartment, he spends his time looking out of the rear window observing the neighbors.  He begins to suspect that a man across the courtyard may have murdered his wife.  Jeff enlists the help of his high society fashion-consultant girlfriend Lisa Freemont and his visiting nurse Stella to investigate.

Marty
Stuck as the last of six children at home with an overbearing Italian mother, the only child still unmarried, 34 year old socially awkward Bronx butcher Marty faces middle age with no prospects of marriage.  But when he is goaded by his mother into going to the Stardust Ballroom one Saturday night, Marty unexpectedly meets Clara, a lonely teacher.  Suddenly, Marty's future seems bright.

The Long Hot Summer
Sixty-one year old widower Will Varner, in ill health, owns many businesses and property in Frenchman's Bend, Mississippi, including a plantation.  His children are a disappointment to him, whom he sees as not being able to carry on the Varner name.  Son Jody Varner has no ambition and does not work, spending much of his time fooling around with his seductive wife, Eula. Twenty-three year old daughter Clara Varner is clever but stuck with a weak suiter, genteel mama's boy Alan.  Into their lives comes Ben Quick, self assured and aggressive, the man Clara needs and Jody should emulate.  Sparks fly as the characters sort things out.

Coal Miner’s Daughter
Biographical story of Loretta Lynn, a legendary country singer who came from poverty to worldwide fame.  She rose from humble beginnings in Kentucky to superstardom while changing the sound and style of country music forever.  At only thirteen years of age, Loretta Webb marries Doolittle Lynn and is soon responsible for a sizeable family.  Loretta appears destined to a life of homemaking  but Doolittle recognizes his wife's musical talent and buys her a guitar as an anniversary present one year. At eighteen, the mother of four children and busy housewife still finds time to write and sing songs at small fairs and local honky-tonks. This gift sets Loretta Lynn on the grueling, tumultuous path to superstardom and country music greatness.

The Contract
Ray Keene (John Cusack), a father who wants to redeem himself in the eyes of his son (Jamie Anderson), finds himself forced to bring Carden (Morgan Freeman), a world-class assassin, to justice.  All the while, he must protect his son and evade the assassin's team who are methodically hunting them down in the wilderness.  Brilliant acting and an entangled plot make for thrilling entertainment.

Abstracts -- October, 2018

Crocodile Dundee
Michael J. "Crocodile" Dundee (Paul Hogan) is an Australian crocodile hunter who lives in the outback and runs a safari business with his trusted friend and mentor Walter Reilly.  After his surviving a crocodile attack, a New York journalist named Sue (Linda Kozlowski) arrives to interview Mick about how he survived and learns more about the crocodile hunter.  Their several adventures, including Mick saving her from a crocodile attack, inspires Sue to invite Mick to visit New York City, a new adventure for him.  Mick finds the culture and life in New York City vastly different from his home as he falls in love with Sue.  Many funny incidents occur during the cross culture adventures in Australia and New York.

Roman Holiday
Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck) is a reporter for the American News Service in Rome. He is caught in a lie by his boss after sleeping in and missing an interview with HRH Princess Ann (Audrey Hepburn), who is on a goodwill tour of Europe.  However, he thinks he may have stumbled upon a huge scoop. Princess Ann has officially called off all her Rome engagements due to illness.  He recognizes the photograph of her as being the young simply dressed drunk woman he rescued off the street last night, and who is still in his small studio apartment sleeping off her hangover.  Joe engages photographer friend Irving Radovich (Eddie Albert) to secretly photograph the princess as he takes her on an adventure-filled Roman holiday.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Brick (Paul Newman), an alcoholic ex-football player, drinks his days away and resists the affections of his wife, Maggie (Elizabeth Taylor). His reunion with his father, Big Daddy, who is dying of cancer, jogs a host of memories and revelations for both father and son.  Brick’s position in the largely dysfunctional family is restored as suppressed feelings burst out in a confrontation between father and son in a dying fit of rage and love between the two.

The Pink Panther
Bumbling Inspector Clouseau (Steve Martin) must solve the murder of a famous soccer coach and find out who stole the infamous Pink Panther diamond.  But the unlikelihood of his success is why he has been assigned the case by Chief Inspector Dreyfus (Kevin Klein), so he can swoop in and solve the case himself and thus gain the elusive best inspector of the year award.  However, his plot is thwarted by Clouseau’s bumbling into solving the crime.  In many ways the plot and performances in this film outshine the classic 1963 Pink Panther film starring Peter Sellers and David Niven.

On the Waterfront
Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando) dreams about being a prize fighter, while tending his pigeons and running errands at the docks for Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb), the corrupt boss of the dockers union. Terry witnesses a murder by two of Johnny's thugs, and later meets the dead man's sister (Eva Marie Saint) and feels responsible for his death. She introduces him to Father Barry (Karl Malden), who persuades him to provide information for the courts that will smash the dock racketeers.

Martian Child
What's the nature of being a parent and of being a child? David (John Cusack) is a widower grieving for two years. He writes science fiction and was considered weird as a boy. He meets Dennis (Bobby Coleman), a foster child who claims to be on a mission from Mars, stays in a large box all day, fears sunlight, and wears a belt of flashlight batteries so he won't float away. David takes the six-year-old home on a trial. His sister and his wife's best friend offer support, but the guys are basically alone to figure this out. Dennis takes things, is expelled, and is coached by David in being normal. Will the court approve the adoption, and will Dennis stay? Can a man become a father and a child become a son?

American Graffiti
A couple of high achieving high school grads, Curt Henderson (Richard Dreyfus) and class president Steve Bolander (Ron Howard), spend one final night cruising the strip with their buddies before they go off to college. The buddies are a cast of characters we all remember from the 50’s and 60’s, including odd ball Terry Fields (Charles Martin Smith), blonde bombshell Debbie Dunham (Candy Clark) and hot rod king Bob Falfa (Harrison Ford). The sound track is a collection of the era’s hits played by real life disk jocky Wolfman Jack, who serves the plot in person.  I relive part of my Chicago life as Curt is taken hostage by a local gang to pull a daring prank on a police car.

The Kingston Trio Story
This is a comprehensive documentary of the well known folk singing group. It explores the trio’s history from before their first recording in 1958 as a young group, to separations and replacements, and finally re-assembling and family life in their mature years, all told by experts in the field and by Bob Shane, the long-term anchor of the group. It covers the group’s musical philosophy, work ethic, and precision in pitch and timing that made their records best sellers and led the trend to folk song groups as popular music.  Throughout the telling the video shows them playing many of their classics, like “Tom Dooley”, “M.T.A.”, “A Worried Man”, “Where Have All the Flowers Gone”, “Sloop John B”, and Bob Shane’s signature song “Scotch and Soda.”

The Queen
Diana the 'People's Princess' has died in a car accident in Paris. The Queen (Helen Mirren) and her family decide that for the best, they should remain hidden behind the closed doors of Balmoral Castle. The heartbroken public do not understand and request that the Queen comfort her people. This also puts pressure on newly elected Tony Blair (Michael Sheen), who constantly tries to convince the monarchy to address the public. The multi-award winning film takes us behind the scenes of the sad and touching event we all remember so well.


Abstracts -- December, 2018

My Week with Marilyn
Sir Laurence Olivier is making a movie in London. Young Colin Clark, an eager film student, wants to be involved and he navigates himself a job on the set. When film star Marilyn Monroe arrives for the start of shooting, all of London is excited to see the blonde bombshell, while Olivier is struggling to meet her many demands and acting ineptness, and Colin is intrigued by her. Colin's intrigue is met when Marilyn invites him into her inner world where she struggles with her fame, her beauty and her desire to be a great actress.  Captivating and educational.  A bare hint of nudity.

Kramer vs. Kramer
Ted Kramer is a career man for whom his work comes before his family. His wife Joanna cannot take this anymore, so she decides to leave him. Ted is now faced with the tasks of housekeeping and taking care of himself and their young son Billy. When he has learned to adjust his life to these new responsibilities, Joanna resurfaces and wants Billy back. Ted, however, refuses to give him up, so they go to court to fight for the custody of their son.


Abstracts -- January, 2019

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Butch and Sundance are the two leaders of the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang. Butch is all ideas, Sundance is all action and skill. The west is becoming civilized, and when Butch and Sundance rob a train once too often, a special posse begins trailing them no matter where they run. Over rocks, through towns, across rivers, the group is always just behind them. When they finally escape through sheer luck, Butch has another idea, "Let's go to Bolivia". Based on the exploits of the historical characters.

The Monuments Men
Based on the true story of the greatest treasure hunt in history. An unlikely World War II platoon is tasked by FDR to rescue artistic masterpieces from Nazi thieves. The art is trapped behind enemy lines and the German army is under orders to destroy everything as the Reich fell.  How could these seven museum directors, curators, and art historians with no military skill hope to succeed?  In a race against time to avoid the destruction of 1000 years of culture, they risk their lives to protect and defend mankind's greatest achievements.

To Catch a Thief
American expatriate John Robie, living in high style on the Riviera, is a retired cat burglar. He must find out who a copycat is to keep a new wave of jewel thefts from being pinned on him. High on the list of prime victims is Jessie Stevens, in Europe to help daughter Frances find a suitable husband. The Lloyds of London insurance agent is using a thief to catch a thief. Take an especially close look at scene where Robie gets Jessie's attention, by dropping an expensive casino chip down the décolletage of a French roulette player.

Silver Linings Playbook
After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own.  We learn about mental illness as the movie alternates among poignant, crazy funny, outrageous, and romantic.

Sabrina
Linus and David Larrabee are the two sons of a very wealthy family. Linus is all work -- busily running the family corporate empire with no time for a wife and family. David is all play -- technically employed in the family business but never showing up for work, spending all his time entertaining, and having been married and divorced three times. Sabrina Fairchild is the young, shy, and awkward daughter of the household chauffeur, who has been infatuated with David all her life, but whom David hardly notices till she goes away to Paris for two years and returns an elegant, sophisticated, beautiful woman. Suddenly, she finds she's captured David's attention, but just as she does so, she finds herself also falling in love with Linus, and she finds that Linus is also falling in love with her.

To Kill a Mocking Bird
Small-town Alabama, 1932. Atticus Finch (played by Gregory Peck) is a lawyer and a widower. He has two young children, Jem and Scout.  Atticus Finch is currently defending Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white woman.  Meanwhile, Jem and Scout are intrigued by their neighbors, the Radleys, and the mysterious, seldom-seen Boo Radley in particular.  An Oscar-winning movie of the classic novel by Harper Lee.

The Graduate
Ben has recently graduated from college, with his parents now expecting great things from him. At his "Homecoming" party, Mrs. Robinson, the wife of his father's business partner, has Ben drive her home to seduce him, which leads to an affair between the two. The affair eventually ends, but comes back to haunt him when he finds himself falling for Elaine, Mrs. Robinson's daughter.

Julie & Julia
Julia Child and Julie Powell - both of whom wrote memoirs - find their lives intertwined. Though separated by time and space, both women are at loose ends... until they discover that with the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible.    Meryl Streep’s portrayal of Julie Child is one of her best performances – Child’s personal drama come alive before you.

Sully
On Thursday, January 15th, 2009, the world witnessed the "Miracle on the Hudson" when Captain Chesley Sullenberger, nicknamed "Sully", glided his disabled plane onto the frigid waters of the Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 aboard. However, even as Sully was being heralded by the public and the media for his unprecedented feat of aviation skill, an investigation was unfolding that threatened to destroy his reputation and his career.


Abstracts -- February, 2019

Anatomy of a Murder
Frederick Manion (Ben Gazzara), a lieutenant in the army, is arrested for the murder of a bartender, Barney Quill. He claims that the victim had raped and beaten his wife Laura (Lee Remick). Manion is defended by Paul Biegler (James Stewart), a humble small-town lawyer just returned from his many days of fishing. Biegler discovers that Manion is violently possessive and jealous, and also that his wife has a reputation for flirting with other men. The prosecution will try to make the court believe that Laura had been drunk, was picked up by the bartender, and then Manion beat her up when he discovered they had been together. Manion pleads "not guilty" and Biegler, who knows that his case is weak, tries to find evidence that will save Manion. Much interesting and humorous dialog among lawyers and the judge, played by an experienced lawyer.

Pinocchio
This is the most beautiful animated full-length movie ever created by Walt Disney and his crew.  Ideas and action are brilliant, as is coloring and attention to detail.     Inventor Gepetto creates a wooden marionette called Pinocchio. His wish for Pinocchio to be a real boy is unexpectedly granted by a fairy, who assigns Jiminy Cricket to act as Pinocchio's "conscience" and keep him out of trouble. Jiminy is not too successful in this endeavor and most of the film is spent with Pinocchio deep in trouble.

Baraka
Without words, cameras show us the world, with an emphasis not on "where," but on "what's there." It begins with morning, natural landscapes and people at prayer: volcanoes, water falls, veldts, and forests; several hundred Balinese Hindu men perform kecak, the monkey chant.  Indigenous peoples apply body paint; whole villages dance. The film moves to destruction of nature via logging, blasting, and strip mining.  Images of poverty, rapid urban life, and factories give way to war, concentration camps, and mass graves. Ancient ruins come into view, and then a sacred river where pilgrims bathe and funeral pyres burn. Prayer and nature return. A monk rings a huge bell; stars wheel across the sky.

Gandhi
In 1893, Mohandas K. Gandhi is thrown off a South African train for being an Indian and traveling in a First-Class compartment. Gandhi, a lawyer, starts a non-violent campaign for rights of Indians in South Africa. After numerous arrests and unwanted worldwide attention, the government relents. Gandhi is invited back to India, where he is now considered a national hero and urged to fight for India's independence from the British Empire.  The campaign generates great public pressure. Weak from World War II, Britain finally grants India's independence. Then religious tensions between Hindus and Muslims erupt into nation-wide violence. Gandhi goes on a hunger strike until the fighting stops but the country remains divided and Muslims split off as Pakistan. Gandhi is opposed to the split, and spends his last days trying to at least bring peace between Pakistan and India.  This angers dissidents on both sides, one of whom assassinates him, raising him to deity.

Amelia
Amelia Earhart, a Kansas girl, discovers the thrill of aviation at age 23, and within 12 years has progressed to winning the Distinguished Flying Cross for being the first woman to pilot a plane solo across the Atlantic Ocean. At age 39, she sets out on an attempt to circumnavigate the globe, an adventure that catapults her into aviation myth.  The film comes alive with her barnstorming, romances, and many details that go into supporting record shattering flights at and beyond the edge of possibility.

Miss Potter
Thirty years old and single, Beatrix Potter lives in London with her social-climbing parents, who are exasperated that she has turned down any number of eligible young men. Her only real friends are the animals which since childhood she has lovingly drawn and made up stories about. She finally succeeds in selling a book of the stories, and it becomes Norman Warne's first project. He quickly falls in love with both the book and Beatrix and together they carefully arrange publication. This proves the first of many successes, offering her the possibility of escaping from her parents' way of life and London.  Her life expands in the Lake District where she preserves a huge area as a working farm which benefits all today.


Abstracts -- March, 2019

Charlie Wilson's War
In the early 1980s, Charlie Wilson is a womanizing US congressional representative from Texas who seemed to be in the minor leagues, except for the fact that he is a member of two major foreign policy and covert-ops committees. However, prodded by his major conservative supporter, Houston Socialite Joanne Herring, Wilson learns about the plight the people are suffering in the brutal Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. With the help of the maverick CIA agent, Gustav "Gust" Avrakotos, Wilson dedicates his canny political efforts to supply the Afghan mujahideen with the weapons and support to defeat the Soviet Union. However, Charlie Wilson eventually learns that while military victory can be had, there are other consequences and prices to that fight that are ignored to everyone's sorrow.

Frost / Nixon
Writer Peter Morgan's legendary battle between Richard Nixon, the disgraced president with a legacy to save, and David Frost, a jet-setting television personality with a name to re-make, in the story of the historic encounter that changed both their lives. For three years after being forced from office, Nixon remained silent. But in summer 1977, the steely, cunning former commander-in-chief agreed to sit for one all-inclusive interview to confront the questions of his time in office and the Watergate scandal that ended his presidency. Nixon surprised everyone in selecting Frost as his televised confessor, intending to easily outfox the breezy British showman and secure a place in the hearts and minds of Americans (as well as a $600,000 fee). Likewise, Frost's team harbored doubts about their boss' ability to hold his own. But as cameras rolled, a charged battle of wits ensued.

Shrek
When a green ogre named Shrek discovers his swamp has been 'swamped' with all sorts of fairytale creatures by the scheming Lord Farquaad, Shrek sets out with a very loud donkey by his side to 'persuade' Farquaad to give Shrek his swamp back. Instead, a deal is made. Farquaad, who wants to become the King, sends Shrek to rescue Princess Fiona, who is awaiting her true love in a tower guarded by a fire-breathing dragon. But once they head back with Fiona, it starts to become apparent that not only does Shrek, an ugly ogre, begin to fall in love with the lovely princess, but Fiona is also hiding a huge secret.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Wealthy native Brit Lawrence Jamieson, living in Beaumont-sur-Mer on the French Riviera, earns his money through big cons on wealthy unsuspecting women. With corrupt police Inspector Andre, who provides him most of his intel, and his butler Arthur, he pretends to be a deposed prince who needs money to finance a secret war to liberate his people. Then his world is invaded by brash American Freddy Benson, another con man whose targets are also wealthy unsuspecting women. While Lawrence works on thousands of dollars per scam, Freddy works on tens to hundreds of dollars. To get rid of Freddy, Lawrence issues an ultimatum: the person who is able to con a mark out of $50,000 first will get the French Riviera as their territory. Their mark is naive and bumbling American "soap queen" Janet Colgate.

Sideways
A week before his friend Jack is to be married, best man Miles and the prospective groom head off to wine country for a week of fun, relaxation and wine drinking. Miles is the oenophile and does his best to teach Jack a bit about the art of appreciating great wine. All Jack cares about is drinking and carousing, something he accomplishes when he meets the attractive Stephanie at one of the vineyards. Miles is something of a sad sack, a high school English teacher who is a failed writer at heart. He has yet to get over the fact that his wife has divorced him, and further learns she has remarried. On top of that he faces that nerve racking wait for word from a prospective publisher. Miles has an opportunity to start anew with Stephanie's friend Maya but when he lets slip that Jack is about to be married any hope of a relationship seems to be lost.

Big
Josh Baskin would do anything to be big so he can hang out with his crush at the carnival. At a Zoltar machine he plunks in a coin and wishes to be big. After Zoltar tells him "his wish is granted" Josh notices the machine is unplugged. He wakes up the next morning in an adult's body but he still has the same personality. With the help of his best friend, Billy, Josh learns how to act like a grown up as he sets off to find a Zoltar machine to return himself to a boy. But with his youthful outlook and personality he finds himself with a girlfriend and exceling to a top rung at his job -- he’s not sure he wants to be a kid again. Will Josh stay big or become a 13 year old boy again?

Beautiful Girls
Pianist Willie Conway returns to his snowy home town to attend a high school reunion. He reunites with old friends Tommy "Birdman" Rowland, Michael "Mo" Morris and Paul Kirkwood. Mo is happily married with two children but Tommy is having an affair with former high school girlfriend Darian Smalls, who is now married, while stringing along girlfriend Sharon Cassidy. Paul worships posters of professional models he has plastered all over his bedroom wall but, when threatened with competition, suddenly asks his girlfriend Jan to marry him. As Willie waits for girlfriend Tracey to arrive, he is taken with beautiful Marty, a 13-year old neighbor. Into this mix comes Andera, cousin of Stinky, another high school chum who is becoming a successful bar owner. These characters and more churn together in a funny, poignant high energy coming of age drama.

Rushmore
Max Fischer is a precocious 15-year-old whose reason for living is his attendance at Rushmore, a private school where he's not doing well in any of his classes but where he's king of extracurricular activities. From being in the beekeeping society to writing and producing plays, there's very little after school he doesn't do. His life changes dramatically when he finds out he's on academic probation, and when he stumbles into love with Miss Cross, a pretty teacher at Rushmore. Added to the mix is his friendship with Herman Blume, wealthy industrialist and father to boys who attend the school, and who also finds himself attracted to Miss Cross. Max's fate becomes inextricably tied to this odd love triangle, and how he sets about resolving it is the story in the film. Quirky nuttiness and strange happenings give this film its unique flavor.


Abstracts -- April, 2019

Steel Magnolias
This movie has everything: great cast, lively comedy and satisfying drama. Sally Field plays M'Lynn, a mother worried about her sickly daughter Shelby; Julia Roberts as Shelby, who feels having a baby is worth risking everything; Dolly Parton as Truvy, a bouncy beautician who brightens like a light bulb when her little shop is full of "hens"; Olympia Dukakis as Clairee, the town gossip with biting humor; Daryl Hannah as Annelle, a very religious young woman who drives everyone crazy with her sudden fits of prayer; and Shirley McLaine as Ouiser (now there’s a Southern name!), the town grouch who tows her pathetic dog around and mercilessly cusses out her reflected grouchiness in M’Lynn’s husband Drum (Tom Skerritt). Humor and pathos shine equally throughout the drama.

Waking Ned Devine
The lucky winner of the national lottery is Ned Devine, so taken by his good fortune that he now can't be waked because he died from the shock of it! News of the win spread quickly in the scenic little Irish village of Tully More, but not the secret news of Ned's demise. With lottery officials closing in to confirm the prize claimed by the deceased Devine, Ned's closest friends scheme to keep the prize money close to home, in memory of Ned of course! But as the plot twists humorously, they learn it is hard is to keep such a secret in a small town.

The Bucket List
I can tell if a movie is good by the way it keeps me riveted to the story, and this is one of them. It's no surprise that a movie with highly talented actors like Nicholson and Freeman would be good. I'm not normally attracted to movies with a deep inner meaning, which this one has, but it doesn't beat you over the head with it. Here are two guys facing death and decide to go out and do all the things they've ever wanted to. Some scenes are dramatic, others are funny, and in the end, the deep inner meaning just kind of shines through without a bunch of sappy sentimentalism. And yes, I did get a bit watery eyed near the end, which means this is a good story that you can get into and feel part of.

A Fish Called Wanda
When four people team up for armed robbery, then all try to keep the whole lot for themselves, hilarity follows. The humor in this film is clever and constant, never letting up for a moment. Watch especially for Kevin Kline's performance of Otto; it's one you'll remember for years to come. Otto’s attitude and character suit Kline’s talent perfectly. The contrast with John Cleese's Archie Leach is phenomenal: deep down Leach is an honest person caught in a bad marriage with a selfish daughter. The film is action packed and funny from beginning to end as befits a story conceived and largely written by John Cleese.

Calendar Girls
Director Nigel Cole delivers a charming, touching, funny story with a message. It is based on the true story of a few society women in England who decide to do a quasi-nude calendar to raise money for a cancer center. The well-known story itself holds few surprises, but the cast is so wonderful and the dialogue so crisp that one can't help but enjoy the film. Helen Mirren and Julie Walters lead the mostly female cast who bare it all ... sort of.  The awkward struggle to get the mostly straight-laced women to bare even that much provides much of the humor, and their unlikely trip to Hollywood to promote the calendar make this a one-two punch of movie enjoyment. A wonderful movie for all ages and both sexes!

Juno
A tale told over four seasons, starting in autumn when Juno, a 16-year-old high-school junior in Minnesota, discovers she's pregnant after one event in a chair with her best friend, Bleeker. In the waiting room of an abortion clinic, the quirky and whip-sharp Juno decides to give birth and to place the child with an adoptive couple. She finds one in the Penny Saver personals, contacts them, tells her dad and step-mother, and carries on with school. The chosen parents, upscale yuppies (one of whom is cool and laid back, the other meticulous and uptight), meet Juno, sign papers, and the year unfolds. Will Juno's plan work, can she improvise, and what about Bleeker? A quirky, funny, heart-warming, prize winning movie you will enjoy.

Prairie Home Companion
A final live variety show broadcast via radio becomes a metaphor for the natural order of life. A concept and script by Garrison Keilor uses every natural and technical element of working with a tight and close ensemble producing a weekly show to sooth us and guide us through the natural but difficult transitions of aging, becoming less relevant and then dying as new, young life develops and strengthens during our final "performances." This is a rare film for its remarkable cast and crew and one wonders how the great Robert Altman was able to gather them all at the same place and time to shoot this film. Funny, moving, and classic songs sung well with Keillor’s radio band backing.

City Slickers
Mitch Robbins (Billy Crystal) is frustrated with his job selling ad time on the radio. Phil Berquist (Daniel Stern) is in a hateful marriage and found cheating with the checkout girl. Ed Furillo (Bruno Kirby) is settling down with an underwear model. The three friends decide to go on a getaway driving cattle. There they meet the beautiful, just dumped  Bonnie Rayburn (Helen Slater), Barry & Ira ice cream makers, father & son dentists, and a hardened trail boss Curly (Jack Palance). The film works via the chemistry among the three comedic talents, plus Jack Palance playing up his rough cowboy act. There is some really funny, insightful mid-life-crisis guy talk, and Jack Palance delivers a few memorably funny punchlines. And who can forget his one-arm push-ups at his academy award.

Burn After Reading
Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich), a Balkan expert, is fired from the CIA because of a drinking problem, so he begins a memoir. His wife wants a divorce and expects her lover, Harry, a philandering State Department marshal, to leave his wife. A CD-ROM falls out of a gym bag at a Georgetown fitness center. Two employees there try to turn it into cash: Linda, who wants money for cosmetic surgery, and Chad, an amiable goof. Information on the disc leads them to Osbourne who rejects their blackmail pitch, so they try to sell what they think are the disk’s top secrets at the Russian embassy. Linda meets for a tryst with Harry as Harry makes a sex machine for his wife, and Osborne slowly goes nuts. It’s hilarious to watch screen sex symbols Brad Pitt and George Clooney playing bumbling nitwits.


Abstracts -- May, 2019

Mona Lisa Smile
Katherine Ann Watson (Julia Roberts) has accepted a position teaching art history at the prestigious Wellesley College. Watson is a very modern woman, particularly for the 1950s, and has a passion not only for art but for her students. For the most part, the students all seem to be biding their time, waiting to find the right man to marry. The students are all very bright and Watson feels they are not reaching their potential. Although a strong bond is formed between teacher and student, Watson's views are incompatible with the dominant culture of the college.

Romancing the Stone
Joan Wilder (Kathleen Turner), a mousy romance novelist, receives a treasure map in the mail from her recently murdered brother-in-law. Meanwhile, her sister Elaine is kidnapped in Colombia and the two criminals responsible demand that she travel to Colombia to exchange the map for her sister. Joan does, and quickly becomes lost in the jungle after being waylaid by Zolo (Manuel Ojeda), a vicious and corrupt Colombian cop who will stop at nothing to obtain the map. There, she meets an irreverent soldier-of-fortune named Jack Colton (Michael Douglas) who agrees to bring her back to civiliza-tion. Together, they embark upon an adventure that could be straight out of Joan's novels. Hapless villain Ralph (Danny DeVito) bumbles into the mix to provide humorous color.

The Notebook
Duke is reading a story to an older woman in a nursing home. Her memory is slipping from her day by day. The story is of two lovers who meet in the south at a carnival. Allie was 17, a city girl from money, and Noah was a local boy. The two spend the summer together but Allie is forced to move and go to college, although she was willing to give it up for Noah. Noah writes Allie every day for a year with no response. In frustration he restores the old run-down house he took Allie to one night for a romantic encounter. Seven years pass during which Allie meets and falls in love with wealthy soldier Lon. When Allie sees Noah's picture with the restored house in the paper, she is drawn back to him. They spent a few days together and she is torn between Noah and Lon when it is time to leave. We learn her choice and more in the nursing home.

On Golden Pond
The loons are back again on Golden Pond and so are Norman Thayer (Henry Fonda), a retired professor, and Ethel (Katherine Hepburn) who have had a summer cottage there since early in their marriage. This summer their daughter Chelsea (Jane Fonda) -- whom they haven't seen for years -- feels she must be there for Norman's birthday. She and her fiancé (Dabney Colman) are on their way to Europe the next day but will be back in a couple of weeks to pick up the fiancé’s son (Doug McKeon). When she returns Chelsea is married and her stepson has the relationship with her father that she always wanted. Will father and daughter be able to communicate at last?

Moonstruck
No sooner does Italian-American widow Loretta (Cher) accept a marriage proposal from her doltish boyfriend, Johnny (Vincent Gardenia), then she finds herself falling for his younger brother, Ronny (Nicolas Cage). She tries to resist, but Ronny lost his hand in an accident he blames on his brother, and has no scruples about aggressively pursuing her while Johnny is out of the country. As Loretta falls deeper in love, she comes to learn that she's not the only one in her family with a secret romance. This sleeper of a movie became very popular because of the music and close-knit family as well as the romances.

Love Story
Harvard scion and Law student Oliver Barrett IV (Ryan O’Neal) and music student Jennifer Cavilleri (Ali MacGraw) share a chemistry they cannot deny, and a love they cannot ignore. Despite their opposite backgrounds, the young couple put their hearts on the line for each other. When they marry, Oliver's wealthy father (Ray Milland) threatens to disown him. Jenny tries to reconcile the Barrett men, but to no avail. Oliver and Jenny continue to build their life together. Relying only on each other, they believe love can fix anything. But fate has other plans. Soon, what began as a brutally honest friendship becomes the love story of their lives.

Shakespeare in Love
Will Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) is a known but struggling poet, playwright and actor who not only has sold his next play to both Philip Henslow (Geoffrey Rush) and Richard Burbidge (Martin Clunes) but is bereft of ideas and has yet to begin writing. All attempts fail in search of his muse until he meets the beautiful Viola de Lesseps (Gwyneth Paltrow). She loves the theatre and would like to take to the stage but is forbidden, as only men can be actors. She also admirers Shakespeare's works. Dressed as a man with name Thomas Kent, she auditions and is accepted for his next play. Shakespeare sees through her disguise and they begin a love affair, one they know cannot end happily for them: he is already married and she has been promised to the dour Lord Wessex (Colin Firth). During rehearsal of the play, Will and Viola's love is transferred to the written page, leading to the masterpiece that is Romeo and Juliet.

Man From Snowy River
Jim Craig (Tom Burlinson) has lived his first 18 years in the mountains of Australia on his father's farm. The death of his father forces him to go to the low lands to earn enough money to get the farm back on its feet. Kirk Douglas plays two roles as twin brothers who haven't spoken for years, one of whom was Jim's father's best friend and the other of whom is the father of Jessica, (Sigrid Thornton) the girl he wants to marry. A 20 year old feud re-erupts, catching Jim and Jessica in the middle of it as Jim is accused of letting a prize stallion loose.
The movie has beautifully photographed scenery with herds of wild horses, and breathtaking horsemanship.

Tootsie
Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman) is an unemployed actor with an impossible reputation. In order to find work and fund his friend's play he dresses as a woman, Dorothy Michaels, and lands the part in a daytime drama. Dorsey loses himself in this woman role and essentially becomes Dorothy Michaels, captivating women all around the city and inspiring them to break free from the control of men and become more like Dorsey's initial identity. This newfound role, however, lands Dorsey in a hot spot surrounded by a female friend-lover (Teri Garr), a female co-star he falls in love with (Jessica Lang), her father (Charles Durning) who falls in love with him (i.e., Dorothy), and a male co-star (George Gaynes) who also yearns for Dorothy’s affection.


Abstracts -- June, 2019

Sabrina 2
While she was growing up, Sabrina Fairchild spent more time perched in a tree watching the Larrabee family than she ever did on solid ground. As the chauffeur's daughter on their lavish Long Island estate, Sabrina was invisible behind the branches, but she knew them all below... There is Maude Larrabee, the modern matriarch of the Larrabee Corporation; Linus Larrabee, the serious older son who expanded a successful family business into the world's largest communications company; and David, the handsome, fun-loving Larrabee, who was the center of Sabrina's world until she was shipped off to Paris. After two years on the staff of Vogue magazine, Sabrina has returned to the Larrabee estate but now she has blossomed into a beautiful and sophisticated woman. And she's standing in the way of a billion-dollar deal.

Same Time Next Year
A man and woman meet by chance at a romantic Mendocino inn over dinner. Although both are married to others, they find themselves in the same bed the next morning questioning how this could have happened. They agree to meet on the same weekend next year. Originally a stage play, in the film each meeting is preceded by a flash through the changing national highlights of the year. The two are also changing, sometimes dramatically, but always in the same room. The two become remarkably close for what might have been simply scheduled trysts. As time goes on each has some personal crisis that the other helps them through, often without both of them understanding what is going on.

Father of the Bride
In this remake of the Spencer Tracy classic, George and Nina Banks are the parents of young soon-to-be-wed Annie. George is a nervous father unready to face that his little girl is now a woman. The preparations for the extravagant wedding with a uniquely strange wedding planner provide additional comic moments.

Something’s Gotta Give
Sixty-three-year-old Harry has a reputation for dating girls a third his age. When he takes Marin, his latest belle, back to her beach house for the weekend he is taken aback when her mother Erica unexpectedly turns up. He suffers a heart attack while romancing Marin and finds himself housebound with Erica as his nurse and only companion. As they grudgingly get to know each other something starts to stir. The hospital doctor who treated him takes a shine to Erica which further stirs the pot. The comedy-filled plot spans several years and two continents until its poignant resolution.

Under the Tuscan Sun
After Frances's seemingly happy San Francisco marriage ends abruptly, she goes into a funk. Urged by her friends to move on, she joins a bus tour of Tuscany where, on the spur of the moment, she buys a crumbling villa. She assembles a crew of oddballs and immigrants to repair the house. As they work over the next year she seeks love, first in her imagination with her married real estate agent and then with a charming stranger. Although life gets in the way of love, Frances's wishes come true in unexpected ways — and there's always the Tuscan sun.

Murphy’s Romance
Emma, a divorced woman with a teen-aged son, moves into a small town and begins to make a go of a run-down horse ranch. Murphy, the widowed town druggist, steers business her way, including a horse he buys and boards at the ranch. He routinely visits his horse strategically at dinner time and gets invited in. Things are going along predictably until her ex-husband shows up, needing a place to stay. The four of them form two triangles, one spark-filled and the other longing, with Emma's son liking Murphy but desperately wanting his father back.

What Women Want
Nick, a somewhat chauvinistic advertising exec hot shot, has his life turned haywire when a fluke accident enables him to hear what women think. At first all he wants to do is rid himself of this curse, until a wacky psychologist shows him that this could be used to his advantage! His first target is Darcy McGuire, the woman that got the promotion he wanted. But just as his plan is beginning to work, love gets in the way....

Picture Perfect
Kate (Jennifer Aniston) is working on a career at Mercer Advertising but is passed up for promotion because she's not reliably committed to the company; she’s single and could leave on a whim. Her co-worker Darcy makes up a story that Kate is engaged to Nick (Jay Mohr), a guy whom Kate just met at a friend's wedding. All seems to work out well for Kate; she even gets the attention of a colleague (Kevin Bacon) she had always wanted. But events take a dramatic turn when Nick becomes a hero for saving a girl’s life and the story appears in the news. Her boss arranges to meet the now famous Nick at a group dinner and falsehoods multiply in a dramatic confrontation.


Abstracts -- July, 2019

Chicago
Murderesses Velma Kelly (a chanteuse and tease who killed her husband and sister after finding them in bed together) and Roxie Hart (who killed her boyfriend when she discovered he wasn't going to make her a star) find themselves on death row together and fight for the fame that will keep them from the gallows in 1920s Chicago.
Director Rob Marshall and Choreographer Bob Fosse have created another masterpiece of dance, comedy and drama to dazzle your eyes, ears and imagination.
Cast: Renee Zellweger, Catherine Z Jones, Richard Gere   
2002;  1 hour 53 minutes,  Rated PG-13

Back to School
Millionaire businessman Thornton Melon (Rodney Dangerfield) is upset when his son Jason announces that he is not sure about going to college. Thornton insists that college is the best thing he never had for himself, and to prove his point he surprises his son by enrolling in school as well. Thornton is a big hit on campus, throwing the biggest parties and knowing all the right people.  Accustomed to his big-business ways, he has his school work done by teams of experts; but is this the way to pass college?
Dangerfield has enough humanity in this part that his obnoxious-guy schtick retains its humor.
Cast: Rodney Dangerfield,  Sally Kellerman, Burt Young, Keith Gordon, Robert Downey Jr.
1986;  1 hour 36 minutes,  Rated PG-13

50/50
This is the story of Adam, who at only 27 discovers he has cancer and a 50/50 chance he will survive. The brutally realistic movie will make you laugh, cry, and come out of the theater very satisfied. It takes this taboo subject and turns it into a comedy as well as a drama and succeeds in both genres. Joseph Gordon Levitt and Seth Rogen are a great duo with a strong supporting cast. The plot is based on the screenwriter's life and follows events he went through not long ago.
Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick
2011;  1 hour 40 minutes,  Rated R

Lost In Translation
Among the best work Bill Murray has done, and will be a pleasant surprise for many as he shows a new side to his ability as an actor. His familiar wittiness is on display in the language and customs breakdown between Japanese and English, but by and large the Bill Murray here is a lot more serious — and seriously good.
It's a simple story; unhappy married man (Murray) and unhappy married woman (Scarlett Johansson) meet in unfamiliar Tokyo and suddenly realize they are all the other has got, at least for the time being. In an age where Hollywood is trying (mostly unsuccessfully) to scare and shock us with something new at every turn, Sofia Coppola takes what should be the premise for a typical chick flick and turns it into something that anyone who has ever experienced an emotion of any description can watch and appreciate. A brilliant film in any language.
2003,  1 hour 42 minutes,  Rated R

Four Weddings and a Funeral
is a delightful little comedy with some wonderful writing and polished performances. Hugh Grant shines in a role that unfortunately left him typecast to this day. Kristen Scott Thomas is perfect as the enigmatic Fiona: witty, beautiful and touching. Simon Callow nearly steals the film as Gareth. He is one of the world's finest stage actors and it’s nice to see him get a film role he can really sink his teeth into. Andie McDowall is very convincing as the object of Grant's affection.     A jolly good film: funny, touching and sharp as Grant’s character stumbles through trying to avoid his wedding.
1994,  1 hour 57 minutes,  Rated R

Cocoon
A group of aliens return to earth to retrieve cocoons containing people they'd left behind on an earlier trip. The cocoons had been resting at the bottom of the ocean and are retrieved by the aliens renting a fishing boat from a customer-starved skipper. Once retrieved, they are stored in the swimming pool of a house they rented in a small Florida town. Their mission is hampered by a number of elderly people from a nearby retirement community who had been secretly using the pool. When the cocoons appear, the old folks are mysteriously rejuvenated. Their antics unintentionally spread the news and the plot thickens as outer space becomes the goal.
Cast: Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley, Hume Cronyn, Brian Dennehy, Jessica Tandy, Gwen Verdon
1985,  1 hour 57 minutes,  Rated PG-13

Beverly Hills Cop
Detroit cop Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) is delighted to receive a surprise visit from best friend Mikey Tandino from California. But soon after he arrives in Detroit, Mikey is killed right in front of Axel by a man named Zack. Against his captain’s orders Axel follows Zack to Beverly Hills, California, where police Lieutenant Andrew Bogomil (Ronny Cox) assigns Detective Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and his partner Sergeant John Taggart (John Ashton) to keep an eye on Axel. Axel visits his friend Jenny Summers (Lisa Eilbacher), who works in an art gallery. With Jenny's help, Axel discovers that Zack works for Jenny's boss, gallery owner Victor Maitland. The gallery is a front for drugs, and Maitland had Zack kill Mikey for stealing bonds used in drug deals. With the help of Jenny and hilarious interactions with Billy and Taggart, Axel first irritates and then closes Maitland down.
1984,  1 hour 45 minutes,  Rated R

Groundhog Day
Weather man Phil (Bill Murray) is reluctantly sent to cover a story about a weather-forecasting "rat" (as he calls it). This is his fourth year on the story, and he makes no effort to hide his annoyance. On awaking the 'following' day he discovers that it's Groundhog Day again, and again, and again. He first uses this to his advantage, then comes the realization that he is doomed to spend the rest of eternity in the same place, seeing the same people do the same thing EVERY day. At once a comedy and a morality play, you find yourself, like Phil, asking why we are here and what to make of our lives. Murray is at his best in this role, as his interactions with this not-really-fixed world grow in hilarity with some and sensitivity and meaning with others.
Cast: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliot
1993,  1 hour 41 minutes,  Rated PG-13

Nothing in Common
David Basner (Tom Hanks) is a successful advert-ising executive who has it all: money, happiness, and women who want him. Then one day his world falls apart when his mother (Eva Marie Saint) leaves his father (Jackie Gleason). Now, he must balance his life among his all-consuming job, his mother, who is happy with her newfound independence, and his father, who is being laid off as from his top-dog salesman job as he is becoming hard-headed, stubborn, and hides a lot from David. The film follows the paths of all three through their separate crises and mutual chaos, all with sparkling humor while an approaching calamity forces life-changing decisions.
1986,  1 hour 58 minutes,  Rated PG


Abstracts -- August, 2019

My Cousin Vinny
Young friends Bill Gambini and Stanley Rothenstein from New York University just received scholarships to UCLA. They decide to drive through the South, and stop at a local convenience store in Alabama to pick up a few snacks, but no sooner than they leave the store they are arrested. They think they are being arrested for their inadvertent shoplifting, but are arraigned for murder and robbery, and face execution if convicted. They have no money for a lawyer, so it is good news is that Bill has a lawyer in his family, his cousin, Vincent Laguardia Gambini (Joe Pesci). The bad news is that Vinny is inexperienced and has never been at a trial. He has to battle an uncompromising judge (Fred Gwynne of Munsters fame), noisy motels, and even his fiancée, Mona Lisa Vito (Marisa Tomei), who just does not know when to shut up but eventually saves the day. An unpolished New Yorker in a straight-laced Southern court lets Pesci spread his comedic wings.
1992,  2 hours,  Rated R

Billy Elliot
Set in County Durham during the endless, violent 1984 strike against the Thatcher closure of unproductive British coal mines. Widower Jackie Elliot (Gary Lewis) and his firstborn, fellow miner Tony (Jamie Draven), take a dim view of 11-year-old second son Billy's (Jamie Bell) poor record in boxing class, which worsens when they discover he sneakily transferred to the neighboring, otherwise girls-only ballet class. Only one schoolmate, closet-gay Michael Caffrey (Stuart Wells), encourages Billy's desire, aroused by the teacher (Julie Walters). Billy soon demonstrates passionate talent and is judged talented enough for private lessons to train for the world-renowned Royal Ballet audition. Only the prospect of a fancy career unimagined in the pauper quarter turn pa and big brother's opposition to indispensable support.
2000,  1 hour 50 min,  Rated R



Notting Hill
Every man's dream comes true for William Thacker (Hugh Grant), an unsuccessful Notting Hill bookstore owner, when Anna Scott (Julie Roberts), the world's most beautiful woman and best-liked actress, enters his shop. A little later, he still can't believe it himself, Thacker runs into her again - this time spilling orange juice over her. Anna accepts his offer to change in his nearby apartment, and thanks him with a kiss, which seems to surprise her even more than him. Eventually, Anna and William get to know each other better over the months, but being together with the world's most wanted woman is not easy – neither around your closest friends, nor in front of the all-devouring press. Thacker’s strange flat mate Spike (Rhys Ifans) contributes to the humor that permeates this charming film from beginning to dramatic end.
1999,  2 hours 4 min,  Rated PG-13



9 to 5
Meet Franklin Hart (Dabney Coleman): the biggest "sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot" boss on the planet. He thrills in lording over his female office staff by humiliating them, downplaying their work, and making sexual advances whenever possible, particularly over his top assistant Violet (Lily Tomlin). Exhausted by this bullishness, Violet, alongside co-workers Doralee (Dolly Parton) and new “girl” Judy (Jane Fonda) get together for drinks to commiserate. Flying high with a shared joint from a son, they each dream of what she would do to Hart, which turn into reality when by quirk they kidnap him and hold him in his own house. They assume control of his department and productivity leaps. But just how long can they keep him tied up?
1980,  1 hours 50 min,  Rated PG



Nurse Betty
A Kansas City waitress (Renee Zellweger) with dreams of becoming a nurse becomes delusional after seeing her no-good car salesman husband murdered. In this state she believes she is the former fiancée of her soap opera idol (Greg Kinnear). It is so real to her that she drives to LA to find the hospital where he works as a cardiologist. Meanwhile, her husband's murderers (Morgan Freeman and Chris Rock) are searching for the drugs stolen by her husband. As luck would have it, they are stored in the trunk of the car she drove off in. Freeman, an aging hit man planning his retirement after this job, also becomes delusional about the woman he is tracking.
In LA, nurse Betty meets Kinnear still thinking she is his lost fiancée and plays the role to the hilt. He arranges for her to join the TV cast, where she implodes as reality and delusion intermix. Another, but real-life, implosion follows when Betty and Freeman confront.
2000,  1 hours 50 min,  Rated R



Hannah and Her Sisters
It’s best to just let this entangled Woody Allen classic unfold as you watch it, except to say it weaves among three sisters; Hannah (Mia Farrow), Holly (Dianne Wiest) and Lee (Barbara Hershey) and their interactions with each other, their professions, and with men, one of whom is hypochondriac Mickey (Woody Allen). The other principle men are Elliot (Michael Caine) and Frederick (Max von Sydow).
1986,  1 hours 47 min,  Rated PG-13



Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
War threatens London as Miss Pettigrew (Frances McDormand), a destitute governess, filches a client's card from her agency and presents herself at the door. A singer named Delysia Lafosse (Amy Adams) wants a social secretary as she seeks a West End role by sleeping with a feckless producer in the bed of Nick (Mark Strong), a smarmy nightclub owner with whom she also dallies. She ignores Michael (Lee Pace), her piano player, who loves her and has tickets for New York on the Queen Mary. Miss Pettigrew's job is to make sure Delysia gets the part. Over 24 hours, Miss Pettigrew is also called upon to help an ambitious and unfaithful fashion editor Edythe (Shirley Henderson) patch things up with her older fiancé Joe (Ciarán Hinds), a lingerie designer. But her basic goodness and honesty appeal more to Joe than cut throat Edythe.
 2008,  1 hours 32 min,  Rated PG-13



$5 a Day
In L.A., Flynn Parker (Alessandro Nivola) loses his job as a health inspector when his time in prison comes to light. His girlfriend Maggie (Amanda Peet) moves out because of his prevarications, and his ne'er-do-well father, Nat (Christopher Walken), summons him to Atlantic City with a tale of a malignant cancer. Flynn doesn't like Nat, a small-time hustler and the cause of Flynn's jail time, but Nat cajoles his son into a cross-country trip through family memories toward New Mexico where an experimental treatment awaits. Nat lives on $5 a day through minor cons that Flynn finds himself reluctantly joining. Even Nat’s old flame Delores (Sharon Stone) gets into the act in seducing Flynn. But facts about Nat and Flynn’s mother come to light to help him see truth in his life with Nat and his relationship with Maggie.
 2008,  1 hours 38 min,  Rated PG-13



Gross Anatomy
Joe Slovak (Matthew Modine) is a brilliant first-year med student whose nonconformist approach to life is tested when he enrolls in gross anatomy, the toughest course in med school. Joe's freewheeling, independent style creates funny moments in the classroom, but puts him at odds with his demanding professor (Christine Lahti), who questions whether her class "rebel" has what it takes to be a doctor. Meanwhile, Joe falls in love with his lab partner Laurie (Daphne Zuniga), who won't let anything, especially romance, interfere with her plans. And while Joe's never done anything by the book, he proves he does have what it takes to succeed - without changing his ways!
 1989,  1 hours 39 min,  Rated PG-13



Abstracts -- September, 2019
Fargo
Jerry Lundegard (William Macy) has absconded with funds from a batch of new cars where he is a dealer, and wants his father-in-law Wade's money to repay it. To get it he hires Carl Showalter (Steve Buscemi) and Gaer Grimsrud (Peter Stormare) to kidnap his wife and hold her for ransom to be paid by Wade (Harve Presnell), with the bulk of it going to Jerry. However, the kidnappers are gross bunglers and soon murder several people.
Cheerful, pregnant chief of police Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand) is roused from deep sleep to solve the crimes. Slowly but surely, she finds her way to sleazy, rocks-for-brains Jerry and whence to kidnapper Gaer, who is disposing of Carl after everything that could go wrong, has. The movie also has great warmth, as throughout Marge interacts with a host of people and her husband, who learns his art will be used on the one-cent stamp. All the normal people bubble over with “Minnesota nice.”
1996    1 hour  38 minutes Rated R

Mighty Aphrodite
Lenny (Woody Allen) and Amanda (Helena Bonham Carter) have an adopted son Max who turns out to be brilliant. Lenny becomes obsessed with finding Max's real parents because he believes that they too must be brilliant. When he finds that Linda Ash (Mira Sorvino) is Max' real mother, Lenny is disappointed. Linda is a prostitute and porn star. On top of that, she is quite possibly the dumbest person Lenny has ever met. Interwoven is a Greek chorus linking the story with the story of Oedipus.
Sorvino won best actress for brilliantly playing the experienced prostitute not as hardened but as a dipsy, fun loving woman who thinks she’s on the road to movie stardom as she performs several tricks a day. One of Woody Allen’s best works.
1995  1 hour  35 minutes  Rated R

Bend It Like Beckham
Of East Indian origin and Sikh faith, the Bhamra family have been settled in Great Britain for several years. They have two daughters, Pinky and Jessminder (Parminder Nagra). While Pinky is in the process of getting married, Jess is preparing to play football, which is not acceptable to her parents. But Jess knows she is good at the sport, and she does receive considerable encouragement. Her parents are clearly uncomfortable with their daughter running around in shorts, chasing a big ball, instead of being clad in a traditional salwar khameez, and learning to cook East Indian recipes. Jess must now decide what's important for her. To make matters worse, a football tournament is arranged on the very day of her sister's marriage. Will Jess be able to play, or will her dreams be shattered?  —  Sikh wedding preparations and dress plus interaction with a British family and rival love with the coach add color and drama.
2003
1 hour  52 minutes
Rated PG-13

Shall We Dance?
John Clark (Richard Gere) has a wonderful job, a charming wife Beverly (Susan Sarandon) and a loving family, but nevertheless feels that something is missing. Each evening on his commute home on the Chicago “L”, John sees beautiful Paulina (Jennifer Lopez) staring with a lost expression through the window of a dance studio. Haunted, John impulsively jumps off the train one night and finds himself signed up for dance lessons. At first, it seems like a mistake. His teacher is not Paulina, but the older Miss Mitzi, and John proves equally as clumsy as his clueless classmates on the dance-floor. But, as his lessons continue, John falls in love with dancing. Keeping his new obsession from his family and co-workers, John feverishly trains for Chicago's biggest dance competition. His friendship with Paulina blossoms as his enthusiasm rekindles her own lost passion for dance. But all this makes his wife suspicious — and much more.
2004  1 hour  46 minutes  Rated PG-13

My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Toula Portokalos (Nia Vardalos) is 30, Greek, and works in her family's restaurant, Dancing Zorba's, in Chicago. All her father Gus (Michael Constantine) wants is for her to marry a nice Greek boy, have babies and cook for everyone. But Toula is looking for more. Her mother (Lainie Kazan) convinces Gus to let her take some computer classes at college (making him think it's his idea). With those classes under her belt, she then takes over her aunt's travel agency (again making her father think it's his idea). She meets Ian Miller (John Corbett), a high school English teacher, WASP, and dreamboat she had made a fool of herself over at the restaurant. They date secretly for a while before her family finds out. Her father is livid over her dating a non-Greek. He has to learn to accept Ian; Ian has to learn to accept Toula's huge family; and Toula has to learn to accept herself. 
— Lots of family nuttiness, kidding and laughter.
2002  1 hour  35 minutes  Rated PG

The Thomas Crown Affair
Self-made billionaire Thomas Crown (Pierce Brosnan) is bored of being able to buy everything he desires. Being irresistible to women, he also does not feel any challenge in that area. But there are a few things even he can't get, therefore Thomas Crown has a seldom hobby: he steals priceless masterpieces of Art. After the theft of a famous painting by Claude Monet, the only person suspecting Thomas Crown is Catherine Banning (Rene Russo). Her job is to get the picture back, no matter how she accomplishes her mission. Unfortunately, Catherine gets involved too deeply with Thomas to keep a professional distance from the case. Fortunately, Thomas seems to fall for her, too.
1999  1 hour  53 minutes  Rated R

Arthur
Arthur (Dudley Moore) is a happy drunk with no pretensions at any ambition – his manservant Hobson (John Gielgud) does everything for him. He is also the heir to a vast fortune which he is told will be his only if he marries Susan (Jill Eikenberry). He does not love Susan but she will make something of him the family expects. Arthur proposes under duress and then meets Linda Marolla (Liza Minnelli) with no money, with whom he could easily fall in love.
1981  1 hour  37 minutes  Rated PG

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2
The continuing saga of Toula Portokalos-Miller (Nia Vardalos) and her family builds on the family and situations we know from the original, making much of the humor even funnier. The travel agency where Toula worked is closed, as is the family's dry-cleaning business; she now works at the family's restaurant. Her daughter, Paris (Elena Kampouris), is a senior in high school and so fed up with the family smothering her that she's considering going to a college in another city. This makes Toula and most of the family unhappy. As this proceeds, Toula's father, Gus (Michael Constantine), learns that, because of a technicality, he and his wife are not married. They decide to get married and, as before, the whole thing becomes a circus, removed by one generation.   — The actors are unchanged, save Elena Kampouris, and have become as close-knit as a real-life family, so the looks and digs come naturally.
2016  1 hour  34 minutes  Rated PG-13


Abstracts -- October 2019

Blazing Saddles
In this raucous parody of the Western film genre, greedy land developer, Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Korman) greases the palms of x-rated Governor Lepetomane (Mel Brooks) to induce his help to snatch land to build Hedley's railroad. A key piece of land, Rock Ridge, is inhabited by a flock of Johnsons, all deeply entrenched in the town. The governor tries to help Hedley rid himself of the townspeople; first, he appoints black sheriff Bart (Cleavon Little) to Rock Ridge. Next, Hedley sics "Teutonic Twit" Lili von Shtupp (Madeline Kahn) (check your Yiddish) on Bart. With the help of his sidekick, The Waco Kid (Gene Wilder), Bart fights for his new town. But, the politicos (and the WB studio) fight back. Wackily funny start to finish.

Fugitive, The
Well-known surgeon Dr. Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford), based in Chicago, returns home from work one night to find his wife Helen murdered. The killer, a one-armed man, manages to escape before police arrive. With no evidence pointing to the one-armed man, Kimble is arrested and charged with murder. The police bus to prison crashes, allowing him to escape. His only hope for survival is to find the real killer and why his wife was murdered, so he begins a search via hospital records. Meanwhile, a US Marshal named Samuel Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones) and his team are searching for Kimble, to “bring him to justice.” However, the closer Gerard comes to catching him the more he is convinced he is innocent.

Chocolat
Nomads Vianne Rocher (Juliette Binoche) and her young daughter are met with skepticism and resistance when they move into a conservative town in rural France and open a chocolate shop during Lent. As Vianne begins to work her magic and help those around her, the townspeople are soon won over by her exuberance and delicious chocolates — except for the narrow-minded mayor Comte de Reynaud (Alfred Molina), who is determined to shut her down. When a group of river nomads led by talented Roux (Johnny Depp) visit the town, Vianne teaches the townspeople something about accept-ance, and finds love for herself along the way. Several touching subplots with Judi Dench, Peter Stormare, and Leslie Caron.

Lincoln Lawyer, The
Defense lawyer Mick Haller (Matthew McConaug-hey) works out of his Lincoln to save money and be closer to his clients. Wealthy Realtor Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe), accused of assaulting a prostitute, asks Haller to defend him. He claims the woman is falsely accusing him for money. As Haller delves into the case, he learns that it is linked to an old case in which he wrongly recommended his client plead guilty. Haller must juggle the cases to bring justice to both in a tense finale.

Silverado
A sweeping, action-packed western whose opening scene of a man wakened from sleep in a run-down shack by shots from an opening door sets the stage for 133 minutes of non-stop action staged by top-notch director Lawrence Kasdan. Four strangers, played by Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Kevin Costner and Danny Glover, come together by chance to become close-knit riders for justice in a town run by a crooked profit-seeking sheriff and a conniving rancher.  As they meet from various paths they learn their immediate problems each trace back to these same evil men, which ultimately spells the end for both men.

Trouble With the Curve
Gus (Clint Eastwood) is a baseball scout. The team he works for thinks he should retire but he sets off for one more scouting job to prove himself. His friend, Pete, asks Gus's estranged daughter, Mickey (Amy Adams), to go with him to make sure he's OK, as his eyes are failing. Mickey goes to North Carolina to meet Gus but has to put her work as an emerging law partner on hold to do it. She also has an opportunity to find out why Gus turned her away as a child. While there they run into Johnny (Justin Timberlake), a scout from another team who was a promising player Gus once scouted. Mickey has followed Gus on his scouting trips for years, and with that knowledge helps him on this trip far more than either expected. With gentle prodding from Gus, Mickey finds love with Johnny, of course.

Second Hand Lions
Thirteen-year-old Walter’s floozy of a mother drops him off at the house of his great uncles Hub and Garth. They had disappeared for many years as young men and are rumored to have acquired a great fortune, which Walter's mother hopes to get her hands on if he can ingratiate himself enough to the uncles. Though reluctant to put up with him at first, Hub and Garth grow to accept Walter, and even tell him fantastic stories of their youthful adventures. These, along with their cantankerous behavior toward passing salesmen, more relatives coming to steal their fortune, and physical prowess at several challenges, form the bulk of the film. And who else would buy a tired old lion just to shoot it? Walter makes the lion a pet that later rescues him.

When Harry Met Sally
Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan) meet when she gives him a ride to New York after they both graduate from the University of Chicago. The film jumps through their lives as they both search for love, but fail, bumping into each other time and time again. Finally, a close friendship blooms between them and they both like having a friend of the opposite sex. But then they are confronted with the problem: "Can a man and a woman be friends without sex getting in the way?"
Humor arises as each learns male and female behav-ior patterns not generally known by the opposite sex, and they interact with friends, played by Carrie Fisher and Bruno Kirby, who marry and reveal further male-female behavior.

Secretariat
Housewife and mother Penny Chenery (Diane Lane) agrees to take over her ailing father's Virginia-based Meadow Stables, despite her lack of horse-racing knowledge (in this fictionalized version). Against all odds, Chenery, with the help of veteran trainer Lucien Laurin (John Malkovich), manages to navigate the male-dominated business, ultimately fostering the first Triple Crown winner in twenty-five years.

King's Speech, The
Britain's Prince Albert must ascend the throne as King George VI, but he has a speech impediment. Knowing that the country needs her husband to be able to communicate effectively, Elizabeth hires Lionel Logue, an Australian actor and speech therapist, to help him overcome his stammer. An extraordinary friendship develops between the two men, as Logue uses unconventional means to teach the monarch how to speak with confidence.

Abstracts -- November 2019

Finding Neverland
This charming account of a period in the life of author J.M. Barrie (Johnny Depp) reveals the real-life relationships and events that served as the basis for the author's most iconic work, "Peter Pan." As a result of his platonic relationship with the widowed Sylvia Davies (Kate Winslet) and her four sons, Barrie is inspired to write a play about a group of children who don't want to grow up. The unique strangeness of the play drives producer Charles Frohman (Dustin Hoffman) up the wall but the play proves a hit and winds up bringing Barrie and the children together in a way he had never expected.
2004   1 hour 46 minutes  Rated PG

Doubt
It's 1964, St. Nicholas in the Bronx. A charismatic priest, Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman), is trying to upend the school's strict customs, which have long been fiercely guarded by Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Meryl Streep), the iron-gloved Principal who believes in the power of fear-based discipline. Political change is sweeping through the community and, indeed, the school has just accepted its first black student, Donald Miller. But when Sister James (Amy Adams), a hopeful innocent, shares with Sister Aloysius her guilt-inducing suspicion that Father Flynn is paying too much personal attention to Donald, Sister Aloysius sets off on a personal crusade to unearth the truth and to expunge Flynn from the school. Without a shard of proof besides her moral certainty, Sister Aloysius locks into a battle of wills with Father Flynn which forces him to leave, but it is not over for Sister Aloysius.
2008;  1 hour 44 minutes  Rated PG-13

The Imitation Game
In 1939, newly created British intelligence agency MI6 recruits Cambridge mathematics alumnus Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) to crack Nazi codes, including Enigma, which cryptanalysts had thought unbreakable. Turing's team, including Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley), analyze Enigma messages while he builds a machine to decipher them. Turing and team finally succeed and become unsung heroes, but in 1952 their quiet genius leader encounters disgrace when authorities drive him to his death for being gay.
2014   1 hour 54 minutes  Rated PG-13

Top Gun
Devil-may-care navy pilot Pete Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is sent to Miramar Naval Air Station for advanced training. Here he vies with Tom Kasansky (Val Kilmer) for the coveted "Top Gun" award. When not so occupied, Mitchell carries on a romance with civilian consultant Charlotte Blackwood (Kelly McGillis). Shaken up by the death of a friend, Mitchell loses the Top Gun honor to Kasansky. Worried that he may have lost his nerve, Mitchell is given a chance to redeem himself during a tense international crisis involving a crippled US vessel and a flock of predatory enemy planes.
1986   1 hour 50 minutes  Rated PG

Bridge of Spies, Pt. 1 & 2
A European man living in the US, Rudolph Abel (Mark Rylance), is arrested as a Russian spy. An American lawyer, James Donovan (Tom Hanks), is urged by his partner Thomas Watters Jr (Alan Alda) to take on the case because of Donovan’s steadfast respect for the law. Faced with overwhelming evidence and a biased judge, he loses but convinces the judge to sentence Abel to 30 years in jail rather than death, against strong public opposition. Not long after, Francis Gary Powers, the "U-2 Spy", is shot down over Russia and captured. Now Donovan becomes the negotiator in a tense, uncertain prisoner swap.
2015;  1 hour 11 minutes  Rated PG-13

Catch Me If You Can, Pt. 1 & 2
New Rochelle, the 1960s. High schooler Frank Abagnale Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) idolizes his father (Christopher Walken), who's in trouble with the IRS. When his parents separate, Frank runs away to Manhattan with $25 in his checking account, vowing to regain dad's losses and get his parents back together. Just a few years later, the FBI tracks him down in France; he's extradited, tried, and jailed for passing more than $4,000,000 in bad checks. Along the way he's posed as a Pan Am pilot, a physician and an attorney. And, from nearly the beginning of this life of crime, he's been pursued by dour FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks). What starts as cat and mouse becomes something akin to father and son.
2002   1 hour 22 minutes  Rated PG-13

Abstracts -- December 2019

American Beauty
It takes courage to openly admit that you have failed in almost every aspect of your life, and that's exactly what the unhappy advertiser and self-declared loser, Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey), does: he embraces his failure as a father, husband, and adman. With Lester's tense wife, Carolyn (Annette Benning), and his sullen teenage daughter, Jane (Thora Birch), lov-ing to express their glaring contempt, memories of a once-happy life start to fade; however, the fragrant apparition of Angela (Mena Suvari), an off-limits object of desire, reminds Lester what life used to be, or better yet, what it can be. Now he wants out of his endless suburban slumber, thirsting for a drastic change and a superbly shameless transformation, all in the name of love, and above all, lost beauty.
1999   2 hours  2 min  Rated R

The Blind Side
Based on the true story of Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock) and Sean Tuohy (Tim McGraw), who take in a homeless teenage African-American, Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron). Michael has no idea who his father is and his mother is a drug addict. He has had little formal education and few skills to help him learn. Leigh Anne soon takes charge, however, as is her nature, ensuring that the young man has every opportunity to succeed. When he expresses an interest in football, she goes all out to help him. They not only provide him with a loving home, but hire a tutor to help him improve his grades to the point where he qualifies for an NCAA Division I athletic scholarship.
      Michael Oher was the first-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in the 2009 NFL draft.
2009   2 hours 9 min  Rated PG-13

Capote
It’s 1959 and Truman Capote (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a popular writer for The New Yorker, learns about the horrific murder of a family of four in Holcomb, Kansas. Inspired by the story material, Capote and his partner, Harper Lee (Catherine Keener), travel to the town to do research for an article. However, as Capote digs deeper into the story, he is inspired to expand the project into what would be his greatest work, In Cold Blood.
To that end, he arranges extensive interviews with the prisoners, especially Perry Smith (Clifton Collins Jr.), a quiet, articulate but vicious man with a troubled history. As he works on his book, Capote feels some compassion for Perry which in part prompts him to help the prisoners to some degree. Their intimate relationship and conflict-ing motives combine to produce a seminal book that re-defined modern non-fiction.
2005   1 hour  54 min  Rated R

The Tourist
A woman (Angelina Jolie) sitting in a Parisian café reads a letter telling her to take the train to Venice, pick a man of the sender's height and build, and chat him up. She's being watched: Scotland Yard and a mobster with a crew of Russian thugs are looking for a man she knows. On the train, she talks to an American, Frank (Johnny Depp), suggests they have dinner, and, once in Venice, invites him to her hotel. The bait is set: the Russians think Frank is the man they want: Alexander Pearce, who stole billions from the mobster. Scotland Yard realizes Frank is a just a tourist, but by now he's in danger, smitten by the mystery woman, and in their way. Can the Yard keep Frank from death and still catch Pearce?
2010   1 hour 43 min  Rated PG-13

The Color of Money
Eddie "Fast Eddy" Felson (Paul Newman), a former pool great, has fallen into being a provider of fine booze to his hangout bars. When talented but naive and kooky Vincent (Tom Cruise) plays pool at the bar, Eddie sees his younger self and a chance to re-turn to his first love. He talks Vincent and his girl-friend Carmen (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) into taking a road trip to hustle big-time money at na-tionwide pool tournaments.
One night Eddie is tempted to go off by himself to hustle a likely victim but is badly hustled himself. Humiliated, he leaves Vincent and prepares for the big Atlantic City tournament. Meanwhile Vincent has applied all he learned, become an expert hustler, and entered the same tournament. They meet in an unexpected way.
1986   1 hour 59 min  Rated R

Witness
Young Amish widow Rachel Lapp (Kelly McGillis) is taking her young son Samuel (Lukas Haas) to Philadel-phia for the first time. While in a washroom at the train station, Samuel sees two men savagely murder an under-cover agent. Samuel fingers one of the murderers as nar-cotics officer McFee (Danny Glover) to detective John Book (Harrison Ford). Soon after Book informs his su-pervisor, Lt. Schaeffer (Josef Sommer), he is shot by McFee. With top management part of the murder, Book quickly chooses to hide in the Amish community.
There he is given plain black clothes and hat, does farm work, becomes close to Rachel, and even joins the men building a barn for a newlywed couple. But he can’t resist returning violence with violence in an encounter with ruffian tourists in town, which alerts the corrupt cops to his whereabouts. They appear at the Amish farm armed to the teeth to silence Book for good.
1985   1 hour 52 min  Rated R

The Verdict
Frank Galvin (Paul Newman) is a down-on-his luck law-yer, reduced to drinking and ambulance chasing. Former associate Mickey Morrissey (Jack Warden) reminds him of his obligations as a responsible lawyer and gives him a leg up by serving a medical malpractice suit to him on a silver platter: all parties are willing to settle out of court. As Galvin gets into the case, he feels the plaintiffs have been severely wronged and he can get more just compensation by going to trial. He recklessly pursues this path only to find he is up against a huge team led by well-financed Ed Concannon (James Mason), who makes key witnesses disappear and knows his every move through an informant, and a biased Judge Hoyle (Milo O'Shea) who grants no time to subpoena the wit-nesses.
The vulnerable lawyer is uniquely different role for Newman and a privilege to watch.
1982   2 hours 9 min  Rated R

The Young Victoria
Dominated since childhood by her possessive mother and her bullying consort, Sir Conroy (Mark Strong), teen-aged Victoria (Emily Blunt) refuses to allow them the power of acting as her regent in the last days of her uncle William IV's rule. Her German cousin Albert (Ru-pert Friend) is prodded by his German rulers to court her for solely political motives, but, following her accession at age eighteen, finds he is falling in love with her. He is dismayed at her reliance on Prime Minister Melbourne (Paul Bettany).
This loyalty to Melbourne, perceived as a self-seeker, almost causes a constitutional crisis as she wa-vers in her responsibility as queen. Albert helps restore her self-confidence. She proposes and they marry. Al-bert proves himself not only a devoted spouse, prepared to take an assassin's bullet for her, but also an agent of much-needed reform, finally endorsed by an admiring Melbourne.
2009   1 hour 45 min  Rated PG

Seabiscuit
In the depression era when Americans were in great need of heroic figures to help them forget their trou-bles, Seabiscuit comes to the rescue. The picture re-lates a moving story of friendship and devotion in rehabilitating the main characters' fractured lives, as it interweaves the interactions among horse Seabis-cuit, jockey Red Pollard (Tobey Maguire), trainer Tom Smith (Chris Cooper) and owner Charles Howard (Jeff Bridges) and their adoring fans. The film accurately portrays the real people and events of those troubled times and how Seabiscuit "fixed us, every one of us."
Base on the phenomenally researched book by Laura Hillenbrand it rings true in every aspect of the intricate story.
2003   2 hours 20 min  Rated PG-13