Category Archives: Optimistic

2004, Abuse of Women, Acceptable for teenagers, Amazon Prime, Athletes, Bisexual theme, Bullying, Divorce, Drama, Failing Marriage, Family Conflict, Father-son relations, Feel Good Not For Children, Friendship, Gay theme, High school students, Husband leaves wife, Marital Infidelity, Mother-son relations, Optimistic, Sensitive treatement of emotions, Small gem of a film, Spousal Abuse, Wife Beating

Jack (2004)

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From IMDB:

Jack (Anton Yelchin) is busy with adolescence when he realizes his parents are divorcing and even worse, his dad is gay. After some bittersweet experiences, Jack learns no family is perfect, but his own is more caring, supportive, and stronger than he knew.

From Amazon Prime:

Fifteen-year-old Jack finds his life turned upside down when his parents divorce and he discovers that his father is gay. When his friend Max reveals his own family troubles, Jack learns to appreciate all that he has – however unconventional and troubling it may be.

From Amazon Prime you can stream this 1 hour 43 minute family drama.

Dad Paul is played by Ron Silver. Mom Anne is played by Stockard Channing.  Jack is played by Anton Yelchin. Max is played by Giacomo Baessato.

Jack is 15 going on 16.  He is a typical kid who is on the varsity high school basketball team.  He and his best buddy Max gaze  shyly and longingly at their female school mates.  At fate would have it, it was only when Jack’s world seems to collapse that he able to befriend Maggie whose own father also turns out to be gay.  When Jack learns that Max’s father physically abuses Max’s mother,  he begins to appreciate his own family.

Despite the theme, this is a feel-good film in which Yelchin’s portrayal of Jack is pitch perfect and endearing.  This film is one of those rare gems that I somehow stumbled on.

 

2015, Acceptable for children, Based on a Book, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Feel Good For All, Irish, Italian culture, Mother-daughter relations, Optimistic, Sex Scenes, Use of Irish Brogue, Wonderful acting

Brooklyn (2015)

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From NetFlix:

After emigrating from Ireland, Eilis Lacey readily adapts to the vastly different New York City, where she falls for a young Italian. But when tragedy pulls her back to her hometown, she finds her loyalties divided between two nations — and two men.

Probably I have become so jaded from the usual film fare of sex and violence that when I watch a film I expect at any moment that something really awful is about to happen. As a real contrast “Brooklyn” is a sweet, gentle film based on the very popular book of the same name by Colm Tóibin. Imagine: no rapes, no untoward sexual advances, the priests are warm and helpful instead of pedophiles, Eilis (sounds like “eye lish”) is helped by friendly strangers and her boarding housemates. What is this world coming to? How can you have a film without a cringe factor?

All the acting was pitch-perfect. Emory Cohen as Tony (Eilis’ Italian love interest) is just right as a sincere, lovable, honorable member of an Italian family.

Saoirse Ronan presents an Eilis that matures as the film progresses. “Saoirse” is Irish for “freedom” and is pronounced “seer-sha”. “Ronan” means “little seal”.

In such a civilized ambience, the homesickness, difficult choices, and genuine love are felt all the more strongly.

Isn’t it nice to end a film feeling really happy? DO NOT MISS!

 

2013, 2014, 2015, Acorn TV, Anti-Semitism, Australian, Bicycles, Catholic culture, Corny at times, DO NOT MISS, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Flirting, Gay theme, Homophobia, Italian culture, Japanese WWII Behavior, Jewish Culture, Love Story, Made For TV, Melodrama, Mildly Violent, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Murder, Optimistic, Religious Theme, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Soap Opera, Suicide, TV Series, Unmarried mother, War Veterans, Wasp Snobs, Wonderful photography, WWII

A Place To Call Home (2013)

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From Acorn TV:

An instantly irresistible saga (Wall Street Journal) brimming with secrets, passion, romance, and intrigue, A Place to Call Home explores the ties that hold families together and the betrayals that can tear them apart.

In this case Acorn’s description got it exactly right: INSTANTLY IRRESISTIBLE!

UPDATE May 2016:

Usually I hate spoilers, BUT — you at least have to know that this soap opera is destined to go on forever. Each season ends with agonizing cliff-hangers that force you onto the next season.  Unfortunately that includes season three which ends with all the characters in their own separate threads in great difficulty and with evil about to triumph. As of this update there is no season four, which makes me cry “Foul!”

Our audiologist alerted me to Acorn TV and especially to this Australian soap opera. Acorn TV shows presentations exclusively from the British commonwealth, including New Zealand and Australian. Currently Acorn TV costs $5 per month and offers a huge selection for streaming. We use ROKU to do the streaming.

Season 1 ends as a cliffhanger which sent us diving immediately into Season 2. Originally there were to be only two seasons, hence Season 2 ends happily ever after. BUT — when someone decided to do Season 3 they cleverly offer a Season 3 on Acorn TV which begins with a substitute episode for the last episode of Season 2. This rewrite ends with cliffhangers to prepare us for Season 3. Never before have I found such a maneuver. Season 1 has 13 episodes, Season 2 has 10 episodes, and Season 3 has 11 which includes the substitute final episode of Season 2.

“Schmaltz” is German for rendered chicken or goose fat. Have no doubt, this is a real soap opera with lots of schmaltzy emotions, nasty villains, noble heroes and especially heroines. If you do nothing more than just stare at the beautiful and entrancing Marta Dusseldorp (who plays the heroine Sarah Adams), you will have enjoyed yourself. Deborah Kennedy plays the best town gossip I have ever seen. All the conflicting topics are there: Catholic versus Anglican, Jews versus Gentiles, Italian workers against the upper class snobs, homophobia, veterans versus the Japanese, and the enticing list goes on. Australia is beautiful, especially in a perfect rendering of the years just after World War II.

Don’t blame me if your life is devoured by this captivating series.

DO NOT MISS!

2014, Acceptable for children, Arson, Based on a Book, Cooking and food, Corny at times, Culture of India, Father-son relations, Feel Good For All, Fishing, French Culture, Love Story, Optimistic, Race Relations

The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014)

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From Netflix:

Relocating from India to a quiet village in the south of France, chef Hassan Kadam and his family open a restaurant called Maison Mumbai. But when their business starts to thrive, a competing restaurateur launches a war between the eateries.

For two hours you can just relax, accept the many unlikely details, and enjoy a feel-good film that is even acceptable for children. Only a few moments of difficulty from time to time portend a possible cloud, but never fear, in this film tension is just not allowed.

Marguerite is beautiful, Hassan is handsome, and Helen Mirren is Helen Mirren.

You are guaranteed at least four happy endings. Enjoy the silliness!

2014, AIDS, Based on true facts, British, Comedy, Corny at times, Dancing, Feel Good Not For Children, Gay theme, Homophobia, Human spirit, Lesbian Theme, Miners, Optimistic, Senior citizens, Small Town, True Story, Wales

Pride (2014)

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From Netflix:

In an unlikely alliance, striking British mineworkers draw support from a coalition of gay and lesbian activists who solicit donations to help tide over the miners’ families during the 1984 standoff with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s government.

From a Netflix DVD Kathy and I watched this 2 hour feel-good and had many good laughs. Never mind that the film is a bit maudlin, somewhat over the top, has an obvious agenda, and is too long.

What saved the film for me was especially the fact that it is based on true events during the Thatcher era in Great Britain. Be sure to watch the final credits because during the final Gay Pride parade you see screen text which tells you what happened in real life to some of the characters. Sion’s success in later life is especially inspirational.

Among the many actors you might recognize:

  • Dominic West (Jonathan) who stars in the award-winning TV series “The Affair”
  • Imelda Staunton was “Vera Drake” in the famous film of that name.
  • Bill Nighy has a long resume. He played Johnny Worricker in the TV Masterpiece Contemporary series.

Probably the only dark cloud in the story is the emergence of AIDS, which did affect some of the gay men in the plot.

Enjoy the Welsh scenery. Not a perfect film, but lots of fun.

2013, Amazon Prime, Comedy, Complicated, Divorce, Dysfunctional Lives, Explicit sexual discussion, Father-daughter relations, Feel Good Not For Children, Lesbian Theme, Made For TV, Marital Infidelity, Melodrama, Netflix Streaming, Optimistic, Quiet, Senior citizens, Sensitive treatement of emotions, Small British village, Yorkshire Accents

Last Tango in Halifax (2013)

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From Netflix:

Two widowed childhood sweethearts fall for each other all over again when they are reunited over the Internet after nearly 60 years.

Several sources (Netflix, Amazon) let you stream seasons one and two of this off-beat British TV series set in Yorkshire. We inadvertently started with season two and after getting acquainted with the many characters it really did not matter that we skipped season one.

Expect to find a celebration of multi-family dysfunctionality. Because the circumstances and relationships are so abnormal, you have to call this series a comedy. Of course, it you are willing to take any of it seriously, then you could say there are also sad or serious parts.

Just to give you a sample of the nuttiness:

  • Celia (Anne Reid) and Alan (the wonderful Derek Jacobi) marry in their seventies.
  • Celia’s daughter Caroline (Sarah Lancashire, who was wonderful in “Happy Valley”) is divorcing the loser John and taking up with Kate (Nina Sosanya who was Lucy Freeman in “W1A”).
  • Alan’s daughter Kate (Nicola Walker who was Ruth Evershed in “MI-5” or the remarkable Helen Bartlett in “Scott & Bailey”) is an impetuous unpredictable sheep farmer who has a complicated relation with Robbie (Dean Andrews who as Pete Lewis in “Being Eileen”) which is not at all helped by the fact that she slept with loser John.

Derek Jacobi’s Yorkshire speech pattern is wonderful to hear.

Because of its unrelenting sexual references, this series is probably not for children. But it does offer a pleasant and funny alternative to serial killers and rape victims.

2012, Comedy, Dysfunctional Lives, Love Story, Nothing special, Optimistic, Sex Scenes

Girl Most LIkely (2012)

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From Netflix:

After staging an unsuccessful suicide to get her boyfriend’s attention, a struggling playwright moves back home to live with her mother, her mother’s boyfriend and a handsome lodger who sings with a Backstreet Boys cover band.

Exaggerated family disfunction is the basis for this comedy, and indeed there are some good laughs. Annette Bening (as crazy mother Zelda) and Matt Dillon (as crazy boyfriend “The Bousche” of the crazy mother Zelda) are probably the best known actors. Kristen Wiig (as mixed-up daughter Imogene) will play young Lucille Bluth in the 2013 addition to “Arrested Development”. Darren Criss (as the roomer in crazy mother’s house) and Christopher Fitzgerald (as mixed-up bother Ralph of mixed-up daughter Imogene) are two newish faces that do well in the film.

Just sit back and take in the antics of these improbable personalities in this light-hearted disposable comedy.

2012, Addiction, Amusing banter, Bicycles, Could Be Sad, Drama, Drugs, Dysfunctional Lives, Ethical struggles, Explicit sexual discussion, Father-son relations, Flirting, Human spirit, Marital Infidelity, Masturbation, Medical Theme, Mostly About Sex, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Optimistic, Psychological Drama, Sex Scenes, Thought provoking, Violent

Thanks for Sharing (2012)

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From Netflix:

While making his way through a support group for sex addicts, Adam dips his toe in the dating pool to embrace a meaningful relationship. But the woman he’s attracted to has sworn off addicts altogether.

Sex addiction is the sole topic of this serious, thought-provoking, well acted, and hopeful film. Originally AA helped just alcoholics, but the idea of mentor-mentee organized group therapy involving public acknowledgement of one’s problems has expanded to all sorts of addictions. Plot line centers around four addicts and their associates. Expect very little comic relief from the problems of the various characters:

  • Mark Ruffalo (Adam) compulsively engages in all manner of sex acts. After a successful period of recovery he meets…
  • Gywneth Paltrow (Phoebe) who is both seductive and has her own set of eating and exercise compulsions.
  • Tim Robbins (Mike) is Adam’s mentor. In addition to his own personal demons, Mike was not a good father to …
  • his now drug-addicted son Patrick Fugit (Danny).
  • Josh Gad (Neil) is a young mother-smothered MD who loses his hospital job due to his compulsion to touch women in public. He helps and is helped by fellow sex addict …
  • Alecia “Pink” Moore (Dede) who needs sex following any emotional stress.

Each character during the course of the film suffers some setback (“falling off the wagon”) followed by a recovery. Hope and mutual support rather than a feeling of despair makes this film somewhat inspiring. Nobody is perfect. Good flick!

Based on true facts, Black History, Drama, Ethical struggles, Father-son relations, Human spirit, Optimistic, Political statement, Race Relations, Slavery, Thought provoking, True Story, Vietnam, Violent, War

Lee Daniel’s The Butler (2013)

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From Netflix;

Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker delivers a powerful performance as Cecil Gaines, who served as the White House butler under eight presidents. His three decades of service unfold against a backdrop of unparalleled change in American history.

By combining the history of the civil rights movement with the life of a particular family, that of the butler Cecil Gaines, you can feel the impact of the events much more personally.

All the black actors, including Oprah Winfrey, do a fine job, while the white presidents were merely acceptable. Special mention to Jim Gleason in his small role as R.D. Warner with his pitch-perfect portrayal of a nasty, arrogant, dismissive and probably racist White House staff manager. Similarly the murderous white Southern plantation son was equally hate inspiring.

More need not be said about a historical drama that really nails it! DO NOT MISS!

2013, Acceptable for children, Alzheimer's disease, B-movie, Could Be Sad, Drugs, Dysfunctional Lives, Father-son relations, Feel Good For All, Mediocre, Melodrama, Optimistic, Plot Twist, Quiet

Straight A’s (2013)

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From Netflix:

Seeking redemption, family outcast Scott returns to his hometown, only to throw everyone’s lives into disarray. It’s particularly troubling for his sister-in-law, who was once his high school sweetheart.

Give this “Straight A’s” a rating of a Straight B.

However, it is (except possibly for many uses of the F-Word) a feel-good film suitable for children. Since it was a 2013 film made immediately available for Netflix streaming, you might suspect this film is not Oscar material.

Sorry, but for me Anna Paquin will always be Sookie Stackhouse from that TV vampire-fest “True Blood”. Ryan Phillipe played Louis Roulet in “The Lincoln Lawyer“.

There is nothing really wrong with this predictable melodrama except for its mediocrity. In fact, if you are watching while doing something else constructive, this is not a bad diversion.