Tag: Woman Writer

Sleepless in Seattle is Perfect

A picture of Meg Ryan in Sleepless in Seattle

Sleepless in Seattle

Directed by Nora Ephron
Written by Jeff Arch, Nora Ephron, and David S. Ward

The review:

This remains a classic romantic comedy* and hits all its marks. It’s even stronger because the two characters play out their own stories, but we know by the end that they are meant to be together. It’s also a movie that inspired me to do my homework** and uses so many good actors in small roles.***

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: Netflix monthly fee ($8.99)
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*I don’t think I watched this more than once or twice, yet so many of the scenes were as familiar as if I had seen it more recently than the 1990s. The soundtrack, however, I wore out during my early college years.
**I watched two movies because of this movie. (An Affair to Remember, The Dirty Dozen) I didn’t love either of them.
***Tiny Gaby Hoffman! Calvin Trillin! Rita Wilson! Rosie O’Donnell! Carey Lowell! David Hyde Pierce! Frances Conroy! (I had to look her up, but she was the mom in Six Feet Under.)

Questions:

  • It’s always hard to deal with the mismatched love interest. How do you feel about the breakup scene?
  • What’s another movie that makes good use of the map?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

The scene between Tom Hanks and Victor Garber crying over the movie The Dirty Dozen (1967) was completely improvised during the take.

Other reviews of Sleepless in Seattle:

Note that the Metacritic list is made up of fifteen men and two women. Grrr.

Text: Destiny is something we've invented because we can't stand the fact that everything that happens is accidental. —Sleepless in Seattle. Read the three sentence movie review. 3SMReviews.com

Cancel the Delivery of You’ve Got Mail

Photo of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in the movie You've Got Mail

You’ve Got Mail

Directed by Nora Ephron
Written by Nora & Delia Ephron adapted from Miklós László’s play

The review:

I didn’t like this in 1998 and the central problem remained in 2020.* Thus, I wasn’t much of a fan, except for Meg Ryan’s incredible wardrobe,** the amazing bookshop*** and being amused at the premise that the family that runs big bookstores would have that level of wealth.**** I will say that it’s an interesting study of someone breaking out into her own person during middle age,***** which is the hidden gem of a story in this watchable-but-unlikeable film.******

The verdict: Skip

Cost: $3.99 via Google Play
Where watched: at home

Consider watching instead:

Further sentences:

*When a man knows a key piece of information and purposely withholds it from a woman he might be in love with, that makes him a secretive and manipulative jerk. It was that way when Jimmy Stewart played this role and it’s that way when Tom Hanks does.
**A few things haven’t aged well, but most of her outfits hit the spot.
***She even mentions the Betsy-Tacy books!
****This does poke fun at old men fathering children with much younger women, which is fun.
*****Though she loved books, she was carrying on her mother’s legacy. This didn’t give her a chance to find out who she wanted to be.
******I also enjoyed the quick and easy breakup scene. One could call it lazy writing, but it was carried off with such verve.

Questions:

  • What was your favorite Meg Ryan outfit?
  • How did you find the AOL aspect now that we’ve moved past AOL chatrooms?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

The children’s bookstore scenes in the film were filmed at Maya Shaper’s Cheese and Antique Shop on 106 West 69th Street. The filmmakers wanted to use the antique shop because it had the quaint, homey feel they were going for. They sent the owner of the antique shop on vacation for a few weeks, and while she was gone they turned the store into a children’s bookstore. After filming was finished, they put everything back the way they had left it, and it became an antique store once again.

Other reviews of You’ve Got Mail:

Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life--well, valuable, but small--and sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it, or because I haven't been brave? —You've Got Mail. Read the three sentence movie review 3SMReviews.com

Little is Big Fun

Picture of Marsai Martin and Issa Rae stars of Little

Little

Directed by Tina Gordon
Written by Tracy Oliver, Tina Gordon

The review:

Holy cow, does the one-two-three punch of Regina Hall, Issa Rae,* and Marsai Martin charm the heck out of this movie. Marsai Martin is particularly good,** channeling a very grown, very mean Regina Hall with uncanny accuracy. Though it slumps a bit in the third act, this movie is fun, funny, and well worth your time.***

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $1.80 via Redbox
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*A bright spot of 2020 is that this is the year of me catching up with Issa Rae.
**She was entirely new to me, and I’m blown away by her performance. Fingers crossed for a smooth transition from adolescence to adulthood.
***Another thing I liked was that the rest of the cast looked like real people, not body-perfect actors trying to make it in Hollywood.

Questions:

  • What’s your favorite age-swap movie?
  • How would you fare if you were thrown back to your 13-year-old self?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Marsai Martin not only pitched the movie but was also one of the executive producers.

Other reviews of Little:

Text says: So you ate her? Is that what happened? Cook her in your Easy Bake Oven? —Little. Read the three sentence movie review: 3SMReviews.com

The delivery of this line. I can’t even. Issa Rae is a comic genius.

Miss Juneteenth: A Slice of Former Beauty Queen Life

Picture from the movie Miss Juneteenth

Miss Juneteenth

Directed by Channing Godfrey Peoples
Written by Channing Godfrey Peoples

The review:

Though this is the type of movie that would inspire comments by Redbox reviewers along the lines of, “Oh, my GOD soooooo boooooring!!!!”* I loved this slice of life feature, especially the push-pull of the mother/daughter relationship.** Channing Godfrey Peoples lets us come to our own conclusions about what has brought Turquoise Jones (Nicole Beharie) to this point, and gives us hints about what her future could be. For all its quiet observation, this movie has a ton to say about class, race, family systems, and ramifications of choices made.

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $4.99 via Redbox OnDemand (I had a $2.00 off coupon)
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*I read a Redbox user review like this for Manchester by the Sea, and thought, “Dude, did you go into this knowing nothing?”
**Mothers wanting things for their daughters that aren’t important to the daughters is a universal mother/daughter theme. Turquoise’s experience as Miss Juneteenth was a highlight of her life and keeps her from seeing that her daughter’s interests lie elsewhere.

Questions:

  • Where do you think Turquoise is steering herself in the right direction?
  • What struck you the most about this film.

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

No trivia. Instead, enjoy this quote from a Deadline article:

I wanted to tell this story about a black woman with a dream deferred, and a black woman that knows that she just wants something for herself even though she may not be able to articulate at the moment. She has these hopes and dreams for her child and she also has these hopes for her child to have a better life. As a writer and as a filmmaker, I tend to write about family cycles and what we leave behind and what we decide to move forward with. Also in my work, I definitely write about black women who are taking a step forward in their lives, and I love writing about their journeys, and I come from that unique perspective as a black woman having grown up in this country, and especially in, what I call, black Texas. Actually, I took that from another writer who said this is black Texas, and I thought that was incredible. So I’ve taken that and now I say I understand that I was raised in black Texas.

Channing Godfrey Peoples

Other reviews of Miss Juneteenth:

Text: I just want something for myself. —Miss Juneteenth. Read the three sentence movie review at 3SMReviews.com

The Assistant’s Long Day

Picture from movie The Assistant

The Assistant

Directed by Kitty Green
Written by Kitty Green

The review:

On the one hand this is a like enduring a very long day of a job you long to quit; on the other the minute-by-minute chronicle allows plenty of time to contemplate things* as the banal a-lot-ain’t-right-here feelings continue. What Julia Garner is doing is a lot harder than it looks and she carries us through her mundane, creepy, and disgusting tasks.** Even more fun: the things other employees say as justification.***

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $1.80 via Redbox
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*”If movies are made by people like this, why am I even supporting the industry?” was one of my many thoughts.
**Kitty Green’s choice to never show the boss is what makes this movie so powerful.
***A close second: the lines Garners co-workers feed her so she can properly apologize to her terrible boss.

Questions:

  • What was the most surprising thing about the company?
  • Would you continue to work in this job?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

The film was shot in eighteen days.

Other reviews of The Assistant:

Text reads: Don't worry. You're not his type. —The Assistant. Read the three sentence movie review: 3SMReviews.com

Have you been waiting for Can’t Hardly Wait?

Photo of the cast of Can't Hardly Wait

Can’t Hardly Wait

Directed by Harry Elfont & Deborah Kaplan
Written by Deborah Kaplan, Harry Elfont

The review:

Wowee, does this standard multi-character teenage comedy capture a time.* While it’s great to reacquaint yourself with people who once were around a lot and have faded,** I’m not sure this is the greatest use of your movie-watching time.*** But if you, like me, can never resist a teen comedy and you haven’t yet seen this, well, you’ve got some homework.

The verdict: Good

Cost: Netflix monthly fee ($8.99)
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*My teen years encompassed 1987–1994 and aside from Say Anything in 1989 not one teen comedy was released while I was actually a teenager. This, in my memory, is the first after the drought.
**Jennifer Love Hewitt, Seth Green, Sean Patrick Thomas, Jenna Elfman. (Ethan Embry I just saw in a minor role in Blindspotting. He was great in that. A little so-so in this.)
***Though it’s a teen comedy before cell phones plus the 1990s clothing is so fun to remind you that you are glad you aren’t wearing it any longer.

Questions:

  • What did you think of the wrapup text that tells you where everyone is?
  • If you had to dress like one of the characters, which would it be?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

At one point, there’s a distant shot showing someone doing flips in the party’s yard. That’s actually Ethan Embry. In addition to acting, he was an award-winning gymnast from a very young age.

Other reviews of Can’t Hardly Wait:

Text says: Nobody drink the beer. The beer has gone bad! --Can's Hardly Wait. Read the three-sentence movie review 3SMReviews.com

The Watermelon Woman is a Bushel of Fun

The Watermelon Woman

The Watermelon Woman

Directed by Cheryl Dunye
Written by Cheryl Dunye

The review:

A few months ago I watched Nisha Ganatra’s Chutney Popcorn and was charmed by it’s 90’s indie energy;* so it was for this film, an imperfect, yet incredibly engaging story of a video store clerk on a quest to find out more about a Black actress from the 1930s. While the production values are low, the charisma is high, and this film is funny.** While it’s a Good film for anyone to watch, it’s Recommended if you were of a certain age (say, 16–30) in the mid-90s, have an interest in new Queer cinema, or are curious about what’s up with that mysterious 1930s actress Cheryl is so interested in.

The verdict: Good

Cost: Free via Kanopy. It’s also streaming for free right now on the Criterion Channel
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*And yes, the many markers of the 90s were part of its charm for me.
**”Welcome to the Center for Lesbian Information and Technology.” (CLIT) (Ha!)

Questions:

  • What are you willing to forgive in shoddy filmmaking as long as something else is present?
  • What’s your favorite low-budget movie from the 1990s?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

(None because they are both too spoiler-y)(Here’s one from a New Republic article.)

Dunye made The Watermelon Woman on a shoestring budget of $300,000—about one tenth of which came from an NEA grant. The film received limited attention when it was originally released in the U.S., but that didn’t stop it from generating controversy when Michigan Republican Pieter Hoekstra cited it as inappropriate use of government funds. He tried unsuccessfully to get his colleagues in Congress to deduct Dunye’s $31,500 grant from the NEA budget, citing NEA funding for a series of gay and lesbian films that “most Americans would find offensive” and referring to The Watermelon Woman specifically as “patently offensive and possibly pornographic.”

Moira Donegan, New Republic

Other reviews of The Watermelon Woman:

The Watermelon Woman

Wild Rose is Not Country & Western

Wild Rose

Wild Rose

Directed by Tom Harper
Written by Nicole Taylor

The review:

Tales of striving artists tend to be complicated and none more so than when those striving artists are women.* So it was interesting to see Jessie Buckley walk the line** between paroled convict, mother, and aspiring singer, not to mention Julie Walters trying to find a middle ground as Buckley’s mother. Aside from the art/family debate, there was also some good stuff around class, a wonderful soundtrack, and great musical performances.

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $2.99 via Redbox On Demand
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*Because the way things are set up right now there’s a lot of things women have to do on a daily basis before they can get to the art.
**Ha!

Questions:

  • What was the best choice Rose-Lynn made?
  • Which was your favorite performance?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Glasgow’s Grand Ole Opry can also be visited, on Govan Road. It specializes in country music.

Other reviews of Wild Rose:

Wild Rose

13th Shows Exploitation

13th

13th

Directed by Ava DuVernay
Written by Spenser Averick, Ava DuVernay

The review:

DuVernay lays out a convincing case that exploitation of a phrase in the amendment that abolished slavery (except as a punishment for a crime whereof the party shall have been convicted) has continued to enslave Black people in the US since the amendment was adopted. It’s a stylish documentary, with great graphic design* and camera angles of talking heads that aren’t just static head shots. But it also packs a repeated punch** and leaves a lot of room for thinking.

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: Netflix monthly fee ($8.99)
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*It looks like old-timey posters
**For me the dialog of the current occupant of the White House overlaid with footage from the Civil Rights Movement was particularly striking. Also, the point that was made that you can talk about the lives of many white leaders without discussing the FBI, but this is impossible to do for Black leaders.

Questions:

  • What needs to be dismantled or rebuilt first?
  • What was something that struck you in this film?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

The filming locations and production design of the interviews, with brick walls and industrial equipment represent labor that, according to DuVernay, “has been stolen from black people in this country for centuries.”

(I was particularly taken with the building where Angela Davis was interviewed. What was that gorgeous decaying space? I watched the Oprah/Ava conversation (available on Netflix) and learned it was an abandoned train station in Oakland, California.)

Other reviews of 13th:

13th

Song One: Music and Emoting

Song One

Song One

Written and directed by Kate Barker-Froyland

The review:

This film is a must-see for people who like to watch Anne Hathaway emote, like quiet films with lots of time for thinking, or perhaps would like a tour through concerts of indie musicians playing in NYC/Brooklyn circa 2015.* It’s a great film for twining pain (a brother in a coma) with the pleasure of connecting through music. It also had me reflecting about the sounds around us and how they often go unnoticed.**

The verdict: Good

Cost: $1.99 via Redbox On Demand. Arrrgh! Have just discovered it’s on Hoopla and I could have watched it for free!
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*Essentially, this is the perfect “me” movie.
**Plus, after watching this, Emma. and the TV series Love Sick I’ve concluded that Johnny Flynn plays essentially the same character every time. But he’s picked a good character to play.

Questions:

  • Which was the most interesting relationship in this film: Franny and her mother, Franny and her brother, Franny and James Forester
  • How did Franny’s anthropologist training influence her attempts to bring her brother out of the coma?
  • Why is this called Song One?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

The steel guitar that Johnny Flynn’s character James Forester is often seen with is his own guitar and is featured in many of his music videos.

Other reviews of Song One:

Song One