Reviews

How could you wrong with Laura Linney, Kathy Bates and Maggie Smith together in a film? I feel like these three brilliant actors must have had some choice in working with each other to pull this off so beautifully -- under sensitive direction by Thaddeus O'Sullivan working from a story by Jimmy Smallhorne about common human experiences, failings and learnings. The three women decide to go to Lourdes from Baillygar, Ireland -- each to seek a miracle which they hope will be the solution to their lives. But what if what they really want is beyond what they're seeking? This one will stay in my library of films to watch when I need the reminder that the combination of good script, story, acting and direction is unbeatable for those of us who appreciate fine filmmaking.

Benji the Dove lives in a small town neighborhood where nothing ever changes. Even in 2018 he and his friends ride around on bicycles in the middle of the Main Street, unaware of the dangers that exist in the real world. Into their midst comes a young Scottish boy who hails not only from the country but from the philosophy of ancient Scottish knighthood - nobility, justice, and ethics. Bringing the thoughtfulness of the knight's philosophy into the 21st century is a great idea and boys learn lessons way beyond iPhones or game boxes. Really enjoyed this. Including a young Gerald Jones (Benji) and his Scottish friend Roland (Steven Braunstein).

This is an odd film, but ends up on the right side of odd. It's A little creaky on the direction and so the acting is a B rating. But the premise is interesting and I found myself enjoying that there was no melodramatic tension artificially written into the script. Instead the dramatic arc focused on how and why this ghost came to be, why they were tethered in one place and what you actually do if you have one in your house that won't seem to go away. One of the living charcters is as medium, which also comes in handy in the story. In the end, this is a fun story with a plausible premise. Even though the solution is currently far-fetched, it might be true in the future. Fun.

This is a great documentary on the 'cult' of FLDS (Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints - not to be confused with LDS). Leader and polygamist Warren Jeffs twisted his 'prophet' status, and that allowed him to control and sexually abuse women and under aged girls in his congregation -- finally ending up in prison for his crimes. You watch this and your jaw drops -- how could this STILL be happening in America in this century? One of his 87 (!) wives finally managed to escape despite being persecuted by the church for her attempts -- thankfully, or this story might never have been told. .

There's a bookend to this story not mentioned in the documentary and just as fascinating. Nearly 200 years ago the founder of the original Latter Day Saints (Joseph Smith) had a 'revelation' that his 'church' should practice polygamy in the name of God. Looking back, it seems like he and his friends were making an excuse to get more women, including under-aged ones, into his bed by whatever means they could. Brigham Young continued this practice (How did they even named a University for him?) Finally one of Young's many, many wives divorced and denounced him, his practices, and polygamy (Anna Eliza Young). She left and then wrote "Wife Number 19" as a tell-all in 1876. Like "Briel," who tells her story in "Prisoner," Anna Eliza was expelled, denounced and shamed by the church. Finally multiple marriages were 'outlawed' in part as a result of those efforts, but this documentary clearly shows that 150 years later the practice still is flourishing -- along with the extreme damage it can do to those inside if they want out.

What a great job! Thanks for a riveting look at the story of our first president. Thanks for improving your production quality! Revealing story that most people don't know. Great cast. Great talking heads. Great voice over. Great script. Yes, there's a couple of issues that prevent me from giving it the rating of 10...but please keep this up. Do more! I have been waiting for your channel to target watchers like me for decades. I consider myself an 'informed' viewer and unless I was interested in watching a piece in which the information was skewed, sometimes invented, with dubious backup and a way over-dreicted voice-over -- I'd just end up switching channels. I've recommended this piece to several people..

Mary Kay Place (Diane) gives a performance so real that we think we know her, have likely run into her at the grocery store or maybe met her at a local civic group. In any case we'd walk by this 'unremarkable' older woman with barely a glance. Her life is easy, hard, stressful, comfortable -- filled with things that matter only to her and her close family and friends. She is "every-woman" and yet Place inhabits Diane so well that we are drawn into the depth of her 'everyday' life and realize how extraordinary an ordinary life really is. Kent Jones does a brilliant humanistic directing job. A group of veteran actors (Joyce Van Patten and Estelle Parsons to name two) well known from stage and television, fill out a great ensemble cast. Thank you Kent Jones. A true pleasure.