Of note
I recently had the chance to see two films - one was a happy accident, and the other was one I'd been wanting to see for a long time.
I stumbled upon The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio totally by accident. I'm a fan of Julianne Moore, though, and the opening credits looked fun, so I thought I'd give it a shot. Glad I did. Moore is, as always, wonderful in it, and it was definitely worth watching. In a nutshell, Evelyn Ryan (Moore), Catholic housewife and mother on TEN children, has a way with words. She's married to luckless, alcoholic Kelly Ryan (played pitch-perfect by Woody Harrelson), who drinks away the money he makes as a machinist in a local factory. For fun, and to help make ends meet, Evelyn participates in national contests for jingles, rhymes, and other marketing mumbo jumbo. And she's good, too. Her winnings make up the down payment on the Ryan house and also include cars, kitchen appliances, supermarket sweeps, and more. Frustrated Kelly is by turns resentful and amazed at his wife's prowess as she neatly feeds and cares for their brood. The movie is based on a true story, and for the most part, it's a feel-good family flick.
Moore and Harrelson are the true stars of the film, and I don't know which one is better. Moore's character is imminently sympathetic, maintaining a good attitude and a can-do spirit in spite of her husband's failings. In contrast, Harrelson is masterful as Kelly, a good-natured but weak man who can't seem to succeed. He is torn - his status as sole provider is consistently challenged, making him defensive. However, at heart, the viewer does feel that he loves his wife implicitly and admires (indeed, depends on) her resourcefulness.
I also FINALLY got around to watching Good Night, and Good Luck, starring David Strathairn, George Clooney, and Robert Downey Jr. Very impressive. First of all, the black and white film lends the movie a nostalgia that is difficult to describe. The cigarette smoke alone deserved an Oscar nomination.
The movie tells the story of Edward R. Murrow's stand against Senator Joseph McCarthy during the 1950s. Murrow (Strathairn), together with Fred Friendly (Clooney) was one of the few who publicly stood against McCarthy and pointed out the holes in the search for closet communists. The film itself is a fascinating look at the role of the media in American democracy, the obligation of the fourth estate to serve as a watchdog on our government. It is almost as if the filmmakers were asking us to LOOK at our media, at how far it has sunk. There was a time, apparently, when news was about more than ratings. It's a pity that time has past. I imagine that much of Strathairn's "on camera" script was verbatim, and it was pure poetry. Newscasters no longer speak with such eloquence nor demand so much (intellectually) from their audience. It was yet another eye-opening moment.
The film also explored the damaging effects of public opinion, particularly in the case of Don Hollenbeck, played expertly by Ray Wise. Hollenbeck, once in McCarthy's sights, is a doomed man. Although he tries to refute accusations made against him, he eventually commits suicide rather than face continuing public shame.
The soundtrack is smooth and instrumental, indicative of the time. And the film had an interesting topic for me, considering my profession. (When in grad school, we studied some of the research that Fred Friendly produced while at Columbia. Interesting stuff.) I highly recommend this film.
I stumbled upon The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio totally by accident. I'm a fan of Julianne Moore, though, and the opening credits looked fun, so I thought I'd give it a shot. Glad I did. Moore is, as always, wonderful in it, and it was definitely worth watching. In a nutshell, Evelyn Ryan (Moore), Catholic housewife and mother on TEN children, has a way with words. She's married to luckless, alcoholic Kelly Ryan (played pitch-perfect by Woody Harrelson), who drinks away the money he makes as a machinist in a local factory. For fun, and to help make ends meet, Evelyn participates in national contests for jingles, rhymes, and other marketing mumbo jumbo. And she's good, too. Her winnings make up the down payment on the Ryan house and also include cars, kitchen appliances, supermarket sweeps, and more. Frustrated Kelly is by turns resentful and amazed at his wife's prowess as she neatly feeds and cares for their brood. The movie is based on a true story, and for the most part, it's a feel-good family flick.
Moore and Harrelson are the true stars of the film, and I don't know which one is better. Moore's character is imminently sympathetic, maintaining a good attitude and a can-do spirit in spite of her husband's failings. In contrast, Harrelson is masterful as Kelly, a good-natured but weak man who can't seem to succeed. He is torn - his status as sole provider is consistently challenged, making him defensive. However, at heart, the viewer does feel that he loves his wife implicitly and admires (indeed, depends on) her resourcefulness.
I also FINALLY got around to watching Good Night, and Good Luck, starring David Strathairn, George Clooney, and Robert Downey Jr. Very impressive. First of all, the black and white film lends the movie a nostalgia that is difficult to describe. The cigarette smoke alone deserved an Oscar nomination.
The movie tells the story of Edward R. Murrow's stand against Senator Joseph McCarthy during the 1950s. Murrow (Strathairn), together with Fred Friendly (Clooney) was one of the few who publicly stood against McCarthy and pointed out the holes in the search for closet communists. The film itself is a fascinating look at the role of the media in American democracy, the obligation of the fourth estate to serve as a watchdog on our government. It is almost as if the filmmakers were asking us to LOOK at our media, at how far it has sunk. There was a time, apparently, when news was about more than ratings. It's a pity that time has past. I imagine that much of Strathairn's "on camera" script was verbatim, and it was pure poetry. Newscasters no longer speak with such eloquence nor demand so much (intellectually) from their audience. It was yet another eye-opening moment.
The film also explored the damaging effects of public opinion, particularly in the case of Don Hollenbeck, played expertly by Ray Wise. Hollenbeck, once in McCarthy's sights, is a doomed man. Although he tries to refute accusations made against him, he eventually commits suicide rather than face continuing public shame.
The soundtrack is smooth and instrumental, indicative of the time. And the film had an interesting topic for me, considering my profession. (When in grad school, we studied some of the research that Fred Friendly produced while at Columbia. Interesting stuff.) I highly recommend this film.
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