live-and-let-live

Robert Mitchum is cast as an agreeable, kindhearted small-town doctor, against type, but he pulled it off beautifully. That man had IT!

Jean Simmons is cast as an impossibly pretentious American with a British accent, who behaves like an aristocrat, full of pride and hubris.

Her pretense is that she is wonderfully grateful for the hicks in Progress, Arkansas for the help that they gave her when she was a tot, sick, undernourished, motherless, and in poverty. Since she has no remembrance of lack, she becomes a liberal democrat thinking that she can decide what all of these hillbilles need, without ever getting to really know any of them. She know best. She gifts thing and cash and proves what socialism does to normal, goodhearted, though not wealthy, people. Greed and avarice begin to take over amongst these generous neighbors.

The debacle makes the news. Why wouldn't it? People love free-money!!! The darling town is overrun with gawkers and people with their hands out.

CUT TO THE CHASE, Mitchum comes in and makes it all better. He believes in work and integrity. He proposes marriage to the princess, even though she has "money"!!!

He is smart on so many levels.

Debbie Reynolds. America's sweetheart sings and dances her way through the brighly colored remake of Ginger Rogers' "Bachelor Mother". Zheesh I wish the male lead was someone, anyone, else!!! He is as dimensional as Flat Stanley, but Reynolds lights up thescreen in her usual way. What a doll!!! And the baby aint too shabby himself!!! If you can tolerate Eddie's boring performanc,e take a llok and enjoy this fashion frenzy, full of 1950's verve. Eddie Fisher was a louse, sorry to say, a bad actor, and a miserable excuse as a husband. But Reynolds, just watch her and enjoy the remake which is as close to the otirignal, except for the singing and dancing as you can get!

Great plot.

This is so BEYOND horrible that I don't like how negative I am going to have to be to review this mess.

1. Andie M. Was born in 1958. She was too old, too wrinkled, too brunette, too tall, not CURVY enough, and totally miscast as Cynthia.

2. Cameron M. Was too young (born in 1969), too thin, too handsome, too wooden, and too coordinated to be dear Father Tim.

Every character in the entire movie was barely recognizable as citizens of Mitford.

Did the screenwriters even bother to read the book? Jan Karon must be heartbroken to see this slop with her title and name attached. It is not even a good try. It is abysmal.

I must stop. This is so painful.

Do not watch this movie.

The most thoroughly Jewish Jesus you will ever view, love, and come to adore. The undeniable fact base of this show makes it so watchable, and every time, even after the hundredth, that you watch each episode, a new factoid will grip you with delight.

For example, Nicodemus showing his wife the Hasmonean tapestry. I did not learn that period of history in Sunday School, but only through extensive study while reading Maccabees. There are these delicious tidbits that illustrate the extensive backgound of the writers and experts who are committed to making this not only great & entertaining, but enlightening.

Best of all, for me, is seeing the least, the last, the lost, and the disenfranchised welcomed into the very heart of God through Jesus, and the sweet care of the ever abiding Spirit of the Living God. I'm one of them. Unwanted, rejected, and uneeded, until Jesus!

Doctor Finlay fails his code of ethics in acting upon his attraction to a patient at least 15 years his junior.

He is every stereotype of a love-sick adolescent in his mooning and distraction.

His very caring colleagues come to his rescue to urge him to stay, or should I say, return to, the straight and narrow.

The object of his obsession is the mother of two preschoolers. Her husband is a very attractive, faithful, serious churchman employed as a butcher. Life is no cake-walk for him either.

The community bands together to provide assistance to the mothers in their town. Kudos to them. Rotten eggs to Doc Finlay!

The writing in this episode is very disjointed...what was this REALLY about? There are about 3 major plots going on, and about 3 minor plots grugling into the mess that this becomes.

So the woman, Mary, is mentally ill, and likes to have doctors see her because she is somehow in need of attention??? Her husband, Alan, is beyond kind and helpful. Her "Da" is a monster. Was he the father of her child? She refuses to let her husband touch her and responds to her dad in total dependence for all of her needs. She has Alan buy her a new nightgown and pretties up before the new young doctor comes to try & figure out what her problem is. She is anemic, yet refuses to take her iron, and lies about it.

Sure wish that I could read the original script...perhaps they just ran out of time to completely tell the story.

I will never watch this episode again, it is way too furstrating, and I LOVE this show.

The creative team has met the challenges of this film with nuance and journalistic integrity, depicting its subjects' views accurately while applying a sharp critical lens. BATTLEGROUND respects that people have come to their deeply-held positions on abortion from diverse backgrounds, experiences and beliefs. Viewers from all sides will probably strongly disagree with some of the voices in the film, and that's OK - hearing from people with different points of view is a healthy part of our democracy. However, imposing one's personal beliefs on others' healthcare decisions through gerrymandering, stigma, voter-suppression, misinformation and other methods is not.

BATTLEGROUND is fundamentally the story of how a minority of people are manipulating the levers of power to subvert our democracy and advance their agenda against the will of the majority. While the film depicts the clash of abortion and politics in America, it is really about the erosion of our democratic systems and the disintegration of the separation between church and state.

The team behind this film are unwilling to accept an America where women's and pregnant people's lives are gambled with for political gain. If people do not understand the motivations and machinations that have created this situation, we will be unable to change it. That means fostering civic engagement at all levels, shifting culture, engaging the next generation with the same vigor as the anti-abortion movement is and exposing the detrimental outcomes when abortion is politicized.

As the producer and writer of Bully and the director of Netizens, I have a record of creating films that transcend political affiliations and catalyze measurable change. BATTLEGROUND is a unique opportunity to unleash a national dialogue about the future of American democracy and abortion rights - and inspire audiences to effective and focused action.

Writing this in 2022.

While the quality is not the HD that we are all enjoying, the content of this drama is well-worth overlooking the 1985 technology.

Anna of the Five Towns is a British television drama series which first aired on BBC. It is an adaptation by John Harvey of the 1902 novel of the same title by Arnold Bennett.

I must add that it stars the young and engaging Peter Davison.

I am so glad that this came up as a suggestion from Britbox.

This coming-of-age story of a stifled young woman is intriguing. Her navigation from nothingness to being a woman of means was very satisfying to view.

Don't miss it.

Jethro: Mr. Collins Ellie Mae: Elizabeth Bennett Miss Jane: Mary Bennett Uncle Jed: Mr. Bennett Mrs. Drysdale: Lady Catherine de Bourg Mr. Drysdale: Sir William Lucas ...and so forth. The only truly excellent representation of any character was Matthew MacFadyen as Fitzwilliam Darcy.

The Bennets were depicted as a rabble. Their home was a shambles, their manners much worse than Austen portrayed them, and she was far from generous. Their clothes and affectations were grimy and messy.

I saw this when it first came out, and managed to be polite about it, but here, 17 years later, I decided to watch it on Britbox, and could not get past the first 20 minutes.

Worst of all was the nincompoopish potrayal of the darling Mr. Bingsley. What a wreck!

The last 13 minutes are the only part of this biopic that don't feel like a ride on an ancient carnival Tilt-a-Whirl. Round and round. Wheels cranking. Just couldn't wait for this awful ride to end.

I won't even go into the countless anachronisms. And the make-up. FInd Elvis on Youtube. There is no eye shadow, or lipstick. Plenty of color close-ups. This movie is trying to appeal to everyone and ends up letting all of us down. It is so far from factual.

Making Elvis a Civil-Rights hero is not only laughable but downright offensive. He was not racist, but was not a stand-out for social causes.

Austin Butler was good.

Tom Hanks. I bet he has some regrets. I know I do. He was just awful.

A little less action. A little more conversation. Be ready to be jerked around. A lot.

Searching my FIRE TV for Mitchum/Wouk's "The Winds of War". Well, it is not available, nor is "War & Remembrance". Huge bummer!

Still wanted to see Robert Mitchum, not in the 40s, 50s, 60s, in a film noir. This met my wish.

I saw this DELIGHTFUL short for 99 cents. BINGO!

MItchum's talent did not diminish with age. Here he is, an old man, and he still has "it". Hi delivery is spot-on.

Seeing Rhonda Fleming was nice, too. And, it takes place in Iowa, the state that feeds the world.

But the best part was the message of the hope of a future in Heaven. Looking forward to eternity with the One who paid my entrance, and meeting cool people like Robert Mitchum...

Another Diane Keaton movie that is so predictable and cliche'. She is playing the same Diane Keaton again, as we have seen in so many movies over the past 40 years. The clothes change slightly, but the gestures, expressions, laugh, and just about everything else is just so unremarkably the same. Bless her heart.

Could've been titled 30 going on 70. Same premise as 13 Going on 30, BIG, Freaky Friday...

Well, that was disgusting. Keaton is her usual post-menopausal quirky self that we are all supposed to fall in love with. Keep the volume low.

SHe is once more, playing her age-old Annie Hall self.

Douglas thinks he is still Spartacus, emphasis on the "cuss". How a seasoned actor ever agreed to a script that is supposed to be a comedy and that is full or racism is beyond reality.

The little girl left with Douglas is the only bright spot in the movie.

The premise is full of promise but was badly executed.

Now, I'm gonna be picky. They're cruising around in his sedan, it is 2014, and noone is wearing a seat belt.

This is not a "family" friendly movie. The "Playboy" reference, and gawking by pretty young boys over sexy teenage females is just not realistic. The script is ful of fla one-liners and cliches.

It put me to sleep, literally. Because of the good reviews, I went back to it after I woke up, had 3 snack breaks, and tried to finish it hoping for some great surprise ending.

James Earl Jones character, at the end, gave it one slight glimmer of skill.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Imagine in just a few years after this, the whole "French riviera" with a wealthy "Gidget" and a buffooning prince would be so passe'.

Totally miscast. Ford was 47 trying to be 35. Lange was 30 and looked 40, was dull and bland. And meanwhile, they were in a torrid adulterous affair offscreen. Divorces followed, but not a re-marriage.

This flick is a paradox on so many levels. Totally cliche'. Stereotypes galore.

But wait there's more!!!!!

THE AUTOMOBILES!!!! The cars in this movie make it memorable if nothing else.

So many moments in this documentary reveal the great influence of black musicians in American Christian Music. Besides the obvious Andrae Crouch, who made music in the 1970s come alive, to other well-known singers and groups, the especially delightful aspect of this movie was the Pentecostal experiences that were filmed showing where the power of these musicians came from.

Some of the film-clips were from the early 20th Century, leading to discussions of the COGIC Fellowship, the largest "denomination" of pentecostals in America. The jouyous testimony of Smokey Robinson, open disussion of racism and sterortypical American films, and the skill level of marginalized musicians makes this film significant. Love the Mississippi River metaphor by the excellent narrator, and so many of his comments brought such clarity, and emotion, I could not discern his name from the credits. That young man made this very watchable, he is wearing an orange shirt.

The harmonies, lyrics, and exuberance of the music glorifying a 2,000 year old Jewish sect born in Asia brought me to tears.

I will be watching this again.

I suggest IMDB edit and expand the entry for this great show.

This beautiful movie delighted my soul like few others have in so very long. I'm so glad that it showed up.

To understand this story, you need to grasp the nuances of the story of Esau and Jacob, and yes, I named Esau first, because he was the true firstborn. The relationship between the ancient Hebrew twins, the deception, the involvement of a mother who favored Jacob, and a father who favored Esau is critical to the foundation of this modern-day retelling.

The viewer will not see the inheritance bartered for by a bowl of lentils, but by a true necessity.

The blessing construct is as one would expect, very challenging, and causes grief to Esau all of his life.

It is a love story, a family story, a story of reconciliation.

And like the ancient story from Genesis, the instigator of the reconciliation is the one who was so badly injured.

(Sure wish that it had CC.)

The sets, scenery, sites, and smells will beguile you.

--Rivkah in Iowa.

It's almost blasphemous to watch such goings-on attributed to the mind of Jane Austen. Without spoiling this, even further, just go into it knowing that you will see sex on the floor, a hand job, the typical romantic rivalries, greed, incest, racism, a bordello, misogyny, a hated dowager, pianoforte displays, clever dancing, all all of this to the backdrop of Brighton-like scenery.

Oh, and did I mention the vast number of ANACHRONISMS? Nearly every scene involves some type of slang, colloquialism, hairstyle, or costume this is out-of-place.

So not only is it so far from anything Austen imagined, it is also poorly done.

This moving portrayal of the life and times of Marian Anderson will move your heart with love and emotion as you trace her steps from one hidden because of her color to becoming the heroine of freedom for all of us who call ourselves American. This is a must see for those who wish to give their children a perspective of civil rights from a beautifully artistic POV.

Have your tissues nearby.

TV Worth watching. Thank you, PBS.

...Second time watching it. The first time I must've been overly distracted and missed the nuances that sets this episode apart. I've watched all of them available on IMDB, and now on my second time through, this jumped out at me. It is unlike any of the other typically formulated stories.

It left me with a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye.

Lt. Tragg is a real gentleman with the accused.

1:08 into this gastronomical catastrophe...I have 39 minutes left of and am going to try and finish it...my appetite is waning, and I feel a little like I'm getting food poisoning.

I survived. The last few minutes were truly Maalox. Relieved. Hospitalization not required, but some malpractice may be called for...

The lovely shot at the end compensated for the bad taste it left in my mouth. LaChaim!

Refreshing to see a movie that deals with church politics that is nonjudgmental to nonchurched people, and those who have been abused and seek divorce being actually cared for.

Shows the difference between religious people and those who love God and others. Worthwhile and entertaining.

Actually loved seeing abusive churchgoers who make life miserable for their pastor being dealt with, all the while poking fun at their ridiculous behavior.

I happened on this absolutely charming adaptation of Hardy's novel one Friday night, so cold here in Iowa in January. I thought that I had found every free on Amazon piece of British novelization, but alas, no. And here, in this beautiful story, I am full of joy, wishing there were more, and more...

For some of us, seeing a black actor in a 50s TV show is a worthy use of time. Frank Silvera was an exceptionally elegant man who, thanks to B & W, was hired in a variety of rolls. He pulls this one off with great aplomb.

He was a trailblazer, and unfortunately died while working under the sink on a garbage disposal, via electrocution. Throw that breaker when working around water & electricity, folks. We lost a good one!

One of the best episodes and I've seen 'em all.

Easy to follow, but with enough interesting twists to keep the entertainment factor on track.

You may shake your head over the final reaction of the loyal wife, just watch to find out.