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DonnaTN
Reviews
Alex, Inc. (2018)
Zach Braff as a Dad:
I see this show as a little bit older, more mature Zach Braff trying to step into the old, well-worn shoes of "TV sitcom dad," especially since he is a dad of young kids in real life now at home.
John Dorian was a single guy. The character Alex is married & has 2 young kids. (New territory for Zach to play.). Give him a chance before unplugging it altogether!
If they keep the kids as an integral focal point of the scripts each week, (plus the mom, too, of course!) hopefully they will figure out where these characters are going. Sometimes it takes awhile to figure out new characters, & storylines, and the motivating desires of each character (without falling into stereo-typical characters.)
If sitcoms would actually put their characters IN FUNNY situations where the comedy comes from, (like Lucy & Ethel or Laverne & Shirley!!) that's when sitcoms turn into classic gold!
Sitcom has become a term today that usually means "nuclear family: mom, dad, and two or three kids."
That's not really fair to the genre. Remember "Cheers?" Remember "Taxi?"
GET THE WRITING BACK to SITUATIONS, (especially funny, absurd situations) & not just "joke, punchline, joke, punchline, kid rolls eyes, says something catty or mean to parents, & then storms out of the room stomping their feet."
It took Bonanza almost a year before they got into the groove of things. Give Alex Inc. more than a week or two.
John Goldfarb, Please Come Home! (1965)
Crazy, Funniest Football game EVER in a Movie!
This movie, by far, has the MOST HILARIOUS, funny, off-the-wall, slapstick football game EVER captured on film! Some people say that "The Longest Yard" has the funniest movie EVER in a film, and to them I say: "Just watch 'John Goldfarb, Please Come Home' and you'll change your mind." ("The Longest Yard" NEVER had LIVE camels and live elephants storm the field during a play, and football players jumping on each other's shoulders, 2 and 3 deep to snap a play!) Sure, it's a silly 1960's comedy, and isn't considered a classic (as classics go), but it SHOULD be! All the actors did a good job in it, too!
Shirley McLain and Richard Crenna were excellent in their parts, and Peter Ustinov showed real prowess as a comic sultan king. Shirley was a reporter incognito in the king's harem when "Wrong Way Goldfarb" shows up.
Do You Remember Love (1985)
Sensitive Portrayal
When this movie 1st came out Alzheimer's was not widely known about by the general public. It was the 1st time I ever heard about it. Thank Goodness I saw it! My mother came down with it less than 10 yrs after I 1st saw it, so I was prepared about knowing about it & recognized it in the early stages.
I was her caregiver until she died some 10 yrs later. The movie was so sensitive & wonderfully portrayed! They had to 'rush' her deterioration because of time constraints of a 2 hour movie, but in real life it's much slower.
But this movie was like giving me a road map to an unfamiliar and dark and scary place. It prepared me for what I had to face as my mother's caregiver.
Later, my husband took care of his dad through it to the end, too. I'm glad we weren't "in the dark" when facing this incredibly horrible disease! This movie is a "must see" if a loved one is facing dementia! (Grab the tissue box! Such a touching performance!)
Valkyrie (2008)
RE: ALWAYS Remember the difference between fact and fiction.
When viewing movies based upon historical events, remember that the movie is STILL a fictional representation of the events... unless it is a documentary.
Always remember that fiction is not historically accurate. However, a film can give you the feel of the times, with the fashions, the settings, the cars, the customs, manner of speech, the beliefs at the time, etc.
Just remember the film is not merely a documentation of what actually happened, and exactly what everybody said. Often there are "composite" characters based upon putting two or more actual people together into one character.