By: Ann-Marie Murrell
GCC/Staff
Apr. 16, 2011

Ayn Rand’s masterpiece Atlas Shrugged should be required reading in every school and university in America.

It is the anti-Socialism guide book–a warning anthem against allowing government to take over every aspect of our lives.

I’ve read Atlas three times and even missed a flight last year while furiously writing notes about it, so to say the least, I’ve been anxiously waiting for the movie version to be made.

And getting it made was very difficult indeed. After being in development hell for 40 years and ultimately with no major studios (or stars) backing it, private investor/business man John Aglialoro bought the rights and enlisted former actor Paul Johansson to direct.

(One can only imagine liberal Hollywood chickened out because they realized how much of a mirror they’d be holding up to themselves and it would NOT be a very good reflection…)

I was skeptical about the movie version, especially having seen the mess the studios made of ‘The Fountainhead’. (Patricia Neal as Dominique Francon??

Seriously?)

 But today, Atlas Shrugged the movie (Part 1 of 3) is finally in theaters.

If you can find those theaters, that is.

Even living in Los Angeles, we had to seek out anyplace showing it and we ended up somewhere out in Chatsworth. Once inside the theater, there were no posters, no marquis, and Atlas was at the very end of a very quiet hallway.

My husband Mark and I went to the 5:30 showing; we got there extra early because we wanted to see everyone who came in.

Would they be Ayn Rand fans, like us?

Would they be liberal infiltrators?

Would anyone show up at all besides us? Slowly the room got fuller. Not blockbuster-movie full, but a good crowd for 5:30 on a Friday.

Mark couldn’t resist and started talking to some people around us. I was nervous, because living in LA you just never know who you’re sitting next to—but soon we had a great conversation going about liberals in Hollywood, lasting until the movie started.

And about the movie—I’m happy to say it was good. Really good.
It starts in 2016 and paints a very accurate portrait of what America will probably look like if Obama serves a second term…Gas prices have skyrocketed so high that people are now taking the train.

Government has taken over basically every aspect in life, with people in power constantly spouting about ‘leveling the playing field’ and making everything ‘fair’ for everyone.

Union leaders are threatening to strike, and words like ‘moratoriums’, ‘sanctions’ and ‘entitlement programs’ are sprinkled throughout.

(Sound familiar?)

Seeing larger-than-life characters like Dagny Taggert and Hank Reardon come alive, in a word, fun. Taylor Schilling’s Dagny was very Rand-like: thin, angular, chin held high, eyes unblinking and Grant Bowler as Reardon was strong, virile and had the perfect blend of self-assurance and world-weariness.

The ending was spectacular and apparently everyone in the audience thought so, too, because they burst into applause. When you live in such a liberal part of the world like Los Angeles, things like that are mighty special.

As Mark and I were leaving, we asked the couple who sat behind us what they thought. Sabina Baretta, a Valley resident, said, “It was really well done and I’m excited to see Part 2. I just hope people see the resemblance to where we are in America today.

We’re basically at the point of economic collapse just like in ‘Atlas Shrugged’.” Her friend Rob Collister also liked the movie, adding it was a ‘tough story to make.’

Very true; it’s difficult to break down a 1000+ page book—which is more of a philosophy than an action-packed story– even into a trilogy. So if you haven’t already, I highly recommend you read the book before seeing the movie.

I know—everyone always says that—but in this case I think it’s imperative. There are so many characters and events that are skimmed through in the film that you really need to read the book to appreciate everything that wasn’t fleshed.

Mark hasn’t yet read it so at different times during the movie I kept wanting to whisper things to him—like pointing out the gold dollar sign on the cigarette, or to help him understand why I was so excited about seeing people like Ellis Wyatt and Francisco d’Anconia; or to explain my sense of glee in finally seeing that ‘blue green’ shade of Reardon metal.

But for someone who hadn’t read Atlas Shrugged, Mark did enjoy it and is going to start reading the book this weekend.

I’m not sure when (or if) they’ll begin production on Part 2; it will probably depend on the success of the first one.

The good news is that as we were leaving, there was a long line of people waiting to go to the showing after ours. And in such a liberal town as LA, that really is a good sign.

Source:  Ann-Marie Murrell  the Reagan Report

Editor’s Note:  We welcome to Mrs. Murrell to our staff, we hope that you will enjoy her writing. And on her discussions and let us know what you think. 

Ann-Marie Murrell is a Conservative writer and a contributor to The Reagan Report and also of the Gold Coast Chronicle.

Like President Reagan, Ann-Marie Murrell began the first part of her life as a democrat.  September 11, 2001 changed everything for her, as she watched the buildings in New York collapsed. At that point she understood what evil truly was, and the importance of having a strong, capable leader in America.

So on September 12, 2001 she called her local GOP office and officially registered as a Republican. These days Ann-Marie considers herself a Conservative/Republican (in that order) and has the highest level of respect for President Ronald Reagan and all that he stood for.

She lives in Southern California with her husband, Mark, and she has a (Conservative!) 25-year old son, Jason. You may reach Ann-Marie at annmariemurrell@reagan.com

We welcome your comments.  Please Login in or Register to post a comment on this article. Thank you and we appreciate your support!

By Lonely Conservative

I had the pleasure of speaking to Ray Griggs, a writer, producer, and director in Hollywood, California. 

We talked about his conservative documentary I Want Your Money. Griggs describes the film as a warning about the dangers of socialism and the drift towards big government.

The film pits the ideas of Ronald Reagan against the ideas of Barack Obama. (Not to give anything away, but I think Reagan wins.)

He spent time in September and October in New York and Washington, DC, doing “man on the street” interviews of every day Americans.

(That in it should be interesting.) He also got to know the folks from the National Tea Party and the Values Voters Summit.

The film features interviews with some well known voices in the libertarian and conservative movements, including Star Parker, John Stossel, Steve Forbes and Steve Moore.

The film’s logo was designed by an artist from Mad Magazine, who also helped with the animation segments. 

Using voice-overs, Griggs has Ronald Reagan trying to teach Barack Obama the lessons of smaller government and free markets, and how Mr. Obama’s policies fail time and again. The film was made to appeal to a younger audience.

That’s so important. Hollywood has had such a hand in shaping the cultural and political landscape, as have our schools.  The virtues of capitalism are no longer taught in public schools, which Griggs sees as a big problem.

Coming out as a conservative in Hollywood isn’t easy. Neither is trying to find investors and donations for funding the distribution of conservative films. And without backing, independent films can be pulled by theaters.

Griggs would like to release the documentary in the spring or summer of 2010, and he’s working on lining up backing for the project – another uphill battle in liberal Hollywood.

He seems like a man who is genuinely concerned about the direction of our country, and believes California serves as the perfect example for the path the rest of the country should not follow. But it seems that’s exactly the path we’re on.

When 62% of Americans don’t pay taxes, they don’t mind if taxes on the other 38% go up. What they don’t understand is that when taxes go up, the wealthy get going.

They’ve fled California and New York for states with lower taxes. We’ll see more and larger companies move operations overseas to escape the crushing tax burden here in the US. There won’t be any incentive left for people to work harder.

There was a bit of a controversy over Griggs’s you Tube video “I Guess I’m Racist“. (Liberals don’t like it when someone points out their idiocy.) He’s also the man behind the Bobble Rep app, which makes it easier than ever to contact your representatives in Washington, DC. Other works by Ray Griggs include the award winning short adventure Lucifer, and the animated children’s film Super Capers.

Source: Lonely Conservative

Editor’s Note: When this interview was done the movie was in production and not out yet.

We would like to know what you think. If you would like to comment on this story please login. We appreciate your comments and input

By Dan Samaria
Publisher/GCC
Oct. 18, 2010

America I need your help!

It is important for every American to learn the truth about our country’s fiscal status.

And the hopeless future that Washington is creating for our children.

Our country is broke and we can’t afford more tax and spending policies. It is time to learn the truth that the News Media, Washington and Hollywood are hiding from us!

There is a movie that we as Americans need to support because the liberals in Hollywood don’t want you to see because it is put out by a conservative.  

I respect a director that is willing to put his reparation, on the line to bring a movie that is worth seeing.

There have been some conservative movies that have succeeded in Hollywood, but most have them are not allowed to be produced.

The directors have a hard time getting people to work with them, getting investors to invest in their movie.  Most investors get their money from the liberals in Hollywood and are not willing to put themselves on the line.

Being afraid of the anger that will be put a pound them by the liberals.

When a movie like Jackass 3D is a big hit that proves to me the movies are not worth seeing. And that America is going in the wrong direction.

The liberal people in Hollywood force their garbage on us, when a conservative comes out with a movie it is boycotted by the liberals. And told that it is garbage…

Here is a description about the movie by Sasha D:

“I Want Your Money” is a documentary that opens in theaters nationwide this past Friday. The movie pits the success of Ronald Reagan against the socialistic Obamanomics.

According to the trailer, 67% of Americans do not approve of Obama’s economic policies, but many of those claim that they like him as a person.

Does this give him more ammo to push his agenda forward than other politicians would receive?

Almost certainly.

The movie aims to show the stark differences between Reaganonomics and Obamanomics. It shows the two different views.

Throughout most of “I Want Your Money”, it typically leans to the right, but does explain why some believe Obama’s plan is best in the long.

The Director is Ray Griggs; you can see his interview done by Lonely Conservative on our site.

We need to support this movie; we cannot allow the liberals to tell conservators that they have to stay in the closet. If they want any of their movies to ever being produced, since they think they own Hollywood.

Let’s show them they are wrong and support this movie. And that movies like Jackass 3D is not worth seeing and show them  that Jackass 3D is not worth seeing, especially when it involves our children.

Source:  Spread it

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think. If you would like to comment on this story please login. We appreciate your comments and input.

Editor’s Note: If you have a movie review that you would like to submit on a movie that you have seen.

We would like to know what you think about any reviews that we publish. dan@goldcoastchronicle.com

For Michael Jackson fans, this is it — a chance to finally see what the entertainer had planned for the 2009 concert dates his untimely death prevented him from keeping. Cut together from footage taken during rehearsals for the show, the film provides a behind the scenes look at the King of Pop as he sings and dances to some of his best known music.

In-Depth Review

Michael Jackson’s This Is It is rated PG: for some suggestive choreography and scary images.

This musical documentary’s title may have the sound of finality to it. But with a This Is It DVD release scheduled for next year—one that promises hours of additional footage—it is hard to believe this is the last we will see of Michael Jackson.

The production is the pet project of Director Kenny Ortega, whose movie credits also include the Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour and the High School Musical series. Ortega, who worked with Jackson on the Dangerous World Tour and HIStory World Tour, pulled the film together from footage shot during the rehearsals for the planned 2009 London concerts.

It’s a love fest to say the least, focusing on the performer’s attention to detail, professionalism and consideration of the dancers, musicians and other stagehands. But with all the negative press and controversies that have surrounded the singer’s death, a little loving won’t be lost on his fans.

The clips include Jackson’s announcement of his proposed tour on March 5, 2009 at The O2 arena, along with a few other street shots. Yet for the most part, the film takes place inside the studio where Jackson and Ortega were in the midst of orchestrating what surely would have been one of the biggest comebacks ever. (Tickets for the concerts sold out in hours.)

Mixed in with scenes of song rehearsals and dance steps are testimonials by those who worked with the star. From a cast of what appears to be hundreds, only a handful is chosen to perform as backup dancers. It is a life dream come true for many of them and a second chance for at least one man who finds himself struggling for direction in his life. Hopefully the concert’s cancelation hasn’t set him back again. Jackson also shares a moment with lead guitarist Orianthi Panagaris, encouraging her to enjoy the spotlight during her moment on stage with him.

Jackson’s fans will be treated to bits and pieces of many of his greatest hits, along with a taste of the complications and intricacies inherent in producing one of these extravaganzas. As well, they will get a glimpse of some of the sets and film shot especially for the in-production show. The video features some graveyard ghouls made up for a revamped version of Thriller and depictions of environmental destruction.

While several scenes include portrayals of Jackson’s infamous crotch-grabbing dance move, there is little other content concern for parents of younger teens who may be interested in this tribute. But don’t count on a riveting, controversial tell-all. The film might be called Michael Jackson’s This Is It but it is really Kenny Ortega’s homage to the King of Pop.

Studio: 2009 Sony Pictures. Visit the official movie site.

Content Details:

Several scenes include depictions of Jackson’s crotch-grabbing dance move as well as dancers dressed in skimpy costumes. One song has background footage of burning forests and environmental destruction. Some scenes include pretend gunfire and staged fighting. Planned fires and explosions on stage are seen.

Discussion Ideas:

Video alternatives…

Other documentaries with a musical theme include a behind the scenes look at the Jonas Brothers’ touring routine in Jonas Brothers 3D Concert Experience. The film Standing in the Shadows of Motown looks at The Funk Brothers, a group of session musicians who contributed to the distinctive sound of Motown. A less professional but certainly earnest group of singers are showcased in Young @ Heart, the story of senior citizens who aren’t afraid to take on a wide variety of musical styles.

Source: Parent Previews

Editor’s Note: Kerry Bennett is interested in media from both a journalist and parent perspective. Along with authoring articles for several family-oriented publications, she has written for Parent Previews for nearly 10 years. She serves as Vice President of the Alberta Association for Media Awareness. She and her husband Garry have four sons.

Editor’s Note: If you have a movie that you would like to summit on a movie you have seen.

We would like to know what you think about any reviews that we publish. dan@goldcoastchronicle.com

The small town of Bodeen, Texas doesn’t have a lot to offer a misfit like Bliss Cavendar (Ellen Page). But the teen thinks she has found the place where she belongs when she meets some girls from a roller derby league (played by Drew Barrymore, Kristen Wiig).

In-Depth Review

Whip It is rated PG-13: for sexual content including crude dialogue, language and drug material.

Drew Barrymore’s time in front of the camera—beginning at age three—seems to be benefitting the actress in her first big screen directorial debut. In Whip It, she manages to keep the momentum rolling while incorporating several different story lines. And even with a large cast, she rounds out her characters and gives them more than one-dimensional personalities.

The main focus of her film is Bliss Cavendar (Ellen Page), an average teen from a middle class family who lives in the little town of Bodeen, Texas. Her mother, Brooke (Marcia Gay Harden), is a former beauty queen who now delivers the U.S. mail. She has high hopes that her oldest daughter will succeed on the pageant circuit. Her younger sister, Shania (Eulala Scheel), is already making her mom proud by regularly bringing home the title in her age category.

Bliss’s achievements, on the other hand, are mediocre at best. Her job at a fast food joint (where all the waitresses wear aprons with pig faces on them) is equally uninspiring. Then while shoe shopping with her mother, Bliss comes across a flyer for a roller derby match. Lying to her parents about her plans, she persuades her girlfriend (Alia Shawkat) to drive her to Austin to take in the event.

From the moment she sees the group of tough, tattooed, skimpily clad female combatants racing and brawling their way around the track, she knows it is time to turn in the tiara for a pair of roller skates. Without informing her family of her decision, she deceives the coach about her age in order to make the team and fabricates all kinds of stories to delude her mom and dad while she goes to practices and competitions.

But pretending she is a grownup puts Bliss in some adult situations that involve drinking and an extended, exotically portrayed sexual encounter. Luckily Bliss’s teammates are looking out for her. The movie contains some moving moments of personal growth for the young skater when they come to her aid. The production also addresses other hard-hitting topics facing teens today, including their desire to pursue their own passions rather than fulfill their parents’ expectations.

Yet, despite the depiction of consequences for some of her actions, Bliss manages to maneuver around most of them as deftly as she jams her way through a pack of defensive blockers. For teens facing their own challenges, Bliss’s ability to Whip It past any long-term negative outcomes for her choices seems noticeably unrealistic.

Studio: 2009 Fox Searchlight. Visit the official movie site.

Content Details:

Women participate in rough sports play resulting in bruises, bloody noses and other minor injuries. A male character grabs his crotch in a rude gesture. Another male is hit in the groin. A couple, consisting of a young adult male and teenaged girl, engages in a prolonged scene of sexual activity in a swimming pool. Teens kiss. Sexual innuendo and crude dialogue, including the description of male anatomy, are contained in the script. A partially nude man is seen. Female characters wear skimpy and revealing outfits. Paraphernalia for illegal drug use is shown. A woman smokes secretly at home. Adults and teens are shown drinking on numerous occasions. A teen is arrested for drinking. Several characters lie to others. A crude sexual hand gesture, profanities, scatological slang and name-calling are used. A song title from the film includes a strong sexual expletive.

Discussion Ideas:

Video alternatives…

Encouraged by her uncle, a young girl pursues a goal to be a quarterback in the Pop Warner Football League in The Longshots. Bliss’s mother isn’t the only mom who has her teen’s life planned out: in Ice Princess, a mother’s academic goals for her daughter are threatened when the girl wants to take up figure skating. Drew Barrymore gives a powerful performance as a 15-year-old girl whose life is turned upside down when she becomes pregnant after Riding In Cars With Boys.

Of Special Note:

This movie is the directorial début for Drew Barrymore, who can be seen as a child in E.T The Extra-terrestrial. Her adult acting career includes movies like Ever After and Charlie’s Angles. Ellen Page caught the attention of the acting world in the title role of Juno.

Source: Parent Previews

Editor’s Note: Kerry Bennett is interested in media from both a journalist and parent perspective. Along with authoring articles for several family-oriented publications, she has written for Parent Previews for nearly 10 years. She serves as Vice President of the Alberta Association for Media Awareness. She and her husband Garry have four sons.

Mark (Ricky Gervais) has just made a remarkable discovery. While everyone in the world he lives in always tells the truth, he can lie! Using his newfound ability, he quickly begins to take advantage of the trusting souls around him — especially the beautiful Anna (Jennifer Garner).

In-Depth Review

Invention of Lying, The is rated PG-13: for language including some sexual material and a drug reference.

Honesty gets a bad rap in The Invention of Lying. It really has very little to do with telling the truth. Instead, it’s defined as a continuous battery of uncensored, nasty comments aimed at everyone else. There is no flattery, no fiction and no deceit in this world, as well as no regard for anyone’s feelings.

Apparently people have learned to live with the maliciousness. In fact, they seem to expect an onslaught of brutal observations about their weight, physical appearance, chances of success and social status. But they aren’t happy.

Among the most miserable is Mark Bellison (Ricky Gervais). He has just lost his job at a film studio, realized his mother (Fionnula Flanagan) is about to die and been threatened with eviction from his apartment. Going to the bank to draw out the last of his funds, he is suddenly struck with the ability to lie. Since dishonesty doesn’t even have a name in the society where he lives, the bank teller (Ashlie Atkinson) immediately assumes the computer is wrong and hands to Mark the $800 he requested.

Though he doesn’t know what to call it, the unemployed screenwriter is giddy with his newfound power and begins a spree of fibbing (much of which is portrayed in a positive or comedic fashion) that takes advantage of his innocent fellow citizens.

Love is also absent in this town   a line of reasoning in the movie that suggests deceit is a big part of successful romantic encounters. People marry and procreate based on finding the best genetic pairing (or as this script also implies, as a means of destroying the happiness of others). Hence, if you are chubby, unsuccessful and snub-nosed like Mark and his friends (Jonah Hill and Louis C.K.), you are destined to be unlucky in love. However, that doesn’t stop Mark from being attracted to the beautiful Anna McDoogle (Jennifer Garner), even after she lets him know exactly how she feels about him on their first date.

The final subjects lumped together as lies by the film’s screenwriters, Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson, are advertising and religion. In a portrayal that mocks the beliefs of the spiritual community, Mark manufactures what he considers to be his biggest and best mendacity ever. At the bedside of his dying mother, he attempts to relieve her fears about the unknown by “creating” an afterlife. The story spreads like wildfire through the streets and Mark takes on the role of prophet and spiritual leader, as well as consummate swindler.

The concept behind this one-joke comedy is brilliant, yet the execution and editing often feel clunky and contrived. Many of the supporting actors thrive in their roles, including Jennifer Garner as the guileless girlfriend and veteran actor Jeffrey Tambor who plays Mark’s boss. Even as the big man struggles to summon enough gumption to fire his floundering employee, honesty compels him to let Mark know of his upcoming dismissal. Gervais, on the other hand, reverts to the same bumbling, self-indulgent character he plays in Night at the Museum and Ghost Town.

Despite their efforts, the writers seem unable to manipulate the plot enough to make either brutal honesty or unabashed lying look totally attractive. Rather, they sidestep the issue and choose instead to invent a world where restraint is considered dishonest, where faith is deemed to be a fabrication and where one man prospers at the expense of everyone else—including the woman he loves.

Studio: 2009 Warner Brothers Pictures. Visit the official movie site.

Content Details: Beyond the Movie Ratings…

Although this film contains no depictions of sexual activity beyond some brief kissing, there are frequent, frank and often lengthy discussions on self-pleasuring, sexual arousal, the inappropriate manhandling of women and the intention to copulate. A man tells a woman that the world will end unless she has sex with him immediately. Several vulgar expressions are used along with derogatory comments regarding sexual orientation. The film contains portrayals of childhood bullying, attempted burglary and other unethical activities. On several occasions a character discusses options for committing suicide. Men and women regularly imbibe alcoholic beverages at home, over dinner and in social settings, sometimes to the point of drunkenness. One man drives erratically after consuming numerous drinks. A police officer admits to having a cocaine addiction. Jokes are aimed at religious beliefs, romantic relationships and body types. A character takes on the appearance of a Christian deity. The script contains frequent crude name-calling, some profanities and the use of a sexual expletive in a non-sexual context.

Discussion Ideas: Talk About the Movie…

Video alternatives

In Quiz Show, contestants who’ve been coaxed into lying in the pursuit of fame become part of a national scandal. Two young brothers have to fib about the source of all the money they are donating to deserving individuals and institutions in the movie Millions. A con artist, who plans to fleece a small town by selling them instruments and creating a band, finds his plan unraveling when he falls in love with the local librarian in The Music Man.

Source: Parent Previews

Editor’s Note: Kerry Bennett is interested in media from both a journalist and parent perspective. Along with authoring articles for several family-oriented publications, she has written for Parent Previews for nearly 10 years. She serves as Vice President of the Alberta Association for Media Awareness. She and her husband Garry have four sons.

We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

by Kerry Bennett

Burke Ryan (Aaron Eckhart) has all the answers for dealing with life’s problems — including the loss of a loved one. But when the self-help guru bumps into Eloise (Jennifer Aniston), a woman who makes him look at the man beneath his façade, he is forced to question his own advice and whether he has really addressed his own grief.

In-Depth Review

Love Happens is rated PG-13: for some language including sexual references.

Have you ever wondered about the private lives of motivational speakers? Do they really have all of life’s answers? Can anyone be that gung ho everyday? Apparently not all of them are.

Caught up in the grind of the speaking circuit, Dr. Burke Ryan (Aaron Eckhark) is trying hard to keep up appearances. He is promoting his book on dealing with the death and helping others come to terms with their grief. On stage, he promotes physical health, abstinence from alcohol and facing fear. But in the solitude of his own space, he soothes himself with a stiff shot of vodka and refuses to face his own demons. Three years after the death of this wife—the catalyst for his book—he is anything but A Okay.

His latest gig in Seattle, his wife’s hometown, brings all the horrible memories of their car accident flooding back. Fortunately for the conference attendees who’ve paid big bucks to find relief from their trauma, the Doctor takes his job seriously. His compassion even extends to a gruff father (John Carroll Lynch) who is questioning his own presence at the workshop.

Meanwhile as his agent (Dan Fogler) works hard to turn Burke’s tragedy into a successful business brand, the promotional speaker literally runs into the hotel’s floral supplier. Later, when he tries to introduce himself to Eloise (Jennifer Aniston), she feigns a handicap to brush him off. Yet even after he discovers the deception, he is charmed by the language-savvy florist who has a fetish for scrawling unusual words in odd places around the hotel.

What follows are the usual ups and downs expected in a formula romantic comedy accompanied by several scenes involving crude, sexual innuendo as well as profanities and a rude, sexual hand gesture. Although the script wraps up with a nice, tidy, happy ending, there are some interesting side stories along the way. Firstly, grief is messy and getting through it is different for everyone. Secondly, it is always easier to tell someone else how to fix his or her life than it is to repair your own. Finally, if you’re not careful and honest, there can be a big disconnection between the private and public persona.

Fortunately those life realities make this sentimental romance a little easier to swallow, even if we know exactly what is going to happen.

Studio: 2009 Universal Pictures. Visit the official movie site.

Content Details: Beyond the Movie Ratings…

This script contains numerous uses of mild and moderate profanities including crude sexual terms and a rude sexual hand gesture. Several scenes include crude sexual innuendo and discussions. Characters recount the events surrounding the death of loved ones. Details of an automobile accident are repeatedly seen. A man burns his feet after standing on hot coals. A domestic bird is let loose in the wilderness. Characters are shown drinking on several occasions. They also use a hookah pipe. A man, who drinks to deal with grief, accuses a woman of being negatively affected by cold medicine.

Discussion Ideas: Talk About the Movie…

Video alternatives

Women aid other men who are trying to come to terms with the loss of a wife in Return to Me and Dan in Real Life.

Source: Parent Previews

Editor’s Note: Kerry Bennett is interested in media from both a journalist and parent perspective. Along with authoring articles for several family-oriented publications, she has written for Parent Previews for nearly 10 years. She serves as Vice President of the Alberta Association for Media Awareness. She and her husband Garry have four sons.

We would like to know what you think? dan@goldcoastchronicle.com

Some wives complain that their men don’t spend enough time with them. For Clare (Rachel McAdams) the issue is even more of a problem because her husband Henry (Eric Bana) was born with a rare genetic disorder causing him to involuntarily travel through time. Despite the obvious challenges, Clare does all she can to maintain their relationship.

In-Depth Review

Post Grad is rated PG-13: for thematic elements, brief disturbing images, nudity and sexuality.

All of us are born with a few genetic anomalies, but for Henry DeTamble (Eric Bana), his “defect” is far more difficult to cope with than buckteeth or a bad knee. While going about his daily routine, he will suddenly disappear. Pulled into a random time and place, Henry is an involuntary time traveler—and it makes focusing on any aspect of his life particularly difficult.

Working at his job as a research librarian (we can only assume he has very generous extended health benefits) he bumps into Clare Abshire (Rachel McAdams). She says she has been waiting for this moment and insists that she knows him very well. Hesitant, but willing to accept her assertion that they are/were/will be best friends, the pair begins (or perhaps continues) their serious relationship back at her apartment.

If it seems Clare has fallen madly in love too quickly, sporadic flashbacks will eventually justify her passion. These occur whenever Henry is hit by one of his spells, allowing us (the audience) to see various parts of his life. These include quiet moments, like Henry as an adult visiting with Clare during her childhood. We also share pivotal events and other destiny changing encounters, such as the horrifying crash that took his mother’s life (this is shown from the prospective of young Henry sitting in the back seat of the car). Some of these incidents involve blood and/or injury, but explicit violence isn’t shown.

This female-skewed movie will more likely draw adults than teens, but parents of prospective attendees should be aware of a few glitches they’ll have to navigate while following this traveler. One involves the only scientific technicality addressed in this movie: Henry must (conveniently) leave his clothes behind every time he sets sail for a new destination. Hence we see many shots of Bana’s bare buttocks. (We get a view of McAdams’ nude backside too, during a scene where she crawls out of bed). Another is that our naked protagonist is forced to learn how to steal clothes at each location. Smashing car windows, picking locks and evading police are all part of his routine. Other potential problems come from discussions surrounding conception, a miscarriage and a vasectomy—all relatively serious adult sexual themes. As well, during part of their portrayed sexual relationship, Henry and Clare are not married.

A romance with a sci-fi twist, The Time Traveler’s Wife wisely focuses on the couple’s relationship and later, the care of their child. Thanks to solid performances from Bana and McAdams, the resulting emotions are surprisingly authentic considering the fantastical premise. Moments of mild humor help the script too, such as when surrounding characters—friends, a genetic specialist and policemen—are appropriately surprised and shocked when Henry dissolves into the 4th dimension. Although parents may want to use caution when considering this title for younger viewers, the captivating and emotionally involving story of The Time Traveler’s Wife allowed this film to travel through two hours of my life with relative ease.

Studio: 2009 New Line Cinema. Visit the official movie site.

Content Details: Beyond the Movie Ratings…

This romance with a sci-fi twist contains many views of rear male nudity (in a non-sexual context) and one scene of rear female nudity. A couple of scenes depict pre-sexual activity, including one where a man touches a woman’s breasts (with clothes on). A man is frequently seen stealing clothing and breaking into cars and buildings. A car accident is shown from the interior view of a car, which is spinning out of control—a child passenger has blood on his hands. As well, an exterior view shows the car hit by a truck and bursting into flames. A man is seen with bloody injuries on a couple of occasions, once from an accidental gunshot. A pregnant woman discovers blood on her pants and in her bed. The script includes discussions surrounding conception, miscarriage and vasectomy. A non-explicit birthing scene is included. A father teaches his child how to pick locks. Language includes a couple of uses of scatological slang, several terms of deity, a few mild profanities and one milder substitution for a sexual expletive. A man discusses using prescription tranquilizers. A man cheats in a lottery.

Discussion Ideas: Talk About the Movie…

When complaining about living with her husband’s condition, Clare exclaims that she “never had a choice.” How would knowing your future remove or distort the your opportunity to pick your options? Do you think the risks of knowing your future would or would not outweigh the benefits?

Source: Parent Previews

Editor’s Note: Rod Gustafson has worked in various media industries since 1977. He founded Parent Previews in 1993, and today continues to write and broadcast the reviews in newspapers, on radio and (of course) on the Internet. He currently serves as the President of the Alberta Association for Media Awareness, a provincial non-profit society. He also authors a regular column for The Parent’s Television Councl in Los Angeles. He and his wife Donna have four children.

We would like to know what you think? dan@goldcoastchronicle.com

by Rod Gustafson
August 21, 2009

Many graduate students leave college behind with big dreams of high-paying careers and changing the world. But Ryden Malby’s (Alexis Bledel) future plans get a reality check when she can’t find a job and has to move back home.

In-Depth Review

Post Grad is rated PG-13: for sexual situations and brief strong language.

Ryden Malby (Alexis Bledel) has had her life planned out since high school. It’s simple really: Get scholarships, don’t drink too much, stay focused, finish your undergrad and find your dream job. At 22 she appears to be right on track, diploma achieved and ready to grab a great employment offer at a prestigious publishing firm in LA. But what she hasn’t counted on are the numerous others who also have shiny new English degrees and want the same kind of work.

Within weeks, things are headed in the completely opposite direction. She doesn’t get the job, her car is wrecked, and she’s living back at home in North Hollywood with her father Walter (Michael Keaton) who jumps from one get-rich-quick-scheme to the next, an attention-starved little brother (Bobby Coleman), an eccentric grandmother (Carol Burnett) and an unbelievably patient (or perhaps blithe) mother (Jane Lynch). Also vying for just a little notice of his existence is her persistent pal Adam (Zach Gilford). Pulled between studying law at Columbia or hanging out in LA playing music, he puts off choosing while he waits for Ryden to recognize him as something more than just a friend.

What this stalled group of characters needs is a catalyst to get them moving—and the script provides one in the form of a handsome Brazilian neighbor. After Ryden’s dad accidently runs over David Santiago’s (Rodrigo Santoro) cat, the young post-grad feels obligated to hang out at the thirty-something’s house for a little one-on-one career conversation. Although the infomercial director has his own struggles, he is still happy to listen to the cute girl from next door. David’s pair of listening ears plus a couple of glasses of wine soon motivate Ryden to make overt sexual advances—and that’s when her family walks in.

Needless to say the awkward moment has everyone confused and leaves Ryden even more ambivalent about her relationship with Adam. Meanwhile her father’s latest scheme lands him in jail and her brother is convinced Dad will never spend time with him.

If the title of this film left you expecting yet another college movie full of ridiculous pranks and gross-out jokes, you’ll be pleasantly surprise by what Post Grad doesn’t contain. Yet on the other hand, the movie can’t decide where on the comedy/drama spectrum it fits. The laughs are few, the drama is weak and the story becomes just as lost as the stock characters it is trying to portray. Even veteran actor Carol Burnett is a bit of a disappointment here, playing the usual conniving in-law who reminds her granddaughter to pack condoms.

That line, the interrupted liaison with the neighbor (who blurts out a sexual expletive, which is followed by a remark from Grandma that puts the word into a sexual context), a couple of other innuendos and a variety of profanities give additional reasons for parents to reconsider this movie for family viewing.

On a positive note, even though we don’t get much opportunity to know Mr. and Mrs. Malby very well, they do appear as a reasonably happy couple determined to work through life’s tough spots. It’s just unfortunate that the hour-and-a-half we spend with them requires an equally determined effort from the viewer.

Studio: 2009 Twentieth Century Fox. Visit the official movie site.

Content Details: Beyond the Movie Ratings…

Sexual content in this movie includes a moment of sensuality, a half-dozen comments regarding condoms and other sexual matters, along with a man caught in a compromising situation with a female coworker. An uttered sexual expletive is put within a sexual context by another character’s follow-up line. The script contains about ten scatological slangs, a half-dozen terms of deity used as expletives and a few other mild profanities. Violence is limited to an abrupt car accident without injuries, and the unseen accidental death of a cat after it is run over by a vehicle. Social drinking is portrayed. A kitchen is stocked with a wide selection of prescription drugs.

Discussion Ideas: Talk About the Movie…

Many movies contain a “moment of truth” where a turning-point line is delivered. In this film a character says, “What you do with your life is one half of the equation. Who you do it with is the other half.” Do you think this statement is true for you? Are these two “halves” at opposition, or is it possible to do both?

Source: Parent Previews

Editor’s Note: Rod Gustafson has worked in various media industries since 1977. He founded Parent Previews in 1993, and today continues to write and broadcast the reviews in newspapers, on radio and (of course) on the Internet. He currently serves as the President of the Alberta Association for Media Awareness, a provincial non-profit society. He also authors a regular column for The Parent’s Television Councl in Los Angeles. He and his wife Donna have four children.

We would like to know what you think? dan@goldcoastchronicle.com

A focus on food and an impressive cast are two tempting ingredients for a film.

Here’s a recipe for film success: Take one uncanny actress, winner of two Academy Awards; mix in one, twice-nominated, rising actress; place in the director’s chair, an artist intent on delivering one of the foodiest movies ever made, and you have audiences savoring the ingredients and enjoying themselves royally.

Amy Adams and Meryl Streep have left the convent in Doubt for the kitchen, where Adams (Julie Powell) and Streep (Juliaer, Child) star in Julie & Julia. Writer-director Nora Ephron’s successes include Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail, and the screenplay for When Harry Met Sally, but this time she has raised the ante by telling two fact-based stories, set more than 40 years apart at once, using parallel story lines. This sounds unwieldy, but plays with style and grace.

One story, based on thirtyish Julie Powell’s 2005 memoir Julie & Julia (Little Brown), is the chronicle of her self-imposed culinary challenge: cooking or baking, and blogging about all 534 recipes in Julia Child’s bible of a cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Powell undertakes this feat over the course of one year in the tiny apartment kitchen that she shares with her husband (Chris Messina).

The other — based on My Life in France (Anchor, 2007), the posthumously published autobiography that Child coauthored with her husband’s grandnephew, Alexander Prud’homme — is an account of the decade (from the late forties into the fifties) when Child took lessons at Le Cordon Bleu and mastered French cooking in Paris. There, she lived with husband Paul, and eventually collaborated on the book that would captivate America.

Streep nails Child’s familiar and distinctive mannerisms and voice, and helps  Ephron sell the illusion that her character is a six-footer (Streep is five-six), appearing taller than Stanley Tucci, who plays her husband, and with whom she appears in scene after scene. Adams is charming with her sympathetic portrayal of an anything’s-possible protagonist, an ordinary person who has devised an extraordinary undertaking. Ephron unites the women, dramatizing the persistence and pluck that allowed both to realize seemingly impossible quests to become authors.

Grandparents who remember the world’s first celebrity chef will enjoy Streep’s Child-like performance. Grandchildren old enough to be in touch with their taste buds will leave the theater hungry for more.

Nutshell advice: Don’t go on an empty stomach

Nutshell review: Yummy

GP Rating System:
5 Grands = Grandtastic, top of the heap
4 Grands = Fantastic, well worthwhile
3 Grands = Elastic, could go either way
2 Grands = Drastic, go with low expectations
1 Grand = Don’t waste your plastic

RATING: PG-13

GENRE: Comedy

RELEASE DATE: August 7, 2009

RUNNING TIME: 120 minutes

VIOLENCE FACTOR: There is none.

BAD WORDS: One or two along the way

RACY?: Mild visual allusions to marital sex

GRANDS

Source: Grand Parents

Editor’s Note: Bill Wine reviews movies for newspapers, magazines, reference books, radio, TV, and the internet. Wine, a playwright, teaches film and writing at La Salle University in Philadelphia.

We would like to know what you think? dan@goldcoastchronicle.com