P.S. I Love You

I LOVED this movie. It is about a woman who grieving after her husband's death, but is helped by letters he wrote and has arranged to send her at various times within the first year after his death. In the letters he guides her, gives her specific things to do that he believes will help her, and always affirms his great love for her. Though in one sense the movie is sad because this woman has lost her husband, her true love, it is just an incredibly beautiful depiction of what true love is which I find inspiring and powerful. There are also some humorous moments in the film as well. Lisa Kudrow and Harry Connick Jr. are great in their supporting roles. Beautiful music in the film too.

Fireproof

I had heard a lot about this movie and was glad to finally see it. I was deeply moved by the film. It shows a young married couple who is struggling and seems to be on the brink of divorce. The husband, a fire captain, lives at work by the motto, "Never leave your partner behind," but at home finds it hard to care for the woman he once loved. His father then challenges him to read and follow a book called "The Love Dare," that gives a challenge for each day (for example, the first one is to not say anything negative to your spouse). The father also speaks to his son about Jesus Christ and His great love. This ends up transforming his son, and ultimately the struggling marriage. I think this movie can really have a positive impact on marriages.

One of My Wives is Missing

This movie, which came out in 1976, may not be well known, but it is awesome! It is about a man named Daniel Corban who reports to the police that his wife is missing. The local police chief (played by Jack Klugman) of the small town where Daniel and his wife are honeymooning says he'll investigate. Then a woman shows up claiming to be Daniel's wife though he swears she isn't his wife. I love this movie because there are twists and it leaves you wondering what is really going on--is Daniel crazy, are others out to get him? You have to see it to the end to discover what the truth is. I always enjoy watching this movie.

August Rush

This is an amazing film! It is about a boy who grows up in an orphanage, but believing his parents are alive and are coming to get him someday, does not want to be adopted. As times goes on, it is discovered he is a musical prodigy. He believes through his music he will be able to let his parents know where he is. The story of how his parents (who are both musicians) met and how their lives unfold is also told. Great story and music. Freddie Highmore, who plays the boy, is an outstanding actor.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (Movie)

This is a powerful and intense film based on the book by John Boyne. The description from the IMDb website says, "Set during World War II, a story seen through the innocent eyes of Bruno, the eight-year-old son of the commandant at a concentration camp, whose forbidden friendship with a Jewish boy on the other side of the camp fence has startling and unexpected consequences." It is very interesting to see this from a child's perspective. Bruno, not knowing what the concentration camps is, calls it a farm, wonders why the people there wear pajamas all the time, and wonders what they are burning that smells so horrid. The friendship between Bruno and Shmuel is very touching.

Though movies like this can be difficult to watch, I think it's really important to watch them because we must never forget how horrible the Holocaust was. The movie is very well done, and I definitely want to read the book.

Bedtime Stories

This is a fun family film starring Adam Sandler who plays Skeeter, a handyman who ends up watching his niece and nephew for several days. Amazingly what happens in the bedtime stories he and the children tell at night (with Skeeter as the hero) seems to then occur in real life. Skeeter tries to use this to his advantage to secure the job of manager of the hotel his father told him would run someday. This movie is a lot of fun.

Bolt

This is such a cute (and funny) Disney movie. It was in the theaters in 2008. It is about a dog, Bolt, who stars on a TV show with a girl named Penny. The makers of the show have gone to great lengths to make sure Bolt really believes he is saving Penny from evil villains. When Bolt believes Penny has been kidnapped, he attempts to rescue her and ends up far from the studio in Hollywood. He meets a cat named Mittens who tells him he does not really have super powers. Bolt has an identity crisis, but with the help of Mittens, and Rhino, the hamster (who is hilarious), he makes his way back to Hollywood to see Penny again. I really enjoyed this film.

Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story

This TNT movie is based on the true story of Ben Carson, a boy who overcame challenges in his childhood and young adulthood and became a world famous neurosurgeon and director of pediatric neurosurgery at John Hopkins Children's Center. This was a very inspiring film, and I especially liked how when Ben was confronted with challenges, he always prayed for help. Cuba Gooding Jr. does a fantastic job playing Ben Carson.

Auntie Mame

This fabulous 1958 film is about a fun, live life to the fullest woman, Mame, who becomes her nephew's guardian when the boy's father dies. Rosalind Russell is awesome playing Auntie Mame. There are so many humorous scenes. Some of my favs include when Mame visits Gloria's parents, and when they visit her. Great flick!

The Great Debaters

This 2007 film is directed by and stars Denzel Washington. It is based on a true story of a debate coach/team at Wiley College in the 1930s. During this time Jim Crow laws were common and lynching was a fear for African Americans. Though there are a couple things that are not historically accurate in the film, it shows how the coach and team persevered and fought for equality. It is a very moving film.

Spellbound

This is a fabulous Hitchcock film starring Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman. It's a psychological mystery thriller in which Bergman's character attempts to help Peck figure out what is causing him so much distress and what has led him to where he's at. I love all the psychoanalytical stuff in the film (they actually had a psychoanalyst consult on the film). And I think the way the last scene in the film is shot is pretty cool.

Toy Story

This is another cute and funny Disney film. Toys that come to life when humans aren't around--but not in a creepy way. Woody is the favorite toy of a little boy, but feels threatened when the boy gets a new Buzz Lightyear toy and Buzz seems to be the new favorite. Though jealous at first, Woody and Buzz must unite and work together when they wind up in the home of a demented little boy that tortures and destroys toys. Tom Hanks voices Woody and Tim Allen does Buzz Lightyear. Enjoyable flick.

Minority Report

Set in the future, this movie is about a "Pre-Crime" unit in Washington DC. Thanks to the "precogs", special people who can see into the future, the pre-crime unit can see images of a murder before it occurs, piece together clues, and arrest the would be perpetrator before the murder is committed. Tom Cruise plays John Anderton, a detective in the pre-crime unit who is deeply affected by a loss he suffered. He defends pre-crime though it is being challenged by other government officials. When something is revealed about Anderton's future, he must try to piece together what leads to future events and face the possibility that the system he has worked so hard for is flawed. This is a unique concept for a movie and it is very suspenseful throughout.

The Emperor's New Groove

This Disney movie is about an emperor, Kuzco, who initially cares only about himself. Shortly after he tells a peasant, Pacha, that he plans on building his vacation home on the site of Pacha's home, Kuzco is turned into a llama by the advisor he has just fired. Pacha ends up helping Kuzco, and along the way, Kuzco begins to genuinely care about other people feelings. David Spade is great voicing Kuzco. It's a funny movie.

Monsters, Inc.

This is a cute and funny Disney movie about a monster-inhabited world whose power company, Monster's Inc., employs monsters who scare children and use the screams generated by the children to power the city. The monsters are scared to have contact with the children and have the CDA (Child Detection Agency) take action if contact is made. Things go haywire when a child enters the monsters' world. Sully (voiced by John Goodman) and Mike (voiced by Billy Crystal) are lovable monsters who end up doing everything they can to help the child "Boo" get back home.

Beauty and the Beast

This 1991 animated film is one of my favorite Disney movies. It's about love and about how it's not mere outward appearance that's most important. There are some great songs in this film like "Gaston," "Be Our Guest," and "Beauty and the Beast," and there is humor in the movie as well. Wonderful flick.

Finding Nemo

This is a cute and funny Disney movie about an overprotective clownfish on a quest to find his son Nemo who swam out into the open water and was taken by a scuba diver. Dory (voiced by Ellen Degeneres) is a hyper fish with short term memory loss who helps Nemo's dad. There are lots of funny characters they encounter along the way like the sharks in a recovery group whose motto is, "Fish are friends, not food." Great themes here--love between father and son, friendship, thriving though having limitation or disability (Nemo's one fin is much smaller than the other). This won the Academy Award for Best Animated Film.

Analyze This

This 1999 film is about a mobster, Paul Vitti, (Robert De Niro) who, after experiencing panic attacks, forces a psychiatrist, Ben Sobel, (Billy Crystal) to treat him. Their exchanges are hilarious--lots of sarcastic humor. Though Sobel resents being on call 24/7 while he is trying to treat other patients and spend time with his fiance, he does strive to help his unique patient.

The Man Who Knew Too Much

I like the 1956 version of this Hitchcock film, which stars Jimmy Stewart. This is a great suspense movie about a family vacationing in Morocco who stumble onto an assassination plot. This is up there as one of my favorite Hitchcock movies.

The Sting

This 1973 movie starring Robert Redford and Paul Newman is a great caper film about two grifters who con a mob boss. It's a lot of fun to watch, and the cast is awesome. The film won seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, Directing, and Writing Original Screenplay.