Top Ten Films of 2008
There are still a few important and celebrated films I need to see, such as “Dark Knight”, “Frozen River”, and “Vicky Christina Barcelona”. But I’m ready to offer a top ten, as I usually do on the day...
View ArticleThe form and content of kisses
One of my former youth group kids, “Holly” contacted me last week. Holly’s 17, an aspiring theater actress, and just landed her first lead role in a summer production. She has a boyfriend, Ferdinand —...
View ArticleLittle House Legacy
Were you a fan of Little House on the Prairie? If you loved the books, or the long-running TV show, you may be interested in Laura’s Little House Legacy, a new documentary about Laura Ingalls Wilder,...
View ArticleThe Price of Perfection: on double binds, obsession, absent men, and the...
I don’t often write movie reviews. Usually, whatever I have to say has been said first — and much better — by someone else. The last time I was provoked into a serious post by a film was nearly two...
View ArticleTop Ten Films of 2010
I have no idea when I’m going to get around to seeing “True Grit”, so with what my friends tell me is a glaring exception, here’s my top ten movie list of the year. And I’m not kidding about my...
View Article“Tell me how I should be”: on Blue Valentine and Ryan Gosling’s preternatural...
UPDATE: A slightly edited version of this post was picked up by Jezebel: Why the Ladies Love Ryan Gosling. Many more comments there. When the Oscar nominations came out yesterday morning, my Facebook...
View ArticleFondling the “brave” White Swan
As you can see in the photo below this post, Eira and I went to a Purim party on Saturday night, dressed as the “Black Swan” and the “White Swan.” Though my wife didn’t like the film, she was more than...
View ArticleNew Year’s Movie Note
Heloise spent the day with her abuela, so Eira and I went to see our first double-feature since we were married in 2005. Both films were superb: Extremely Loud Incredibly Close and the absolutely...
View ArticleIn the Atlantic on dads and daughters; men and abortion
Two recent posts at the Atlantic. Why Do So Many Father-Daughter Movies = Feisty Kid + Bumbling Dad? ran last week. Excerpt: Single fathers have long been a central presence in fantasy and fairy tales,...
View ArticleMenchildren and Manic Pixie Dream Girls
After a week off, I’m back at the Atlantic. Today’s column looks at The Real-World Consequences of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl Cliché. An excerpt: Rabin defined the Manic Pixie Dream Girl as a muse...
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