Race to Nowhere (1:25) 2009

Race to Nowhere was screened tonight at the North Haven High School. This documentary examines the pressures children face today. These pressures include hours of homework, pressure to obtain good grades, and overscheduling of sports and activities. Parents, mental health professionals, and students at all grade levels were interviewed. The students discussed how difficult juggling all their activities while completing assignments and homework was with  the end result was the students reporting they eventually developed health problems.One student developed an eating disorder, some sleeping difficulties, and tragically one teenager committed suicide. The film gave the audience food for thought. The drawback to the documentary was its one sided reporting. The other drawback that the students were primarily from California which has a different culture than East Coast Connecticut. All in all, I do recommend Race to Nowhere to all administrators, teachers and parents and then let the dialogue begin.

Chasing 3000 (1:55) 2007

Inspired by true events, Roger and Mickey are two teenage brothers who decide to drive cross country in time to see Roberto Clemente get his 3000th hit. The two teenagers have recently moved to California with their mother. They miss Pittsburgh and their grandfather who helped raised them after their father abandoned them. Poppi and the boys are die hard Pirates fan and are intently following Clemente's career. When the boys' mom takes a business trip and are left on their own, the boys take their mom's car, without her permission or knowledge, and start their journey to Three Rivers Stadium. Complications arise when Roger (played by Rory Culkin) becomes ill from bronchitis. Roger has M.D. so he is medically fragile and needs medical treatment. The boys have various adventures and misadventures on their journey.
The story is told by Ray Liotta, as the adult Mickey, to his children in a flashback. As much as I like baseball movies, it took me  a while to get interested in the movie. Fortunately, once the boys start planning their cross country trip, the movie was really interesting. It has a warm, sentimental, feel good ending. I recommend this move especially to baseball fans.

The Karate Kid (2:20) 2010

The Karate Kid is a remake of the 1984 popular classic. In this version, Dre (Jaden Smith) is a twelve year old whose mother has taken a position in China. Dre misses his home and friends in Detroit. Further complicating his adjustment is  Cheng, the class bully. Dre enlists Mr. Han, Jackie Chan, to train him in kung fu. Mr. Han has high expectations for Dre and pushes him to new heights. The final scene is the tournament  where Dre faces Cheng. This movie is now available from Netflix Watch Instantly. I purposely saw this movie on the big screen when I learned that The Karate Kid was the first movie to receive permission to film within the Forbidden City since The Last Emperor. The scenes inside of the city and of The Great Wall were fantastic. What I did object to was the violence. Dre is a 12 year old boy and the tournament match seemed like child abuse. The blows and kicks were intense, leaving bruises and doing real harm and injury. It seemed so unbelievable that the adults and/or officials would not have stopped the match early on. 

How Do You Know (2:01) 2010

How Do You Know is a romantic comedy starring four well known actors:  Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson, Jack Nickelson and Paul Rudd. Although the actors are likable and have chemistry working together, the script lacks oomph. Lisa (Witherspoon) is a professional softball player who has just been cut from the National team. Owen Wilson, a professional baseball player, is interested in Lisa but remains a womenizer at heart. George, Rudd, is being investigated by the government for fraud and has an initial dislike for Lisa. Over time, George and Lisa realize that they have a lot in common and there is a growing attraction between the two. There is also a subplot involving George's father (Nickelson) being the executive that has committed the fraud and is blaming his son to avoid prison. How do you know that this film really isn't really good? It tells you loudly, clearly, and quickly  that this is a movie misses the mark. Even as a rental, it is not worth the time. With one exception,  there is one very well written and emotional scene involving Annie and Al immediately after the birth of their son. So there is a five minute scene that is great.

Beyond the Blackboard (1:40) 2011

Beyond the Blackboard is a Hallmark Hall of Fame original film which premiered tonight. The movie is based on the true story of Stacey Bess, a new teacher whose first job is working with homeless children in 1987 Salt Lake City. Stacey doesn't teach in a school but in an old abandon warehouse with no desks, chairs, books or materials. With hard work and great dedication, Stacey eventually turns the warehouse into a true classroom. The parents and other shelter residents share their talents and lend their support to make the school environment the best it can be. Due to the transient nature of the population she serves, Stacey sees students come and go but without a doubt, Stacey makes a difference in the lives of the students she taught. I thought that the movie was at times somewhat syrupy and sanitized but at the end of the film the real Stacey Bess spoke about the importance of helping children in need. Beyond the Blackboard carries on Hallmark's tradition of quality films. It is well worth watching.

When in Rome (1:31) 2010

Beth, a career woman, flies to Rome to attend her younger sister's wedding. While in Rome, Beth takes four coins out of a fountain causing the men who threw the coins in to fall in love with Beth. These four men travel to New York City in pursuit of Beth. Adding to the confusion is Nick, the best man at the wedding, who has also fallen for Beth. Nick and the four oddballs are vying for Beth's attention. Beth does fall in love with Nick but she believes that he too threw a coin in the fountain, and he is under the same spell. Will Beth and Nick, of their own free will. end up together? This is a very predictable and goofy story. At the time of its release, When In Rome. received poor reviews and deservedly so. The main actors were likable and have a certain charm. I can't recommend this movie but it is a film that can be watched as a family.

Enid (1:30) 2009

I just watched Enid this morning on BBC America and learned about Mary Pollack, Enid's pseudonym,  a war time children's author. Enid Blyton as born in England  in 1897 and later trained as a teacher. Enid writes stories which come to the attention of  Hugh Pollock, a publisher. They marry and have two children but the marriage is not a happy one. Enid promises Hugh that in exchange for her divorcing him on the grounds on adultery, she will allow him unlimited access to their daughters. He agrees but Enid reneges on the promise. Enid remarries Kenneth, a successful doctor. She decides to send her young daughters away to school. Enid also rebuffs her younger brother Harry when he contacts her that their mother has died. Helena Bonham Carter stars as Enid and is very convincing as the self absorbed children's author. It was so interesting to see this prolific and successful writer ignore her own daughters and spends time reading to children she doesn't know. Go figure.