It is amazing that we are still here.
Those of us of a certain age (ahem) managed to survive a childhood without seatbelts or car seats, warnings on drug packages and, for the most part, air conditioning. If you had questions about your health, you asked the kindly doctor or looked up your presumed malady in the 50s version of the Internet, the Encyclopedia Britannica (available at your local library). We didn’t exercise beyond the requirements of gym class, which was more focused on making sure we had washed and ironed our “gym suits” than on our health or well-being. We didn’t know about healthy eating. Even Weight Watchers didn’t start until I was a teenager.
Today things are vastly different. People ride all around the parking lot looking for a good spot outside the gym so they can go inside and ride a bike, lift weights or swim. Outside, in all kinds of weather, you’ll find people walking or running their way to good health.
There are all kinds of rules and regulations that are supposed to keep us safe and healthy. If you have, suspect or merely dread a disease or condition, you can look it up on the internet and get a ton of sometimes useful information that may either help or lead you to a self-diagnosis that is way off-base. You can read the symptoms of something and decide you have it even when that is impossible (check out the symptoms of prostate problems sometime, ladies).
Despite this abundance of information, it is still best to go to the doctor for preventive maintenance or to “rule out” what you think may be malaria, whooping cough or something that may require the use of leeches.
Now my health insurer, United Health Care, even offers an incentive to be checked. I had my regular eye doctor appointment and they sent me a $25 gift card for Amazon (which I promptly spent by buying a new water filter for my refrigerator; how exciting is that?). When I go to see the gynecologist, I get another $25, and my physical earned me 50 bucks.
Given what I had to do to get my physical, it was money well earned.
I have been going to the same primary care physician for years. I’m sure they have a full set of my health records in their computer system. In fact, when I checked in, the person at the desk retrieved a file that was larger than the Manhattan phone book. Nevertheless, I was required to stop at the office in advance to pick up forms to complete and return on the day of my physical.
First, could the spacing be ANY smaller on the form? Do you know how hard it is to write “right hemicolectomy” in that tiny space?
Second, the questions they ask – which should be in my file already – were tougher than the SATs.
How am I supposed to know how old I was when I had the measles? I’m 67 now, and I know it wasn’t recent. What if I say I was 6? Can anyone corroborate that? What happens if I was really 8? Who would know? Does it matter? Couldn’t a simple YES or NO have been checked off?
Do I have spots in front of my eyes? Well, I have wet macular degeneration, but there is no box to check off for that, so I did say I see spots before my eyes. Besides, I couldn’t figure out where to write that in. Is it a disease or a condition? What, am I supposed to be a doctor to define it?
Do I have trouble sleeping? Everyone my age has trouble sleeping. We wake up to use the bathroom and can’t get back to sleep. Oops, that’s a different question: “Night time urination? How often?”
Do I snore (which is listed under the “Illnesses” section)? Well, I live alone, so that’s a tough one. The last time I had to fill out this form, I did a test. I was staying with friends and kept the bedroom door open all night. When they got up to use the bathroom (see above question on nighttime urination), they stood outside my bedroom door and listened. How creepy does THAT sound? Apparently I don’t snore, or at least I didn’t that night.
Do I have pains in my joints, my back, my head? Of course! Sometimes I’m out for a walk and suddenly my ankle hurts for no reason. I walk it off and then I’m fine. Raise your hand if this happens to you, too.
And then there are the questions about depression, crying, lack of energy (see “trouble sleeping”) decreased interest in daily activities, thoughts of suicide, etc. If you really suffer from these things, how likely is it that you will check off the tiny boxes on this form?
How about drug use? Do you want to say yes to the question, “Have you ever taken drugs for other than medicinal purposes?” And then they leave you a tiny bit of space to explain the details of your drug habit. I’m just glad they don’t ask about addictions to chocolate and other food groups!
At least I can breeze through the sections about smoking (“NEVER” I write down, proudly) and drinking (“Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?” No, they just annoy me when they are stupid.).
Are you overweight? Seriously, did you not just weigh and measure me? Come on – can’t you see that for yourself? It might be interesting to see some people’s responses to that question, but I dejectedly checked the “Yes” box.
The previous question appears in close proximity to the question about having weight loss. I’m working on that, but see previous question.
And then we get to the hospitalizations section of the questionnaire. My sister has had enough surgeries that she doesn’t have room to list them on her form. You have to fill out the form and say why you were operated on. I live in fear that someday I will forget the term “right hemicolectomy,” which is the official name for the procedure used to treat my colon cancer in 2000.
The personal section for women is always a fun exercise.
At what age was the onset of menstruation? When was your last period? At this age, memory is more of an issue than remembering the last time I needed to buy tampons, let’s face it. Is any of this going to explain why my shoulder hurts?
I used to be able to fill out these forms so fast, simply checking the “No” column for virtually every illness, disease and condition. Now, like most of us, I have to stop and think, check my files (which do not extend back to when I had the measles) and, in some cases, give it my best guess.
The diagnosis here should be “normal for a woman of her age.”
Then it is on to the doctor's office with the forms.
After going through the usual preliminaries with the nurse – height (proudly 5’1”) and weight (let’s move along here), blood pressure, temperature (I was only 98.5, which shows how cool I am, right?) – we get more serious with the EKG, where I had sticky things affixed to my body at various places and then a mass of wires hooked me up to a machine to check my heart (mine was warm and kind and beating regularly), followed by the list of shots I was missing. It was 10 years since my last tetanus shot and time for a pneumonia injection, too.
Then the doctor showed up. Assuming that I would be taken to task for a weight gain since my last physical, I was ready with a defense as well as ready to attest to my renewed dedication to Weight Watchers. I also launched a distraction by providing a list of ailments I wanted her to check (among others: The little lump on my right shin – a cyst, she said, apply warm compresses if it bothers you; it doesn’t). We discussed my aching shoulder (I will be starting my shoulder exercises any day now, I vowed) and my trigger finger (better since my last cortisone injection and not serious enough for surgery, in my own expert opinion). So my strategy worked and she bypassed my weight issue, which was a relief but nonetheless still an issue. I need to see a dermatologist for a routine exam, so she recommended a replacement for the one I was using because she retired. I'm at the age when my doctors are all younger than I am. That's not a bad thing since who wants to go to a doddering old doctor?
I got off easy. Everything checked out. I have a few follow-ups and tests to undergo, and then there is my annual gynecology appointment along with my mammogram, and she will send my bloodwork to the many medical people who are waiting eagerly for the results.
And no one ever asked me whether or when I had the measles. Phew!
Thursday, June 14, 2018
Friday, June 1, 2018
Tina's May 2018 Movies
I offer a baker's dozen this month, one of which, despite the short stature of the main character, stands head and shoulders above the rest. Movies are rated on a scale of 1-5 cans of tuna fish, with 5 being the top. Those marked with an asterisk (*) are movies I had not seen previously. Numbering picks up from previous months.
48. Tully* (2018) – Charlize Theron is Marlo, an overwhelmed mother of three in this comedy-drama (emphasis on the latter) who is “gifted” a night nanny to care for her infant son so she can sleep through the night. Enter 20-something Tully (Mackenzie Davis), who fits in immediately. She is likable, engaging, a good caretaker and a friend to Marlo. But as is usually the case, mothers get the brunt of the care responsibilities. Marlo’s loving husband Craig (Mark Duplass) means well, but as she settles down for a night bound to be interrupted by the need to breastfeed or pump (even with Tully handling the kids), he puts on his headset and plays video games. She feels bad, looks worse and is desperately combatting lack of sleep with post-partum depression or worse. To the credit of the stunning Theron, she looks awful but real (she gained 50 pounds for the part) and desperate, unable to articulate her needs or frustrations. This is surely not the feel-good movie of the year, and the trailer is much funnier than the actual movie, but it is a brave depiction of a woman on or over the verge of a breakdown, trying to cope and be a good mother while sublimating all of her needs and succumbing to what seems like post-traumatic stress syndrome. I’m certain many women will relate to this movie in ways they would like to forget. 3½ cans.
49. A League of Their Own (1992) – Women have always had to fight to be recognized in their fields, whether it is in a corporation, politics or on a baseball diamond. This ode to the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League is based on a true story. With American men off fighting World War II, some promoters thought it would be a good idea to start a league for women, and teams such as the Rockford Peaches turned out to have some pretty good players and a strong cadre of fans. The heart of the story is the relationship between sisters Dottie (Gena Davis) and Kit (Lorie Petty). Dottie has the baseball acumen and good sense, while Kit is a volatile, emotional gamer. The team is a collection of women (among them are Madonna and Rosie O’Donnell) who bond as a team and as friends. Tom Hanks is their initially disinterested manager, a boozy former player now relegated to women’s baseball and resentful about it until he sees the talent on his roster. His main contribution to this film is to utter the classic line, “There’s no crying in baseball!” One thing that always bugged me about this movie is the lack of athletes in key roles; none of these ladies look like they could throw the ball nearly well enough to be a pro player. This one will never make it to the Big Leagues, but it is a pleasant, if corny tale. 3 cans.
50. Finding Your Feet* (2018) – When wealthy, upper-crust Lady Sandra Abbott (Imelda Staunton) suddenly finds that her husband of 40 years is having an affair with her now former best friend, she immediately leaves and heads for the funky apartment of her estranged sister, Bif (Cecilia Imrie), a free-spirited woman who is nothing like her straitlaced older sibling. Bif loves to ride her bike, hoist a few at the local pub or smoke weed with her posse of likeminded friends, among them Charlie (Timothy Spall). She especially loves to dance with a group of people in her older age bracket. There’s nothing here that you cannot see coming, but it is joyful to watch as Sandra comes out of her shell and finds her footing after such a disheartening incident. I hope that when my friends and I are their age, we will enjoy life as much as Sandra and Bif. 3½ cans.
51. RBG* (2018) – Ruth Bader Ginsburg is notorious for her liberal opinions as a Justice of the Supreme Court, her work on equality and women’s rights as a lawyer who argued cases before the high court, and for her feminine collars that decorate her jurist’s robes. Supremely intelligent, a dogged worker who barely sleeps, the octogenarian does a workout with her trainer that I couldn’t do. She entered Harvard Law as one of nine women in a class of more than 600 and made the Law Review her second year. She married the love of her life, nursed him back to health and through law school when he was deathly ill, had two children, became an icon for women’s rights and handled some of the landmark decisions that have guided this country for decades. It is only May, but I am sure this movie will be the best documentary – and one of the best movies – of the year. In a movie world full of superheroes, Ruth Bader Ginsburg towers above the rest. 4½ cans.
52. Breathe* (2017) – Robin Cavendish (Andrew Garfield) and his wife Diana (Claire Foy) are active, fun, healthy and happy when he suddenly contracts polio at age 28, just as they are expecting their first child. Paralyzed, Robin doesn’t want to live, but Diana is not about to let him give up. Instead, Diana, her brothers and inventor Teddy Hall help him survive and even thrive thanks to a series of breakthrough inventions that allow him to be transported practically anywhere, with his special wheelchair/respirator breathing for him. He devotes his life to showing the world what innovation can do to inspire and assist the disabled. Based on a true story from his son, this movie is a salute to hope, love and technology. 3 cans.
53. Ladies in Lavender* (2004) – Aging siblings Janet (Maggie Smith) and Ursula (Judi Dench) live a quiet existence in an English coastal fishing village, content to garden, sip tea and listen to the radio. One morning after a big storm, they find the still-breathing body of a young man (Daniel Bruehl) washed up on shore. They summon the doctor and get him into their house, where they precede to care for him. He lies in bed, sleeping and recovering, while they spend a lot of time – particularly the never-married Ursula – staring at him. The young man does not speak English but the widowed Janet converses with him in her halting German, determining that he is from Poland. They are curiously not curious about how he came to wash up on their beach. Ursula becomes enraptured with him and, as he recovers and ventures out of the house, she goes through moments of jealously and anguish, knowing that eventually he will leave. He is a talented violinist, and he was on his way to the US to make a better life for himself than he would have in pre-World War II Poland. Will he take up with the attractive young painter in town? He’s NOT going to fall for Ursula, right? This is a gentle film about longing and loneliness. 3 cans.
54. If These Knishes Could Talk* (2014) – If knishes could talk, they would undoubtedly do so with a “New York” accent. The melting pot of Italian, Irish and Jewish people who immigrated to the US more than 100 years ago developed their own way of speaking, and this documentary looked – and listened – to all of them in concluding that New York is, shall we say, different. The common things the region shares is the inability for people to speak without using their hands, as conveyed by native New Yorker and noted attorney Alan Dershowitz. New Yorkers are a ribald group of people who swear profusely (even in sign language), who are tough-minded, quick to interrupt and quick to poke fun. The people here include everyone from a Korean man who sounds like the prototypical New “Yawker” and whose Asian background is sublimated to his accent; to Bronx native Penny Marshall, the actress and director who was told that with her accent she would have no career in Hollywood; to guys who sound like they are right out of “Goodfellas.” In fact, one protests that he and his friends already spoke that way and “Marty” (Scorsese, we assume) took the accent from him, not the other way around. There is no great meaning here, but it is fun to hear people who swear they have no accent display when everyone NOT from New York swears they certainly do. 3½ cans. PS – If you don’t have Amazon Prime Video, you can fuhgetabout seeing this movie.
55. Twice in a Lifetime (1984) – I have now seen this movie twice in my lifetime and I’m still not sure how I feel about it. As Harry (Gene Hackman) celebrates his 50th birthday with his buddies in a bar, his wife Kate (Ellyn Burstyn, who used to star in practically every movie of that era) stays home. Harry works the night shift in the local factory in Seattle, cheers for the Seahawks and generally has a very predictable life. It is fairly safe to assume that his birthday night flirting with Audrey, the attractive new barmaid at the Shamrock (Ann-Margret), is a new thing for him, but before you know it, Harry is cheating on Kate and taking up with Audrey. But the story is less about a marriage falling apart than the effect of the dissolution on his family, especially on hot-tempered daughter Sonny (Amy Madigan, at her best), a woman with marital and financial woes of her own. What always bothered me about this movie is how Harry moves so easily from his loyal, caring wife into a routine but more exciting relationship with this new woman. He doesn’t have enough guilt or regret, and he still loves wife #1. Then again, isn’t everyone entitled to their share of happiness? 3½ cans.
56. Words & Pictures* (2013) – Alcoholic English teacher Jack Marcus (Clive Owen) knows plenty about words, but although he is a published author, he is more sanctimonious than scholarly, and he hasn’t published anything lately. Artist and art teacher Dina Delsanto (Juliette Binoche) is convinced that pictures matter more than words, although her rheumatoid arthritis has greatly affected her ability to paint. The two teachers disagree with each other and set up a competition at the school to see what matters most, words or pictures. Their sparring can only lead to romance, as we know from the million movies before this feeble attempt to give us a loving couple. The school is filled with the usual clichéd students, there is a threat that Jack could lose his job, and will either Jack or Dina ever be able to again demonstrate real talent in their chosen fields? By the end, I really didn’t care. Neither evoked any sympathy or admiration from me, despite my relish for good words, well-written literature and my penchant for a punchy phrase. 2 cans.
57. Book Club* (2018) – There are perfect date movies, action movies and movies for women of a certain age, as evidenced by the groups of women who sauntered into the theater for this one. The remarkably restored Jane Fonda, the wry Candice Bergen, the quirky Diane Keaton and the youngest of the bunch, Mary Steenbergen, relish their time together, discussing books, drinking lots of wine, enjoying snacks and bonding as friends. When they decide to read the trilogy “Fifty Shades of Grey,” they all realize that their personal lives could use a little spicing up. Immediately, Keaton meets a pilot (Andy Garcia) on a flight to see her overprotective daughters, Fonda is reunited with an old flame (Don Johnson), Bergen goes online and meets a charming date (Richard Dreyfuss) and Steenbergen really, really works at bringing back the magic with her husband (Craig T. Nelson). The movie is much less silly than I anticipated and laced with humor, warmth and heart. Go read a book and see this movie. 3½ cans.
58. The Family Stone (2005) – Sarah Jessica Parker is Meredith, a buttoned-up, humorless, self-centered woman who is dragged to the home of her soon to be fiancé, Everett (Dermot Mulrooney) to meet the family at Christmas, and the tension is as tight as the hair pulled back on her head. The family is a big, laid-back group, headed by mother Sybil (Diane Keaton) and father Kelly (Craig T. Nelson). Everett’s sister Amy (Rachel McAdams) takes a quick dislike to Meredith, who is clearly the square peg here (extra points to any of you who get THAT reference), but brother Ben (Luke Wilson) wants to help her out. Complicating matters is the arrival of Meredith’s sister Julie (Clare Danes), the friendly and fun sister of the two, who hits it off bigtime with Everett. The plot doesn’t thicken as much as it slides toward the inevitable, but it is worth the ride. Parker is particularly good as the uptight guest. 4 cans.
59. Growing Up Smith* (2015) – He may be of Indian descent, but 10-year old Smith (Roni Akurati) is the all-American boy. He likes “Star Wars,” “Happy Days,” “Saturday Night Fever” and has a mad crush on his classmate and neighbor Amy (Brighton Sharbino). But his pushy papa insists on his carrying on the traditions of HIS native country. Although his son is just 10, the father has already picked out his Indian bride. Smith’s biggest problem is trying to be a good son while also trying to be an average kid. Helping him out is neighbor Bucky (Jason Lee), a motorcycle-riding guy fighting with his wife (Hilarie Burton). I was reminded of one of my favorite TV shows, “The Wonder Years,” by the theme of kids with crushes just trying to survive overbearing parents and be “normal.” And the kid who plays Smith with a wide-eyed innocence loos much like Paul Pfeiffer (Josh Saviano) on TWY. 3½ cans.
60. Hollywoodland* (2006) – The 1959 death of actor George Reeves – famous for playing Superman on TV – was ruled a suicide, but private investigator Louis Simo (Adrien Brody) doesn’t agree. He connects with the actor’s doubting mother and tries to unravel the mystery, told in flashbacks, about Reeves’ relationships with Hollywood movers and shakers as the handsome actor tries to land movie roles before being cast – and typecast – as the Man of Steel. Ben Affleck is convincing as Reeves, who is appalled with his cartoonish role, and Diane Lane – one of my favorite actresses – plays a woman having an affair with Reeves while married to a top studio exec. There’s plenty of suspense here. 3½ cans.
48. Tully* (2018) – Charlize Theron is Marlo, an overwhelmed mother of three in this comedy-drama (emphasis on the latter) who is “gifted” a night nanny to care for her infant son so she can sleep through the night. Enter 20-something Tully (Mackenzie Davis), who fits in immediately. She is likable, engaging, a good caretaker and a friend to Marlo. But as is usually the case, mothers get the brunt of the care responsibilities. Marlo’s loving husband Craig (Mark Duplass) means well, but as she settles down for a night bound to be interrupted by the need to breastfeed or pump (even with Tully handling the kids), he puts on his headset and plays video games. She feels bad, looks worse and is desperately combatting lack of sleep with post-partum depression or worse. To the credit of the stunning Theron, she looks awful but real (she gained 50 pounds for the part) and desperate, unable to articulate her needs or frustrations. This is surely not the feel-good movie of the year, and the trailer is much funnier than the actual movie, but it is a brave depiction of a woman on or over the verge of a breakdown, trying to cope and be a good mother while sublimating all of her needs and succumbing to what seems like post-traumatic stress syndrome. I’m certain many women will relate to this movie in ways they would like to forget. 3½ cans.
49. A League of Their Own (1992) – Women have always had to fight to be recognized in their fields, whether it is in a corporation, politics or on a baseball diamond. This ode to the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League is based on a true story. With American men off fighting World War II, some promoters thought it would be a good idea to start a league for women, and teams such as the Rockford Peaches turned out to have some pretty good players and a strong cadre of fans. The heart of the story is the relationship between sisters Dottie (Gena Davis) and Kit (Lorie Petty). Dottie has the baseball acumen and good sense, while Kit is a volatile, emotional gamer. The team is a collection of women (among them are Madonna and Rosie O’Donnell) who bond as a team and as friends. Tom Hanks is their initially disinterested manager, a boozy former player now relegated to women’s baseball and resentful about it until he sees the talent on his roster. His main contribution to this film is to utter the classic line, “There’s no crying in baseball!” One thing that always bugged me about this movie is the lack of athletes in key roles; none of these ladies look like they could throw the ball nearly well enough to be a pro player. This one will never make it to the Big Leagues, but it is a pleasant, if corny tale. 3 cans.
50. Finding Your Feet* (2018) – When wealthy, upper-crust Lady Sandra Abbott (Imelda Staunton) suddenly finds that her husband of 40 years is having an affair with her now former best friend, she immediately leaves and heads for the funky apartment of her estranged sister, Bif (Cecilia Imrie), a free-spirited woman who is nothing like her straitlaced older sibling. Bif loves to ride her bike, hoist a few at the local pub or smoke weed with her posse of likeminded friends, among them Charlie (Timothy Spall). She especially loves to dance with a group of people in her older age bracket. There’s nothing here that you cannot see coming, but it is joyful to watch as Sandra comes out of her shell and finds her footing after such a disheartening incident. I hope that when my friends and I are their age, we will enjoy life as much as Sandra and Bif. 3½ cans.
51. RBG* (2018) – Ruth Bader Ginsburg is notorious for her liberal opinions as a Justice of the Supreme Court, her work on equality and women’s rights as a lawyer who argued cases before the high court, and for her feminine collars that decorate her jurist’s robes. Supremely intelligent, a dogged worker who barely sleeps, the octogenarian does a workout with her trainer that I couldn’t do. She entered Harvard Law as one of nine women in a class of more than 600 and made the Law Review her second year. She married the love of her life, nursed him back to health and through law school when he was deathly ill, had two children, became an icon for women’s rights and handled some of the landmark decisions that have guided this country for decades. It is only May, but I am sure this movie will be the best documentary – and one of the best movies – of the year. In a movie world full of superheroes, Ruth Bader Ginsburg towers above the rest. 4½ cans.
52. Breathe* (2017) – Robin Cavendish (Andrew Garfield) and his wife Diana (Claire Foy) are active, fun, healthy and happy when he suddenly contracts polio at age 28, just as they are expecting their first child. Paralyzed, Robin doesn’t want to live, but Diana is not about to let him give up. Instead, Diana, her brothers and inventor Teddy Hall help him survive and even thrive thanks to a series of breakthrough inventions that allow him to be transported practically anywhere, with his special wheelchair/respirator breathing for him. He devotes his life to showing the world what innovation can do to inspire and assist the disabled. Based on a true story from his son, this movie is a salute to hope, love and technology. 3 cans.
53. Ladies in Lavender* (2004) – Aging siblings Janet (Maggie Smith) and Ursula (Judi Dench) live a quiet existence in an English coastal fishing village, content to garden, sip tea and listen to the radio. One morning after a big storm, they find the still-breathing body of a young man (Daniel Bruehl) washed up on shore. They summon the doctor and get him into their house, where they precede to care for him. He lies in bed, sleeping and recovering, while they spend a lot of time – particularly the never-married Ursula – staring at him. The young man does not speak English but the widowed Janet converses with him in her halting German, determining that he is from Poland. They are curiously not curious about how he came to wash up on their beach. Ursula becomes enraptured with him and, as he recovers and ventures out of the house, she goes through moments of jealously and anguish, knowing that eventually he will leave. He is a talented violinist, and he was on his way to the US to make a better life for himself than he would have in pre-World War II Poland. Will he take up with the attractive young painter in town? He’s NOT going to fall for Ursula, right? This is a gentle film about longing and loneliness. 3 cans.
54. If These Knishes Could Talk* (2014) – If knishes could talk, they would undoubtedly do so with a “New York” accent. The melting pot of Italian, Irish and Jewish people who immigrated to the US more than 100 years ago developed their own way of speaking, and this documentary looked – and listened – to all of them in concluding that New York is, shall we say, different. The common things the region shares is the inability for people to speak without using their hands, as conveyed by native New Yorker and noted attorney Alan Dershowitz. New Yorkers are a ribald group of people who swear profusely (even in sign language), who are tough-minded, quick to interrupt and quick to poke fun. The people here include everyone from a Korean man who sounds like the prototypical New “Yawker” and whose Asian background is sublimated to his accent; to Bronx native Penny Marshall, the actress and director who was told that with her accent she would have no career in Hollywood; to guys who sound like they are right out of “Goodfellas.” In fact, one protests that he and his friends already spoke that way and “Marty” (Scorsese, we assume) took the accent from him, not the other way around. There is no great meaning here, but it is fun to hear people who swear they have no accent display when everyone NOT from New York swears they certainly do. 3½ cans. PS – If you don’t have Amazon Prime Video, you can fuhgetabout seeing this movie.
55. Twice in a Lifetime (1984) – I have now seen this movie twice in my lifetime and I’m still not sure how I feel about it. As Harry (Gene Hackman) celebrates his 50th birthday with his buddies in a bar, his wife Kate (Ellyn Burstyn, who used to star in practically every movie of that era) stays home. Harry works the night shift in the local factory in Seattle, cheers for the Seahawks and generally has a very predictable life. It is fairly safe to assume that his birthday night flirting with Audrey, the attractive new barmaid at the Shamrock (Ann-Margret), is a new thing for him, but before you know it, Harry is cheating on Kate and taking up with Audrey. But the story is less about a marriage falling apart than the effect of the dissolution on his family, especially on hot-tempered daughter Sonny (Amy Madigan, at her best), a woman with marital and financial woes of her own. What always bothered me about this movie is how Harry moves so easily from his loyal, caring wife into a routine but more exciting relationship with this new woman. He doesn’t have enough guilt or regret, and he still loves wife #1. Then again, isn’t everyone entitled to their share of happiness? 3½ cans.
56. Words & Pictures* (2013) – Alcoholic English teacher Jack Marcus (Clive Owen) knows plenty about words, but although he is a published author, he is more sanctimonious than scholarly, and he hasn’t published anything lately. Artist and art teacher Dina Delsanto (Juliette Binoche) is convinced that pictures matter more than words, although her rheumatoid arthritis has greatly affected her ability to paint. The two teachers disagree with each other and set up a competition at the school to see what matters most, words or pictures. Their sparring can only lead to romance, as we know from the million movies before this feeble attempt to give us a loving couple. The school is filled with the usual clichéd students, there is a threat that Jack could lose his job, and will either Jack or Dina ever be able to again demonstrate real talent in their chosen fields? By the end, I really didn’t care. Neither evoked any sympathy or admiration from me, despite my relish for good words, well-written literature and my penchant for a punchy phrase. 2 cans.
57. Book Club* (2018) – There are perfect date movies, action movies and movies for women of a certain age, as evidenced by the groups of women who sauntered into the theater for this one. The remarkably restored Jane Fonda, the wry Candice Bergen, the quirky Diane Keaton and the youngest of the bunch, Mary Steenbergen, relish their time together, discussing books, drinking lots of wine, enjoying snacks and bonding as friends. When they decide to read the trilogy “Fifty Shades of Grey,” they all realize that their personal lives could use a little spicing up. Immediately, Keaton meets a pilot (Andy Garcia) on a flight to see her overprotective daughters, Fonda is reunited with an old flame (Don Johnson), Bergen goes online and meets a charming date (Richard Dreyfuss) and Steenbergen really, really works at bringing back the magic with her husband (Craig T. Nelson). The movie is much less silly than I anticipated and laced with humor, warmth and heart. Go read a book and see this movie. 3½ cans.
58. The Family Stone (2005) – Sarah Jessica Parker is Meredith, a buttoned-up, humorless, self-centered woman who is dragged to the home of her soon to be fiancé, Everett (Dermot Mulrooney) to meet the family at Christmas, and the tension is as tight as the hair pulled back on her head. The family is a big, laid-back group, headed by mother Sybil (Diane Keaton) and father Kelly (Craig T. Nelson). Everett’s sister Amy (Rachel McAdams) takes a quick dislike to Meredith, who is clearly the square peg here (extra points to any of you who get THAT reference), but brother Ben (Luke Wilson) wants to help her out. Complicating matters is the arrival of Meredith’s sister Julie (Clare Danes), the friendly and fun sister of the two, who hits it off bigtime with Everett. The plot doesn’t thicken as much as it slides toward the inevitable, but it is worth the ride. Parker is particularly good as the uptight guest. 4 cans.
59. Growing Up Smith* (2015) – He may be of Indian descent, but 10-year old Smith (Roni Akurati) is the all-American boy. He likes “Star Wars,” “Happy Days,” “Saturday Night Fever” and has a mad crush on his classmate and neighbor Amy (Brighton Sharbino). But his pushy papa insists on his carrying on the traditions of HIS native country. Although his son is just 10, the father has already picked out his Indian bride. Smith’s biggest problem is trying to be a good son while also trying to be an average kid. Helping him out is neighbor Bucky (Jason Lee), a motorcycle-riding guy fighting with his wife (Hilarie Burton). I was reminded of one of my favorite TV shows, “The Wonder Years,” by the theme of kids with crushes just trying to survive overbearing parents and be “normal.” And the kid who plays Smith with a wide-eyed innocence loos much like Paul Pfeiffer (Josh Saviano) on TWY. 3½ cans.
60. Hollywoodland* (2006) – The 1959 death of actor George Reeves – famous for playing Superman on TV – was ruled a suicide, but private investigator Louis Simo (Adrien Brody) doesn’t agree. He connects with the actor’s doubting mother and tries to unravel the mystery, told in flashbacks, about Reeves’ relationships with Hollywood movers and shakers as the handsome actor tries to land movie roles before being cast – and typecast – as the Man of Steel. Ben Affleck is convincing as Reeves, who is appalled with his cartoonish role, and Diane Lane – one of my favorite actresses – plays a woman having an affair with Reeves while married to a top studio exec. There’s plenty of suspense here. 3½ cans.
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