Considering that I spent more than 100 hours rewatching "The West Wing," it is amazing that I managed to see 17 movies and TV series in November. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Bartlet Administration, so the time was well worth it. Programs not previously seen are marked with an asterisk and numbering picks up from previous months. Ratings go from 1-5 cans of tuna, with 5 being the best.
175. Guillermo Vilas: Settling the Score* (2020, Netflix) – This documentary could also be called “Sour Grapes,” though not because of the former star tennis player himself. When the Argentinian Vilas played his best tennis, in the 1970s, the world rankings were done a bit haphazardly, a fact that so bothered an Argentinian journalist named Puppa that years later he poured through newspaper and magazine articles, rankings published by the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) and whatever else he could get his hands on to make the case that Vilas deserved to be ranked number one in the world for more weeks than he had been. Vilas played against – and beat – such tennis icons as Bjorn Borg and Jimmy Connors, but did not hold the number 1 ranking for as many weeks as they did (justifiably, in my view). Unless you are into arcane mathematical equations or really enjoy footage of men playing tennis nearly 50 years ago, this documentary is not for you. I was at Forest Hills for the classic US Open semi-final match between Vilas and Manuel Orantes where Orantes was down by two sets and trailing 5-0 in the third set only to come all the way back and beat Vilas in the most thrilling match I have ever seen – and even I wasn’t all that interested in this movie. 2½ cans for being dull – except for watching Vilas play.
176. The West Wing (Netflix) – I should get extra credit for this one: I decided to rewatch this NBC series that aired in the early 2000s and seven seasons and 156 episodes later I had a new respect for the office of the President – present company excluded. My timing could not have been better, as I got to season 7 in time for the simultaneous real and fictional presidential election. As votes were being “cured” and counted and argued about in the real news, I sweated out the results of a vigorous fictional campaign. Comparisons and contrasts were unavoidable. The acting on this show is superb, exceeded only by the writing – especially the initial seasons that were helmed by Aaron Sorkin, a master of fast-spoken, snappy dialog. I salute President Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen) and his whole crew – Bradley Whitford, Allison Janney, John Spencer, Dule Hill, Richard Schiff, Rob Lowe, Janel Moloney, Stockard Channing and the others who followed them and who made this drama reality for me. I miss those characters – and the grace of compassion and doing the right thing – so much. We could use “Bartlet for America” right now. 4½ cans. PS - This series is leaving Netflix at the end of the year but will be available on some other streaming service, I'm sure.
177. The Queen’s Gambit* (2020, Netflix limited series) – The title here represents the opening move in a chess game, where young Beth excels as a preternaturally gifted player. An orphan, she lives in an miserable orphanage where her only respite from grim reality is learning and playing chess in the basement with the school custodian, Mr. Schiebel. Beth lies in bed at night envisioning chess moves on the ceiling. When she is adopted by a couple looking for a companion for the lonely wife, she initially is not allowed to play chess, but as her new mother begins to understand Beth’s skill (and earning potential), she relents. I don’t want to give away the rest of the plot, but the story, while centered on Beth’s prowess as a player, shows a girl who grows into a young woman lacking acceptance and disconnected in large part from society. Chess becomes her solace and the players her family. Her personality goes to extremes, as she becomes more dependent on pills and booze to relieve her loneliness. If you are a chess player or understand more about the game, the matches in this movie would be thrilling, I’m sure. But even for someone with no knowledge of the game, they become like athletic events, full of suspense. Anya Taylor-Joy, who plays Beth, reminded me of Emma Stone with her big eyes and lanky frame. I’ll be interested in seeing her next move. 4 cans.
178. Always Be My Maybe* (2019, Netflix) – Just the title of this rom-com should be enough to give away the ending, and it didn’t disappoint in that regard. Sasha and Marcus grew up as neighbors and best buds, briefly interested in each other as more than friends before high school ended and they went their separate ways. She (now played by Ali Wong) gains acclaim as an innovative chef and restaurateur with a high-powered boyfriend/partner. He (Randall Park) joins his father in the heating and cooling business, still missing his late and wonderful mother, who loved Sasha like a daughter. We see them in the present, both in relationships and with no interest in each other. This is hardly “When Harry Met Sally,” but a scene in a high-end restaurant with Keanu Reeves is hilariously memorable. If you need a distraction from the comedy/tragedy playing out in DC or a break from coronavirus warnings, take a look at this cute flick. 3½ cans – 3 without the Keanu Reeves part!
179. People Like Us* (2013, HBO) – I’m not sure any of these people are like us, but it is hard to pass up a chance to watch Chris Pine on the screen. He plays Sam, a man whose estranged father has died. He has no desire to go to the funeral, and he shows up (late) with his girlfriend Hannah (Olivia Wilde) just to satisfy his mother. (You know we are all getting old when Michelle Pfeiffer is cast as the very adult man’s mother.) The father had been a music rep with a huge stash of records who leaves Sam a shaving kit containing $150K and a request to get it to his grandson, Josh. It turns out that Josh is the grandson no one else knew he had, and the kid’s mother, Frankie (Elizabeth Banks), is, therefore Sam’s half-sister. Sam establishes a relationship with the two without telling them who he is. Down on his luck, Sam really could use that money, but he knows he is supposed to give it to Frankie for Josh, a lonely 11-year old who gets himself into trouble by doing things like blowing up the school pool. I kept urging Sam to tell Frankie what was going on, but the writers had their own ideas. This movie was well acted and Sam, while unable to manage his own life successfully, intercedes in the life of his new family. 3½ cans.
180. The Times of Bill Cunningham* (2020, Prime Video) – Photographer, fashion chronicler, The New York Times writer and all-around man of New York, Bill Cunningham lived and died for fashion. He appreciated the cut of a garment, the fabric, the way it draped the body. But this former milliner wore hand-me-downs given him by fashion doyennes of the city who cleaned out their husbands’ closets. An unpretentious soul, he went to the best parties, camera always in hand, to capture the life of high society, people like Jackie Kennedy, Babe Paley and high-end designers. He knew everyone who was anyone in New York social and fashion circles. Cunningham was known for his pictures of street fashion, and every day seemed to excite this enormously affable and enthusiastic gentleman. He lived modestly in the same studio apartment for more than 50 years and could be seen daily riding his bike – always bought used. This is the second documentary I have seen on Bill Cunningham (the first was “Bill Cunningham New York” from 2010), and since I don’t follow fashion, you know the attraction had to be the personality and point of view of the man himself. 3½ cans.
181. A Most Beautiful Thing* (2020, Prime Video) – The West Side of Chicago in the 1990s had plenty of gang rivalries, drug dealers, street violence and poverty. What it didn’t have was an all-Black high school rowing team. The students at all-Black Manley High were in rival gangs and avoided each other to be safe. But one day a man named Kenny, a white, Jewish rower, showed up with a boat and a plan, as former rivals joined together to compete on the water. Many of these young men were from families with drug addiction or had parents who were incarcerated. Many were quite literally in the same boat. This documentary shows the 1998 team reuniting to honor that special experience of working together, bonding, and succeeding in a sport they never knew existed. I’ll refrain from providing further details, but if you are looking for a heart-warming, inspiring movie, here’s one to see. Stuff like this gives me hope for a better world. 3½ cans.
182. Midnight Run (1988) – This classic comedy caper is a buddy movie about two guys who are not buddies, who drive each other crazy, until they become buddies after all. Robert DeNiro is Jack Walsh, former copy and current bounty hunter who has to capture Jonathan “The Duke” LaDuca (Charles Grodin), mob accountant turned Robin Hood do-gooder, and get him to Los Angeles for the bail bondsman (Joe Pantoliano) who put up the cash. This movie is the original planes, trains and automobiles, as Jack and the Duke use every form of transportation short of a boat to get back to LA so Walsh can get his money, with the Duke resisting all the while. There are cops and Feds and mobsters and lamebrains and even a rival bounty hunter in this delight, which is thoroughly entertaining throughout its midnight run. This is a movie that could never be made today because Walsh smokes incessantly, including in the airport and on the plane(s) because this movie was made before smoking was banned. Great, fun flick. 4 cans.
183. Please Stand By* (2017, Hulu) – Dakota Fanning is Wendy in this winning story of a 21-year old woman with autism. Wendy lives in a group home, holds a job at Cinnabon and spends much of her time writing a script to submit in a contest for Star Trek. She has a strict routine and a bit of independence, but she is supervised by Scotti (Toni Collette). Her goal is to go from San Francisco to Paramount Studios in LA to submit her script in person by the deadline. But when she sneaks Petey the dog onto the bus, the driver kicks her off, leaving her on the side of the road. It will take wit and moxie to get to where she is going safely, and Scotti and Wendy’s sister Audrey are hot on her trail. Fanning does a great job playing Wendy, and you can’t help but root for her to succeed. 3½ cans.
184. Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987, AMC On Demand) – My Thanksgiving is complete, now that I have once again watched this endearing comedy with Steve Martin as frustrated traveler Neil, who keeps bumping into annoying salesman Dell (the late John Candy). Both guys are trying their best to get home to Chicago in time for Thanksgiving, but every possible thing happens to prevent them from getting there. Candy is a big hulk of a guy, but full of a soft and warm center. Martin is uptight and driven (occasionally on the wrong side of the road). They don’t call these movies “buddy movies” for nothing, however, as the characters begin to understand each other despite their conflicts and the circumstances. Terrific movie, great performances, and always something for which to be thankful in this special season. 4 cans.
185. Jasper Mall* (2020, Prime Video) – If you want to go where the action is, this Alabama mall is NOT the place. Once thriving and anchored by the likes of J.C. Penney, the mall is now frequented by morning mall walking regulars, a contingent of old men playing dominoes and few shoppers. No amount of carnivals in the parking lot or Santa in the food court will draw the shoppers back to the largely abandoned Jasper Mall. This documentary, told mostly through one employee who does everything from turning on the lights, unlocking the doors and emptying the trash to trying to entice larger stores to relocate to a place where space is abundant, might have benefited from some voiceover or graphics to tell its story. But you get the sense that it typifies the American experience, where shoppers have turned from malls to online shopping, and major retailers have closed nationwide, leaving enormous empty spaces behind. The movie is almost as dull as the mall’s own existence, but, as a recreational shopper, I felt obliged to endure it. 2½ cans.
186. Blue Jay* (2016, Netflix) – Amanda and Jim (Sarah Paulsen, Mark Duplas) were meant for each other. After being in a solid relationship in high school and beyond, they ultimately moved on, with Amanda getting married and Jim staying single, secretly knowing she was “the one.” Now he returns to their hometown to clean up his mother’s house after her death and he runs into her at the market. They have coffee and conversation, dredging up the old memories, laughs and their good times together. This is the opposite of an action movie. In fact, Jim and Amanda are the only characters who speak. But the solid performances by the leads make it seem like the dialog is between two old friends, not between actors playing roles. Duplass wrote the screenplay and delivers his part deftly. I’m not giving this movie a big thumbs up because you might find it dull – I had to rewatch the part when I felt asleep – but the acting was so good and natural. 3 cans.
187. The Mystery of D.B. Cooper* (2020, HBO and Prime Video) – Here’s the background on this true story: D. B. Cooper boarded a plane in November 1971 and hijacked it, demanding millions of dollars and a few parachutes. After a quick stop at a Northwestern airport where the passengers were released, his demands were met. He then donned the parachute and jumped into infamy in the only hijacking case that to this day remains unsolved. This documentary presents not one, not two but four possible contenders for the identity of D. B., including one transsexual. Each of the suspects has “backers,” people who swear he confessed to them on his deathbed or he was an uncle of theirs. This mystery has fascinated people since it happened. Did Cooper perish during the jump? Did he land, take the money and run? And why, years later, did some damaged money traced back to the case turn up? One thing I can say for sure: This case remains a mystery with plausible suspects and no resolution. 3½ cans.
188. Under the Boardwalk: The Monopoly Story* (2010, Prime Video) – Every kid has grown up playing Monopoly, right? The classic board game from Parker Brothers has been around for 75 years, ironically introduced during the Depression. The game today is availble in countless languages, its familiar Boardwalk and Park Place properties bearing names more appropriate to their foreign locales in international versions. And it is not just a kids’ game – unless you think kids dream of forcing their competitors into bankruptcy. Adults who play the game compete in national tournaments with the winners coming to the US to face off in Atlantic City (naturally) along with the US champion. It took years for the original version of Monopoly to morph into what we see on the board today with the familiar graphics, street names and shoe, racecar and thimble tokens. There is plenty of strategy and wheeling and dealing involved. Watching this movie isn’t exactly like watching an Olympic sport, but for the players involved, the world championship is their Olympic Gold. 3½ cans.
189. Hillbilly Elegy* (2020, Netflix) – I didn’t know this movie was based on a true story written by the main character. All I knew was that Ron Howard directed it and the stars were Glenn Close and Amy Adams, which was enough to get me to watch it. It was a real fun-fest – if your idea of fun is mental illness, drug addiction, domestic violence (I think setting your husband on fire in your living room qualifies) and extreme poverty. The film cuts between J.D., a teenaged boy living with his ill-tempered and drug-addicted mother and J.D. 14 years later, a young man trying earnestly to work his way through Yale Law School and escape from the drama of his Kentucky-Ohio roots. There is a lot of arguing, hopelessness and despair, yet somehow this family still cares for each other. Glenn Close as Mamaw, the grandmother, is nearly unrecognizable with a head of curly hair and a wardrobe straight out of a clothing bin. She seemed so specifically anti-typecast that I kept thinking of Carol Burnett when she played Eunice on “Mama’s Family,” a bitter, dour woman claiming to love her family but demonstrating only a modicum of warmth. Amy Adams is J.D.’s irresponsible and drug-addicted mother. I think the film improved for me once I found out it was based on a true story, because I could not believe this young kid could turn his life around and end up at Yale Law School. It was well-done, but relentless in its sadness. 3½ cans.
190. Any Day Now (TV series from the early 2000s, Start TV) – I am recommending this TV series from the early 2000s era because despite the passage of time, it seems so relevant to our remaining issues of racial injustice. But mostly I love it because of its central construct – the warm and enduring friendship between two women who were best friends growing up and who, despite a 20-year lapse, manage to rekindle their affection and support for each other. Lawyer Renee Jackson (Lorraine Toussaint) is the daughter of an attorney in Birmingham, Alabama, a man whose death brings her back home from her high-powered job in Washington. Mary Elizabeth (Annie Potts) has settled down with childhood sweetheart Collier Sims and their kids, living a decidedly unlavish lifestyle. When Renee returns home, the friendship picks up again. Flashbacks to their youth in the early 1960s show how young Renee, a Black girl, faced discrimination and wasn’t welcome in the home of ME’s white family. As they grow up, they experience issues like interracial marriage, the KKK, unemployment, losing a child and a brother. Renee takes on court cases that encompass everything from rape and child custody to artistic expression and abortion. The series lasted about four seasons, and I just finished watching one episode a day on Start TV until I saw them all – a very good use of my time. 4 cans.
191. The Undoing* (HBO, HBO Max) – This HBO limited series was a gripping Who-Done-It drama about the brutal murder of a woman and the arrest of her lover. Hugh Grant is an esteemed pediatric oncologist who had an affair with the woman and who left incriminating evidence at the murder scene. Nicole Kidman is his psychologist wife, mother of his son, and the daughter of a wealthy man (Donald Sutherland, whose eyebrows continue to haunt me). Kidman is a high society woman who had no idea about her husband’s transgression, but now that she knows, will she still support him, vouch for him? Of course, there are plenty of red herrings along the way to pique your suspicions, and a climatic courtroom scene is a must. I found this drama very well acted and absorbing. Catch it if you can. 4 cans.
