With 16 movies and programs on the June list, there should be something for everyone to enjoy. Ratings are on a scale of 1-5 cans of tuna, with 5 at the top. Programs marked with an asterisk have not been seen previously and numbering picks up from last month.
68. Ted Lasso, Season 3* (2023, Apple TV+) – This series was enough to make me keep my subscription to Apple TV+. Ted Lasso (Jason Sudekis) is a fish-out-of-water, an American football coach hired to head an English football (we call it soccer in the US) team, despite knowing little about the sport. In what is likely its last season, Ted has made a big decision that affects the entire squad and his family. No spoilers here. The series seemed to go off course at times, but some of the characters really grew on me, like Hannah Waddingham as club owner Rebecca, a powerful woman with compassion, and irreverent and grumpy former star Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein, also a producer and writer). The wit and wisdom of Ted are life lessons. I did not like last year’s ending, which led to an inevitable reconciliation, and I still wonder what Roy and Jamie Tartt see in Keely (Juno Temple). But Ted is a character with character, whose quick wit and sincere advice has maximum impact. The series may or may not return for another season, but I have enjoyed the ride. 4 cans.
69. The Last Thing He Told Me* (2023, Apple TV+) – The premise here is terrific. A wife is handed a note that says “Protect her” just before her husband vanishes in the wake of a big corporate scandal. Was he in on it? Where did he go? What is the wife and stepmother to the daughter he wants protected supposed to do now? Three words of advice: READ THE BOOK! It makes much more sense and is far more gripping than this overwrought series. Jennifer Garner has one expression – furrowed brow, pursed lips – as she tries to figure out what to do while also having to deal with the snarky teenager she is supposed to protect. The story went off the rails for me and I limped through the final, unsatisfying episode. 3 cans.’
70. About My Father* (2023, at the movies) – Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco expands his stand-up act in this light comedy about a young man (Sebastian) about to ask his girlfriend (Lesley Bibb) to marry him. But before his father Salvo (Robert DeNiro) will give him his late mother’s ring, Salvo insists on meeting her family. You’ve seen this movie before and it had DeNiro in that one, too (the “Meet the Fockers” franchise). Naturally, the potential in-laws are ritzy upper-crust types and Sebastian’s hairdresser father does not fit in. He makes his son uncomfortable and ashamed, but the old guy loves his son, he’s just set in his ways. There are some funny moments (Salvo’s Italian dinner) and some cheap humor (Sebastian losing his bathing suit in front of the in-laws), but overall, the movie does nothing to distinguish itself as a comedy. Instead, watch one of Maniscalco’s comedy specials. You’ll get a lot more laughs and intel about his father without the cliches and unfunny scenes. 3 cans.
71. Shooting Stars* (2023, Peacock TV) – Even superstars like LeBron James have to start somewhere. This dramatization of his life shows Bron teaming up with other 10-year-olds to play basketball. The kids grow up together, playing ball and video games staying out of trouble, forging lifelong friendships and winning titles. Even today, the “Fab Four” remain good friends, with each having succeeded in life. And you may know that LeBron turned out to be a pretty good player himself. 3 cans.
72. Private Benjamin (1980, HBO) – This Goldie Hawn comedy is so funny, so endearing, that I have watched it numerous times. Here she plays spoiled Judy Benjamin, whose parents adore her but whom no one respects. When her husband drops dead on their wedding night in the throes of passion, Judy impulsively joins the Army. Her recruiter shows her pictures of an idyllic place with yachts and condos, a far cry from the Army base in Mississippi where she is forced to scrub the latrine with her toothbrush. Predictable misadventures ensue. My favorite scenes are Judy and her squad marching in circles in the pouring rain as she laments not being able to wear sandals and go out to lunch and the joy of the squad when they unexpectedly succeed and launch an impromptu dance party to the Sister Sledge song, “We Are Family” in the barracks. This is light entertainment for sure, but it still packs an inspiring message about what women who are determined can accomplish. 4 cans.
73. Still* (2023, Apple TV+) – Before he became known as the face of Parkinson’s Disease, Michael J. Fox was enjoying fortune and fame as Alex P. Keaton on TV’s “Family Ties,” followed by “Back to the Future” and other movies. Fox became as hot as can be, with his picture all over the magazine stands and appearances on all of the talk shows. Here he tells his own career and life story and it is engrossing. His unexpected diagnosis at age 29 was something he chose to deal with privately with just his wife, actress Tracy Pollen, and his kids – for 7 years. But when the tremors and other effects became harder to hide, he felt the need to explain his physical symptoms to the public. His foundation has raised $2 billion for research on Parkinson’s. Kudos to the editors for finding so many relevant clips from his work to tell this story that Fox narrates, and kudos to Fox for his candor in depicting his daily challenges. I wasn’t sure I wanted to see this documentary for fear it would be too depressing, but seeing Fox laughing and enjoying his family made it worthwhile. 3½ cans.
74. Wanda Sykes: I’m an Entertainer* (2023, Netflix) – One of my favorite comedians, Sykes shines in her latest stand-up special. She tackles online church, the quarantine, sending her kids to school and more serious subjects. Line of the night: “Until a drag queen walks into a school and beats eight kids to death with a copy of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ I think you’re focusing on the wrong shit.” Hell, yeah. 3½ cans.
75. The Son* (2022, Netflix) – If you are looking for a movie full of warmth and parent-child bonding, this isn’t the one. Hugh Jackman plays a divorced man whose teenaged son lives with his ex (Laura Dern) while he has a new wife and baby. The son has stopped going to school and wants to live with his father. He doesn’t fit neatly anywhere and grows increasingly unhappy. Meanwhile, the father has a chance to land a major political client, but he is pulled in all directions, with work, wife, ex-wife, baby and son all vying for his attention. He may be highly capable at work, but real life is where he can’t seem to handle his problems. This movie is grim and, while probably close to reality, isn’t at all fun or rewarding to watch. 2 cans.
76. The Angriest Man in Brooklyn* (2014) – The late, great Robin Williams plays Henry Altman, a man who is having a really bad day. He starts out angry and a car accident and the fallout from that only exacerbates his downward spiral. Still, there is biting humor as only Robin Williams can bring it. Co-star Mina Kunis shines in her role of a woman desperate to help this poor guy. I had never heard of this movie but it is worth watching. 3½ cans.
77. Sebastian Maniscalco – Sebastian has become one of my favorite comedians. His stand-up act tackles subjects we can all relate to but he brings his Italian background, his father and the way he grew up to practically every situation in a way that delivers genuinely funny humor. His physicality when he imitates his father and others adds to the hilarity. I found his stand-up routines much funnier than his movie, “About My Father,” that covers much of the same territory but doesn’t translate well to the movie format. 3½ cans.
78. The Luckiest Guy in the World* (2023, ESPN) – This fascinating look at the basketball career of Bill Walton is part of ESPN’s “30 for 30” documentary series. At nearly 7 feet, with a shock of bright red hair, later added to by a red beard, Bill Walton always stood out in the crowd. When he played for legendary coach John Wooden at UCLA, Walton and his teammates went undefeated and took home two National Championships. He also won two NBA titles. Now, at age 70, Walton looks back on his career, his triumphs, his defeats and the way serious injuries shortened his ability to play. He endured multiple stress fractures in his feet and had numerous surgeries. But when he was good, he was great. In this 4-parter, he recounts his battles with the preeminent player of his time, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and many of his teammates and opponents offer their input into his incredible abilities on the court. Off the court, Walton was and remains his own man, an independent thinker who considers himself mainstream. I don’t watch much pro basketball, since I prefer college hoops, but I remember Walton. The man who stuttered made himself into an articulate broadcaster when his playing career ended. Who knows what might have been? 4 basketballs.
79. The Bear, Season 2* (2023, FX or Hulu) -- Carmy Berzatto and company are back in this 10-episode second season on Hulu as the chef and crew take the steps to rebuild the restaurant into The Bear, a fine dining establishment. This season is considerably less frenetic than last season (let’s not count “The Fishes” episode with his mother, played by Jamie Lee Curtis, preparing the feast of the 7 fishes), but still with plenty of action. Some of the episodes highlight the supporting cast, as Sydney (Ayo Edibiri) tours Chicago in search of new recipe ideas and pastry chef Marcus (Lionel Boyce) goes to Copenhagen to learn special dessert techniques. Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) has a love interest this year in old friend Claire but has no time for a romance with trying to get construction permits and pass fire suppression tests. The food looks delicious, the acting is first rate and overall, his season was well-done. 4 cans.
80. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Season 5* (2023, Prime Video) – This is the final season of this comedy series about a housewife turned stand-up comedian that features an outstanding performance by Rachel Brosnahan as Midge Maisel. Midge is fighting her for her big break, getting a job as the only female writer on the “Gordon Ford Show” (think “The Tonight Show”) where she really wants a spot to perform and a turn on the couch. She is still managed by the abrasive Susie Myerson (Alex Borstein), still living with her parents (played by Tony Shalhoub and Marin Hinkle) and still the ex-wife of Joel (Michael Zegen). To be honest, I stopped watching this series last year when I found the parents and side stories annoying and laborious, but since this is the last go-round, I wanted to check it out. There is still plenty of comedy, with the stand-up bits shining and genuinely funny, but the characters are still annoying. I loved it at first but gradually fell off Mrs. Maisel’s wagon. Amy Sherman Palladino, who created and wrote much of the show, can cram more dialog into a few minutes than anyone this side of Aaron Sorkin and some of the writing is real genius. By the end, Mrs. Maisel is on her way to real stardom and it is time to end the show for that and other reasons. However, great production values, perfect period costumes and performances that absolutely sparkle make it worthwhile. Mrs. Maisel was much less marvelous as time went on. This season gets 3½ cans.
81. Dream On* (2021, ESPN) – Another top-notch documentary from ESPN’s “30 for 30” series, this 3-parter recounts the story of the 1996 USA Women’s Basketball team and how they prepared for the Olympics. The 1992 Olympic team and the 1994 World Cup team failed to capture the gold medal, so the people in charge of the sport decided to emulate the countries whose national teams were picked and played for a year prior to the Olympics. They then had to secure a coach who was willing to give up his/her regular job to guide the team as they trained and barnstormed the US and overseas to create a cohesive, winning unit. They found one in Stanford Coach Tara Vanderveer. Their success generated enough interest and enthusiasm for Women’s Basketball that it led to the formation of the WNBA, now in its 27th season. It was fun to see players like Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, Dawn Staley and now RU assistant coach Nikki McCray on the court and commenting on their experiences. As a women’s basketball junkie, I enjoyed every minute. Not only did the US go undefeated and win the goal medal in 1996, but subsequent teams have continued that championship record, with Team USA winning seven consecutive gold medals! 4 basketballs.
82. Doc Hollywood (1991, HBO) – This oldie but goodie was one I wanted to watch again after having seen Michael J. Fox in his Apple TV+ documentary “Still” earlier this month. Here Fox is young Dr. Benjamin Stone, who is on his way to a lucrative job as a plastic surgeon in – you guessed it – Hollywood when he has an accident and needs to get his car repaired in the sleepy town of Grady, South Carolina, when the local repairmen need to order parts. The town happens to need a doctor and Dr. Stone is voluntold to take over from irascible Dr. Hogue (Barnard Hughes) in the local clinic. Stone is way too good for this gig, or so he thinks, but he is stuck there. Once he meets ambulance driver, Vialula (Julie Warner), things brighten up considerably. But he still has to contend with the tough nurse, a would-be starlet (Bridget Fonda) who wants to go to Hollywood, local insurance salesman Hank (Woody Harrelson) and a cast of eccentrics. Adorable movie, and the last made by the popular Fox before his devastating diagnosis with Parkinson’s Disease. When we think of Michael J. Fox now, it is often in his role as a crusader for Parkinson’s research, but let’s not forget what a good actor he is. 4 cans.
83. Rock Hudson: All that Heaven Allowed* (2023, HBO) – Rock Hudson was the perfect movie star, a tall, dark, handsome hunk with a great physique and a big secret – he was gay back in the days when being openly gay would ruin a Hollywood career. Hudson managed to keep his secret from the public for the most part while surrounding himself with handsome young men who were perfectly willing to spend time with him. Rock even managed to have a short-lived marriage of convenience with a woman who worked for his manager. But insiders and some of his co-stars (like Doris Day and Elizabeth Taylor) knew the real story and loved and protected him. His secret might never have been revealed had he not contracted AIDS in the 1980s, at a time when there was no real treatment and the gay community was losing so many talented artists. After finally admitting his diagnosis, Hudson wanted to help raise awareness of the disease. Nearly 40 years after his death, he remains arguably the most famous person to die of AIDS. There is nothing really new or revelatory here, but it struck me how sad it is that we are still fighting stereotypes in this country, even after passage of laws designed to give gay people full rights to marry and be themselves. 3 cans.
