I finished the year strong, adding about two dozen shows to the list for the year. Following the December compilation is a list of the movies and programs that were my favorites in 2025. As always, everything is rated on a scale of 1-5 cans of tuna fish and those marked with an asterisk I had not seen previously.
139. Dickie V.* (ESPN) – Any sports fan – particularly fans of college basketball – knows that Dickie V is Dick Vitale, basketball analyst and much more. A native of NJ, Richie Vitale, as he was known back in the day, coached at the high school level and even had a short but memorable stint as a Rutgers assistant, where his recruiting prowess landed two of the best basketball players in Rutgers’ history (Phil Sellars and Mike Dabney). He went on the coach at the University of Detroit and then had a very short tenure as the coach of the NBA’s Detroit Pistons. But when he was fired, he got into broadcasting, where his enthusiasm endeared him to fans and the basketball coaches’ fraternity. Now equally known for his work in support of cancer victims in honor of his pal, the late Jim Valvano (who got his start playing for Rutgers), Dickie V has raised millions of dollars to fight a disease that he himself has now beaten. He’s back at it as a broadcaster and a paramount figure in the game. 3½ cans.
140. Paul Anka: His Way* (2025, HBO Max) – Wow! Paul Anka – singer, songwriter and entertainer – is still churning out songs and going out on the road to entertain at the age of 82. And from what I could tell from the performances included here, he is still in top form. Anka wrote plenty of teenage hits as a teenager himself, but he realized his longevity would depend on more mature music. So, he cranked out music for himself and everyone from Tom Jones (“She’s a Lady”) to Michael Jackson to Frank Sinatra, who called Anka’s signature song for him (“My Way”) the national anthem. And if you have ever watched “The Tonight Show,” starting with Johnny Carson, you have heard the theme song that Anka wrote and still collects money each time it plays. Anka is dedicated to his music and to performing and doesn’t expect to stop anytime soon. Who knows what memorable hits lie ahead? 3½ cans.
141. Nobody Wants This – Season 2* (2025, Netflix) – When we last left Rabbi Noah and his new very unJewish girlfriend, Joanne (Adam Brody and Kristen Bell), they were in the dreamy throes of new love and trying to reconcile his religion and profession with her lack of commitment to convert to Judaism. In Season two, we are still there. The couple are still in love but can they (particularly the Rabbi) have a future together if they are not on the same page of the Torah? This season the focus is expanded with meatier parts played by his brother Sasha and her sister Morgan, and then throw in Morgan’s new therapist/boyfriend Andy and Joanne’s mother, but the story always comes back to Noah and Joanne. Honestly, I was getting tired of their indecision, but still intrigued enough to watch. I’m guessing that season 3 is in the works. 3 cans.
142. Jay Kelly* (Netflix, 2025) – Any movie with George Clooney has a good shot at getting my attention. Here he plays the title role of movie star Jay Kelly, who has lived for a long time as a big star pampered by his manager Ron (Adam Sandler) and admired by many even as he questions his own accomplishments and existence. He took parts right out of the hands of others, spent not enough time with his grown daughters, who mostly overlook him, and he is doomed to rely on his manager Ron to help him survive in this world. He is at best, a transcendent star and at worst a lost soul. What is the price of fame, and is it worth paying? This film is promoted as a comedy, but I didn’t experience many comic moments. I just felt sorry for Jay, a man of power mostly running away from his image and heading towards…I’m not sure he knows, either. 4 cans.
143. All the Empty Rooms* (2025, Netflix) – CBS News’ Steve Hartman is the good news guy. He delves into stories where people have overcome the odds or have shown exceptional kindness to others. I rarely watch his “On the Road” reports without tearing up. Hartman has covered his share of tragedies, reporting on the epidemic of school shootings and the lives of innocent children lost in these tragedies. In this brief documentary, he and his photographer travel to the homes of some of the parents whose children went to school one day and never came home. As he visits the homes of these murdered children, he captures the anguish of the parents as they share the rooms once occupied by their kids, which the parents have kept untouched to keep the connection with their kids alive. They have become memorials to the lives abruptly halted, sacred places where the parents can look at their kids’ artwork or soccer medals or poems, or they can sniff the blanket still on the bed to make that connection with the child they have lost. As hard as it is for the parents to allow access to these spaces, it is also therapeutic, as they share their grief. If ever there was a way to stop the madness of school shootings, this film could help. 4 cans and more than a few tissues.
144. Boo-Yah: A Portrait of Stuart Scott* (2025, ESPN 30 for 30 Series) – Stuart Scott was a unique presence in the sports reporting world. He was smart, charming, funny and more attuned to the hip-hop culture than most of his contemporaries, which made him popular with sports figures as well as his audience. He rose quickly through the ranks of ESPN and gained a big following. This documentary, named for his famous catchphrase, tells his story using plenty of clips and lots of interviews with his family, friends and colleagues. Scott was at his peak when he contracted cancer. Despite vigorously fighting the aftermath, he finally succumbed 10 years ago, but not without first winning an award at ESPN for courage. His speech that night gave him the opportunity to convey publicly his profound love for his two daughters. Scott was just 49 when he died, leaving behind a legacy of excellent sports work that will be long remembered. 4 cans.
145. Lilly* (2024, Netflix) – When Lilly Ledbetter (Patricia Clarkson) joined the Goodyear factory in Alabama, she was glad to have a job to help support her family. Despite her devotion to her work and the fact that she was a supervisor at the plant, Ledbetter often was ordered to work on the factory floor and was treated differently than the male employees. Years later, she discovered that she had been paid less than men doing comparable or even less important work, and she took Goodyear to court. This movie tells the real-life story of a hard-working woman trying to support her family and fighting a system that discriminated against her based on her gender. Her work led to the passing of the Ledbetter Fair Play Restoration Act by Congress, the first bill signed by President Obama. 3 cans for an important story.
146. The New Yorker at 100* (2025, Netflix) – Let’s face it: Not that many things last for 100 years, reputation and legacy intact. And then there’s the estimable New Yorker magazine, which has continued to publish important, entertaining and thought-provoking stories for 100 years. Writers such as Truman Capote and environmentalist Rachel Carson published their works that led to their books first on the pages of The New Yorker. Outstanding critics and talented artists have graced the pages with their commentary. This documentary is a warm and wonderful look at a venerable part of society that deserves its 100 years of acclaim and more. 4 cans.
147. A Few Good Men (1992, On Demand) – With the tragic death of talented actor/director Rob Reiner filling my heart, I wanted to pay my own tribute by revisiting some of his movies, and I started here. This dynamic, beautifully crafted movie about the oath of the Marines, the rules that they follow and the unofficial ones they don’t talk about, was directed by Reiner and seemed like an unlikely choice for a man whose career and upbringing were so steeped in comedy. But this drama, written by Aaron Sorkin, is everything you would want in a courtroom drama with its taut story and performances by actors at the top of their game. Tom Cruise holds his own against Jack Nicholson, and Demi Moore, Keifer Sutherland and Kevin Bacon are outstanding. I had not seen it in many years, but I put it up against The Caine Mutiny and To Kill a Mockingbird with its emphasis on character and courtroom drama. 4½ cans.
148. Stand By Me (1984, Netflix) – Here director Rob Reiner tells the story of a group of 12-year-old buddies trying to feel their way into the world. They all have family struggles and are not old enough to combat the teenage bullies around them, but they have a friendship filled with teasing and typical pre-pubescence braggadocio. They set out on an adventure to see a dead body that belongs to a young boy around their age who is found a few miles from their homes. This movie is beautifully filmed, sometimes looking bucolic and other times looking like the world around the boys is littered with garbage. Kudos to young actors River Phoenix, Will Wheaton, Corey Feldman and Jerry O’Connell as well as to the punkish Keifer Sutherland. 4 cans.
149. The Terminal (2004, Hulu) – You can always count on Tom Hanks to deliver a warmhearted performance. Here he is Victor, a man from a fictional country in Eastern Europe that is at war. Victor has just landed in NYC but he can’t get his visa because his country is in limbo. The airport supervisor (Stanley Tucci), informs him that he cannot leave the NY Terminal until the diplomatic crisis ends. Residing in the terminal for nine months, Victor learns to speak English, hustles up money by returning carts for a quarter each so he can buy something to eat in the food court, creates a place to stay at an abandoned gate, and becomes friends with the staff of the terminal. And he finds the woman of his dreams (Catherine Zeta-Jones), a flight attendant who passes through the terminal often. As in Castaway, Hanks’ character here acclimates to his environment and becomes self-sufficient while waiting patiently for his status to change. 4 cans. Just don’t ever travel with Hanks – “The Terminal,” “Castaway”, “Sully,” “Captain Phillips”!
150. Die Hard (1988, Hulu) – I’m not generally a fan of action movies, but this movie is one I love. A young, dynamic Bruce Willis is at his smirky best as NYC cop John McClane, who arrives in LA to visit his estranged wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia). His plans to meet her at her office Christmas party at Nakatomi Plaza run into a major problem when a slick team of terrorists invade the building to steal valuable bonds. They hold the building occupants hostage and have their plans in place until McClane manages to thwart them and kill some of the terrorists. The action is punctuated by wry humor as McClane goes undercover, battling not only the terrorists but also the LAPD and the FBI to rescue his wife and her colleagues. And yes, I consider this a Christmas movie. Love the ending. 4 cans.
151. It’s A Wonderful Life (1946, NBC) – Life is not so wonderful for noble George Bailey (James Stewart), whose dreams of getting out of his hometown of Bedford Falls are derailed at every turn. Despite having a wife he adores (Donna Reed) and children galore, George has always put the townsfolk and his family first, sacrificing his own dreams. He finally reaches his limit and is determined to end his misery, only to be stopped by his guardian angel, Clarence. Clarence shows him what the town would be like if he had never lived. This is a classic Christmas movie that can be seen often around the holiday. It has grown on me over the years, even though I still think it is way too long! The fantasy of it and the message it leaves about the value of each individual making the world a better place is always a welcome one. 4 cans.
152. The Best You Can* (2025, Netflix) – Kevin Bacon and his real-life wife Kyra Sedgwick give it their all in this story about a urologist (Sedgwick) with a much older husband (Judd Hirsch) who is exhibiting signs of dementia. Stan (Bacon) is a security guard hired to protect the doctor’s neighborhood. He and Sedgwick develop a friendship – he goes to see her for his prostate issue – and they begin an online relationship by sharing their respective problems. Just when you expect him to bail on her, he comes through, which only complicates things further. The movie is tender in its exploration of dealing with failing health and with a partner who is in a mental decline, as well as men’s health issues and intimacy between relative strangers. 3½ cans.
153. Breakthrough: 1975* (2025, Netflix) – This compendium of cultural upheaval in 1975 focuses on the incredible number of outstanding films that marked the emergence of the “New Hollywood.” From “Taxi Driver” to “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” to “Chinatown” to “Network,” new directors and actors established themselves and a new antihero genre that replaced more traditional films. The social upheaval caused by Watergate, the Vietnam war, the Women’s Movement and other changes was reflected in the entertainment of the times. 1975 was 50 years ago, yet the causes and movies discussed here stay with us to this day. The genre didn’t last long; soon more traditional films like “Jaws” were back in theaters and “Rocky” won the Oscar for Best Picture that year. It was fun while it lasted. 3½ cans.
154 and 155. Sister Act (1992, Netflix) and Sister Act II, Back in the Habit (1993, Netflix) – The producers of this Whoopi Goldberg movie decided to take advantage of the popularity of the original with a quick sequel which in no way measures up to the joy of the first one. Whoopi is Vegas lounge singer Deloris Van Cartier who has to flee from the mob when she sees her mobster boyfriend commit a murder. To protect her, the cops stash her in a convent, where she becomes Sister Mary Clarence. Naturally, she takes over as the head of the choir and soon the nuns in the order have everything out of order as they start performing secular, popular music. This is not exactly “Citizen Kane,” but Whoopi exudes charm and attitude, and when she takes the nuns to a local bar, the outcome is hilarious (thank you, Kathy Najimy). Part two has Deloris as a headliner in Vegas when the nuns prevail on her to help save their local Catholic school. She forms a choir for the kids, who are reluctant to join but, of course, immensely talented, and they save the school (not hard to predict). I’ll give the original 3½ cans but the sequel only gets 2½.
156. The Holiday (2006, Prime Video) – When a British woman (Kate Winslet) and a Californian (Cameron Diaz) need a change of scenery around the holidays, they swap houses for the holiday. Diaz very quickly encounters Winslet’s handsome and charming brother (Jude Law) in England while Winslet makes friends with an old-time Hollywood writer in California and falls in love with Jack Black. Too much coincidence? Sure. Did I mind? Not in the least. Winslet, Diaz, Law and Black are attractive and appealing and the story is so perfect that you can’t NOT like this movie. It is a holiday must for me. 4 cans.
157. Love Actually (2003, Prime Video) – I have watched this movie many times and I'm still not sure who is related to whom, but it doesn’t matter. It is the holiday season, love is all around, and complex relationships aside, this movie always makes me smile. This time around I paid particular attention to the soundtrack. Not only does it have my favorite Christmas song (“All I Want for Christmas Is You’), but it ends with an soaring version of the Beach Boys' classic“God Only Knows.” Emma Thompson finding the Joni Mitchell CD her husband gives her for Christmas get to me every time. 4½ cans.
158. Merchants of Joy* (2025, Prime Video) – As a Jewish woman, I know nothing about shopping for a Christmas tree. This documentary takes us behind the scenes of the Christmas tree experience by focusing on five families who find, transport and sell trees in New York City. The business is problematic at best. Bad weather during prime selling time can ruin sales for the year. Securing a spot, staffing the stand and dealing with the customers is a challenge. But these families come back year after year, depute these issues, health problems, rivalries and more, determined to bring the right tree to everyone looking for one. This one was off the beaten path for me but an interesting Yuletide treat. 3 cans.
159. As Good As It Gets (1997, Netflix) – Melvin (Jack Nicholson) is a grumpy author, rude to everyone and suffering with OCD who, on his best day, is not easy to handle. Every day he goes to a local diner, where only one waitress, Carol (Helen Hunt), will wait on him. He is so mean that he takes his neighbor’s dog (neighbor Simon is played by Greg Kinnear) and puts him down the trash chute. But when Simon is brutally attacked, Melvin is prevailed upon to assist him and he comes through, getting attached to the dog (who survived his ride into the trash). He also gets to know Carol and is there to lend a helping hand, albeit unconventionally. When he and Carol finally agree to have dinner together, he delivers the best line of the movie, “You make me want to be a better man.” He has a long way to go, but at least he has feelings after all. Both Nicholson and Hunt won Oscars for their performances. 4 cans.
160. Hidden Figures (2016, HBO) – This wonderful film tells the story of the Black women of NASA and their important role in the space program. Taraji P. Henson stars as Katherine Johnson, an amazing mathematician whose work was critical in the calculations in astronaut John Glenn’s orbit of the earth. Like her coworkers Dorothy Vaughn (Octavia Spencer) and engineer Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae), all of the women succeeded despite the prejudice and policies that only made their work harder to accomplish. I’m ashamed to say I knew nothing of these women and their contributions to the space program, but I am now a huge admirer of them and their accomplishments. Take some time to watch this movie and see how history has glossed over some of the true pioneers. 4 cans.
161. Jerry Maguire (1996, Cable TV) – “Show Me the Money” is the catchphrase from this movie about a slick sports agent (Tom Cruise) competing in the cutthroat world of sports business. When he fails to sign an up-and-comer, Jerry is kicked out of his agency and left to work on his own with just one client, the boisterous and overconfident football player Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.), who demands Jerry’s full-time support as he tries to negotiate a better contract and show him the money. The one person in the agency who has faith in Jerry, based on a his drunken manifesto of behavior, is Dorothy (Renee Zellweger), an accounting clerk with optimism and an adorable and precocious young son (Jonathan Lipnicki). One of my favorite actresses, Bonnie Hunt, plays Dorothy’s doubting sister looking on as she and Jerry become a couple. I hadn’t seen this movie in years and it was a treat to watch it again. 4 cans.
162. Notting Hill (1999, Prime Video) – Imagine a typical working class man getting to meet an international movie star and they fall in love. Unlikely, maybe, but that’s the premise of this delightful Hugh Grant-Julia Roberts movie. He owns a bookstore and she walks in one day and they both are smitten. He has a large circle of friends in the Notting Hill area of London and she jets around the world. Fame sounds great, but it deprives her of living a normal life. Hugh Grant brings out the understated qualities that have defined his career, while Roberts seems earnest and lovely. 4 cans.
163. The Family Stone (2005, Prime Video) – The family here is big and boisterous and loving, despite more confrontations than you really want at Christmas time. It was especially poignant seeing Diane Keaton playing the dying mother of this clan. The story centers on mismatched couple Meredith (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Everett (Dermot Mulroney), who are planning to get engaged at his parent’s home. But she is a prissy, uptight woman and he doesn’t seem joyful about the planned nuptials. His sister (Rachel McAdams) doesn’t like her and her sister (Claire Danes) seems like a better match. If you appreciate big family drama/comedy, tune in. 3½ cans.
Here are the movies and programs that I liked best in 2025, with no oldies included.
Adolescence – Powerful 4-part series about the killing of a teenaged girl
Mid-Century Modern – Adorable sitcom with Nathan Lane that will not be back following the death of the mother, played to perfection by the late Linda Lavin
My Penguin Friend – This from someone who is NOT an animal lover!
Your Friends and Neighbors – Jon Hamm loses his job and steals from his friends and neighbors in this Apple TV series
And So It Goes – In depth documentary about Bill Joel and his music
The Girlfriend – Suspenseful series about a mother who can’t let go and faces off against her son’s new love
Somebody Somewhere – Full, three-year series about a woman who moves back to her midwestern hometown and the quirky and lovable people who support her
Eleanor the Great – Nonagenarian June Squibb fakes being a Holocaust survivor
Jay Kelly – George Clooney probably nabs the Oscar for his star turn as Jay Kelly, a superstar actor who dominates the set he is on but questions his life.
All Her Fault – What happens when a five-year-old is kidnapped? Is it all the mother’s fault?
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