Tag Archives: Drama

Forever Young (1992)

“Forever Young” is one of my favorite romantic movies. Starring Mel Gibson, it really doesn’t get any more heart-melting than this. Daniel McCormick (Mel Gibson) is a test pilot in the year 1939. He’s deeply in love with his girlfriend, Helen, but can’t bring himself to get up the nerve to pop the question. She is hit by a bus and in a coma for six months, during which time Daniel nearly dies himself from grief. Seeking relief for his anguish, he talks to his good friend, scientist Harry Finley (George Wendt) about becoming a guinea pig for an experiment. … Continue reading →

The Clock (1945)

Imagine for a minute that a world-class chef comes and knocks on your door, volunteering to make you a nice meal, whatever you want. Do you ask him to make you a peanut butter sandwich? Of course not. Anyone can make a sandwich – it would be demeaning to his talents to ask him for something that anyone could make. This is exactly the case with “The Clock,” starring Judy Garland and Robert Walker. Anyone could have been in this movie. Judy’s talents were not showcased at all – it was demeaning to her. She stars as Alice Mayberry, a … Continue reading →

The Flight of the Phoenix (1965)

I watched “The Flight of the Phoenix” on the recommendation of a friend, and I have to say, I found it fascinating. I also have to say, this is one that you’ll want to watch after the younger children are in bed – you can enjoy it with your teenagers, but the themes are a bit too intense for children under the age of twelve. Jimmy Stewart stars as Frank Towns, a pilot with a second-rate airline. He’s flown with better outfits in the past, but his talent hasn’t diminished, just his job status. With him is Lew Moran, his … Continue reading →

My Dream is Yours (1949)

Featuring the velvet voice of Doris Day, “My Dream is Yours” is a fun story of a young woman’s rise to stardom and the events that brought her there. Jack Carson plays Doug Blake, agent to the conceited singer Gary Marshall (portrayed by Lee Bowman). When Gary refuses to sign the contract offered by the radio station’s biggest sponsor, and personally criticizes Doug at the same time, Doug decides to go out and find a new star. Using money loaned by Vi, the receptionist at the talent agency (played by Eve Arden) Doug travels the country, looking in all the … Continue reading →

What About Those Kids For Whom All The World IS a Stage?

Let’s face it, some of us are just drawn to drama, and there are definitely some kids who seem to make everything into a performance and a production. While this can be entertaining some times and add a little flare of excitement now and again—too much drama and performance can wear on a parent! What can be done when you’ve gotten lucky and have one of those very dramatic, “always performing” children? My younger sister is a professional actor, so I grew up with the cute, performing sibling. As a parent, I also lucked out and two out of my … Continue reading →

The Truman Show (1998)

What if you discovered that your whole entire life was a lie, and that nothing you thought was real, was real? Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) is living a pretty ideal life. He has a nice house, a pretty wife, a good job, and no real conflict of any kind. What he does not know is that he is the main character in a television show. The place he believes to be his hometown is actually a television show set, built inside a huge dome by the Hollywood sign. Everyone he meets is an actor who has been hired to play … Continue reading →

To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee

One of the most beloved novels of all time, “To Kill a Mockingbird” is the story of Scout Finch, a six-year-old girl being raised by Atticus, her widowed father, along with Jem, her ten-year-old brother. They have a housekeeper, Calpurnia, who keeps them on the straight and narrow most of the time, and these children have a secure foundation which puts them in good stead to weather some of the trials they’re going to face during the course of the story. It all begins, really, with Boo Radley. The Radley house is just down the street from the Finches, and … Continue reading →

Accepting Joy – Todd F. Cope

“Accepting Joy” by author Todd F. Cope is the story of Andrew and Rachel, a young couple who are moving into their new home and also expecting their first child. The house they bought is in a quiet area, and their nearest neighbor is a little ways down the road. The house was built some years before and does need some modernizing, but Rachel is sure she can make it wonderful. Andrew heads down the road to meet his new neighbor, Hank, only to be treated brusquely. He comes to find out that Hank is rumored to be a murderer, … Continue reading →

Mira, Mirror – Mette Ivie Harrison

We all know the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. But we don’t know a lot about the wicked queen, and we know even less about her magic mirror. “Mira, Mirror” by Mette Ivie Harrison takes us on a journey through a different perspective of the fairy tale, into the past of the wicked queen and that mirror. The book is told through the point of view of Mira, a young girl who doesn’t possess any real beauty of her own. She is sold to the neighborhood witch for a cord of firewood, and becomes an apprentice to … Continue reading →

Sam’s Letters to Jennifer – James Patterson

Jennifer has recently lost Danny, the love of her life, and she’s trying to put the pieces back together, without much success. When news reaches her that her grandmother has had a fall and is in the hospital, she leaves right away, heading out to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, to be by her grandmother’s side. Sam, short for Samantha, is the only person in the world Jennifer has left, and if anything were to happen to her, Jennifer’s not sure she could make it. She returns to the house on the lake she knows so well, surprised and yet not surprised … Continue reading →