Tag Archives: failure

I’ll See You in My Dreams (1951)

Doris Day and Danny Thomas star in “I’ll See You in My Dreams,” the dramatized true story of lyricist Gus Kahn, who penned such classics as “It Had to Be You,” “Too-too-Tootsie, Goodbye,” “My Buddy,” and “I’ll See You in My Dreams.” I was glad to see this film—I’ve heard these songs my whole life and never knew who wrote them. Gus is the son of poor German immigrants and he wants a better life for himself. He’s written several song lyrics and poems and hopes to sell them to a sheet music company, but when he takes his work … Continue reading →

Strike Up the Band (1940)

I would be a neglectful movie reviewer indeed if I thought I could discuss classic movies without giving a nod to the team of Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney. Arguably the most famous teenaged duo of Hollywood history, these two teamed up for several films that were loved by the younger set and the older set as well. “Strike Up the Band” stars Rooney as Jimmy Connors, a young man who plays the drums in his high school band. He wants to have his own orchestra someday and play for dances at clubs, but his mother has her heart set … Continue reading →

The Heiress (1949)

“The Heiress” stars Olivia de Havilland as a young woman named Catherine Slope, daughter of a well-to-do doctor. She has an income of ten thousand a year from her deceased mother’s estate and will get another twenty thousand when her father passes on, and that should attract the eye of many a young man. But Catherine is not pretty, and she’s not graceful or talented, like her mother was. Every day, her father tries to make her be more like her mother, but it’s just not happening, and he despairs that she’ll ever make a proper match. The only thing … Continue reading →

Suspicion (1941)

Joan Fontaine won an Oscar for her role in “Suspicion” as Lina, a young woman who is given to reading books, riding horses, and living a quiet life with her parents on their country estate. She is traveling home by train when she meets up with Johnny (Cary Grant) a charming rascal who manages to “borrow” some of his train fare from her. He comes to a fox hunt on her estate and manages to schmooze her, breaking down her natural walls. When he doesn’t return as promised, she realizes how much she likes him, so much so that when … Continue reading →

Take Me Out to the Ballgame (1949)

When we watch a Gene Kelly film, we can be sure there will be dancing. If we watch a Frank Sinatra movie, we know there will be singing. If Esther Williams is the star, we can plan on swimming. So, what do you get when all three of these Hollywood superstars are in the same movie? A singing/dancing musical with swimming, of course! “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” is the story of the Wolves, a baseball team who took the championship the year previously and want to do it again. But their two star players, Ryan and O’Brien, are … Continue reading →

Shenandoah (1965)

The 1965 film “Shenandoah” is evidence that Jimmy Stewart is one of the finest actors we’ve ever seen come out of Hollywood. He truly was at his best in this film about a Virginia farmer named Charlie Anderson. Now a widower with a grown family, Charlie owns land in the Shenandoah Valley and is concentrating on his home, his family, and his own life. The Civil War is raging all around him, but he has decided it doesn’t concern him, and he chooses to stay out of it. His six sons have differing opinions, and their dinner conversations are often … Continue reading →

Remaining Optimistic in the Face of Failure

Let’s face it, we all make mistakes, and most of us learn from our mistakes and our able to grow and learn and “do better next time.” Some of us have children, however, who tend to make A LOT of mistakes, or it takes them a while to learn from the stumbles and mistakes they do make. As a parent, it can be hard to remain trusting and optimistic when our kids have such a hard time–but it is important we do. Otherwise, we may actually keep them from being able to stand on their own. The thing is, it … Continue reading →

Miracle in the Rain (1956)

“Miracle in the Rain” is a romantic melodrama starring Jane Wyman as Ruth Wood, a shy secretary whose life is devoted to the care of her ailing mother. Years before, Ruth’s father left them, and her mother tried to kill herself. Now she’s in a deep depression and Ruth only leaves her to go to work and to do the shopping. The rest of Ruth’s time is spent in the care of her mother, who uses her depression as a tool to keep Ruth close. She spends her time poisoning Ruth’s mind against men, telling her that men will bring … Continue reading →

Mansfield Park (1999)

Jane Austen’s books are primarily romances between persons of a genteel class, and the movies that are made from the books contain emotional drama. But “Mansfield Park” takes us on a different journey, as we touch on slave trading in England during Victorian times. Fanny Price is a poor girl who has many brothers and sisters. Her mother, desperate for a way to feed all of her children, sends Fanny to live with a relation, who is the housekeeper at a grand house called Mansfield Park. The master of Mansfield, Sir Bertram, agrees to let Fanny live in the main … Continue reading →

What Am I Afraid Of?

Fears. Is there anything that holds us back in all of our life choices more than our fears? It is so easy for me to see this in my friends and in other people—standing back at my comfortable distance, I can easily see how they are feeling stuck, or making poor decisions, or not moving ahead with key decisions—all because they are letting fear rule the day. But when it comes to my own life and decisions—particularly those that affect my home business—why is that I don’t always see the role that fear plays in holding me back? What are … Continue reading →