Movies

Hamnet

~ MaryG ~ 6 Comments

Even though I was still kind of upset about Ilia Malinin’s implosion at the Winter Olympics, we went to see what I knew was going to be a real heart-wrencher of a film the very next day.

If a film gets eight Oscar nominations including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress, my husband and I are definitely going to go see it, even if we have to drive a ways and go at an odd hour like 11am.

So, off we went to Hamnet on Valentine’s Day.

All I’ll say is this (no spoilers)—it’s a real stunner of a film. The accolades are well-deserved, especially for leading actress Jessie Buckley.

I was enough of a theater kid (and theater adult) to understand that the plays of William Shakespeare have impacted the development of the performing arts like nothing else. They are singularly important.

If you’ve ever been deeply moved by a play or a painting or a song or a poem or a novel, you know the feeling of not really understanding why it hits you so close to the heart. It just does.

This film, Hamnet, is about the why.

Favorite films seen on The Big Screen

~ MaryG ~ 4 Comments

What are your top ten favorite movies?

Let’s face it, seeing movies is different these days. The fact that you can wait for films to be available on streaming means that you’ll be seeing many great productions on your TV, where they’ll be up against a myriad of amazing series and documentaries. I think it’s hard for a film you saw on your TV to be truly memorable (over decades).

All of the films on my list are ones I remember seeing on the big screen (sometimes more than once) and loving.

I was born in 1965, the first year of Generation X, and I think my list reflects that. Plus, I do love a musical! (If Hamilton had been a movie instead of a play first, it would’ve been on my list for sure.)

1. Sound of Music (1965)

2. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)

3. Star Wars (1977)

4. Grease (1978)

5. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

6. Schindler’s List (1993)

7. Good Will Hunting (1997)

8. Bridesmaids (2011)

9. Black Panther (2018)

10. Barbie (2023)

Seeing the original Star Wars in the summer of 1977 in Nantucket’s historic Dreamland Theater was the most memorable movie-going experience of my life. I was 12. I’ll never forget how the audience cheered. Also, the score by John Williams was such an important part of the film. Goosebumps. I bought the sheet music for the main theme and learned to play it on the piano.

Final note: In my opinion, Meryl Streep is our best living American actress. Sophie’s Choice, Out of Africa, Kramer vs Kramer, Mamma Mia and all her other films would be my second top ten (or top twenty) all on their own.