A Will for the Woods

Posted on August 15, 2014 at 7:59 am

B
Lowest Recommended Age: Mature High Schooler
MPAA Rating: Not rated
Profanity: None
Alcohol/ Drugs: Alcohol
Violence/ Scariness: Very sad death, themes of death and dying
Diversity Issues: Diverse characters
Date Released to Theaters: August 15, 2014

“Without this,” Clark Wang says, “dying from lymphoma feels so empty and meaningless and pointless.”  Dr. Wang was diagnosed in 2003, and we meet him as he is running out of options for treatment.  His doctor tells him it is a matter of months.  His choice for making his death meaningful is to seek out a “green” burial.  He persuades a local cemetery to preserve a tract of forest instead of cutting it down to extend the lawn area.  He finds someone who can make a coffin coffin for him out of reclaimed wood.  We see him try it on for size, joking that “I’m going to be here for a while.”  He approves.  “It’s the exact style that I want to go out in.”  And, in a moment of both celebration and defiance, he dances on its cover.

“A Will for the Woods” is a documentary about the small but urgent movement for eco-burial.  But its focus on Dr. Wang, a psychiatrist and musician, makes it a profound statement about death and therefore about life.  While some people in the film speak in euphemisms and indirection, and even Wang himself uses terms like “burial is a very likely outcome,” the way that he and his partner Jane confront what is happening to maintain a sense of dignity, honesty, and control is both moving and inspiring.  It is not surprising that this film has won audience awards at four film festivals so far.

“It’s comforting to know I’ll be in such a beautiful place,” Wang says.  He speaks of learning to “befriend death,” to make sure that his last act is not an act of pollution.  Jane tells him what she will do after he dies, how she will wash his body and spend time with it, caring for him in a way he can no longer care for himself.

This is a touching film and a very important one. It is about dying with dignity, but it is also about living with grace. Just as Dr. Wang approached his own death with purpose and honor, the filmmakers have done the same in telling his story and making it ours as well.

 

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Documentary Environment/Green Movies -- format

The Expendables 3

Posted on August 14, 2014 at 6:00 pm

Copyright 2014 Lionsgate
Copyright 2014 Lionsgate

Everything I said about the last two “Expendables” movies, blah blah, with some new additions from the AARP branch of the action heroes club: Harrison Ford, Antonio Banderas, Wesley Snipes, and Mel Gibson, plus a couple of Expendable interns to bring down the median age a bit.

Sylvester Stallone got the gang back together for one more Over-the-Hill gang run-with-a-gun-fest. Once again, he plays Barney Ross, as one of those guys who is most comfortable when he is least comfortable. One of these guys, given a chance to sleep in a bed, puts the bedspread down on the floor and settles in for the night. Barney and the gang are the guys you call when you need the impossible and off the books. I need to point out, however, that it isn’t too hush-hush as Barney’s first meeting with Drummer (ah, the machismo of these names), the CIA big shot played by Ford, replacing Bruce Willis as Church. (There are a couple of cracks about Church, directed at Willis, who reportedly asked for too much money to be in this film.)  Barney and Drummer have a nice chat about all the black ops stuff in a hospital parking lot.

Who cares whether it makes sense? We’re here for the stunts and explosions and they are fine. It’s the winks to the camera and the manly quips that are hard to take.  Note to the hard-core fans of hard core, however: while the first two films were rated R, this one is PG-13. Which means, basically, just one f-word and less blood.

Despite their name, of course each and every one of the team is vitally important to Barney, and he has a collection of dog tags from those who didn’t make it hanging in the plane like sad little wind chimes. Barney hates to put people in danger, which is something of an occupational hazard when you are in the tough guy business.  When one of his team is hit hard, he fires everyone else and brings in new recruits, which (1) gives us a chance to see him hopping around the world with Kelsey Grammer as his talent scout, for one of those “Magnificent Seven,” “Oceans 11” let’s see what these guys can do episodes, and (2) gives them a chance to cast some people audiences under age 25 might recognize, including boxer Victor Ortiz of “Dancing With the Stars,” Kellan Lutz of “Twilight,” and  MMA champion Ronda Rousey.  Conveniently, each of them can do two things: fight and hack computers, fight and Parkour, fight and rock a mini-skirt, etc.

They’re going after a bad guy played with way too much relish by Mel Gibson, as though he is saying, “You want to hate me?  Bring it on!”  Of course he is impossible to find and surrounded by armies of security.  And Drummer wants him brought back alive.  But this is what Barney does.  So, he takes his padawans and pretty soon they’re jumping out of plans and exchanging manly quips.  And they’re showing old Pops a thing or two about using computers and being in the 21st century.  It works out just fine until it doesn’t, and it’s time for the old folks to come in and save the day.

It’s fun to see these old guys in action, and it gives you a lot of bang-bang for the buck.

Parents should know that this movie includes some strong language and crude insults, extensive and graphic violence with knives, guns, fights, explosions, and many characters are injured or killed.

Family discussion: How did the two generations of Expendables differ? Why did Drummer and Galgo care so much about getting into the fight? Why did Barney take off his protective gear?

If you like this, try: the earlier “Expendables” movies and the 1980’s action films featuring these stars

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Action/Adventure Series/Sequel

Teaching Kids Kindness: Richard Weissbourd

Posted on August 14, 2014 at 8:00 am

I am a big fan of Richard Weisbourd, author of The Parents We Mean To Be: How Well-Intentioned Adults Undermine Children’s Moral and Emotional Development, and I was especially impressed with his thoughtful comments on teaching children kindness — not just how to be kind but why kindness matters.

He says that instead of teaching children that happiness is their goal (or ours for them), we can do better by making kindness the priority, and communicate that by praising good examples and being good examples ourselves. That means showing friendliness and gratitude to all the people our lives touch and reaching beyond our usual circles to create opportunities to expand empathy and understanding.

And I recommend using the movies and television you watch to create teaching moments. When the characters show especially kind — or unkind — behavior, point it out. Ask what they were thinking and how their actions made those around them feel. My book, The Movie Mom’s Guide to Family Movies has lists of films especially well suited for helping families have those discussions.

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Parenting Preschoolers Tweens

Let’s Be Cops

Posted on August 14, 2014 at 8:00 am

C
Lowest Recommended Age: Mature High Schooler
MPAA Rating: Rated R for language including sexual references, some graphic nudity, violence and drug use
Profanity: Very strong and crude language
Alcohol/ Drugs: Drinking, marijuana, meth
Violence/ Scariness: Law enforcement peril and violence, guns, many characters injured and killed
Diversity Issues: Diverse characters, some racial, sexist, and homophobic humor
Date Released to Theaters: August 15, 2014
Copyright 2014 Twentieth Century Fox
Copyright 2014 Twentieth Century Fox

Oh, let’s not.

As generic as its name and way too long, any significant connection “Let’s Be Cops” has with its audience comes from the increasing sense of regret that this talented cast wasted its time — and ours.

The title is the elevator pitch.  Two hapless losers dress up as cops, like the respect and sense of power they get, and decide to wear the uniforms some more so that they can order people around and get past the velvet rope at a nightclub.  And impress a girl.

Highly likeable “New Girl” co-stars Damon Wayans, Jr. and Jack Johnson play Justin and Ryan, 30-year old Perdue alums and roommates who are reminded by a reunion party that they have not accomplished very much.  Justin has a low-level job at a video game company and is too shy to get the attention of the boss for the new game he has developed, which is about a policeman.  That’s why he has a couple of authentic uniforms on hand.  Ryan is a sometime actor who — wait for it — is living off the residuals he got for a herpes medicine commercial.  Oh, my sides!

The un-dynamic duo misunderstand the invitation to the reunion party and arrive in costume to find everyone else in business attire with masks.  Why?  No reason except an improbable basis for the even more improbable premise.  They leave, embarrassed, but when people on the street believe they are real cops, they think it is a lot of fun.  Justin is ready to walk away, but Ryan gets into character, watching YouTube videos to learn police lingo and skills.  Pretty soon, Justin is impressing a pretty waitress (“Vampire Diaries'” Nina Dobrev) and Ryan is messing with some guys who crunched his car.  It is obvious that these are very scary gangsters, but of course Ryan has no clue and Justin is having way too much fun engaging them in a law enforcement version of Simon Says to pay attention.

The rest of it plays out exactly the way you’d imagine, with the only bright spot Key & Peele’s Keegan-Michael Key hilarious appearance as a tattooed low-level driver for the bad guys, sort of the fake cops’ Huggy Bear.  His too brief-appearance only reminds us of the comedic chaos this film is missing.  The funny parts aren’t funny enough (Really?  Wrestling a naked fat guy?  Wasting Rob Riggle as a straight man?  Being high on meth? Flirting with a drugged-out floozy?).  The action parts aren’t exciting enough.  The big surprise twist is neither big nor a surprise. Gene Siskel used to say that the movie should be better than watching the same actors talk over lunch. This one doesn’t come close.

Parents should know that this film has strong and crude language, sexual references and situations, male and female nudity, violence and peril with characters injured and killed, alcohol and drug use (marijuana and meth).

Family discussion: How did Justin and Ryan differ in their thinking about pretending to be policemen? How did their experiences change their ideas about what they were capable of?

If you like this, try: “The Other Guys” and “The Heat”

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Comedy Movies -- format

Contest: Win Free Passes to the Romantic Comedy “What If” with Daniel Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan

Posted on August 13, 2014 at 10:17 pm

Daniel Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan star in this R-rated romantic comedy about a medical school dropout who meets a girl who could be the one — only to find himself relegated to the friend zone.  And I have five pairs of free tickets!  To enter, send me an email at moviemom@moviemom.com with What If in the subject line and tell me your favorite movie romantic pair.  Don’t forget your address as I will be mailing you the tickets!  (US addresses only.)  I’ll pick the winners at random on August 18, 2014.  Good luck!!

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Contests and Giveaways Romance
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