It was a lot of fun to talk to some of the participants in the film, including the portrayers of James Madison, Abigail Adams, Ben Franklin, and two George Washingtons, one the young Colonel Washington and one the older General.
Memorial Day is more than the beginning of summer; it is a day to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice. I hope you can take some time over the weekend to think of those we have lost. Some movies to pay your respects:
The Outpost was on my top ten list for 2020, a movie that was sadly overlooked because it came out in the early weeks of the pandemic shutdown. It is based on the book by Jake Tapper. There are war stories that are about strategy and courage and triumph over evil that let us channel the heroism of the characters on screen. And then there are war stories that are all of that but also engage in the most visceral terms with questions of purpose and meaning that touch us all. “The Outpost” is that rare film in the second category, an intimate, immersive drama from director Rod Lurie, a West Point graduate and Army veteran who knows this world inside out and brings us from the outside in.
The Blue Angels Glen Powell, who played a pilot in “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Devotion” is also a real-life pilot who has flown with “the best of the best,” the Navy’s Blue Angels. He produced this documentary that takes us behind the scenes and into the sky, even “inverted” (upside down!) with the Blues.
Air Force Elite: Thunderbirds This 2025 Netflix documentary takes us through the history and training of the legendary flight squadron, produced by Barack and Michelle Obama.
Gardens of Stone James Caan and James Earl Jones star in a film about the 1st Battalion 3d Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) at Fort Myer, Virginia, the U.S. Army’s Honor Guard. They conduct the funerals of fallen soldiers and guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. Francis Ford Coppola directed this touching, elegiac story.
Hallowed Grounds This PBS documentary explores 22 overseas military cemeteries, with stories of the soldiers who are buried there and the people who keep their memories alive.
Taking Chance An officer (Kevin Bacon) escorts the body of a young Marine killed in Iraq. Each stop along the way is meaningful.
Mr. Roberts is a WWII story about a Navy cargo ship, based on the experiences of author Thomas Heggen. Henry Fonda stars in the title role or an executive officer who tries to protect the men from a tyrannical captain. Broadway, and the outstanding cast includes William Powell, James Cagney, and Oscar-winner Jack Lemmon.
Band of Brothers is the extraordinary series from Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks about ordinary men who came together to do extraordinary things as soldiers in Easy Company in WWII.
Red Tails is the story of the Tuskegee Airmen, the legendary heroes who risked their lives for a country that did its best to hold them back.
The title makes it clear. Like “Bad Teacher,” “Bad Santa,” and “Bad Day at Black Rock,” this is a very dark comedy about an evening that does not go well. And then it goes extremely not well.
There’s a lot of pressure on this Friday night shabbos (Sabbath) family dinner at the home of religiously observant Jewish parents Richard (David Paymer) and Ellen (Kyra Sedgewick). Joining them are their three adult children, David (Jon Bass), Abby (Milana Vayntrub), and Adam (Theo Taplitz). Just about everyone is hiding something or worried about something or lying about something or all of the above.
Abby brings her boyfriend, Benjamin (Ashley Zukerman). She does not want her parents to know that they drove, which is forbidden on the Sabbath. David brings his fiancee, Meg (Meghan Leathers). Richard and Ellen are not happy that Meg is not Jewish, though somewhat mollified because she is studying Judaism with plans to convert. This dinner will be the first time Meg’s Catholic parents from Wisconsin meet David’s family and everyone is concerned about how that is going to go, especially since Meg has not told her parents that she is going to convert. Contributing to the pressure on David and Meg, it seems everyone in town knows about the expectations for this meal. They stop at the legendary Barney Greengrass deli to pick up challah (the braided bread traditionally eaten at Shabbos dinner), where they are waited on by real-life Gary Greengrass, who learned about the meeting of the two sets of parents from Richard. At the apartment building, the affable doorman, Jordan (Wu-Tang’s Method Man, in an irresistibly charming performance) says that “Richie” has told him all about it, and that David’s family is his favorite. Method Man just about steals the film as the ultimate ride or die friend of the family.
The family’s youngest son is fragile, highly sensitive Adam, who does not have a job and still lives with his parents. Richard and Ellen are constantly trying to reassure him that he is doing fine and loved by everyone, but he is only too aware that his family is worried and perhaps a little disappointed. He takes the anti-anxiety psychotropic drug Klonopin, and apparently some other medications as well. It is clear that at least some members of the family are concerned that his behavior might be disturbing for Meg’s parents. He is probably imagining a scene like the one in “Annie Hall,” where Woody Allen’s New York Jewish character meets Diane Keaton’s very Christian midwestern family, and imagines they see him as an Orthodox Hassid.
So, a lot of pressure. And then, as noted, things get very, very bad. As Meg’s parents, John (John Bedford Lloyd) and Beth (Catherine Curtain) are on their way, one of the people in the apartment is accidentally killed, implicating Adam. And then, along the lines of the recent “The Trouble with Jessica,” the group decides not to call an ambulance or the police but somehow cover it up, and the rest of the film is farce.
In “The Trouble with Jessica,” the people at a dinner party decide to cover up a death for selfish reasons. What gives “Bad Shabbos,” a lighter tone is the way the family immediately decides that their priority is protecting a vulnerable person and, of course, not making Meg’s parents think that they are the kind of people who have dead bodies in their apartment. Their logic — and their morality — may be wobbly, but it is hard not to sympathize with them. There is an extremely sweet moment when Meg delivers the d’var torah (a brief discussion of the meaning of a passage from the first five books of the Bible) to demonstrate what she is learning in her class. And it is very funny that the family keeps trying to persuade John and Beth that every unusual action is part of their tradition, expecting that anything Jewish is so unfamiliar to them they will just try to be polite and go along with it.
What makes the film especially engaging is the way it gets the details of a New York Jewish shabbos meal right. The tone of the film may be heightened, exaggerated for comic purposes, but unlike too many other portrayals this film never makes the characters into caricatures and the details are precise and affectionate. It’s very dark, but it is also very funny.
Parents should know that this is a comedy about a dead body and the lies and cover-ups in response to an accident. Characters use some strong language. They drink wine and misuse medication. There is an accident and brief disturbing images. A character struggles with mental illness.
Family discussion: Why did the family agree to lie? Were they right?
It’s time for summer movies! That means reboots, sequels, lots of Pedro Pascal, land even a few surprises.
SERIES and REMAKES
“Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning” (May 23) Tom Cruise is back as Ethan Hunt, with some surprises from his past and some mind-blowing stunts.
“Karate Kid: Legends” (May 30) Jackie Chan, Ben Wang, and Ralph Macchio are back to wax on, wax off, and kick.
“Ballerina” (June 6) From the world of John Wick, pulls a bit of a “Tokyo Drift” on us, taking place not after the most recent film but in between Wicks 4 and 5, so expect some Keanu in this spin-off with Ana de Armas as a ballerina/assassin, co-starring Gabriel Byrne and Anjelica Huston.
“How to Train Your Dragon” (June 13) The popular animated movie series/television series inspired by Cressida Cowell’s bestselling books reboots as live action. Gerard Butler reprises his role in the animated films.
“28 Years Later” (June 20) Almost three decades after the setting of the “28 Days Later” and “28 Weeks Later” films, it turns out those speedy zombies are still around. The healthy (for now) humans they are trying to attack include Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, and Ralph Fiennes.
“M3gan: 2.0” (June 27) The killer doll is back.
“Jurassic World: Rebirth” (July 2)
The killer dinosaurs are back.
“The Old Guard 2” (July 2)
The immortal mercenaries are back. Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Matthias Schoenaerts, Luca Marinelli, return; Uma Thurman, and Henry Fielding join the cast.
“Smurfs” (July 18) Rhianna produced and provides the voice in the latest story of the little blue people.
“Happy Gilmore 2” (July 25) Adam Sandler is back as the hockey player-turned golfer, now an established champion. Yes, Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald) is back, too. Expect some cool cameos.
“The Naked Gun” (August 1) Liam Neeson(!) takes over for Leslie Nielsen in this reboot of the deliriously silly series about the fumbling police officer, directed by Lonely Island ‘s Akiva Schaffer.
“The Bad Guys 2” (August 1) That glimpse of the Bad Guys before “Dog-Man” this year made us even more eager for this long-awaited sequel. Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Craig Robinson, Awkwafina and Anthony Ramos return, this time joined by Bad Girls (voiced by Danielle Brooks, Maria Bakalova and Natasha Lyonne).
“Freakier Friday” (August 8) Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan are back for another body switch, this time with the next generation. I hope “Pink Slip” is back with another banger.
“The Roses” (August 29) For those who don’t remember, Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas made a movie about a feuding couple called “The War of the Roses” in 1989. This reboot stars UK powerhouse stars Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch. Andy Sandburg and Kate McKinnon play their friends
“The Toxic Avenger” (August 29) The 1984 film of the same name inspired three film sequels, a stage musical, a comic book series from Marvel Comics, a video game, and an animated television series. And now there is another version of the story about a downtrodden janitor who is exposed to a catastrophic toxic accident and becomes a crime-fighting superhero. The cast includes Peter Dinklage, Kevin Bacon, Elijah Wood, Taylour Paige, Jacob Tremblay, and Jane Levy.
Copyright 2025 Legendary Entertainment
SUPERHEROES
“Superman” (July 11) David Corenswet plays the superhero from Krypton, Nicholas Hoult is his archenemy Lex Luthor, and “Mrs. Maisel” star Rachel Brosnahan is reporter/girlfriend Lois Lane. Plus: Krypto the super-dog!
“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” (July 25) Fingers crossed that they get it right this time. The casting is promising: The very busy Pedro Pascal as stretchy Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as invisible Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as fiery Johnny Storm, and inside the scaly orange suit is “The Bear’s” Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm. Julia Garner is Silver Surfer. Note: it’s set in the 1960s, but in the teaser at the end of present-day “Thunderbolts*” they’re still going strong.
BOOKS TO MOVIES
“The Life of Chuck” (June 6) A Stephen King story about an ordinary man with a terminal illness who becomes suddenly famous as the world may be ending stars Tom Hiddleston, with Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mark Hamill, and Karen Gillan.
“Highest to Lowest” (August 22) Ed McBain’s crime novel King’s Ransom is adapted for the screen by Spike Lee, with Denzel Washington as a wealthy music producer, Jeffrey Wright as his chauffeur and father of a kidnapped son. Music stars A$AP Rocky and Ice Spice are also in the cast. While you wait, check out an earlier film based on this book, Akira Kurosawa’s thriller “High and Low.”
“The Thursday Murder Club” (August 28) Take an international best-seller about retired crime solvers, add a dream cast (Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, and Celia Imrie) and the director of “Harry Potter” movies and “The Help.” I can’t wait.
Copyright 2025 Netflix
NEW CHARACTERS, NEW STORIES
“Bad Shabbos” (May 23) Things go poorly when a man brings his girlfriend to meet his family.
“I Don’t Understand You” (June 6) In a darkly wicked comedy, Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells play a couple on vacation in Italy.
“The Phoenician Scheme” (May 30) The latest from Wes Anderson is sure to have exquisitely intricate settings, an all-star cast, and some weird twists and cryptic comments that fans will have a lot of fun trying to explain. The cast includes Benicio del Toro, Tom Hanks, Michael Cera, Scarlett Johansson, Bryan Cranston, Riz Ahmed, and Benedict Cumberbatch.
“Deep Cover” (June 12) I love this idea — improv actors hired to go undercover. And I love the cast — Bryce Dallas Howard, Orlando Bloom, Nick Mohammed (“Ted Lasso”), Paddy Considine. The trailer is a hoot.
“Materialists” (June 13) Dakota Johnson plays a matchmaker to the rich and famous who has to decide between a man who is rich and famous (Pedro Pascal) and her not-rich, not-famous ex (Chris Evans). Hmmm, how’s that going to go?
“Elio” (June 20) The latest from Pixar and it looks like one of their best — a story about two kids who feel alone, one from planet Earth and one from outer space who happens to be the son of the alien who plans to attack us.
“Everything’s Going to be Great” (June 20) Allison Janney and Bryan Cranston are theater people. One of their sons is, too. The other one, not so much.
“Bride Hard” (June 20) Yes, it’s supposed to remind you of “Die Hard.” Rebel Wilson plays a bridesmaid who is also….a spy, the kind who does MMA-style fighting. The bride is played by her “Pitch Perfect” co-star Anna Camp.
“F1” (June 27) Brad Pitt and check-out-his-Met-Gala-look Damson Idris play drivers in a story set in the world of Formula One, directed by “Top Gun: Maverick’s” Joseph Kosinski.
“Sorry, Baby” (June 27) This festival favorite is an impressive debut written and directed by its star, Eva Victor and produced by “Moonlight’s” Barry Jenkins. Victor plays a graduate student who experiences a traumatic sexual assault. But the story is told with humor and resilience and with wonderful moments with the character’s best friend, played by Naomi Ackie, a sandwich shop owner, played by John Carroll Lynch, and with an actual baby.
“Eddington” (July 18) Always-provocative director Ari Aster takes on the sensitive subject of COVID-19, with stars Pedro Pascal, Joaquin Phoenix, Austin Butler, Emma Stone, Luke Grimes, Deirdre O’Connell, and Micheal Ward.
“Oh, Hi” (July 25) This festival favorite as a first-rate cast of up-and-coming stars, including Molly Gordon (who co-wrote), Logan Lerman, and Geraldine Viswanathan, with the always-welcome Polly Draper and David Cross.
Copyright 2025 Sony
“My Mother’s Wedding” (August 8) Scarlett Johansson, Sienna Miller, and Emily Beecham play the daughters who have some feelings about attending their mother’s third wedding. Mom is played by director Kristin Scott Thomas.
Copyright 2025 Vertical
“Honey Don’t” (August 22) Ethan Coen of the Coen Brothers brings back Margaret Qualley for the second in the lesbian trilogy. It does not count as a series because these are all new characters. Qualley plays a detective investigating a murder that could involve a local preacher, played by Chris Evans.
Anniversary of Newton Minow’s Vast Wasteland Speech That Transformed Television
Posted on May 9, 2025 at 1:33 pm
May 9, 1961, my dad, the 35-year-old Chairman of the FCC, Newton Minow, made three significant appearances. In Washington, he gave his famous “vast wasteland” speech to the National Association of Broadcasters, telling them that while “when television is good, nothing is better,” he expected them to do more to uphold their statutory obligation to serve “the public interest, convenience, and necessity.” Then he went back to the FCC office, where he met with Elizabeth Campbell to sign the original license for WETA, the first educational television station in the nation’s capital, now the producer of the Ken Burns documentaries and the nightly Newshour. And then he flew to Chicago to attend the father-daughter dinner for my Brownie troop.
I often thought about how those three events defined his character: inspiring those around him to do better, supporting the visions of people making enriching cultural content and reliable news sources widely available, and always putting his family first. Over the next decades this was reflected in his efforts as a founder and board chair of PBS, a director of CBS, helping to create the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD), where he served as vice chair until this year, working to require the V-chip and closed captioning, helping to get the start-up funding for “Sesame Street,” and arguing for the rescission of the radio license of a station that broadcast virulently racist and anti-Semitic programming. His countless awards include more than a dozen honorary doctorates, a Peabody, and the highest honor for American civilians, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, awarded by President Barack Obama (who met Michelle when they were both working in my father’s law office). Our family’s favorite “honor” might be the sinking ship on “Gilligan’s Island,” named as an insult to my father for his criticism of television by producer Sherwood Schwartz. They later had a very cordial correspondence.
I talked to my dad about some of his formative experiences, including the words from Bobby Kennedy that inspired him to focus on telecommunications, what he will advise the new FCC Chair, and why he told President Kennedy the first telecommunications satellite was more important than putting a man on the moon.
He was the world’s best dad and grandpa. We are so lucky.
