Contest! Charlie: A Toy Story
Posted on March 23, 2013 at 11:31 am
Charlie: A Toy Story
Bindi Irwin Stars in Hallmark Channel’s “Return to Nim’s Island”
Posted on March 9, 2013 at 8:00 am
Bindi Irwin, the 14-year-old daughter of wildlife enthusiast Steve Irwin, stars in “Return to Nim’s Island,” a Hallmark Channel Original Movie World Premiere on Friday, March 15 (8 p.m. ET/PT, 7C).
“Return to Nim’s Island” kicks off Hallmark Channel’s new Walden Family Theater, created by Walmart, P&G, Walden Media and ARC Entertainment. “Return to Nim’s Island” is based on the novel Nim at Sea by Australian author Wendy Orr and is the sequel to the 2008 action-adventure international box office hit “Nim’s Island.” In “Return to Nim’s Island,” Nim (Irwin) and her father Jack (Matthew Lillard; “The Descendants,” “Scream”) discover that greedy resort developers plan to buy their beloved Nim’s Island and turn it into a tourist destination, endangering the local wildlife. So Nim takes it upon herself to recruit some animal allies in her battle against the forces who care more about profitability than morality. One of her assistants includes Selkie, a savvy sea lion and Nim’s best pal. Selkie winds up getting kidnapped by a fisherman and his sons (John Waters, Sebastian Gregory, Jack Pearson) who intend to sell her. Nim realizes she can’t depend on her animal cohorts alone and relies on her first human friend, Edmund (Toby Wallace), to help save her home. Along with Jack’s intern, Felix (Nathan Derrick), Nim and Edmund work together and try to defeat the developers and save the beloved island and its endangered species.
Smile of the Week: Go El Paso Thunderbirds!
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 12:16 pm
This is a coach — and a team — who understand the score. Many thanks to my friend Ann Horak for sharing this touching story.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuFWTw3NJA4
Beliefnet’s Movie of the Month: To Kill a Mockingbird
Posted on January 11, 2013 at 8:00 am
I was thrilled to have a chance to write about one of the greatest movies of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird, the Movie of The Month for Beliefnet’s Entertainment Corner. It is the rare case where a great book inspired a great movie, which perfectly evokes the perspective of Scout, the young daughter of lawyer Atticus Finch, as he takes on the defense of a black man accused of assaulting a white woman. The reason that it lives on as more than an artifact of the Civil Rights era is that it is a timeless story of a father and his children, of the way that courtesy (or the lack of it) transforms our relationships, the growing understanding of children as they begin to think about the world, and what justice means.
And, it has that unforgettable Elmer Bernstein score.
Every family should share this marvelous film and book.
Brooklyn Castle
Posted on October 18, 2012 at 2:43 pm
A-| Lowest Recommended Age: | All Ages |
| MPAA Rating: | PG for some language |
| Profanity: | Some schoolyard language |
| Alcohol/ Drugs: | None |
| Violence/ Scariness: | None |
| Diversity Issues: | A theme of the movie |
| Date Released to Theaters: | October 18, 2012 |
I.S. 318 is a below-the-poverty-line inner city junior high school. And its students have won more national chess championships than any other in the country. So this is a touching and inspiring story of triumph and what can be accomplished in spite of the most daunting of obstacles if there is someone who believes in you. And it is a story of the joys of intellectual passion and a game that goes back centuries, even in an era of saturation in digital media. There is much of what you expect — gifted kids, dedicated teacher, tense anticipation, thrilling victories. The characters are endearing and their stories are stirring.
This movie is also frank about the vulnerability of these programs. We see so much that is made possible by so little, and how fragile even that little can be. These children have endless spirit, skill, and devotion. They can solve complex mathematical puzzles that involve intricate, multi-step strategies. But the adults around them may not be able to show the same level of commitment or ability to think ahead to enable these kids to continue to benefit from the chess program.
Parents should know that this film includes the portrayal of children in difficult circumstances and some schoolyard language.
Family discussion: What do you have to be good at to succeed in chess? What makes this chess program so important to the kids?
If you like this try: “Mad Hot Ballroom” and “Searching for Bobby Fischer” — and try a game of chess!