Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue

Posted on September 20, 2010 at 7:00 am

B
Lowest Recommended Age: All Ages
MPAA Rating: G
Profanity: None
Alcohol/ Drugs: None
Violence/ Scariness: Mild peril
Diversity Issues: None
Date Released to Theaters: 2010
Date Released to DVD: September 21, 2010
Amazon.com ASIN: B003DT19F0

Tinker Bell has found her voice in a popular series of DVDs that give Peter Pan’s sidekick a chance for her own adventures in her home town of Pixie Hollow. She and her fairy friends Rosetta, Silvermist, Fawn and Iridessa help to make the four seasons vibrant and beautiful.

In this episode, for the first time Tink makes a human friend, Lizzy, played by Lauren Mote. Lizzy and her affectionate but distracted scientist father (voice of Michael Sheen of “Alice in Wonderland” and “Frost/Nixon”) move into a small house near the woods. Tinker Bell and Lizzy find a way to communicate with each other about their different worlds. And they have to help each other when Tinker Bell is at risk of being captured and Lizzy needs to find a way to remind her father that all work and no fun is, well, no fun, and not very healthy for families either.

The design is rich in texture and detail, showing the influence of Pixar head John Lasseter, who produced, and the story is charming, with top-notch voice talent and a sweet message about friendship, integrity, and family.

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Animation Based on a play DVD/Blu-Ray Pick of the Week Family Issues For the Whole Family Stories About Kids

Amish Grace

Posted on September 13, 2010 at 7:54 am

B+
Lowest Recommended Age: Middle School
MPAA Rating: NR
Profanity: None
Alcohol/ Drugs: None
Violence/ Scariness: Tragic deaths, grief
Diversity Issues: A theme of the movie
Date Released to Theaters: March 28, 2010
Date Released to DVD: September 14, 2010
Amazon.com ASIN: B003V3FSO6

The highest-rated Lifetime Movie Network film, “Amish Grace,” is out on DVD this week and well worth viewing. It is based on the true story of a devastating tragedy and the example of courage, compassion, and forgiveness that inspired the nation. Even those who separate themselves from the temptations and dangers of the modern world can sometimes find themselves facing unspeakable loss that threatens the most devoted belief in God’s purpose. In this story, a community we often think of as sheltered, even quaint, taught the rest of the world a lesson in putting belief into action.

A disturbed gunman killed five Amish children and injured five more before turning his gun on himself. The Amish community immediately reached out to his wife with gentleness and sympathy. This story focuses on one agonized mother (Kimberly Williams-Paisley), who struggles with anger and grief as she tries to live up to her principles. Her husband says, “It is not easy to forgive, Ida. The Lord does not ask us to walk an easy path… But this I know — faith when everything is as you want it to be is not true faith. It is only when our lives are falling apart that we have the chance to make our faith real.”

Be sure to read my interview with one of its young stars, Karley Scott Collins. I have three copies to give away. Send me an email at moviemom@moviemom.com with “Amish” in the subject line and tell me why this story is so important. Don’t forget to include your address. The first three to write in will get copies of the DVD.

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Based on a book Based on a true story Contests and Giveaways Drama DVD/Blu-Ray Pick of the Week Spiritual films

The Rocker

Posted on September 6, 2010 at 8:00 am

B-
Lowest Recommended Age: High School
MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for drug and sexual references, nudity and language.
Profanity: Strong and crude language
Alcohol/ Drugs: Adult character drinks a lot, some drug references
Violence/ Scariness: Comic and slapstick violence, no one badly hurt
Diversity Issues: None
Date Released to Theaters: August 20, 2008
Date Released to DVD: January 27, 2009
Amazon.com ASIN: B001E95ZHY

Emma Stone’s breakthrough role in next week’s “Easy A” makes this a good time to look at some of her earlier work. She is terrific in this story of a high school rock group.

Pete Best, who was famously kicked out of The Beatles just before they brought on Ringo Starr and rocketed to international superstardom, appears as himself in this movie about a drummer who was kicked out of an 80’s hair band before they went on to such heights of international superstardom that they now speak with cheeky lower-class English accents, even though they came from Cleveland.

“The Office’s” Rainn Wilson plays “Fish,” the drummer still stuck in Cleveland, where the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame seems to be there just to remind him of how much he has lost. Fired from his job, dumped by his girlfriend, he is living in his sister’s attic when, 20 years after he last sat behind a drum kit, he gets one more chance to live the dream. His nephew’s band needs a drummer for the prom.

A video of Fish rehearsing in the nude becomes a viral sensation on YouTube and suddenly the group of three graduating high school seniors and a demented and bitter burn-out is on tour.

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Comedy DVD/Blu-Ray Pick of the Week Musical
The Pajama Game

The Pajama Game

Posted on August 30, 2010 at 8:00 am

B+
Lowest Recommended Age: 4th - 6th Grades
MPAA Rating: NR
Profanity: None
Alcohol/ Drugs: Social drinking, character gets drunk
Violence/ Scariness: Some tense confrontations, knife-throwing tricks
Diversity Issues: Strong women
Date Released to Theaters: 1957
Date Released to DVD: August 29, 2011
Amazon.com ASIN: B0007QS306

Labor Day is a good time to see this musical about the romance between a representative of the union (Doris Day) and a representative of management (John Raitt). It has the good sense to keep the plot out of the way of the wonderful songs (like “Hey There” and “Steam Heat”) and the ebulliently energetic dance numbers (choreographed by Bob Fosse). But there is enough of a plot to provide an opportunity to discuss the ways in which workers and managers might feel differently about things, and how they work together to find the best solution for both of them.

NOTE: There is a subplot about a man who is irrationally jealous and possessive, played for humor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJJcDSZjxrk

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Based on a play Comedy DVD/Blu-Ray Pick of the Week Musical Romance

City Island

Posted on August 23, 2010 at 8:00 am

B+
Lowest Recommended Age: Mature High Schooler
MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for sexual content, smoking, and language
Profanity: Strong and crude language
Alcohol/ Drugs: Smoking, drinking
Violence/ Scariness: Tense family confrontations
Diversity Issues: None
Date Released to Theaters: April 26, 2010
Date Released to DVD: August 24, 2010
Amazon.com ASIN: B0036TGT8Y

This warm-hearted dysfunctional family comedy-drama benefits from an exceptionally strong cast, including producer Andy Garcia as the father, Julianna Margulies as the mother, and Steven Strait as the young man just released from prison who sets off a series of revelations.

Everyone in the Rizzo family is hiding something. Daughter Vivian (Garcia’s real-life daughter, Dominik García-Lorido) is not in college as her parents think. She is supporting herself as a stripper. Her brother Vince Jr. (Ezra Miller) is struggling with his desire to see heavy women eat, especially his next door neighbor, who has a website called “Feeding Denise” and one of his classmates. Mom Joyce (Margulies) has not given up smoking. But it is Vince, Sr. who has the really big secrets. One, he has a son from a relationship before he met Joyce and he has just met the young man for the first time, at the prison where he is a corrections officer (don’t call him a guard) and his son (Strait, superb as Tony) is about to be released. Two, he wants to be an actor. He is taking classes with Michael Malakov (Alan Arkin) and has made friends with a classmate, Molly (Emily Mortimer).

Writer-director Raymond De Felitta has obvious affection for his characters and he keeps the developments from going too far. The situations may be outrageous, but deft performances keep the battles from being shrill and the situation more fairy tale than soap opera. This is one of those little indies that inspired a great deal of enthusiasm from its audience and should make even more fans on DVD.

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After the kids go to bed Comedy Drama DVD/Blu-Ray Pick of the Week Family Issues
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