Rated PG-13 for intense violence, mature thematic elements, some language, and drug/alcohol references
Profanity:
Some strong language
Alcohol/ Drugs:
Alcoholism, drinking and drunkenness, drug references and brief drug use
Violence/ Scariness:
Woman stabbed to death, other characters injured and killed, guns, explosions, chases, young character taken hostage
Diversity Issues:
Diverse characters
Date Released to Theaters:
January 23, 2026
Copyright 2025 Amazon MGM
Chris Raven (Chris Pratt) wakes up, or maybe comes to, sitting in a chair, his wrists manacled. He is in Mercy Court, presided over by an AI judge who gives him 90 minutes to prove that he did not murder his wife. If he is not successful, he will immediately be executed.
“Mercy” is set in the near future, when civil unrest has led to the development of the AI court, reversing the Constitutional presumption of innocence and right to counsel with a system designed for efficiency. It is “the ultimate deterrent.” Chris is the 19th person to be tried by the AI judge, who appears on screen as a female character named Judge Maddox (Rachel Ferguson).
Chris does not even remember where he was the previous day and learns from the “judge” that his wife has been stabbed to death in the kitchen, her body discovered by their teenage daughter, Britt (Kylie Rogers). The “judge” plays the footage for him, showing him leaving work to return home, insisting on entering despite his wife telling him not to come in. No one else came to the house during that time period. Chris, a cop who was instrumental in developing the AI court system and brought in the first case, now sees what it is like to be on the other side. As the clock ticks down, Chris has access to all of footage, recordings, and records that are automatically stored online and is permitted to make calls to witnesses.
Producer/director Timur Bekmambetov specializes in action with a fantasy element like “Night Watch” and “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” and that makes him a good fit for this film. We might not expect a movie set primarily in one spare room with a screen and a chair to be in IMAX 3D, but it keeps the visuals from feeling claustrophobia-inducing as Chris and the judge call up images of all of footage and data Chris calls up on the screen. Chris has an immersive experience, and the effects make us feel a part of it.
The set-up is strong, raising questions (though not spending much time exploring them) about how society balances safety and justice and imposing a tight time limit to build and sustain a feeling of urgency. Adopting if not reaching the ingenuity of telling the story on a screen of the innovative films “Searching’ and “Missing,” produced by Bekmambetov, he makes the best of that form of storytelling and Pratt does very well stuck in a chair, showing us how his character shifts from horrified, confused, and humiliated to the determined problem-solver cop he is.
The last part of the movie gets over-complicated, piling detail upon detail, and cutting some logical corners. But Pratt is, as always, a likable presence and we want to see him work through this mess and prove that he is innocent — and that at least for now humans can still outthink machines.
Parents should know that this movie included the murder of a mother, discovered by her daughter who is very traumatized, as well was peril and violence including guns, explosives, and a car chase, with characters injured and killed. Characters use strong language, some are alcoholics who struggle to stay sober and one starts drinking again and gets very drunk, there is brief drug use and reference to making and distributing drugs.
Family discussion: Do you think AI will ever be able to judge someone’s guilt? Did you think Chris was guilty and if you did, what changed your mind?
Rated PG-13 by the MPAA for violent content, bloody images, strong language, some crude sexual material, and smoking
Profanity:
Strong and crude language
Alcohol/ Drugs:
Drinking and drunkenness
Violence/ Scariness:
Gristly violence, graphic and disturbing images, murders
Diversity Issues:
None
Date Released to Theaters:
November 22, 2025
Date Released to DVD:
December 13, 2025
I love Rian Johnson‘s “Knives Out” movies, and this latest one had everything I hoped for: a twisty plot, a knock-out cast, a dash of commentary about contemporary life and searching for meaning. Also: searching for money. Power, too, but especially money. Writer/director Rian Johnson makes each film in the series a different setting and tone, so instead of “Glass Onion’s” sunny setting in a huge, art-filled mansion on a Greek island, this one has a gothic feeling, set in and around a spooky Catholic Church in upstate New York.
Copyright 2025 Netflix
It begins with a literal knock-out. An idealistic young priest named Father Jud Duplenticy (2025’s MVP Josh O’Connor, in his third of four films released this year) punches another priest in the nose for some unnamed offensive remark. Father Jud came to the Catholic church after a brief career as a boxer and a period of feeling lost and guilty. He is devoted to his calling as a way to share healing, encouragement, trust, and community.
He is assigned by his bishop (Jeffrey Wright) to be assistant priest to the imperious Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin). Even the names have a gothic ring. Monsignor Wicks (do NOT call him Father) has a small coterie of devoted followers and enjoys being so bombastic and judgmental from the pulpit that anyone outside that group walks out of the service. He is not happy to have Father Jud and immediately accuses him of trying to take over the church. Then he insists on giving his confession and intentionally makes it as uncomfortable for Father Jud (though hilarious for the audience) as possible.
Glenn Close plays Martha Delacroix (I told you about the names), who is the church’s pretty much everything but the priest. She runs the office and fills the chalice. As a child, she was devoted to Wicks’ grandfather, a widower with a daughter who became a priest, and it has been the center of her life ever since.
The Wicks loyalists are groundskeeper Samson Holt (Thomas Hayden Church), who is in love with Martha, popular author turned fanatic Lee Ross (Andrew Scott), currently working on a book about Wicks with a strong overlay of conspiracy theories, ailing young cellist Simone Vivane (Cailee Spaeny), who believes Wicks will find a way to cure her through faith — and her generous financial contributions, doctor Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner), devastated because his wife left him, and attorney Vera Draven (Kerry Washington), who gave up her dream of advocating for the public good to follow her father as lawyer for the church. Her father also told her she had to be responsible for Cy, a young boy he brought home. Cy (Daryl McCormack) is now an adult, back living with Vera after a failed political campaign, and trying to make a comeback as an influencer, posting Wicks’ sermons.
This is a nicely toxic soup for what will turn out to be that favorite of mystery authors and fans, a locked door murder. A body is discovered in a locked alcove near the pulpit during a service with everyone in the pews as witnesses that the murder victim was the only one who entered. The sheriff shows up (Mila Kunis) and of course so does master murder-solver Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig).
Composer Nathan Johnson, as he did on the two previous films, enhances the story with evocative music, starting with screechy strings in the first scene and reaching for resolution.
As with the earlier films, there is some sharp commentary on contemporary culture, but the film is always respectful of Father Jud’s sincerity and his attempts to create a caring environment for the congregation. O’Conner continues to impress with his exceptional range and the precision of his characterization. Like the other two British actors, Scott and McCormack, he has an impeccable American accent. With so many characters, some are more clearly defined than others. Kunis and Washington do not get a chance to show much depth to thinly drawn roles, but Bridget Everett of “Somebody Somewhere” makes the most of a tiny part as an employee of a local company who has some crucial information for Blanc and Father Jud. Like the priest, we quickly move from irritation to empathy as she keeps him on the phone. And then we get to enjoy the twists and surprises. Can’t wait for the next one.
Parents should know that this is a murder mystery with violent deaths. Characters drink alcohol and there are references to a child born out of wedlock and an adult who is a drug abuser and has sex with many people. There are very explicit sexual references.
Family discussion: What drew each of the members of the congregation to Monsignor Jefferson Wicks? Why was Martha so loyal? What will Father Jud do next?
Happy New Year! Lots of great films are coming our way, sequels, superheroes, video games, favorite books (two from Colleen Hoover!), big-budget blockbusters, micro-budget Indies, two new Pixar films, and MIND-BLOWING MUSIC. As always, what I most look forward to are the surprises, the films and performers we don’t know yet but will become indispensable by the end of the year. (And as always, we know more about what is coming in the next few months than the end of the year and release dates may change.)
JANUARY
People We Meet on Vacation Emily Henry’s best-seller about a will-they/won’t they couple comes to the screen with Emily Baderand Tom Blyth, co-starring Jameela Jamil, Alan Ruck, and Molly Shannon.
Mercy What if we had AI judges who give people accused of crimes just 90 minutes to prove their innocence? Chris Pratt plays the man accused of murdering his wife and Rebecca Ferguson plays the AI.
Send Help Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien play a pair of co-workers who do not get along well but have to find a way to get along when they are stranded on a desert island.
The Moment Charli XCX stars in a not-documentary about a touring pop star named Charli XCX. The cast includes Rosanna Arquette, Kate Berlant, and Alexander Skarsgård.
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die A time-bending sci-fi action story with Chris Pratt, Haley Lu Richardson, Juno Temple, Zazie Beetz, and Michael Peña fighting against the most popular villain of the moment, a rogue AI.
The Internship A top-level trained assassin wants to dismantle the system that trained her. Sounds a bit like “Ballerina,” doesn’t it?
Night Patrol An LAPD policeman has to team up with street gangs to fight a common enemy — crooked cops.
Untitled Home Invasion Romance Jason Biggs directs and stars in the story of a couple trying to repair their relationship with a trip away from home, until a dead body makes things get complicated.
Killer Whale The title says it all — two young woman on a trip to a private lagoon are hunted by an escaped orca out for revenge.
FEBRUARY
Elvis Presley in Concert Director Baz Luhrman discovered legendary missing footage of Elvis when he was working on the film starring Austin Butler. He’s now assembled never-before-seen footage into a concert film.
How to Make a Killing The classic British comedy “Kind Hearts and Coronets,” about a man who kills off every relative standing between him and an inheritance, is relocated and updated with Glen Powell as the would-be heir, co-starring with Margaret Qualley, Ed Harris, Topher Grace, and Bill Camp.
Wuthering Heights Emily Bronte’s gothic classic gets another reboot, this time, directed by a woman, Emerald Fennell, known for a provocative, strongly feminist viewpoint. Margot Robbie stars as Cathy, with Jacob Elordi as the brooding Heathcliff.
MARCH
The Magic Faraway Tree Enid Blyton’s classic children’s book gets a sumptuous treatment and a starry cast in this story of a tree that is a portal to magic lands. Stars include Andrew Garfield, Claire Foy, Rebecca Ferguson, Nonso Anozie, Nicola Coughlan, Jessica Gunning, and Jennifer Saunders.
The Breadwinner Is beloved comedian Nate Bargatze an actor? Or a screenwriter? We’ll find out in this story of a stay at home dad, starring along with Mandy Moore, fellow comedian Kumail Nanjiani, and SNL’s Will Forte and Colin Jost.
Masters of the Universe He-Man and Skeletor make it to the big screen in a live-action epic starring Nicholas Galitzine (He-Man/Prince Adam) with Jared Leto as his nemesis Skeletor. The cast also features Camila Mendes, Alison Brie, Idris Elba, Morena Baccarin, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Sasheer Zamata, James Purefoy, Charlotte Riley, Kristen Wiig and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson.
Reminders of Him Another bittersweet romantic story of love and grief from Colleen Hoover book brought to the screen, starring Maika Monroe, Tyriq Withers, Rudy Pankow, Lauren Graham, Bradley Whitford, and singer Lainey Wilson.
Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft – The Tour (Live in 3D) Billie Eilish singing. James Cameron directing. 3D. Enough said.
Poetic License Maude Apatow, who has shown her acting talent in “One of Them Days” and “Euphoria,” makes her directing debut with a screenplay she co-wrote. She also stars along with her mother, Leslie Mann, Andrew Barth Feldman, Method Man, and Cooper Hoffman.
Storm Rider: Legend of Hammerhead Three centuries after the Great Flood, the world has fractured into scattered islands, forever threatened by a colossal, unending Storm. The Islanders’ only hope for safety lies in the fortified city-state of Argos – a sanctuary reachable only through perilous trials known as Storm Riding. Yet, among them, a defiant faction believes true salvation lies not within Argos, but beyond the Storm itself, so they undertake the journey through the Storm.
The Bride Maggie Gyllenhaal is the writer/director of this Frankenstein story, with the setting changed to 1930s Chicago. Jessie Buckley is the title character, re-animated to give some company to the first monster, played by Christian Bale.
Hoppers A new animated story from Pixar is about a scientific experiment that has a teenager inhabiting the body of a robotic beaver. The cast includes Meryl Streep, John Hamm, and “SNL” alums Bobby Moynihan, Ego Nwodim, Melissa Villaseñor, and Vanessa Bayer.
Project Hail Mary A book by The Martian author Andy Weir takes us back into space with Ryan Gosling as a schoolteacher who is selected by leading world scientists as the only person who can save the stars.
APRIL
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Following the smash success of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” this one has returning voices Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen, and Charlie Day, joined by Oscar-winner Brie Larson and Benny Safdie.
Michael The Michael Jackson story, with the King of Pop played by his nephew, Jaafar Jackson (son of Michael’s brother, Jermaine).
Mother Mary Director David Lowrey likes strange, spooky stories. This one stars Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel (“I May Destroy You”), FKA Twigs, Kaia Gerber, and Hunter Schafer in the story of a singer and a designer.
MAY
The Mandalorian and Grogu “Iron Man’s” Jon Favreau directs this “Star Wars” spin-off from he Disney+ series, with Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver, and “The Bear’s” Jeremy Allen White.
Over Your Dead Body Samara Weaving and Jason Segel play a married couple who go away for what is supposed to be a weekend to reconnect and repair their relationship, but secretly each is planning to murder the other. Yes, it’s a comedy, from Lonely Island director Jorma Taccone.
I Love Boosters Writer/director Boots Riley (“Sorry to Bother You”) is back with another comic fantasy with social commentary, this time about a group of young shoplifters going after a fashion designer. The cast includes Keke Palmer, Demi Moore, Naomi Ackie, Eiza González, Taylour Paige, Poppy Liu, and “Sorry to Bother You” star LaKeith Stanfield.
The Sheep Detectives A shepherd who loves his flock (Hugh Jackman) is murdered, and the sheep who loved him decide to take what they learned from the mysteries he read to them and find out who did it. The cast playing suspects, law enforcement, and sheep includes Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Regina Hall, Nicholas Galitzine, Molly Gordon, Patrick Stewart, Nicholas Braun, and Chris O’Dowd.
JUNE
Toy Story 5 This fifth entry in the series that got Pixar started brings another new toy to disrupt Bonnie’s happy group of playthings: a tablet. Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and Joan Cusack are joined by Anna Faris, Ernie Hudson, Conan O’Brien, and Greta Lee., and Andrew Stanton (“Wall-E” and “Finding Nemo”) directs.
Disclosure Day What if we all found out that aliens were here? Steven Spielberg directs, and he knows how to get us goosebump-y and emotional about aliens. Stars include Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Colman Domingo, and Wyatt Russell.
Power Ballad I’m a big fan of John Carney, who gave us “Sing Street” and “Once.” No one is better at characters who love and are transformed by music. This one has Paul Rudd as a wedding singer and Nick Jonas as a pop star. Jack Reynor, who played the brother in “Sing Street,” also stars.
Supergirl We got a glimpse of Milly Alcock as Superman’s messy Krypton cousin last year. Now we get to see her story. Matthias Schoenaerts is a great choice for villain and Krypto is back, so this looks promising.
JULY
Moana The march of the Disney animation-to-live-action continues with Dwayne Johnson repeating his role as Maui.
Cut Off Don’t we love to see spoiled rich kids have to deal with reality? Jonah Hill directs a terrific cast in a story of siblings whose wealthy parents cut off their funds, starring Kristen Wiig, Bette Midler, Nathan Lane, Camila Cabello, Langston, and Chelsea Peretti.
The Odyssey Homer’s classic epic is directed by Christopher Nolan, starring Matt Damon as Odysseys, on his long journey home, Tom Holland as his son, Telemachus, Anne Hathaway as his patient wife Penelope, Zendaya as the goddess Athena, and Charlize Theron as the sorceress Circe.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day Tom Holland and Zendaya return for another adventure in the MCU.
AUGUST
The Devil Wears Prada 2 Meryl Streep is back, along with Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci, and so are original screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna and costume designer Molly Rogers. Reportedly joining the cast: Lady Gaga, Sydney Sweeney, Rachel Bloom, and Lucy Liu. Expect great performances and wildly original costumes.
Coyote vs. Acme Inspired by a witty 1990 Ian Frazier essay in the New Yorker, this is a hybrid animation/live action film, based on the idea that Looney Tunes’ Wile E. Coyote, after decades of backfiring Road Runner-capturing equipment from Acme, decides to sue them for damages. The animation/live action hybrid includes Will Forte as Wile E.’s lawyer, John Cena representing Acme, and Luis Guzman as the judge.
SEPTEMBER
How to Rob a Bank It’s not just about the money in this one. It’s about revenge on a financial system. Stars include Nicholas Hoult, David Leitch directs “How to Rob a Bank,” an action thriller starring Nicholas Hoult, Pete Davidson, Zoë Kravitz, John C. Reilly, and Christian Slater.
Practical Magic 2 Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock return to update us on the witchy Owens sisters, a sequel to the beloved film. Dianne Weist and Stockard Channing will be back, too.
Sense and Sensibility Another version of the Jane Austen story of two sisters, one who leads with her heart, one who leads with her head. Thee cast includes Daisy Edgar-Jones as Elinor Dashwood, Esmé Creed-Miles as her sister Marianne, Caitríona Balfe as their mother, and Frank Dillane as the heartbreaker John Willoughby,
OCTOBER
Remain You might not think of writer/director M. Knight Shyamalan, known for spooky twists, and Nicholas Sparks, known for bittersweet romances, as likely to team up. But that is who is behind this spooky romance, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Phoebe Dynevor.
The Social Reckoning This sequel to “The Social Network” has screenwriter Aaron Sorkin taking over directing duties as well, with Jeremy Strong taking over the role of Mark Zuckerberg and Oscar-winner Mikey Madison as Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen.
Digger Tom Cruise, Roz Ahmed, and John Goodman star in a film from Oscar-winner Alejandro G. Iñárritu about a man responsible for impending catastrophe thinks he’s the only one who can stop it.
Verity Another Colleen Hoover book, this one a thriller about a woman hired to ghostwrite books for a successful author who has been injured. The ghostwriter discovers some disturbing information in the author’s files. The cast includes Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, and Josh Hartnett.
NOVEMBER
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping We hear Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson will appear briefly in this prequel that is a sequel to Songbirds and Snakes. It’s got a great cast: Mckenna Grace, Jesse Plemons, Ralph Fiennes, Glenn Close, Kieran Culkin, Elle Fanning, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Maya Hawke, Ben Wang, Lili Taylor, and Billy Porter.
Jimmy One of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood left the movies when the US entered WWII to become a real-life hero. KJ Apa plays Jimmy Stewart, who specialized in affable guy next door roles on screen but became a decorated B-24 bomber pilot for the U.S. Air Forces, ultimately rising to the rank of Brigadier General.
Madden David O. Russell (“Silver Linings Playbook”) directed and co-wrote the story of football triple legend John Madden, as coach, as TV sportscaster, and as namesake of the $4 billion video game. Nicolas Cage plays Madden, with Christian Bale as Al Davis and John Mulaney as Trip Hawkins.
Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol One of my favorite stories is re-imagined with Johnny Depp “Bah, humbug-ing” in the title role and a cast that includes Andrea Riseborough, Tramell Tillman, Rupert Grint, Sam Claflin, Daisy Ridley, and Ian McKellen.
Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew Greta Gerwig follows “Barbie” with a reboot of the Narnia chronicles, with Daniel Craig, Carey Mulligan, and Emma Mackey.
DECEMBER
Dune Part III More sandworms ahead!
Jumanj III More video games come to life ahead!
Shrek V More ogres!
Ice Age 6 More ice age creatures!
Avengers: Doomsday EVERYBODY in the MCU is reportedly in what they’re calling the “penultimate chapter.” Even Robert Downey, Jr., as previewed in the post-credits sequence of the last film.
Rated R for language, sexual references and some drug use
Profanity:
Strong language
Alcohol/ Drugs:
Alcohol and marijuana
Violence/ Scariness:
Sad death, medical issues
Diversity Issues:
None
Date Released to DVD:
December 25, 2025
Real-life couple Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon are pure magic on screen. In fact, they are so magical, so sincere, empathetic and endearing, so precise in their attention to character and their connection to the other actors that we may feel we don’t just know them; we want them to come live with us. Their skill, their powerful chemistry, and the modest intentions of “The Best You Can” elevate this small film into something special.
Copyright 2025 Fibonacci Films
We meet the two main characters as they are under great stress. Cynthia (Sedgwick) is having dinner with a colleague at an elegant restaurant, waiting for her husband Warren (Judd Hirsch) to come back from the men’s room. She is explaining to the friends that yes, she did marry a man who was much older but everything is okay, really, when he returns to the wrong table after entering the wrong rest room. She is not willing to admit to herself how serious his cognitive decline has become. She consults with a doctor friend (Ray Romano), who gently uses the term “dementia” and tells her she needs to get on with her life. “I don’t want to get on with my life,” she moans.
We first see Stan (Bacon), a retired cop now doing the night shift at a private security company, in extremis. He is getting a prostate exam. And the doctor’s report is not good. He needs to see a urologist. He also has a very strained relationship with his daughter, an aspiring singer who self-medicates some mental instability with drugs. “I’m not on drugs,” she tells him. “I do drugs.”
Stan and Cynthia meet when he is on duty. Someone has broken into her house. She thinks he is the intruder, so she whacks him. And it turns out, she is a urologist. She wants to make up to him for hitting him on the head, so she offers to treat him.
They develop a friendly relationship via text. It says a lot about the extraordinary charisma and skill of Sedgwick and Bacon that they make the near-impossible meet not-cute and extended scenes of texting work. Whenever the screenplay lets them down, with references to television shows no one under 65 will recognize, much less understand, that they give these moments so much heart and so much charm.
The movie also benefits enormously from some of the supporting characters, not just Romano and Hirsch but also Brittany O’Grady (“White Lotus”) as Stan’s troubled daughter (be sure to watch the credits to hear her sing) and Meera Rohit Kumbhani as a home health aide with endless patience and sympathy.
Writer/director Michael J. Weithorn also has patience and sympathy for his characters, and with Bacon and Sedgwick, who also co-produced, he has produced a film that reminds us that, with some help, the best we can has a lot to offer.
Parents should know that this film has very strong language, sexual references, some crude, and a non-explicit situation, drinking and drug use.
Family discussion: What was the purpose of Stan’s story? What did Stan and Cynthia have in common?
If you like this, try: “I’ll Be Right There” with Edie Falco and “Suze” with Michaela Watkins
The award-winning documentary “Resisterhood” is about some of the most controversial moments of Donald Trump’s first term as President and the groundswell of protest in response. Since it was released in 2020, as he was defeated by Joe Biden, it is well worth another look in light of increased controversy and division.
Director Cheryl Jacobs Crim begins the film with a collection of clips from the 2016 campaign, like his imitation of a reporter’s disability and his urging of violence against protesters to highlight/remind us of Trump’s thuggishness and cruelty. Those moments are stark and unsettling in showing us how far we have fallen from what six years ago seemed like the floor of politics. And how alert and vibrant Trump was compared to the man who falls asleep during meetings and tries to cover up the bruises on his hand.
After that opening, the focus is on the response of the voters to initiatives like child separation at the border, eliminating the rights of GLBTQIA individuals, the appointment of Justice Kavanaugh despite claims of sexual abuse, rollback of environmental protection. Crim introduces us to five thoughtful “resisters,” and the determination, integrity, and commitment to helping others in each story is warm, engaging, and inspiring.
Steely but radiant and warm-hearted Margaret Johnson Morrison is identified as an historian/educator. She tells us that the first time she participated in a protest it was on the march from Selma to Montgomery led by the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King. And one way and another, she has been standing up for justice ever since. “That is why I have continued to participate where I could, to change what is wrong to what is right.”
Joanna Lohman was on the Washington Spirits soccer team as this film was being made. She felt that soccer was what she was born to do, but she loved talking to the fans, especially the young girls who wore her jersey to games and admired her “jo-hawk” haircut. She happened to be injured at the beginning of the season, which gave her time to think about using her time and her platform to speak out on the issues she cared most about, respect, equality and inclusion for the GLBTIA community.
Mimi Hassanein (community volunteer) came to the United States from Egypt and has been a US citizen since 1971. Even before she learned to speak English, she reached out to her community by sharing what she could: bringing baklava to her children’s school. She wears a hijab, but take it off when she is in the car. By the time we see that, it is wrenching, because we know how good hearted she is, and she has shown us how she has embraced the American idea of civic involvement. “Learning about my civic duty really empowered me to really learn about the beautiful system we have here.” She explains that she feels she has to do that to be safe, because strangers make comments like accusing her of being in ISIS. As the movie goes on, she decides to run for office.
For Illinois Democratic Congressman Luis Gutierrez and his wife, originally from Puerto Rico, the Trump policies on immigration and his response to the devastation of Hurricane Maria. He describes his journey of questioning the prejudices he was taught as a child. “My heart and my soul is so much cleaner today than it was.” And Dr. Jean Gearon is proud to carry on the tradition of her great-grandmother, a leader of the fight for women to get the vote. She is a psychologist, but she makes it clear at an early meeting that the gathering is not a support group; it is about education, outreach and action.
The film is punctuated with the large demonstrations with people protesting policies on climate, guns, immigration, and the confirmation of Supreme Court justice Kavanaugh. We also get a brief glimpse of the alt-right protest in Charlottesville, shouting “Jews will not replace us!” and another protest of that protest. Crim deftly brings the stories together, giving us time with each of her main characters in the context of the developments of the 2017-2020 era. Some of the film’s most powerful and moving scenes are the family members who are all inspired to continue the tradition of speaking out for others. Morrison’s great-nephew says, “She made it sure that her voice was heard. And if she can do this, I can do this.” Hassanein’s granddaughter knocks on doors to talk to voters and the whole family comes over on election night. And Gearon’s daughter accompanies her to the Belmont–Paul Women’s Equality National Monument, a historic house and museum of the U.S. women’s suffrage and equal rights movements, so see her great-great-grandmother’s pictures. They remind us that it is not about a particular politician or policy, it is about always looking forward. As Morrison says, “That is why I have continued to participate where I could, to change what is wrong to what is right.”
Parents should know that this movie covers many political controversies, some involving violence, bigotry, or reproductive rights. A survivor of the Parkland school shooting speaks at a protest. There are references to sexual assault.
Family discussion: Which of the issues in the movie is the most important to you? What kind of protest is most effective?
If you like this, try: “Ratified,” about Virginia’s becoming the final state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment
