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A drama about a heavy metal drummer whose sudden hearing loss forces him to confront a completely different way of experiencing the world, Sound of Metal is a deeply affecting and immersive film, with phenomenal performances, extraordinary sound design, and a nuanced exploration of the Deaf community. My mother was an elementary school teacher for…
A colorful musical about a gifted young girl pushing back against a harsh school and difficult adults, Matilda The Musical is a fun film, with great songs, spectacular choreography, and an endearing story. The first time I truly heard about Matilda The Musical on Broadway was during the 2013 Tony Awards. Since then, it has…
Based on a true story about a young man searching for the home he lost as a child, Lion is a deeply moving film, with fantastic performances and an unforgettable ending. There are some movies that stay with you after you’ve watched them. In the same way that your heart grows in the ability to…
A romantic comedy about a woman finding her own path as she navigates the expectations of her lively Greek family, My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a warm, hilarious film with a fantastic ensemble and a quotable script. In 2002, I was in graduate school. My classes were all in the evening, so daytime was…
An incredible proshot recorded during the last days of the production, Rent: Filmed Live On Broadway, about a group of artists living and loving in tenement housing in New York City, uniquely captures the beauty of this history-making show. I watched Rent for the first time in 1997 when it was on tour through Cincinnati,…
A tender Irish drama about a neglected young girl sent to stay with distant relatives for the summer, The Quiet Girl is a gentle and deeply moving film that finds extraordinary emotion in the smallest moments. The older I get, the more grateful I am for the catalog of films that we have access to….
A film about four 12-year-old boys on a secret quest to find a missing boy’s body, Stand By Me is a touching coming-of-age story that is arguably the best movie ever made about preteens. Watching Stand By Me again in the movie theater is not a privilege I ever thought I’d get again. I remember…
A fantastic musical film about a bloodthirsty plant that gets its owner to keep feeding it, Little Shop Of Horrors features a great cast and is packed with earworms. When Little Shop Of Horrors was first released on VHS tape, my friends and I were obsessed with it. We planned a performance of our own,…
A subtle and emotionally layered film about an absent film director father and his estranged daughters, Sentimental Value is extraordinarily styled and deeply personal. When I notice that Stellan Skarsgård is in a film, I am immediately interested. Whether it’s Good Will Hunting, Mamma Mia!, or Angels & Demons, he is an actor who leaves…
An emotionally evocative film about a wrongfully convicted man who is part of a theatre troupe in prison, Sing Sing will blow you away with its heart and humanity. Two of my very favorite films take place in a prison – The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile. Two very different movies whose stories both…
A brilliant film about four teachers who decide to test the effects of maintaining daily low-level intoxication, Another Round is a fascinating look into what this theory will do for their lives. When I was a kid, foreign films were really foreign. There was a specific “foreign films” section at the video store, and if…
Arguably one of the best films ever made, Incendies, about a twins’ quest to learn about their mother’s life, is a must-see for any movie lover. Seriously, watch it. This is a hill I will die on. Incendies is one of my very favorite films. Not because it is sweet and light and fun (which…
