Happy Fourth of July

We're not feeling particularly festive or patriotic this summer. For obvious reasons. But if you are, please enjoy your day. Be safe out there. Wear a mask! We're staying inside with the air conditioner and probably watching movies. But which ones? If you need Independence Day programming from TFE try these from the vault...

• 21 celebrities in 4th of July inspired photoshoots
• More patriotic celebrity photos
• Independence Day with Disney
• Unconventional 4th of July movies
• More movie recommendations for this day 

Celebrating Father's Day: Tracy Letts in "Lady Bird"

In honor of Father’s Day, Lynn Lee pays tribute to one of her favorite on-screen fathers.  

At first glance, it may seem counter-intuitive to celebrate Lady Bird on Father’s Day instead of Mother’s Day.  The loving but fraught relationship between Saoirse Ronan’s Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson and her mother Marion (Laurie Metcalf, who should have won the Oscar) is, after all, the emotional center of the film.  Yet amid the sturm und drang of their clashes and reconciliations, the quiet, soothing presence of Lady Bird’s father, Larry, leaves an equally lasting imprint.  It’s an especially remarkable feat when one considers how few movies devote significant attention to father-daughter relationships unless the mother is dead or there are abuse, neglect, or communication issues.  Think about it.

Lady Bird is the exception that proves the rule...

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Let's give "Brave" its due.

alternate poster by Greg Ruthby Eurocheese

Pixar managed to sneak a film about motherhood into their canon by disguising it as their princess movie, and I have always wondered if that’s part of the reason it doesn’t get its due when we are discussing Pixar’s best films. Merida, our frizzy-haired princess, is nothing like her Disney counterparts. She takes after her father, a fun-loving, loud mouthed ruffian who loves his exaggerated stories. Merida wants a world of adventure, and she despises being held back from it because of her gender.

This leads to inevitable conflict with her mother Elinor, a queen saddled with a boisterous husband, a rebellious daughter and triplets that spend the entire film causing havoc. Let’s be honest – this could easily have been the stock mother character, side-eyeing all the shenanigans and cleaning up everyone’s messes. Elinor is smarter than that, though...

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Happy Easter!

May you find something to do today that's as sexy as feeding Paul Newman eggs...

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HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!

Though the film year doesn't really end until Oscar night (you know it's true!) here are some cinematic dreams that we have for 2020 on this special night/morning...

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