Watching It Now on Netflix

The Fighter is a 2010 Sports Drama starring Christian Bale, Amy Adams, and Mark Wahlberg. Plot: Based on a true story, The Fighter is about two brothers raised as fighters on the streets of Boston.  Wahlberg plays Mickey, the younger brother trying to make something of himself in the boxing world and wants to rely on his older brother, Dickie, who is now a trainer (Bale).  However, Dickie has his own demons to battle. My Take: Bale turns in an excellent performance (especially if you watch the actual man who the movie is based on during the credits). Adams turns in as gritty of a role as I've ever seen her.  The boxing scenes are about as realistic as it gets, and the film is well done in every possible way.  This film garnered several Oscar nominations, and won for Best Actor (Bale) and for Best Supporting Actress (Melissa Leo; the mother of the fighters).

Searching for Bobby Fischer is a 1993 Drama starring Jo Mategna, Lawrence Fishburne, and  Ben Kingsley. Plot: Based on a true story, a father (Mategna) discovers his young son is a chess prodigy.  Seeking to help him reach his full potential, the Dad hires a crusty, stern chess instructor (Kingsley) and begins to enter him into various chess tournaments.  The pressure soon gets to the young boy, who starts to feel chess isn't all that much fun anymore, and his Dad has to figure out what being a Father really means. My Take:  It had been many years since I last saw this movie, but it holds up surprisingly well over time.  The acting is top-notch, and the writing produces a very engaging, thoughtful film.  You don't have to be knowledgeable about chess to enjoy it, but you'll probably want to pick up the game afterwards.  Ultimately, the core of this movie is a father-son relationship story that is beautifully written and well-executed.

Sweet Land is a 2005 Independent Drama starring Elizabeth Reaser. Plot: It's just after WWI and still at a time when arranged or bought marriages brought women over from Europe to marry American men.  Olaf is a hard-working, quiet farmer who arranges to bring over outgoing, music-loving, Inge from Europe.  When she arrives, he realizes that she is German, which doesn't go over well with the local Anti-German townsfolk   She also can't speak English at all.  Faced with intense prejudice, they nonetheless begin to build a relationship that lasts for a lifetime. My Take: Another gem from Netflix!  I absolutely loved this quiet, understated film.  Depicting what life was like back in the early 1900's when there was little technology and knowledge of the outside world in small towns, this film is a love story set against the backdrop of prejudice.  The acting is wonderful, and the chemistry between the main characters plausible and endearing...

Illusion is a 2004 independent romantic drama starring Kirk Douglas (post-stroke and currently his last dramatic role) and Michael Goorjian (who also wrote and directed the film). Plot: In one fantastical night, dying filmmaker Donald (Douglas) is shown a series of films about his son, Christopher's (Goorjian) life.  A son that he has always refused to acknowledge.  Shown how this abandonment has affected Christopher, Donald sees a man whose lack of self-confidence gets him into a lot of serious trouble and keeps him away from the love of his life.  Will Donald be able to help his son or will it be too late...for the both of them? My Take: Kirk Douglas, after his stroke, is still showing why he is one of the best actors of the past century.  This is a very angst-filled film, with a touch of fantasy intermingled. The parent-child dynamic in the film was well-done.  Can a father, who has been completely immersed in his career his whole life, learn to love th...

Stone of Destiny is a Scottish independent comedy/drama starring Charlie Cox, Kate Mara, and Billy Boyd. Plot : The Stone of Destiny has sat under the throne of the King/Queen of England for centuries and is an important historical artifact to the English.  However, the Stone technically belongs to the Scots and they want it back.  Based on true events in 1950, a group of young Scots attempt to do the impossible: break into Westminster Abbey and return the Stone to its rightful place in Scotland. My Take: I liked this one a lot more than I thought I was going to.  Very funny, smartly written story with a large degree of tension: will they actually pull this off? A bit of a crime thriller...somewhat in the mode of a old-school Ocean's 11.  The Scottish accents and the landscape really add to the film.  This is actually a true story and it really did happen.  Once you've watched the movie, check out the historical facts.

On A Clear Day is a 2005 independent drama starring Peter Mullan and Billy Boyd. Plot : Frank (Mullan) is having a bit of a mid-life crisis.  He loses his long-held supervising job at the docks, and has a hard time finding work afterwards.  Frustrated and feeling helpless, he turns to swimming as an outlet.  Soon he comes up with an idea to put the challenge and spark back into his life and marriage: he's going to swim the English Channel.  With the help of a motley group of friends from his old job, can he do it? My Take: This was a real gem of a movie.  Took me totally by surprise.  One of those finding yourself while doing an amazing challenge sort of movie. There's more than just the above plot going on...this movie is definitely a drama about confronting past mistakes and learning how to move on and live.  I totally and thoroughly recommend this movie.

The Right Stuff is a 1983 drama starring Sam Shepard, Scott Glenn, and Ed Harris. Plot: Based on the book of the same title, this movie chronicles the early beginnings of the space program.  From  breaking the sound barrier to the Mercury program, this movie chronicles the people and technology that took America to the head of the space race. My Take: I saw this movie originally as a kid, and only recently watched it for the second time.  A nice semi-biographical account of the lives of the original Mercury 7 astronauts and test pilot, Chuck Yeager, the movie is just as much about the personal challenges of each of the historical figures as it is about history itself.  I think it would be an excellent introduction to the space program's history for anyone seeking to learn more about that time.  The excellent cast makes the movie enjoyable for anyone to watch.

Forever Strong is a 2008 Sports Drama starring Gary Cole and Sean Faris. Plot: Faris plays Rick, a troubled young man playing for his father's rugby team, who gets into quite a bit of trouble with the law.  Sentenced to a Boys Reform school, he meets a rival rugby coach (Cole) who takes him under his wing and helps him to become a better person.  Once released from the reformatory, Rick joins his father's rugby team again and is faced with a critical moral decision when both his father and teammates want him to divulge secrets he learned from the rival coach. My Take:  This story is actually based on a real life rugby coach's efforts to use rugby to reform troubled young men.  I found this movie to be very inspiring and uplifting.  Excellent acting, and a realistic plot go a long way.  It also does a great job of showing the brotherhood of rugby and what it means to its athletes.  As a rugby fan, I was very pleased with how the sport was portray...

Peaceful Warrior is a 2006 independent drama based on the book of the same name.  It stars Nick Nolte and Scott Mechlowicz. Plot:  A cocky, brash young man at the height of his gymnastic career in college has his life fall apart when an injury seems to end his Olympic aspirations.  However, just when things are darkest, a teacher comes into his life that helps him to recover physically and spiritually. My Take: I'm always happy to review sports movies! This movie explores spiritual enlightenment (not the religious kind) and its effect on the athlete.  It's a little weird at times, and doesn't flow as well as I thought it should.  Ultimately the movie does come together nicely and it's well worth a watch on a weekend afternoon.

By Dawn's Early Light is a 2000 TV family drama starring Richard Crenna and David Carradine. Plot: Richard Crenna is a crusty old cowboy living in Colorado who has to deal with the arrival of his troublesome, moody grandson, sent to live with him for the summer.  It doesn't take long for the boy to wear out his welcome.  The grandfather agrees to send the boy home, but on one condition: they will travel via horseback back to the boy's home in California.  Will the greenhorn survive the trip, or will he learn the life lessons his grandfather is trying to teach him? My Take: This is a really good film for kids, but I still found it to be very entertaining.  Little bit of a twist at the end.  You don't see a modern-day cowboy story any more.  Really nice coming of age story.

One Week is a 2008 Independent Drama starring Joshua Jackson. Plot: Jackson plays Ben, a young man who lives a rather quiet, simple life with his fiance', Samantha.  When he receives the unexpected news that he has terminal cancer and a short time to live, his entire idea of what is living is questioned.  He sets out across Canada on a motorcycle to sort out his thoughts, leaving Samantha at home.  As Ben journeys across the country, he begins to realize what he's missed out on in life, and even in love. My Take:  I'm not a Joshua Jackson fan, so he has to work a little harder than most guys to make me appreciate his acting.  He did impress me this time. The film examines the timeless idea of what would you do if you knew you had weeks to live? What happens when you realize that the life you thought you loved isn't the life you want to live? If you liked the movie, Into the Wild , I think you'd also like this.

Saint Ralph is a 2004 independent drama starring Adam Butcher and Campbell Scott. Plot: Ralph is an unusually self-sufficient young man dealing with both the rigidity of life in a Catholic school in 1954, as well as his mother's illness.  When his mother falls into a coma, Ralph makes a deal with God: if Ralph can win the Boston Marathon, God will wake up his mom.  Can he really do it? My take: If EVER there was a film more inappropriately described on Netflix, Saint Ralph is it.  It continually came up on my recommendations for months before I finally broke down and watched it.  First of all, it's a comedy.  Secondly, it sounds like a totally crazy idea...winning the Boston Marathon.  The way the movie builds it up, it's not. This movie was a total surprise to me, and well worth a high recommendation.  I just wish Netflix would rewrite the description of the movie to more accurately reflect its spirit and content.

Bella is a 2009 independent drama starring Eduardo Verastegui and Tammy Blanchard. Plot:  Verastegui plays a former soccer star turned cook, Jose, who helps Nina, a pregnant waitress who is going through a very difficult time.  In the course of one day spent together, both of their lives are changed forever. My take : Trust me, if I write any more plot, I will be giving too much away.  The acting in this movie was outstanding, and the ending was not what I expected.  Don't think you'll know what's going to happen..I found this a wonderful story of redemption and forgiveness (of oneself).  Very, very good for the heart.

The Open Road is a 2009 independent comedy/drama starring Justin Timberlake and Jeff Bridges. This is a typical father/son angsty drama with a few comedic turns tossed in. Bridges plays the father, Kyle, who is estranged from his family after a long, successful baseball career. Timberlake is Kyle's son, Carlton, also a baseball player, but who is struggling with his career and his future. Plot: In the story, Carlton's mom is facing a serious surgery and asks her son to bring her husband, Kyle, to her side for support. Kyle had left the family years before, but Carlton is able to track him down. Thus starts a battle of wills as Carlton's desire to fulfill his mom's wishes battles against Kyle's desire to avoid real interaction with his family at all costs. In a subplot, Carlton is struggling with his own future, both on the field and off. My Take: If you like Timberlake, you'll like this movie. Timberlake does an excellent job with this role, and ...

In a Day is an independent romantic drama released in 2006. Plot: Starring Lorraine Pilkington and Finlay Robertson, this story is about a young woman who has a rather remarkable day. It starts off quite horrible, but soon takes a dramatic turn after she meets a handsome stranger. This stranger offers to give her a wonderful day, no strings attached. At first she is skeptical and suspicious of his intentions, but soon gives herself over to it and finds herself having the best day of her life. Of course, things are not what they appear and there is a nice twist to the movie at the end. My take: I was caught completely by surprise with this movie. I wasn't expecting much, but I found a thoughtful, sweet story with great characters. It's definitely a hidden gem.