Most Inspiring Films 2014

I have been blessed to write about movies that highlight diverse cultures creating an understanding that we are all more alike than different. Lately, I’ve felt an urgent need since the media has been so aggressive in fostering fear to divide us. It has been my honor to spotlight directors like Niki Caro (“Whale Rider”, “McFarland USA”). In an interview with Bryan Abrams, Niki ruminated on her vision, “Basically, all I do is light up what I think is beautiful.” For my “Most Inspiring Films 2014” list, I have chosen films that illuminate our shared humanity and cast light on the important issues of our time.

Enjoy!

14) “Spare Parts,” is the true story of four poor undocumented high school students’ courage and determination to pursue a better life by competing against the country’s best robotic teams. These teens persevere despite daunting challenges of: supporting a family, protecting a delinquent brother, being tracked down by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), being homeless, and constant fear of being deported. It is inspiring (and funny!) watching them figure out how to make an underwater robot with an $800 budget, PVC piping and other “spare parts.”

13) When the Kadam family loses their mother and their restaurant in a political riot, they flee India for France. Papa Kadam sees it as a sign when their brakes give out outside of Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val and he sets up the town’s first Indian restaurant featuring his talented son Hassan as head cook. A rivalry breaks out between Papa Kadam and Madame Mallory, the owner of the acclaimed French restaurant across the street. An aspiring chef, Hassan longs to take the “The Hundred-Foot Journey” to learn from Madame Mallory. Can their shared passion for food bridge their cultural differences? This film is a foodie’s feel good paradise. But more than that – it touches on our fear of outsiders and celebrates what immigrants bring to their host country. The very act of sharing cultural traditions removes the barriers that separate us.

12) “Welcome to Me,” opens with Alice Klieg affirming along with Oprah, “Everybody comes to our beautiful planet Earth to do something great, something unique, something that only you were born to do.” When she wins 86 million dollars in the lottery, she fulfills her purpose by hiring an infomercial company to produce her talk show – about herself. What appears to be a vanity project is really about wanting to be seen and understood. In a cooking demonstration, she “bakes” a meat cake from her high protein diet to share how she is capable of controlling her illness (currently called borderline personality disorder) without depending on mind-numbing meds. I love the way “Welcome to Me” shows that someone with mental illness is capable of having a caring relationship and is worthy of love. They have positive traits and talents we can admire. This movie does much to create understanding of mental illness and raises questions about how we as a society deal with it.


  11) Despite having a loving girlfriend who finds his OCD rituals endearing, Hector is feeling increasing dissatisfied with his life and work as a psychiatrist. He realizes that his patients aren’t getting any happier and sets off on a journey to find out what makes us happy. Traveling along with “Hector and the Search for Happiness” on this picturesque journey across the world, we glean important spiritual lessons from his experiences.

10) “The Lunchbox” delivers a bitter-sweet “slice of life,” spiced with pinches of humor. The story was inspired by the Babbawala, a 125 year-old tradition of delivering tiffin lunches from homes to the work place. The lunchboxes represent the countless generic Mumbai workers who cram onto trains to commute to their jobs every day. In fact, the lunchboxes make the same commute. Famous for its efficiency, it is said that only one in a million lunchboxes is ever lost. When a lonely house wife attempts to win her husband’s love by sending him a special lunch, it ends up in the hands of a grouchy widower who just wants to be left alone until his imminent retirement. The miraculous appearance of that special lunch nudges him out of his solitude. These two lonely people, lost in the modern world, connect over a good meal and details of their lives scribbled on scraps of paper.

9) “Interstellar” touches on a dire concern of our time: the denial of science. As a result, the earth has become unable to sustain human life since all the crops (except for one variety of corn) have been wiped out by the blight. History has been rewritten to exclude the moon landing because it is thought of as a waste of time, effort, and resources. NASA was dropped with the economic collapse. Former astronaut Cooper mourns the loss, “We used to look up at the sky and wonder about our place in the stars, now we just look down and wonder about our place in the earth.” Fortunately, NASA went underground and may be humanity’s only hope. Cooper is forced to make the heart wrenching decision between staying to comfort his children during their last days, or heading to space on the slim chance that he can find another planet that is habitable. We watch breathlessly as the crew blasts off into space. Time itself is nonlinear as we shoot through the wormhole to explore another galaxy with them. Nolan challenges the recent political travesty that science is expendable by staying true to established physical laws.


8) “Still Alice,” is the poignant story of a brilliant linguist (Oscar winner Julianne Moore) who recognizes that she is losing her ability to understand the meaning of even simple words. That awareness is the painful part. She sees her identity fading away and can’t bear the idea of living as a shell of her former self. She fights to hold on to her connection with her precious words, her loved ones, and her life. She comes to the realization that she must live in the present and enjoy her last moments with her family because, “This might be the last year that I am totally myself.” In a heart-wrenching scene, she pleads with her husband to spend time with her now while she is still present, while she is “Still Alice.”

7) “McFarland USA” is based on the true story of a group of poor migrant Mexican-American farm workers who become champion runners with the encouragement of Coach White. Immersed in their culture, home life, and community, we start to really care about these kids. The migrant workers in McFarland epitomize the American Dream in their struggle to make a better life for their children. But they create their own version by balancing work, family and community. Using the incredible strength it takes to work long hours in the fields, go to school, and then run 8-10 miles a day, the teens learn that they can accomplish anything.

6) I was deeply moved by this powerful documentary on how our farm workers are treated in this country. The people who harvest our food work a brutal 13 hour day, and still don’t make enough to adequately feed and house their families. This movie shows the courageous efforts of a group of farm workers who are rallying support for "Fair Food." This organization is standing up to grocery store chains demanding that they pay enough to provide workers a living wage. “Food Chains” does an admirable job creating awareness of one of the most important humanitarian issues of our time and clearly explaining what we can do to correct it.

5) While grieving the death of her husband, Amelia struggles to raise a son with behavioral issues. Since the tragedy, her son Samuel’s childhood fears have intensified. Checking for monsters under the bed and in the closet has become a nightly ritual. The situation gets worse when a children’s Gothic picture book called “Mister Babadook” pops up. The familiar domestic scene of reading a bedtime story is infused with a sense of dread. The book unleashes an evil being that only Samuel can see - “The Babadook.” As his behavior becomes more erratic and violent, mother and son become isolated from family, friends, or any kind of support system. Tired to the bones, Amelia grows seriously depressed. This is a different kind of horror film where shocking violence is replaced by artistry and authentic emotions. Societal taboos are challenged by showing a woman’s inner world and by shining a flashlight on the dark side of motherhood.

4) Supported by his wife Lélia, Sabastiao Salgado dedicated his life to traveling the globe as a witness to the slave conditions in Brazil’s Serra Pelada gold mines, famine in Ethiopia, and genocide in Rwanda. His harrowingly beautiful photographs of the people he thought of as “The Salt of the Earth,” called worldwide attention to some of the most horrific atrocities of mankind. Devastated by that cruelty, he returned to his family farm in the Brazilian rainforest only to find that drought had savaged the land. He and his wife Lélia decided to replant the rain-forest.

3) In 1761, Dido Elizabeth Belle was born the daughter of a British slave and Captain Sir John Lindsay. She was raised by aristocratic grandparents with the privileges afforded one of noble blood. What makes this story so incredible is that her beloved grandfather was the justice of the appeals court that officiated an insurance dispute by the captain of the slave ship Zong - a case that may have led to the emancipation of British slaves. “Belle” is dressed up as a lavish historical costume drama, embroidered with romance, its delicate fabric interwoven with threads of relevant themes. It inspires hope with its theme, “What is right can never be impossible.”

2) Unable to find a job in this economy, Lou Bloom is desperate to make a living. He has been sold the American Dream and will do anything to get it. He happens onto a profitable way to make a living – as a “nightcrawler” videotaping gruesome crime scenes for the local news.  The news manipulates wealthy consumers’ fears by showing urban crime creeping into their suburbs. The best-selling images are bloody carjackings and home invasions by minorities. The movie becomes more frightening as we discover that Bloom will do absolutely anything to get the money shot. His homeless “intern” isn’t a person to Bloom at all, but a means to make money. Bloom doesn't take care of his one employee, but puts him in the line of fire. Through the intern’s eyes we see and feel the danger as their red Challenger recklessly speeds to the next crime scene. "Nightcrawler” is more than a thriller, it’s a fable about the American Dream. It’s a metaphor for an important theme in politics today: profit vs. humanity.

1) African-Americans were humiliated, threatened with losing their jobs, beaten or even killed for attempting to vote in the South. A group of civil rights activists, including Martin Luther King, decide to fight for the unobstructed right to vote. When their peaceful demonstrations are met with violence by the police, the community rallies together to organize a non-violent march from “Selma.” I was deeply moved by the image of marchers from diverse religions, black and white, standing together against injustice and inhumanity.

This has been such a great year for films! I chose movies that stayed with me and continue to inspire me - films that moved me to write about them. I also recommend Foreign Language Film Nominees: “Tangerines,” “Timbuktu,” and Oscar winner, “Ida” as masterful works of art that explore the devastating impact of war and religious intolerance.

What are your favorite inspiring films of 2014? I would love to hear about them. Feel free to share films or your thoughts in the comment section below.

Movie blessings from 2014!
Jana Segal
www.reelinspiration.blogspot.com

Oscars: Breaking into the Men's Club

OK. I’m gonna put it right out front and center (like Octavia Spencer's prominent seat at the Oscars.) This year there is not one film with a female lead nominated for Best Picture.

The male dominated academy doesn't seem to consider personal female stories of great enough importance to be nominated for Best Picture. They neglected to nominate, “Wild,” the empowering universal story of a woman’s journey for self-forgiveness, while testing herself on a grueling backpacking hike across the Pacific Crest Trail. Yet they nominated, “Whiplash,” the personal story of a young male drummer suffering for his art. “Boyhood,” the favorite to win Best Picture, is a personal story as well. But deserves attention for director Richard Linklater’s audacity in filming over the course of 12 years.

The Academy favors films about the accomplishments of great men – like this year’s inspiring nominees, “The Imitation Game,” and, “The Theory of Everything,” about a mathematician and scientist respectively. But where are women scientists or mathematicians and their world-changing accomplishments?

As a society, we need more biopics about these incredible women. It is important that their accomplishments be recognized. A few examples: Rear Admiral Grace Hopper has a destroyer named after her to honor her accomplishments including inventing the first compiler, and developing the first high level computer language. Rosalind Franklyn was instrumental in discovering the double helix structure of DNA for which her former collaborators Crick and Watson won the noble prize. This is one time I wish I was wrong. But I when I googled, “Women scientists in movies,” I found only lists of fictional scientists in SciFi films. Perusing the Best Actress nominations throughout the history of the Oscars, I found two movies about women scientists: “Madame Curie” (Marie Curie worked with physicist Pierre Curie to discover radium) back in 1943 and “Gorillas in the Mist” about Dian Fossey’s research with Mountain Gorillas in Africa. “Madame Curie,” was nominated for Best Picture, Best Actress (Greer Garson), Best Actor, and Best Cinematography, yet this accomplished biopic didn't win any academy awards. “Gorillas in the Mist,” was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actress (Sigourney Weaver) back in 1988.

Of course, great advancements don’t happen in a bubble. In the 1840s, Ada Lovelace worked on Charles Babbage’s early mechanical general-purpose computer, the Analytical Engine. Her notes on the engine include the first algorithm carried out by the machine. She is often described as the world’s first computer programmer.

Cooperation is one of the themes of, “The Imitation Game.” It took a team sharing their different strengths to break the code of the German Enigma cipher and win the war. It took military strategy, math skills, relationship strengths, and being able to see the whole picture. “Sometimes it is the people who no one imagines anything of who do things that no one can imagine.” Mathematician Alan Turing (Oscar nominated Benedict Cumberbatch) doesn't relate to the world like others do, but it is that difference of perception that allows him to create a machine to crack the enigma. No doubt Turing studied Ada Loveless’ work while at Princeton. That may be how he was able to recognize that Joan Clark’s (Keira Knightley) mathematical strengths would benefit the team. And it is also Joan who taught him to work together with the other team members in order to accomplish their goals.

The “Theory of Everything,” was based on the inspiring story of how Stephen Hawking, (Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne) was empowered and supported by his wife Jane (Oscar nominated Felicity Jones), and postulated the theoretical prediction that black holes emit radiation and researched a unifying theory of relativity and quantum mechanics while suffering from ALS disease that increasingly paralyzed him. While the movie doesn't cover the “Theory of Everything” or even Stephen’s scientific process in any depth, Director James Marsh illuminates the Hawkings' relationship and the world of science with spectacular poetry and wonder.

Now let’s get down to the Oscar snub. “Selma,” one of the best reviewed, most powerful films of the year didn't garner its director, Ava DuVernay, a Best Director nomination. (Read more about this in my previous review.) Like, “The Imitation Game,” it celebrates the accomplishment of a great man. But "Selma," concentrates on the community and collaboration. DuVernay realizes her vision by inviting the audience into the spirit of the Civil Rights movement from the point of view of its black protagonists. The movement (and resulting movie) was bigger than just one man. It was a community working together, and risking their lives, fighting for freedom for generations to come. DuVernay shows women as partners in the cause. Coretta Scott King enabled her husband to be the voice of the movement by supporting him financially while raising their children. Women and men lock arms and march bravely together.

While, "Selma," shows the effectiveness of collaboration and non-violent protest; "American Sniper," glorifies Chris Kyle as an indispensable, one-man killing machine. “American Sniper,” was produced to draw attention to the condition of vets returning from the war. That is certainly a noble purpose. But it is also a masterfully crafted propaganda movie (much like John Wayne's Vietnam War film, “The Green Berets," which wasn't nominated for an Oscar.) In, "American Sniper," there is no question that Chris Kyle was justified in killing every Iraqi because nearly every one of them was shown carrying a weapon. The theme of the movie is black and white. It is us against the evil terrorists. But what would you do if your neighborhood was occupied and soldiers were breaking into your house? I found it very disturbing when I started rooting for Chris to kill the evil terrorists. The film has already had its desired effect, as a Facebook friend commented, “We need to kill everyone of those evil bastards.” To me this is a misuse of the power of film.

I’m not ready to give up on the Oscars yet. The top runners for Best Picture: “Boyhood,”, “Birdman or (the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)," and, “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” all deserve their nominations.

It is a miracle that Linklater was able to pull off this unprecedented feat of shooting the same actors over the course of 12 years. No theme is imposed on, “Boyhood,” aside from memories projected over the passage of time. There is no big turning point that inspires the characters’ growth, just living through life’s daily struggles. This accumulates into something very moving over the course of the film and their lives.

Wes Anderson creates intricate details in the whimsical, quirky world of, “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” where the melancholy staff try to maintain bygone civility and loyalty amongst a backdrop of brutality, war and loss. The physical comedy is spot on and the action sequences thrilling and fun!

In Oscar-winning Director Alejandro González Iñárritu's, "Birdman (Or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” a comic book action star struggles to express himself as an artist, to find some relevance in his life, to prove that his life matters. It is a biting satire on the price of fame and how Hollywood clips the wings of its artists in their pursuit of profits.

All three films deserve their Best Picture nominations for brilliantly realizing their directors’ original visions. I just hope that next year the Academy chooses to empower women filmmakers by nominating them into the club.

Oscar blessings!
Jana Segal
www.reelinspiration.blogspot.com

OSCAR UPDATE:

Patricia Arquette won Best Actress for, "Boyhood" and gave an impassioned plea for equal rights for women in America.

The powerful performance of Best Song winner, "Glory," honoring, "Selma," along with the speeches by songwriters Common and John Legend moved many to tears.

Eddie Redmayne won Best Actor for, "The Theory of Everything."

Graham Moor won Best Adaptation for "The Imitation Game."

Alejandro González Iñárritu won Best Director, Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay (along with Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr. and Armando Bo) for, "Birdman."

Congratulations to all the winners! 

The Long March to Freedom

The unwarranted controversy around Ava DuVernay's depiction of President Johnson in, "Selma," got me thinking about the challenge of writing a movie about historical figures. Being a writer, I know how difficult it is to write about a real person - especially someone who is as well-known and beloved as Martin Luther King or Nelson Mandela. The sheer scope of their life stories is daunting. What do you include and what do you leave out? How do you capture the life of a person in two hours? As an artist, you hope to capture a glimpse of their spirit. A writer attempts to create meaning out of life events. That is a tall order for men who meant so much to so many people. A friend of mine admitted that he didn't want to see, "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom," because writer William Nicholson chose to include Mandela cheating on his first wife and endangering his family. Similarly, writer Paul Webb and director Ava DuVernay included this same weakness in their portrait of Martin Luther King. I believe that the writers showed great courage in sharing these great men's weaknesses. Illuminating the real men behind the legends is what makes these movies so powerful!

In both movies, their wives are portrayed as partners in the fight for civil rights. "Selma," makes it clear that Coretta enabled Martin Luther King to be the face of the civil rights movement by supporting him financially and caring for their children at home. The film concentrates on a shorter period in history to take a more personal look at Martin's and Coretta's relationship and the effect the struggles of the civil rights movement had on them. They risked their lives walking side by side at the peaceful demonstration in, "Selma" 

In, "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom," Nelson’s story is contrasted with Winnie's tragic tale. While Mandela was in jail, it was his wife Winnie who led the Apartheid and Free Mandela movements. The movie captures her growing hatred as she witnesses violence towards her people and she endures torture at the hands of their white oppressors. When Mandela is finally released from prison, Winnie demands that he use his power to overthrow the white government. But the visionary Mandela finds the strength and wisdom to transcend the urge for revenge or justice. He has learned that the only way for Africa to be whole again is through cooperation and forgiveness.

What makes these movies so inspiring is that their subjects weren't perfect, but they accomplished great things. These flawed men and women sacrificed everything to bring freedom to their people.

Movie blessings! 

Jana Segal

reelinspiration.blogspot.com

OSCAR UPDATE:

"Selma," was honored with a Best Song Oscar for, "Glory," by songwriters Common and John Legend.

Celebrate Martin Luther King Day with, "Selma"

I went away from the screening feeling empowered to write an inspiring review of Best Picture Nominee, “Selma.” I was deeply moved by the image of marchers from diverse religions, black and white, standing together against injustice and inhumanity. These people risked their lives for the rights we enjoy today. And the themes are still so relevant in this time of racial discord and disillusionment with those in power. 

After a two hour bus ride home, I was struggling to remember what I was going to write. I knew I wanted to include an excerpt from Martin Luther King’s closing speech at Montgomery, so I googled it. I was shocked to find that it wasn't King's actual words. I was appalled that the African-American filmmakers (including Oprah!) couldn't get the rights to use the speeches because of copyright laws. Doesn't Martin Luther King's legacy belong to all of us? The rights had been sold to a rich white man. Steven Spielberg will probably do justice to Martin Luther King’s life as he did with, “Schindler’s List.” But the symbolism is still disheartening – a rich white man buying up intellectual property for his vision of Martin Luther King. I was so thrown that I couldn't face writing this for days. 

Then there was the unwarranted controversy around the accuracy of the film's depiction of President Lyndon Johnson as a deterrent to the march at Selma. Personally, I feel that filmmakers have a responsibility to be truthful in capturing important historical events. I listened to director Ava DuVernay‘s explanation that, "Selma," was her artistic vision. She suggested that people research it for themselves. I took up the challenge and found that President Johnson's involvement was not black and white. He was first and foremost a Southern politician. While he may have intended to pass the civil rights law, he was cautious not to lose too many voters. I believe that the movie is DuVernay's honest take on the events. Her vision is to invite the audience into the spirit of the movement from the point of view of its black protagonists. Yes, protagonists - plural. It was greater than just one man. It was a community coming together to figure out the best way to accomplish their civil rights objectives.

The movie shows how African-Americans were humiliated, threatened with losing their jobs, beaten or even killed for attempting to vote in the South. A group of civil rights activists, including Martin Luther King (David Oyelowo), decide that the best course of action is to fight for the unobstructed right to vote. King meets with President Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) to request that he pass the Voting Rights Act. But the president’s goal is to keep a handle on the civil rights movement and he is interested in uncovering King’s next course of action. He claims that there is too much on his plate, including fighting poverty, to pass a Voting Rights Act.

The activists decide to bring attention to the issue by holding a non-violent demonstration in Selma, Alabama. As the protesters kneel down before Sheriff Jim Clark, a police officer strikes an elderly man who has difficulty kneeling. When two protesters intervene to protect the man, the police respond with a vicious attack. The protesters flee, but the policemen are unrelenting in their pursuit. One young man helps his family escape into a restaurant, where they pretend to be eating. The policemen track them down and shoot the young man in cold blood. Spurred on by this tragedy, the community rallies together. They organize a non-violent march from Selma.

Governor Wallace commissions Sheriff Jim Clark to teach them a lesson. When the peaceful marchers reach the end of a Edmund Pettus Bridge, Sheriff Jim Clark is waiting. He sics his armed state troopers on them. The nation watches, horrified, as the marchers are savagely beaten as white citizens cheer from the sidelines. Martian Luther King sends out a call to his fellow clergy to stand with him when they march again. Moved by the inhumanity, they come to show their support. It is inspiring to see black and white people from all religions joining arms and standing together.

 

The reason I wanted to include the excerpt from 

his Montgomery speech is that it still rings true today. Martin Luther King educates the nation on how after the emancipation, the Southern aristocracy was afraid of the freed slaves organizing with the poor whites for better working conditions, so they passed the Jim Crow segregation laws to separate them. The inherent message was no matter how low the white man was, the blacks were lower. (This is similar to the way our current politicians use undocumented immigrants as scapegoats, blaming them for causing the recession by taking the poor man’s jobs. Eighteen billion dollars was spent last year on immigrant enforcement. In Arizona, they passed a law that takes away our rights. Policemen can stop us on the street to ask for our papers. Of course, it is only brown-skinned people that they stop. Arizona has also disregarded the Voting Rights Act by requiring identification in order to vote.)

Witnessing the inhumane treatment of the marchers in Selma created more understanding of the plight of African Americans - which allowed President Lyndon Johnson to finally pass the Voting Rights Act in 1965. I hope that witnessing these events in, "Selma," will remind us of the difficult battle that was waged to achieve these rights, so we won’t allow them to be taken away.

Movie blessings!
Jana Segal
www.reelinspiration.blogspot.com

Fueled by Ava DuVernay's treatment, I wrote, "Incredible Invisible Women Filmmakers." Read more about it in Scott Mendelson's excellent article, "Why Ava DuVernay's "Selma" Oscar Snub Matters."


OSCAR UPDATE:

"Selma," was honored with the Best Song Oscar for, "Glory," by songwriters Common and John Legend. They made the most of the opportunity with this powerful rendition at the Oscar ceremony.