Growing Up at the "Lucky U Ranch" Trailer Court

Chubby eleven-year-old Junior (Trevor Robins) awkwardly lowers himself onto the tracks. The hollow whistle of a train dissolves into the heckling of cruel classmates - a fresh memory of being bullied at school. He puts his ear to the rail listening for the far off roar of a train. Trains hold a special wonder for Junior as he dreams of escaping to follow in the footsteps of his father. Startled awake by an old-timey locomotive in his dream, he picks up his discarded school books and wistfully tramps home through the harsh desert to the end of the trail: the Lucky U Ranch trailer court. 

Junior has plenty of time to daydream left alone in their trailer while his mother works long hours to support them. His longing for a father is always just under the surface. It comes out in fantasies where he plays a film noir private eye who rescues a little girl. The police detective raves, “Once again you saved the day. Your father would be proud.” His mystified mother (Harris Kendall) is doing the best she can. She can see how much he needs a father. She allows him his fantasies to protect him from the painful truth. But his expansive fantasy life is only making matters worse. When he misses the ball while daydreaming out in left field, he is ridiculed by his classmates.

Then, one day, a shiny Air-stream backs in next to their dilapidated trailer. A vision in pigtails chases her dog into his yard. Melissa (Donovan Droege) asks him to teach her to play jacks, and in exchange she gives him much needed baseball lessons. I love the way this confident pre-teen girl doesn’t shy away from sharing her expertise while coaching. She enjoys his sense of humor and really gets him. There are people who appear in your life just when you need them to teach you a pivotal lesson, and Melissa is one of those angels. Despite dealing with alcoholic parents that fight all the time, she saves Junior. Empowered by their friendship, Junior gains the confidence and courage he needs to face reality and to handle a life altering event.  

The running theme is one that many of us can relate to – longing for the love and approval of an absentee parent. It brought back my own fantasies of running away to find my birth father or of my father just showing up and being so proud of me that he was sorry he ever left. It takes real courage to accept them for who they are, faults and all.

This touching coming of age story draws from writer/producer Ginia Desmond’s years at the Lucky U Ranch trailer court. Like the character of Melissa, she was stuck in a trailer with alcoholic parents who fought. And baseball was one of the joys of her young life.

Guided by director Steve Anderson, the bond between the two child actors is so natural. Brian Shanley’s beautiful cinematography creates a melancholy atmosphere using our stunning desert to good effect.  Production designer Adam Sydney enhances Tucson’s small town feel with a keen attention to detail that gives "Lucky U Ranch" an authentic, nostalgic fifties vibe.

This Tucson-based indie does Arizona proud.

Movie blessings! 

Jana Segal-Stormont

www.reelinspiration.blogspot.com

In Honor of Women's History Month: Independent Film Arizona presents: "Women in Film"

Join us as five of Tucson's own female directors share their visions and adventures in film-making.


Date: March 1, 2016
Time: 7 p.m
Place: Connect Co-working, 33 South 5th Avenue, Tucson, AZ.

There will be a pre-recorded opening statement by Courtney Marsh, director of "Chau: Beyond the Lines" 2016 Oscar Nominated Documentary Short.

www.courtneynmarsh.com

DIRECTORS' BIOS

After writing two books about her life as a professional figure skater and cyclist, Kathryn Bertine worked as a journalist at ESPN and served as the Senior Editor for espnW. She produced, wrote and directed, “Half the Road” about women cyclists. As an advocate for equality in women’s sports, Kathryn started a movement to bring parity to women’s professional road cycling, starting with the Tour de France.

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/halftheroad

Heather Hale directed two pilots, lots of commercials, and the feature thriller "Absolute Killers" with Edward Furlong (Terminator), Ed Asner and Meat Loaf. She wrote the Lifetime Original Movie “The Courage to Love” starring Vanessa Williams and Stacey Keach.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd5UhkpBdC8

Anne Dalton provided photography and writing for AZ Public Media. She produced her first documentary, “The Price of Silence,” creating awareness on the rising trend of domestic minor sex trafficking in SAZ. She continues to focus her documentary work on health topics. She mentors others by facilitating the IFA documentary group and workshops. 

https://youtu.be/ZXIFfbiDj0k 

Frances Causey acted as national editor and producer for CNN. The team won Emmys for their coverage of the Oklahoma City and Olympic Park Bombings. Frances' documentary, "Heist: Who Stole the American Dream?” was a New York Times Critic’s Pick, distributed in over 50 countries. Frances was honored with the Women's International Film and Television Jury Award for that effort. Frances has become an environmental advocate by presenting, "Ours Is the Land," her short doc about the proposed Rosemont open pit copper mine south of Tucson encroaching on the Tohono O'odham ancestral burial grounds. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWh-G3MFkSA 

Sarah Sher is a classically trained film and television professional whose disciplines are in writing, directing, and editing. She wrote, produced and directed, "Have Coffin Will Travel" (Reel Inspiration Short Film Contest winner.)  Sarah co-wrote and co-directed (with Dick Fisher), “Stardust and the Bandit.” It won Best TV Pilot at the California Film Awards. With some spare time and good friends she created "The Pet Friendly Traveler," which is due to begin airing on American Public Television in 2017.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ3XXbihmcw

Moderator: Jana Segal-Stormont is an award-winning screenwriter, who produced and directed her short scripts, “The Bath-a-holic” and, “Desert Angel.” As the founder of Reel Inspiration, Jana organized the Reel Vision Filmmakers Conference and several directing workshops. For the last 10 years, she has written reviews promoting diverse films with substance. After discovering that less than 7% of studio productions were directed by women, Jana did some research to find out what happened to all the women filmmakers. That resulted in the article “Incredible Invisible Women Filmmakers” and this forum. 

Movie blessings, 

Jana Segal-Stormont

Most Inspiring Films 2015

For my annual Most Inspiring Films List, I tend to select films that move me emotionally and intellectually. Certainly, the importance and timeliness of the themes weigh heavily on that decision. 

I started writing Reel Inspiration reviews in 2004 because I felt that a disproportionate number of movies were on the dark side and that it was beginning to affect people’s perception of the world. I basically wanted to put more good out there. It was my goal to create more understanding by promoting films that celebrate diverse backgrounds, demonstrating that we are more alike than different.

This year, I found it encouraging that some big action directors are making an effort to counteract some of the media’s negative, fear-based programming. “The Hunger Games” demonstrated how the government uses fear and the media to control us. "Mad Max: Fury Road" used subtext to show the consequences of man’s aggressive quest for profit and power without responsibility. While there is still much to do in the way of diversity, this year saw inklings of progress that gave me hope. Some effort was made in balancing casting between the genders - as seen in "Mad Max: Fury Road" and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” The majority of the films I listed include strong, dynamic female characters.

The force awakens!

“Most Inspiring Films 2015”

Honorable Mention: “Mr. Holmes” is a story about many things: redemption, regret, friendship, loss, and the search for truth. As his memory fails him, Mr. Holmes struggles to write a book correcting the misconceptions that Dr. Watson created in his popular novels. The aging and increasingly senile Mr. Holmes is distracted from his work by Roger, the young son of his housekeeper. At first the boy is intrigued by the reputation of the famous Mr. Holmes, but over time he gets to know the real man. Holmes, who has spent his life remaining detached from others, grows fond of Roger and becomes a role model for this boy who has no father in his life.

12) “The colors of Versailles will be the heart of our kingdom with gardens exquisite and matchless in beauty. Heaven shall be here.” – Alan Rickman as Louis XIV. When I saw the trailer for “A Little Chaos,” I longed to spend a sunny afternoon in this garden. I loved how the writer just let herself dream: What if a free-spirited woman was hired to design the fountains in the garden of Versailles? How would she fit in with courtiers at the Louvre? What if she met the king himself? Sometimes you just have to let go (of all reason and logic) and let a movie sweep over you. I got caught up in the passion and imagination of the writer and her character Sabine de Barra. Impossibly set in 1682 - no matter - I loved being in that world. Watching her gain the respect of her handsome boss, her fellow landscapers, the court, and eventually Louis XIV. A lovely, lovely fantasy. There is a line in the movie when the King’s landscaper sees her garden and asks, “This abundance of chaos is your Eden?” She replies, “My search for it.” Perhaps “A Little Chaos” was director Alan Rickman’s search for Eden.

11) The trouble starts when young Riley is relocated from Minnesota to San Francisco. On the outside, she tries to be the happy girl her parents expect. But on the inside, in her mind’s headquarters, personifications of her five primary emotions: Joy, Anger, Fear, Disgust, and Sadness are fighting for control. “Inside Out” is an animated adventure film. Ironically, the big action scenes happen in Riley’s head where her memories are processed. While trying to protect Riley’s good memories, Joy and Sadness get sucked into the amusement park that is Riley’s brain. It is one crazy ride. “Inside Out” has an important message - that every one of our emotions has a purpose and how damaging it is to suppress any of them. This message is especially important for folks raised to be pleasers who have difficulty coping with so-called “negative emotions.” Watching this movie is a fun first step in learning to cope with them.

Best Animated Film Oscar Winner! 

10) In 2010, people from around the world cheered the rescue of 33 miners trapped in a collapsed Chilean mine for 69 days. “The 33” shows the human side of the story that wasn’t covered on the evening news. Although the action sequences were thrilling, it was really the humanity that drew me into the movie. It was the miners’ courage and loyalty in making sure that no one was left behind as the cave collapsed around them. The group could have deteriorated into anarchy. But instead of turning against each other, they developed a brotherhood. The director chose to show that the men were not alone. The miners got strength from their prayers - and the prayers of their families on the surface. The families never left their side. They camped outside the mine, picketing, demanding a rescue team until the last man was rescued.

9) In “East-side Sushi” a Mexican-American family works hard at two jobs just to eke out a living. At 4 a.m. every morning, Juana drags her sleeping daughter along as she and her father do food prep for their fruit cart. Working long hours is killing the old man, but he has no choice. His boss keeps lowering his pay and increasing his hours. Desperate to improve their situation, Juana applies for a job in the prep kitchen of a sushi restaurant. She soon proves herself with her expert knife skills. She has never even had sushi, but she quickly adapts to the new culture. She even teaches herself how to make sushi by following tutorials online. She experiments on her unsuspecting family, adding ingredients (like jalapenos!) that they enjoy. She finally finds the strength to stand up to the discrimination at the restaurant and demand the promotion she deserves – to be hired as a sushi chef. “I deserve an opportunity like everyone else. Behind every great restaurant there are great Latinos in the back, in the kitchen, hidden, preparing the food, making you look good. Well, I don’t want to be in the back anymore." The result is a delicious blending of two culinary cultures at "East-side Sushi."

8) Presumed dead after a fierce storm leaves him stranded on Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney survives by sheer courage and wit. He deals with feelings of loneliness and hopelessness by being productive and recording a journal. It is inspiring to see his resourcefulness in using his scientific knowledge for practical needs (such as eating and breathing), solving the emergencies that arise, and to communicate to NASA that he is still alive. Drew Goddard, who adapted "The Martian" for the screen, worked with Author Andy Weir and the production team to stay as true as possible to the science in Weir's fascinating, engrossing book.

7) As Kate and Geoff Mercer’s 45th anniversary approaches, Geoff receives a letter that brings to mind a mysterious old flame. “I told you about Katia, didn’t I?” With that, he invites a haunting presence into their seemingly contented lives. This masterful filmmaking expresses volumes with subtle strokes. Kate’s inner turmoil is conveyed by her sad expression as she finalizes arrangements for a place to celebrate their life together. The event coordinator muses on how the hall is perfect for an important anniversary because it has lots of history, “like a happy marriage.” Kate becomes increasingly concerned as Geoff’s thoughts drift farther away. She is awakened in the night by the sound of her husband digging around in the attic. Instead of reminiscing on their lives together, he seems to be pondering a life never lived with a lover whose beauty is frozen in time. Like Kate, we are compelled to reflect on marriage after “45 Years.”

6) In 1926. Danish artist, Gerda Wegener (Alicia Vikander) painted her husband, Einar Wegener (Eddie Redmayne) as a lady. When the painting gained popularity, Einar started to dress as Lili Elbe - a vision of femininity. "The Danish Girl" follows the couple's incredible and sometimes heart wrenching journey as their relationship grows in compassion and understanding.  In an overwhelming act of unconditional love, Gerda supports her husband's gender transition.

In 2015, the Academy honored Eddie Redmayne for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in "The Theory of Everything." Eddie also received a well-deserved nomination for "The Danish Girl." Alicia Vikander earned her Best Supporting Actress Oscar!

5) “Spotlight” is the true story of how a team of investigative reporters from the Spotlight division of the Boston Globe uncovered a massive scandal of child molestation within the Catholic Archdiocese. The investigation is riveting. The tension rises as the reporters feel the powerful grip of the Catholic Church in Boston - while the threat of continuing abuse starts to hit home. It is a rare picture that moves you without manipulating you with shocking, exploitative images. It is an accurate portrayal of what investigative reporters do. It also highlights why their work is so important. Their Spotlight article gave a voice to the survivors who couldn’t speak up for themselves, and let them know that they weren’t the only victims. The film reminds us why investigative reporting is so vital in a democratic society: It is crucial that the press be a watchdog to keep those in power in line, to hold powerful institutions and people accountable.

"Spotlight" WON Best Screenplay (Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer), and BEST PICTURE! 

4) I was thrust into the brutal world of the “Suffragette” along with weary textile worker and mother, Maud. I was shocked by the unflinching depiction of her dismal work conditions and the extreme use of violence by the police to crush the women who protested. This gritty enactment was born out of thorough research on the first foot soldiers from the early feminist movement (1912-13), when the women were forced to pursue a dangerous game of cat and mouse with the increasingly violent state. A fine piece of visual storytelling, “Suffragette” engaged my heart as well as my mind, showing just why women’s suffrage is so important to protect the basic human rights of women (and children) in a patriarchal society. “Suffragette” reminds us that those rights didn’t come easy. Real women fought hard for over 70 years for the right to demand better working conditions at the polls.

3) “Room” – the only home that five-year-old Jack has ever known. Room and mom are this little dude’s whole world. Mom is doing her best to give her boy a happy, healthy life with plenty of undivided attention. There are strict bedtime rules – for Jack’s protection. Jack must be quietly asleep in wardrobe when mom’s unwelcome visitor arrives. As Jack grows more curious and protective of his mother, it becomes clear that they are in peril. Mom concocts a dangerous plan to get them out of room. The acting is heart-wrenchingly genuine. The authenticity of their connection makes the suspense all the more devastating. But what is truly admirable is that the filmmakers succeed in making the victims heroes, while not glorifying their captor. They managed to create a life-affirming story showing the importance and resilience of the mother-son bond.

Brie Larson won Best Actress! 

2) “Mad Max: Fury Road” is the ultimate guy flick - one long EXPLOSIVE car chase. It is a man’s world. A world out of balance. A world where aggressive masculine traits have overshadowed maternal traits such as responsibility, nurturing, and caring. The result is chaos. The Earth’s resources have been destroyed. It has become a wasteland. Max is everyman - reduced to a single instinct to survive. He is captured and used as a blood bag for an enslaved half-life war boy. Furiosa, an honored driver of the water truck, escapes with the warlord’s pregnant “wives” who are looking for a better life for their children. The suicidal war boy attaches Max to the front of his war buggy and pursues them. When the war buggy crashes, Max carjacks the women’s ride. He is forced to fight alongside the fierce Furiosa to survive. The mothers teach him that there is something more important to fight for – a better future for the next generation.

"Mad Max: Fury Road" WON Best Directing, Cinematography, Editing, Costume Design, Makeup and Hairstyling, Sound Mixing, Production Design, Sound Editing.

1) “Mustang” opens like a fairy tale on a Black Sea coastal village in northern Turkey. It is the last day of school, and the students celebrate their freedom with an afternoon frolicking at the beach. The girls’ hair flaps wildly in the wind resembling the manes of mustangs. Five spirited sisters are greeted at home by their irate grandmother who has been informed by a conservative neighbor of their shameful antics. Fearing that their virtue and marriage prospects have been sullied, she drags the girls one by one behind closed doors to whip them. When the uncle arrives home, he locks them in the house. All corrupting influences such as phones and computers are removed. The guardians enlist the help of the conservative neighbor women to prepare the teens for arranged marriages. When the oldest sisters are married off, the remaining girls plan their escape from their matrimonial prisons. Even as it becomes clear that their lives are in danger for defying the rules of this strict patriarchal society, we root for their freedom. Mustangs should not be tamed.

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


NOTE: While there were several strong female roles this year, the industry still has a long way to go in hiring diverse directors - as demonstrated by this year's Oscar nominations. For instance, the Academy only nominated one narrative feature film directed by a woman: Best Foreign Film nominee "Mustang." Last year, after reading that less than 7% of studio productions were directed by women, I did some research to find out how many women directors were out there. That research resulted in the article, “Incredible Invisible Women Filmmakers.” I discovered that there were plenty of qualified women directors, but that most reviewers weren’t covering women’s films. Dedicated to promoting women directors,  I decided to seek out their films. Three films on this list were directed by women: my favorite inspiring film this year “Mustang,” “Suffragette,” and “The 33.” ("The Danish Girl," “Room” and "A Little Chaos" were penned by women). Last year’s list had four. And that's with me seeking them out!

These FEMALE Oscar Winners rocked their acceptance speeches: 

"A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness" won Best Short Documentary. In her acceptance speech, Director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy shared how movies really do make a difference. After watching her doc, the Prime Minister of Pakistan changed the laws on honor killings! 

My new hero Jenny Beavan

After winning her Best Costume Oscar for "Mad Max: Fury Road," Jenny Beavan, donning a fierce bejeweled leather jacket, gave a powerful acceptance speech, "I just want to say one quite serious thing, I've been thinking about this a lot, but actually it could be horribly prophetic, Mad Max, if we're not kinder to each other, and if we don't stop polluting our atmosphere, so you know, it could happen,"

Yes, we need women filmmakers. PLEASE, SHARE!

Check out my reviews of films by Women Filmmakers.

Mustang: Their Spirit Could Not Be Broken

The filming of "Mustang" was wrought with danger. Director Deniz Gamze Ergüven rushed to finish shooting a scene where a teenage boy sneaks into the car to make out with a teenage girl. Like the characters in the scene, the cast and crew was in peril. The scene was shot in a remote Turkish town and the townspeople were milling around suspiciously.

Director Deniz Gamze Ergüven

The movie opens like a fairy tale on a Black Sea coastal village in northern Turkey. It is the last day of school, and the students celebrate their freedom with an afternoon frolicking at the beach. Watching the teens horsing around, just being kids, is such a joy but there is a dangerous undercurrent. While their education has been liberating, there is a threat that comes with that liberation. Women, hidden behind headscarves, watch them. 

The best way for me to express the spirit of “Mustang” is to invoke images of wild horses running free, untamed, manes flapping defiantly in the wind, taunting those who would try to break them. Wondrous creatures. A fitting metaphor for the herd of five inseparable, spirited Turkish sisters.

The girls' youthful exuberance is instantly crushed when they are greeted at home by their irate grandmother who has been informed by a conservative neighbor of their shameful antics at the beach. Fearing that their virtue and marriage prospects have been sullied, she drags the girls one by one behind closed doors to whip them. But the defiant sisters band together to challenge their unfair treatment. Her hysteria is trumped when their furious uncle arrives home. Despite the sisters' vehement denial of any wrongdoing, they are locked up in the house. All corrupting influences such as phones and computers are removed. They transcend their prison with imaginary play. Emboldened by their sisterly bond, the girls still find playful ways to exert their independence. While we cheer their expression of feminine freedom, there is an underlying feeling of dread.

Threatened by the herd’s strength and budding sexuality, their guardians corral then into a makeshift prison, welding steel gates closed. The guardians conduct a plan to break up the pack by enlisting the conservative neighborhood women to prepare the teens for arranged marriages. When the oldest sisters are married off, the remaining girls plan their escape from their matrimonial prisons, even as it becomes clear that their lives are in danger for defying the rules of a patriarchal society. My heart was in my throat as I rooted for those courageous girls.

Mustangs should not be broken! Break free of your harness. Leap...no...fly over fences, hair flapping wildly in the wind like Mustangs running free.

Movie blessings. 

Jana Segal

www.reelinspiration.blogspot.com

Mustang Filmmaker Deniz Gamze Ergüven on Women in Film and Her Oscar-Nominated Feminist Escape Movie

OSCAR NEWS: "Mustang" is the only film by a women to be nominated for an Oscar this year. It is nominated for Best Foriegn Film. 

Down in the Dark with "The 33"

In 2010, people from around the world cheered the rescue of the 33 miners trapped in a collapsed Chilean mine for 69 days. The director of “The 33” had a whole lot to live up to.

The director’s goal was to show the human side of the story that we didn’t see in the news coverage. “I was sent the script. I thought it would be very challenging to tell a story about so many characters and such a long time. There are so many ways to tell this story, at least 33 because every one of these guys had a different version of what happened, and for me it was just a great challenge to piece it all together.”

Although the action sequences were thrilling, it was really the humanity that drew me into the story. It was the miners’ courage and loyalty in making sure that no one was left behind as the cave collapsed around them.

To enhance the realism, the film was shot in a Colombian mine. “Thirty-five days, 14 hours every day, six days a week we walked into a mine with hardhats and boots. No food allowed, no bathrooms.” Every minute the cast and crew were there, they were in danger. Sometimes the action was stopped while the head of the mine took precautions to have loose rocks removed. Imagine all those men confined to that cold, dark hole in the ground. Down there with them was – director Patricia Riggen.

Like the miners in the movie, the men struggled with the harsh conditions. But in the end, a comradery developed. The 33 miners had been left to their own devices in the dark mine. The group could have deteriorated into anarchy, with self-preservation the only rule. But instead of turning against each other, they developed a brotherhood. They chose democracy and watched out for each other. Otherwise, they wouldn't have survived.

Patricia Riggen

The director chose to show that the men were not alone. The miners got strength from their prayers - and the prayers of their families on the surface. The families never left their side. They camped outside the mine, picketing, demanding a rescue team. The female presence was definitely felt in the mine. The men found solace in the idea that their loved ones were counting on them. Perhaps Mexican director Patricia Riggen’s vision is most apparent in the moment of magical realism when the men share their “last dinner” (a can of tuna) and their wives and significant others join them. This scene was inspired by her research, in which the miners shared how they conjured up imaginary feasts together. 

One of the reasons that Patricia Riggen was hired was because of her vision for the project. She chose not to confine the movie to the claustrophobic, depressing mine. She expanded it to include the stories of the wives and families who demanded the rescue as well as the Chilean government's struggle with the politics and public relations of the rescue.

Having recently written, "Arizona's Real Mining Tradition," a blog about Arizona’s history of exploiting mine workers and the environment, I was keenly aware of the absence of a key player in the story: the head of the mining company. It was clear that the mining company had made a business decision - not to comply with costly safety measures. The foreman knew that the safety features weren’t in place. He pleaded with the mine manager to request the repairs, “It is my job to protect those miners.” But he is corrected. It is his job to keep the mine going to make a profit.  People dying are the cost of doing business. Finally the 100+ year old mine has had enough. A huge boulder twice the size of the Empire State Building becomes dislodged. Man’s reckless pursuit of profit finally broke the heart of the mountain.

But it wasn’t only the families that were there for the miners. The Chilean people, having just endured the 2010 earthquake and tsunami, had great empathy for the heartache of miners’ families. They were touched by their cries, “It’s not just miners down there, it is my brother, it is my husband.” The Chilean people pressured the government to take over the rescue efforts. Mining engineers from around the world and even NASA worked to rescue the miners. (Spoiler alert! lol) “The 33” miners were rescued. But the real miracle happened in the hearts of the people.

Movie Blessings!

Jana Segal 

www.reelinspiration.blogspot.com

Check out my blog, "Arizona's Real Mining Tradition." 

Mom Makes "Room" Home (no spoiler review)

Room – the only home that five-year-old Jack (Jacob Tremblay) has ever known. We see it from Jack’s eyes as he introduces us to everything in the 10X10 box: bed, chair 1, chair 2, toilet, bath…wardrobe. Room and mom (Brie Larson) are this little dude’s whole world.

As a mother myself, I see more. I see a mother who is doing her best to give her boy a happy, healthy life.  She encourages his creativity with songs, drawings, and homemade toys. She gives him her undivided attention. Their daily ritual includes brushing their teeth (she counts to make sure it is long enough), exercising (she makes a game of “running track” across the little room), cooking, and cleaning together.  

Though there doesn’t appear to be anyone they have to account to, mom has set down certain rules: rules on how much TV is allowed (she explains that she was turning into a TV watching zombie before Jack came to rescue her), and rules for bed time.  Important rules.  We soon find that the bedtime rules are vital for Jack’s protection. Jack must be quietly asleep in wardrobe when mom’s unwelcome visitor arrives. Through the crack in the door, we get glimpses of that visitor through Jack’s curious eyes.  Some nights Jack falls asleep counting the squeaks in the bed. His breathing in the wardrobe seems thunderous. The tension is palpable.

But as Jack grows more curious and protective of his mother, it becomes clear that they are in peril. Mom concocts a dangerous plan to get them out of room. (I have excluded the usual link to the trailer to retain the suspense – though I felt considerable tension even on my second viewing.)

What really struck me is how real it feels. The room seems lived in. We get an intimate look at their lives. Jack isn’t the usual precocious Disney child.  Writer Emma Donoghue is obviously someone who understands kids and mothers. The boy goes from rambunctious play to a defiant tantrum.  He has meltdowns like a real kid. We see the effect of the night visits on his mother as she withdraws into herself and snaps at the boy when he gets on her last nerve. But she forces herself out of her depression when her child needs her to be attentive.

The acting is outstanding, heart-wrenchingly genuine. In an interview, the award winning actress Brie Larson spoke about her process. After in-depth research with abduction survival therapists, she isolated herself from any human communication and subsisted on a meager diet for six months. She shared how she became depressed, but then had a breakthrough moment when she recalled a childhood memory of living in a one room studio with her mom and sister. The girls only had two toys each, but it was the best time of her life because their creative mom made everything a game and gave them undivided attention. She brought that experience to the role.  Watching “Room” brought back my own memories of my mom encouraging my creativity with arts and crafts when I was four. It didn't matter how little money we had, we were always encouraged to follow our creative pursuits. That love of creativity got me through some hard, lonely years. Needless to say, I cried. Grateful to my mom for being present. Sad for all the families today that don't have the time or money to build that kind of foundation.

One of the reasons Abrahamson chose Brie Larson was because of her warmth. He knew that she could bond with 7 year old Jacob.  The authenticity of their connection makes the suspense all the more devastating.

 Emma Donoghue

“Room” is a highly moving, thrilling adaptation of the novel by Emma Donoghue. Director Lenny Abrahamson stayed true to the source (as promised) by working closely with Donoghue on the script. What is truly admirable (and what makes it a must-see Reel Inspiration film) is how Donoghue and Abrahamson succeed in making the victims heroes, while not glorifying their captor. “Room” was a collaborative effort with the director, writer, cast, and crew all working for a common vision – to make a life affirming story showing the importance and resilience of the mother-son bond.  

Movie blessings!

Jana Segal 

www.reelinspiration.blogspot.com


Oscar news: "Room" was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director Lenny Abrahamson, Best Adaptation Emma Donoghue, and Best Actress Brie Larson.

Women Filmmakers Championed "Suffragette." (Thank goodness!)

Lately, I feel a weight on my shoulders when I attend a movie that is directed by a woman. I watch anxiously hoping to be inspired to promote the film and filmmaker - knowing how rare it is for mainstream films to be directed by a woman. (Less than 7% of studio productions this year were directed by women.) The stakes are great.  One bad movie by a woman director reinforces the view that women are not as good as men. One flop is proof that nobody wants to watch movies by women. These myths persist no matter how many big hits are helmed by women. It is not easy to change a patriarchal system that is so entrenched in our culture that many don’t believe it exists. But no progress is ever made without a struggle. So here we are.

Fortunately, “Suffragette” was developed by the female team that created the acclaimed film, “Brick Lane,” including director Sarah Gavron,writer Abi Morgan, and producers Alison Owen and Faye Ward.  I sat upright in my theater seat, poised for a prim and proper BBC style biopic. But I was immediately thrust into the brutal world of the suffragettes along with weary textile worker and mother, Maud (Carey Mulligan).  I was shocked by the unflinching depiction of her dismal work conditions and the extreme use of violence by the police to crush the women who protested.

Faye Ward (producer), Abi Morgan (Screen Writer)Alison Owen (producer) and Sarah Gavron (Director) looking at original police documents.

This gritty enactment was born out of thorough research on the first foot soldiers from the early feminist movement (concentrating on 1912-13), when the women were forced to pursue a dangerous game of cat and mouse with the increasingly violent state.

A fine piece of visual storytelling, “Suffragette” engaged my heart as well as my mind, showing just why women’s suffrage is so important to protect the basic human rights of women (and children) in a patriarchal society.  By law, women and children were men’s property.  So women were beaten, imprisoned, lost their jobs and even their children for fighting for the right to vote.  

The theme is relevant today. In this time when women’s’ rights and health care are being threatened, it is vital for women to safeguard their rights by voting.  “Suffragette” reminds us that those rights didn’t come easy.  Men didn’t gift us with the right to vote. Real women fought hard for over 70 years for the right to demand better working conditions at the polls. I hope "Suffragette" inspires us to fight for fair working conditions for everyone.

Ada from Jane Campion's "The Piano" 

I haven’t felt so moved by a movie since Jane Campion’s “The Piano.” I remember wailing, not crying – wailing, when the pianist’s finger was heartlessly hacked off by her possessive husband.  That image resonated with my artist soul that had been similarly amputated by our capitalistic society.  Both of these films moved me from a place deep within.  Both of these films were created by women.  There is something that these women filmmakers brought to these pictures - an understanding, a sensitivity that comes from a place of true understanding that you can only get from experiencing a similar struggle. 

Movie blessings, 

Jana Segal 

www.reelinspiration.blogspot.com

Documentarians: Our Last Refuge for the Truth

When I first started Reel Inspiration, it was my policy to only promote narrative films. But there is a crisis in our country resulting from the corporate takeover of the fourth estate, emasculating the power of journalism to act as watchdogs on those with power and influence. We seemed to have forgotten that it was once illegal to have media monopolies. There were reasons for those laws. But corporate-bought politicians changed that law right under our noses! The media convinced the American people to support unlimited campaign contributions from corporations. Passing the ironically named “Citizens United,” gave big business complete leeway to buy our politicians. Mega banks and big corporations now have unprecedented power to write legislation that profits them - at great cost for the rest of us. Big business bribed our congressmen and representatives to abolish laws that protected our environment or enforced quality controls on our food. They actually made it illegal to question how our food is prepared. That’s just crazy. In fact, it’s unconstitutional.

They sold the American people the idea of less government, so they could cut regulations on banks and Wall Street. This gave CEOs carte blanche to make risky (and even illegal) decisions with our investments – causing the recession. Fox news convinced us that our debt was caused by social services. They launched a full-blown smear campaign against hard working single mothers, calling them “Welfare Queens.” While corporations sent our jobs overseas, they distracted us by creating fear of "illegal immigrants" taking our jobs. Now we are spending billions sending undocumented immigrants to for-profit prisons. These are just a few ways that the corporate-owned media is manipulating us. The end result is, we can’t trust the news to deliver unbiased facts. That is why the work that documentarians like Frances Causey are doing is so important.

Frances Causey is a public interest journalist and documentary filmmaker who began her career in journalism with CNN where she was a Senior National Assignment Editor and Field Producer for fourteen years. At CNN, Frances was a senior member of a team honored with News and Documentary Emmys for their coverage of the Oklahoma City and Olympic Park Bombings. Frances has produced several feature length documentaries including her latest documentary feature, HEIST: WHO STOLE THE AMERICAN DREAM which was a 2012 New York Times Critic’s Pick and is currently airing in over 30 countries. HEIST won the prestigious Silver Chris Award for Social Issue Documentary at North America's oldest film festival, The Columbus International Film and Video Festival. In 2012, Frances was honored with the Women's International Film and Television Jury Award for her work on HEIST.

Frances’s latest documentary feature, THE LONG SHADOW, which is scheduled to be released in the summer of 2016, connects the dots between the United States’ history of slavery with the current deterioration of race relations. Frances’s new short film, OURS IS THE LAND, is about the desecration of Tohono O’odham sacred burial sites by the proposed massive Rosemont copper mine. 

I was honored to get a chance to converse with Frances about her documentaries and how her career as a journalist led to her telling these powerful stories.

Frances, you have such an impressive career as a journalist. Can you discuss why you decided to stop working at CNN and become a documentarian?

I left corporate journalism because it was just that - too corporate. That is - more concerned with profits than bringing truth to power which I believe is what the 4th estate or journalism is for. Covering news is expensive and it’s much easier to plop two opposing polemics in chairs and have them go at it. How is the public served by that?

At CNN, I began to question my involvement when we began covering the O.J. Simpson trial wall to wall. We literally closed down other bureaus so they could send folks to L.A. Many important stories went untold in that time period so we could ply our audiences with every salacious detail available, way beyond what was newsworthy.

I believe our democracy is suffering immense damage because of a lack of commitment by corporate owners of media to telling the truth. Today's news shows are more about selling products than holding leadership of this country accountable. Ironically, most of the truth telling is happening in documentaries, an art which has seen a resurgence thanks to the fall of journalism.

Could you share a little about why you chose each of these three subjects?

I wanted to make HEIST because I could so readily see how, as a worker myself, the economy was being rigged against us (i.e. no wage increases, gradual erosion of benefits, etc.) The "race to the bottom" economy was the pink elephant in the room that no one - particularly the corporate mainstream news media - was paying attention to. It was a great "whodunnit" story. Journalists are not very good at telling economic stories. But this was not just an economic story but a criminal one.

OURS IS THE LAND--- I got involved early on. Ours is the fight against the disastrous Rosemont mining proposal and again, no one in the news was covering what was actually going to happen if the mine was built, including the desecration of Tohono O'odham burial sites and archaeological treasures such as a rare Hohokam ball court. While the mine says they will build around the court, it’s a moot point because the court will be roped off with virtually no access available to it. We created essentially a news bureau so we could distribute good, fact-based, well-researched info on the mine which is at: www.rosemontminetruth.com

THE LONG SHADOW is the name of my new documentary feature that connects our history of slavery to the current problems with race relations and the continued oppression of the African-American community in the U.S. The film is a hybrid - part historical/current issue/character driven memoir film about the less than patriotic, startling facts behind the founding of United States relating to slavery and its subsequent consequences, and the painful legacy of these hard truths, which I believe haunts the United States to this day. Much of the circumstances behind our founding has been hidden and instead, as school children, we were taught the Moonlight and Magnolias version. But in reality, our nation’s long history of racial, nearly genocidal oppression of African-Americans in the United States has deep roots in our beginnings.

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

What Our History Books Don’t Teach Us: Unsung Heroines

Actor/Producer Anna Yosin

I am pleased to present guest blogger, actress/producer/martial artist Anna Yosin. Anna was a first round judge for Reel Inspiration's film contest way back when. While discussing my post, "Incredible Invisible Women Filmmakers," Anna mentioned two projects she was working on about some incredible women who made history, but weren't included in our history books.  I'm so proud of Anna. She really kicks butt with this article! Hope it motivates others to tell heroic women's stories. 

Victoria Woodhull 

When we think of story, we think of entertainment. We think of stories that move us emotionally. We laugh, we cry, we get angry or inspired. But stories also teach and inform us in many ways. We can learn about the past or different cultures through the exposure to stories - whether it be live theater, film, TV, new media or the good ol' book. Often we get history lessons from storytelling and that tradition goes back to before literature existed. But what happens when those stories are skewed by what is left out? We miss out on learning about some of the most inspiring people in history, especially if we depend only on the knowledge we learn in our classrooms. Unfortunately, our history books leave out so much and the content is often politically skewed.

This really hit me about a year ago. I stopped at a truck stop on my way back to LA from Tucson and picked up a few interesting books about women in the West. I found one particularly interesting - “The Bad Girls of the Wild West.” Although the book only touches upon women of notoriety in the days of the Wild West, it was enough to spark my interest. I found myself wondering why, out of all the Western movies and TV shows, these women's stories weren't told in more detail. Some may have appeared in supporting roles, but none of the movies (at least that I am aware of) featured them as the main character. So I started to dig deeper and I found some rare historical gems!

Among the stories that everyone knows like Calamity Jane and Annie Oakley, I found many that we don't hear about. These women played important roles in the history of our country. For example: Stage Coach Mary (the first person to deliver mail for Wells Fargo on a stagecoach), Clara Barton (the founder of the American Red Cross), Elizabeth Bassett and her two daughters (who ran their own ranch, smuggled cotton from Mexico and fought against big ranching companies who were taking over all the smaller ranches… a familiar struggle even today), or how about Maria Rita Quinteros de Valdez, (another rancher who owned a massive stretch of land that is now Beverly Hills), or Toby Riddle (a Native American who stepped in and prevented some deadly battles, then traveled to the east coast educating people about Native American culture). That’s just to name a few, of MANY.

Biddy Mason

Two of these women really stood out for me and I am currently creating projects based on their stories. Biddy Mason, who was a slave for the first 40 years of her life, sued her owner and won her freedom in Southern California in 1856 (a year before the Dread Scott case propelled the country into civil war.) She went on to become one of the wealthiest property owners in Los Angeles, started the first black school and church, donated money to the poor and visited prisoners to bring a little light into their lives. Talk about a philanthropist! My other heroine, Victoria Woodhull,  was the first woman on Wall Street to own a stock brokerage company. She started a revolutionary periodical and wrote articles about the most leading edge controversial issues. She actually ran for President of the United States of America in 1871 - almost 50 years before women were legally allowed to vote!

What? Is this for real? Yes! It's huge! Why isn’t it in our history books? These stories are impressive even by today's standards and are nothing less than inspiring. They are too powerful not to be told. I believe that if more people knew about their challenges and accomplishments, they would be inspired to do more in our modern society. That is why I am so motivated to get these stories out. There are parts of the world where women are not allowed to be educated or even go outside of their homes without their husbands - let alone create their own successful business or run for president. It is my hope that when people hear about the brave women of our past, it will inspire them to research more, uncover more and give them courage to take a stand. When we hear stories of great accomplishments or of crossing new boundaries, it encourages us to believe in ourselves. We are more than capable of accomplishing what may be deemed impossible by society’s standards. The stories of these incredible women give us the courage to leap higher, stretch farther and have trust in humanity.

Guest blogger, Anna Yosin

"The Hundred-Foot Journey" to Foody Paradise

From a young age, Hassan Kadam (Manish Dayal) was schooled in the art of savoring traditional Indian cooking by his mother. She taught him that food has a soul that holds cherished memories. When his family loses their restaurant and his beloved teacher in a political riot, the Kadams flee India for France. Papa Kadam (Om Puri) sees it as a sign when their brakes give out outside of Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val. A kind stranger, Marguerite, (Charlotte Le Bon) tows them to the village and shares the bounties of her garden with the hungry migrants. They can taste the soul in the local produce. Ignoring the protests of his frustrated children, Papa Kadam immediately sets up an Indian restaurant featuring his talented son as head cook.

“The Hundred-Foot Journey” across the street leads to Madame Mallory’s (Helen Mirren) acclaimed French restaurant (where Marguerite also works as a sous-chef). Their rivalry escalates to all-out war. Despite being on opposite sides of the warring factions, Hassan and Marguerite can’t deny their common passion for food. They put great care into their cooking. Food is more than nourishment, it is love: comforting, healing, and sensual. Sharing it bonds families and communities. It can even bridge cultures. But they get so caught up in the competition for fame and success, that they lose track of love.

This film is a foody’s feel good paradise. But it has more to say. It touches on our fear of outsiders and celebrates what immigrants bring to their host country. It shows how people from different cultures can find common ground.

curry omelette

In an interview about the film, executive producer Oprah Winfrey expanded, "Food blends cultures and allows us to have just a little peek into someone else's life... It is about a hundred foot divide between cultures." Winfrey chose the book on which the film is based as a "favorite summer read" in 2010. She said, "It’s about human beings coming to understand other human beings and more importantly, after you get to experience or step into somebody else’s shoes or see them for a real human being, how you understand that you’re really more alike than you are different.”

Partaking of this sweet confection, we get a chance to savor the pleasures we all enjoy: lush vibrant landscapes, delectable cuisine, funny family quirks, and the thrill of a first kiss. The very act of sharing cultural traditions removes the barriers that separate us.

Movie blessings!
Jana Segal
reelinspiration.blogspot.com

Welcome to (the Real) Me

At first glance, this quirky indie comedy appears to be a send-up of our obsession with fame and pop psychology showcasing Kristin Wiig as a ditzy, narcissistic lottery winner who buys her own talk show, aptly titled, “Welcome to Me.”

This satire, by director Shira Piven and screenwriter Eliot Laurance, has so much more to say than the trailer lets on.  The movie opens with Alice Klieg (Kristin Wiig at her funniest) playing a worn out VHS recording of an Oprah Episode and affirming along with her hero, “Everybody comes to our beautiful planet earth to do something great, something unique, something that only you were born to do.” 

Director Shira Piven

Fortified with this belief, she heads off to the convenience store with her pink umbrella to buy her daily lottery ticket.  When she wins 86 million dollars, she doesn’t seem surprised at all. She is more interested in reading a prepared statement about how she realized her vision, than celebrating or spending her winnings. When her big moment is interrupted (she confesses her use of masturbation as a sedative), she has a meltdown. She reads another prepared statement to her psychiatrist about how she will no longer be needing his hurtful services since she will be living her new life as Millionaire Alice.  He encourages her to get back on her meds. Instead, she finds an outlet to express herself by hiring a failing infomercial company to produce her talk show – about herself.

What appears to be a vanity project, is really about a woman who wants to be seen and understood.  In the first episode, she shares how she created her own success with her positive affirmations. In a cooking demonstration, she “bakes” a meat cake from her high protein diet to show that she is capable of controlling her illness (currently called borderline personality disorder) without depending on mind numbing meds.  

I love how every detail of the set design shows what it’s like to be in Alice’s world. On stage is a replica of her bedroom with her collections organized by the colors of her moods, representing her need to control her world.  She finds comfort in her swan collection, so she shares that with her audience by riding in on a swan boat. 

Then there are the performance art segments of her show, which serve as unsupervised psychodrama. She watches from the stage as “actors” portray the traumatic events in her life. She gets so caught up in the recreations herself that she starts yelling at the people who hurt her.  When the actors get it right, she furiously points it out to the audience – as if to say, “See! See! Look what happened to me!” She has a desperate need to express herself, for others to know what she is going through. The good with the ugly and inappropriate.  She rends the walls of her soul laying open gaping wounds.

She develops a following – mostly because of a morbid fascination. Her fans can’t look away from the train wreck that is her life. She also gains their respect for the way she courageously bares her wounded psyche.  There are glimpses of genius as she portrays the truth that the rest of us are unwilling to face in ourselves or society. The audience watches until it gets too painful to continue.

After the hilarious set-up, sadness sat heavily at the bottom of my stomach.  It brought out the hopelessness I felt (still feel) when my son was “diagnosed” with a mental illness and the way he has been stigmatized by it and put on mind-altering drugs – numbing away his uniqueness and creativity. My smart, creative son who had all the promise in the world.

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 - that they also 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. 

Movie blessings! 

Jana Segal 

www.reelinspiration.blogspot.com