Midnight Oil:Movies and More

“Apollo 13” (1995), directed by Ron Howard, provides a wonderfully realistic dramatization of the historic aborted moon voyage of 1970. There was a PG rating on the film for language and emotional intensity. I appreciated the warning as the parent of a 10 year old who remains fascinated by gadgets, gizmos and galaxies but who gets slightly stressed out by the super suspenseful inner states of being that sell movies. You really do want to make sure that you go to the bathroom before you start out on this two hour “disasterful” cinematic voyage to the moon and back. Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton and Kevin Bacon (playing astronauts Lovell, Haise and Swigert) form a triumvirate for outer space. Ed Harris provides ground support as Flight Director Gene Kranz. Well, there was that other guy, Gary Sinise. He plays astronaut Ken Mattingly. That’s the fellow who gets knocked off of the roster at the last minute by German measles - but no one ever mentions him. They did manage, in the name of historical accuracy, to mention the fact that the unfortunate Pilot Haise, played by Bill Paxton, got a major urinary tract infection due to not drinking enough water during the mission. Too much information.

Methinks there was a bit too much testosterone floating around the stratosphere in this film. In the end, everyone keeps their head and all get back to earth safely. I really wasn’t sure there for a few minutes – and that was after seeing the film previously and living through the historical event. When they are done right, movies can be an engrossing form of storytelling. This one was done right.

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>>Real Life Story: Darrell Waltrip was a great success as a NASCAR driver until a near fatal accident changed his direction in life.

View the video trailer for "Apollo 13" (1995)

"Bad Day at Black Rock" (1955) INDb Spencer Tracy shows up as a mysterious one-armed stranger in an isolated desert town.  It soon becomes clear that people have something to hide. Ernest Borgnine, Lee Marvin and Walter Brennan are just some of the shady (or should we say "in shades of grey") characters that inhabit the town.  An interesting study of group dynamics and social problems in the post-war era.

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See the TVO video preview here. 

Catch the video trailer from TVO for Compulsion

“Days of Wine and Roses” (1962) IMDb looks inside the private world of an alcololic as Jack Lemmon plays the part of Joe Clay. Lemmon convincingly portrays the struggles of the charming and talented addict who quickly draws his young wife (played by Lee Remick) into the predictable downward spiral with him. Although some might be tempted to write the film off as a mere modern-day morality tale, I tend to see it as a laudable attempt to deal honestly  with the subject of alcoholism. The flavour is definitely bittersweet. It’s a film that points toward the intensely human capacity for courage, hope and redemption as well as for degradation.

This film was paired with “Clean and Sober” (1988) IMDb with Michael Keaton, another very powerful film about addiction. See the Saturday Night at the Movies preview for both films in the “Hooked” episode here.

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Catch the video trailer for “Days of Wine and Roses” here.

“Dear Frankie” (2004) IMDb is a real gem starring Jack McElhone as a young deaf boy and Emily Mortimer as his mom. Gerard Butler is the stranger who is brought into the picture in order to play the role of Frankie’s “dad” for a day. Things have a way of getting kind of complicated when the adults involved find they have to bend over backwards in order to maintain the charade for Frankie’s benefit. It’s a lovely tale told with much care and compassion for the plight of the single mom who tries to do her best with a very difficult dilemma.

TVO producer, Thom Ernst talks on his blog. about how this unusual and charming film came to be screened on SNAM.

See the TVO interview related to "Dear Frankie", in which the issue of telling lies in order to protect children is examined.

Real Life: Shannon deals with her fatherless childhood and leaves an abusive relationship.

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