December Films (now January film)

We have the December movie poll up and you might notice a bit of a theme. We selected these films for nomination because we wanted some "feel good" films. Movies with a bit of inspiration. The movie night in December falls right in the midst of the holidays so we didn't want to present anything gritty or provoking. Not that that's all we do by any means but it's a good time of the year to feel good. The ultimate inspirational film is probably It's a Wonderful Life. We don't need to show that because there's a good chance you'll be watching that anyway. We did throw in a Capra film for good measure though. Meet John Doe is a quintessential Capra film that stars Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. The most modern of the films is Once. John highly recommends this film to everyone. I have yet to see it but I know some of the great music. Only Angels Have Wings is a Cary Grant film that most people, including Cary Grant fans, have never seen. Life is Beautiful was a huge hit in the late-1990's and included an unforgettable performance by Roberto Benigni. I have never seen Breaking Away but I found it highly rated on all of the "inspirational" lists. Here they are:

Once













"An (unnamed) Guy is a Dublin guitarist/singer-songwriter who makes a living by fixing vacuum cleaners in his Dad's Hoover repair shop by day, and singing and playing for money on the Dublin streets by night. An (unnamed) Girl is a Czech who plays piano when she gets a chance, and does odd jobs by day and takes care of her mom and her daughter by night. Guy meets Girl, and they get to know each other as the Girl helps the Guy to put together a demo disc that he can take to London in hope of landing a music contract. During the same several day period, the Guy and the Girl work through their past loves, and reveal their budding love for one another, through their songs." - IMDB


Meet John Doe

















"As a parting shot, fired reporter Ann Mitchell prints a fake letter from unemployed "John Doe," who threatens suicide in protest of social ills. The paper is forced to rehire Ann and hires John Willoughby to impersonate "Doe." Ann and her bosses cynically milk the story for all it's worth, until the made-up "John Doe" philosophy starts a whole political movement. At last everyone, even Ann, takes her creation seriously...but publisher D.B. Norton has a secret plan." - IMDB

Life is Beautiful















"In 1930s Italy, a carefree Jewish book keeper named Guido starts a fairy tale life by courting and marrying a lovely woman from a nearby city. Guido and his wife have a son and live happily together until the occupation of Italy by German forces. In an attempt to hold his family together and help his son survive the horrors of a Jewish Concentration Camp, Guido imagines that the Holocaust is a game and that the grand prize for winning is a tank." - IMDB


Only Angels Have Wings
















"While waiting for her boat, Bonnie Lee stops at a small airport in South America. The pilots there deliver mail over a dangerous and usually foggy mountain pass. Geoff Carter, the lead flyer, seems distant and cold as Bonnie tries to get closer to him. Things heat up as Judy MacPherson, Geoff's old flame, shows up with her husband who is an infamous pilot." - IMDB

Breaking Away










"Dave, nineteen, has just graduated high school, with his 3 friends, The comical Cyril, the warm hearted but short-tempered Moocher, and the athletic, spiteful but good-hearted Mike. Now, Dave enjoys racing bikes and hopes to race the Italians one day, and even takes up the Italian culture, much to his friends and parents annoyance. While meanwhile, the 4 friends try to break away from their townie, Indiana reputation while fighting with nearby college snobs." - IMDB