‘The Repair Shop’ tops this month’s ‘5 Family-Friendly Things’
Editor’s note: This monthly series, “5 Family-Friendly Things,” spotlights five family-friendly entertainment choices on film, DVDs, streaming or television. Long ago, our grandparents and great-grandparents didn’t toss things when they broke. They repaired them. From clothing to furniture to gadgets, our ancestors knew what to do when something got damaged or stopped working. Times certainly have changed. The repair culture has...
WORDSLINGERS REVIEW: ‘Dolittle’ is a charming animal-themed film with a good message
The family film ‘Dolittle’ opens in theaters this weekend, telling the story of a quirky doctor who talks to animals. John Dolittle is a quirky-but-brilliant doctor who doesn’t like people—and who hides in his manor hoping never to see two-legged creatures again. He prefers fury, four-legged friends. Like elephants. And giraffes. And bears. They never let him down. They talk to him. And—get this—he has the ability to understand...
REVIEW: ‘Just Mercy’ raises troubling questions about death row convictions
The movie Just Mercy expands to theaters nationwide this weekend, telling the true story of an attorney who helped free an innocent man on death row. Walter McMillian is a middle-aged black man in Alabama who is sitting on death row for a crime he didn’t commit. Years earlier, an 18-year-old white woman was brutally murdered, and McMillian—despite having multiple alibis who said he was at a church fish fry—was convicted and sentenced...
REVIEW: ‘Spies in Disguise’ is ‘Mission Impossible’… for kids
The animated children’s movie ‘Spies in Disguise’ opened in theaters this week, telling the story of a debonair spy who is framed for a crime. Lance Sterling is the world’s coolest spy. He also happens to be the world’s best spy. He fights crime in a tuxedo without sweating a drop. He escapes from a room of bad guys with a flip of the wrist. And his exploits are often accompanied by funky background music. He’s a spy who...
REVIEW: ‘Little Women’ is fun, family-friendly and full of life lessons
The latest rendition of ‘Little Women’ opened in theaters this week. Is it OK for the whole family? Jo, Meg, Amy and Beth Marsh are just like any quartet of sisters you’ve ever met. They play. They laugh. They fight. They forgive. Most of all, they love one another despite their differences—differences that include their views on singleness. And on this subject, Jo is the loudest voice. When Meg wants to get married, Jo tries...
