J. Edgar: Masterful look at a mysterious man

Written by Mark Schumann, Father of Three
Thursday, 17 November 2011 13:29

Each week, the Reel Dad checks the nutritional value of a movie — new or classic — to help parents choose what to watch. This week’s pick is a new film from Clint Eastwood, J. Edgar.

Family movies: Be ready if the power goes out

Written by Mark Schumann, Father of Three
Thursday, 10 November 2011 12:08

While the last thing we may want to imagine is the possibility of another power outage, the winter is young. So, before the next storm hits, select some DVDs to have on hand in case the lights go out and the laptop still has battery. Here are seven movies to keep in mind — one for each powerless day of a week (oh, no, will it last a week?).

The Mighty Macs: Eager to please

Written by Mark Schumann, Father of Three
Thursday, 27 October 2011 11:12

Each week, the Reel Dad checks the nutritional value of a movie — new or classic — to help parents choose what to watch. This week’s pick is a new film for the family, The Mighty Macs.

London Boulevard: Familiar twist on gangster genre

Written by Mark Schumann, Father of Three
Thursday, 20 October 2011 11:03

Each week, the Reel Dad checks the nutritional value of a movie — new or classic — to help parents choose what to watch. This week’s pick is a new film from Great Britain, London Boulevard.

The Ides of March: Entertaining view of politics

Written by Mark Schumann, Father of Three
Thursday, 13 October 2011 14:14

Each week, the Reel Dad checks the nutritional value of a movie — new or classic — to help parents choose what to watch. This week’s pick is a new film from George Clooney, The Ides of March.

Moneyball: A great baseball movie

Written by Mark Schumann, Father of Three
Thursday, 29 September 2011 10:57

Each week, the Reel Dad checks the nutritional value of a movie — new or classic — to help parents choose what to watch. This week’s pick is a new film starring Brad Pitt, Moneyball.

Of all the sports that Hollywood cooks into movies, baseball may be the most overdone. For every Field of Dreams and Bull Durham we savor, we must endure imitations like For Love of the Game or Angels in the Infield. And, because the menu for making a baseball film is so familiar, the genre cries for creative reinvention.

Moneyball, the best film about baseball in years, is actually less about the sport than a character study of a man trying to overcome his demons. This man could be in any business, facing any crisis that resurrects fears of failure from his youth. That his world sits inside a baseball stadium offers the visuals we recognize. But his challenge is universal. Each us, at some point, must confront the remnants of our disappointments. For this man, the baggage he carries just happens to include a baseball bat.

Billy Beane, once a promising young baseball player, finds himself, in middle age, as the disappointed general manager of the Oakland Athletics. Because of the economics of the sport in the early 2000s, his team cannot afford the talent of other, richer teams. So he lets himself, and his team, savor minor victories that feed compromised ambitions.

He wants more. And Billy knows that more will only come if he finds a new way to compete. So he puts to practice a mathematical theory that focuses on the probabilities of runs — and the mix of players to achieve specific thresholds — rather than simply choosing the best players the payroll will permit. Billy befriends a young Harvard graduate to put the theory to work and partner in his dream to reinvent his team and the sport.

Moneyball carefully avoids baseball movie cliché — even in classic sequences of the team fighting to win important games — to deliver a fascinating portrait that any career-focused person over age 40 will recognize. Billy isn’t simply trying to win one more game; he wants to leave a legacy of change that will be remembered long after his working days end. Fueled by his own disappointments as a baseball player, he wants to be remembered as someone with the courage and persistence to reinvent a sport and himself.

As Billy, Brad Pitt continues an strong run of performances in meaningful films, from Benjamin Button to Inglourious Basterds to this year’s The Tree of Life. While the role is tailor-made for Pitt’s unique blend of charisma, sincerity and authenticity, he deliberately pierces beneath the surface to create a fully realized character. Jonah Hill is perfect as his sidekick in a portrayal of conviction and fear, enthusiasm and naiveté, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, as always, is on pitch as the baseball coach leery of Pitt’s approach.

What makes Moneyball so effective has as much to do with what it avoids as what it includes. The tight script by Aaron Sorkin and Steve Zaillian never resorts to the phrases we have heard in countless baseball films; likewise the thrilling direction by Bennett Miller never reuses the typical visuals. In Moneyball, no baseballs hit the lights when the hero hits the home run; instead, the lights go off inside the head and heart. And that makes this baseball game a winner in every inning.

Film Nutritional Value

Moneyball

* Content: High. Moneyball is a moving examination of one man’s ambition that happens to take place in a baseball stadium.

* Entertainment: High. Because it is a film about baseball, the core story is framed in an accessible entertainment everyone can enjoy.

* Message: High. This nutritious film reminds us that, as we age, we still carry many souvenirs from our youth, some of which we are ready to discard.

* Relevance: High. Any opportunity to introduce children to such important issues is essential.

* Opportunity for Dialogue: High. After you share this film, talk with your older children about the ways you see your own life progressing and what aspirations you still hold.

(Moneyball is rated PG-13 for strong language. The film runs 133 minutes.)

4-1/2 Popcorn Buckets

Drive: Synthetic and superficial

Written by Jonathan Schumann, a Reel Son
Wednesday, 28 September 2011 11:22

Each week, the Reel Dad checks the nutritional value of a movie — new or classic — to help parents choose what to watch. This week, his son Jonathan — who shared his movie views in this column for several years — returns with a look at the new film, Drive.

Warrior: A disappointing family drama

Written by Mark Schumann, Father of Three
Thursday, 15 September 2011 10:19

Each week, the Reel Dad checks the nutritional value of a movie — new or classic — to help parents choose what to watch. This week’s pick is a new film, Warrior.

How movies remind us ‘It could have been worse’

Written by Mark Schumann, Father of Three
Thursday, 08 September 2011 12:45

It’s no secret that, in our corner of the world, life has been challenging the past week or so. Since Irene paid her visit, we have dealt with fallen trees, broken limbs and power outages. And, thankfully, our towns are slowly getting back to normal.

But things could have been worse. And, if we need a reminder, all we have to do is check out what some reel people confront — and not just in disaster movies! All over the screen we can see people who remind us that real life could be a whole lot worse. Here are a few favorites to remember.

Sarah’s Key: Authentic, moving Holocaust drama

Written by Mark Schumann, Father of Three
Thursday, 25 August 2011 11:13

Each week, the Reel Dad checks the nutritional value of a movie — new or classic — to help parents choose what to watch. This week’s pick is a film adaptation of the book, Sarah’s Key.