The Truth is Out There
Political philosophy and political life itself have entered a post-everything phase, and this has rendered the very meaning of America on shaky grounds.
Katharine Hepburn, the Marble Goddess?
A new documentary of the Hollywood icon entertains and informs, but fails to capture Hepburn’s humanity.
The Empty Indifference of ‘Black Mirror’
Neither here nor there, dabbling in pseudo-history with the purpose of advancing ideology, the new season of Netflix’s dystopian anthology series leaves the viewer feeling empty.
The Ghosts of Postwar America
In Reagan’s film, “Night Unto Night,” as in most post-war American movies, an uneasiness about what the future may bring remains the only thing that’s certain.
The Voice of Ronald Reagan
In a way, Reagan did not see his political involvements as part of a “career” but as part of his duties as a citizen and actor.
Return to the Story
Stories are our way back into the possibilities of individual and collective imagination, no matter what happens.
The Right Sound of
Glenn Miller and James Stewart
In “The Glenn Miller Story,” we see the struggles of an artist trying to find the “right sound.”
Cary Grant’s Search for
Lost Youth
In “Monkey Business,” Grant learns that you’re only old when you forget you’re young.
The Frenetic Noise of
‘His Girl Friday’
For the most part it is the separation and break from
Archie Leach that created the Cary Grant we know and love.
Archie Leach that created the Cary Grant we know and love.
Courage in the Air
In telling a good story, Howard Hawks and Cary Grant captured an essential part of what it means to be an American.
The Manliness of Screwball Comedy
The comedic Cary Grant shines in “Bringing Up Baby.”
An Idealistic and Imperfect American Love Story
H. C. Potter’s 1947 romantic comedy, “The Farmer’s Daughter,” shows how both marriage and politics in America can be a thrilling combination of idealistic and imperfect
at the same time.
at the same time.
Our Constitutional Doom Loop
The struggle of being American and maintaining America is to always be conscious of and working to avoid our pending doom.
Authentic and Inauthentic Love in ‘Laura’
Otto Preminger’s masterpiece is an unusual but beautiful noir love story that examines the danger of inauthentic love.
An Uneasy Victory Over Human Folly Along the ‘Santa Fe Trail’
Even a film that elevates the American story must leave a sense of uneasy victory.
The Oppressive Capture of the Past in ‘Key Largo’
The oppressive and inevitable nature of time presses on, making one understand that freedom is possible but only through the acceptance of the present.
Finding Friendship and Fortitude, Even in a Flop
“Cattle Queen of Montana” was a project that brought joy to Ronald Reagan and Barbara Stanwyck, expanded their already formed friendship, and continued the mutual warmth
and kind regard.
and kind regard.
Conquering the Chisholm Trail or the Men Who Conquered It?
Erotic power and harsh reality renders Howard Hawks’ “Red River” brilliant in every way.
Fakers, Frauds, and Fools
It’s important to know the difference between a person who is trying to live authentically and a person who is a fully willing fraud, peddling in lies that masquerade as truth.
The Soviet Erotic and Today’s Misbegotten Effort to Kill Eros
One cannot quantify sex and eros. It is a relationship that is mysterious and cannot be snuffed out by the ham-fisted attempts of ideologues to destroy it.