Films featuring Libraries and Librarians

 In honor of National Library Week, check out a movie about libraries!  Below are some famous movies featuring libraries and librarians:

The Time Traveler's Wife (2010):  Based off the Audrey Niffenegger weeper, this movie follows the tortured but passionate romance of artist Claire and librarian Henry.  Personally, I'd recommend reading the book over watching this movie, but Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana do look fantastic!
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The Hollywood Librarian (2009):  This documentary looks that different images of librarians and libraries in American movies.
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The Station Agent (2004):  The so-hot-right-now Peter Dinklage made his big break in this indie sleeper.  Michelle Williams plays his love interest, a local librarian who is unhappily pregnant by her good-for-nothing boyfriend.
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Miranda (2003):   John Simms (from the British miniseries State of Play) plays a librarian who falls for a mysterious but comely library patron (Christina Ricci). 
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The Mummy (1999):  In this action thriller,  Rachel Weisz plays a beautiful but clumsy librarian at the library of Alexandra.
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Wings of Desire (1987):  This Wim Wenders masterpiece features one of the most famous library scenes ever in  the Berlin State Libary (Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin). For the angels in the film, who can hear humans' thoughts, the library is one of the loudest places in the city.  This is a spectacularly beautiful film, highly recommended!
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Breakfast Club (1985):  What's a fate worth than death for a high school student?  Having to spend Saturday in the school library!  Check out this John Hughes classic and have Simple Minds stuck in your head all day.
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Ghostbusters (1984):  This classic 80s sci-fi comedy has lots of great scenes in the New York Public Library, including a librarian ghost who mysteriously stacks books!
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The Music Man (1962):  Featuring Marian the Librarian, queen of all librarian stereotypes.  She shushes, wears her hair up in a bun, and has spiffy glasses.  But when she takes down her hair, she's a total babe!
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Desk Set (1957):  Watch the sparks fly between Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy in this romance set in television reference library!
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It's a Wonderful Life (1956):  Without George Bailey around, Mary Hatch (Donna Reed) is forced to live her life as a librarian.  The horror!  The horror!
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For further celebration, check out some fiction and non-fiction books featuring libraries and librarians!

Actor Spotlight: Viggo Mortensen

A brief primer on why Mr. Mortensen is significantly cooler than you are:

• He is fluent in at least three languages (English, Danish, Spanish), and is conversant in several others. His performance in the 2006 historical film Alatriste is one example of his mastery of the Spanish language.
• He was married to Exene Cervenka, co-founder of the influential Los Angeles punk band X. This, in itself, places him in a fairly rarefied realm of coolness. To exceed that level of cool, you'd pretty much have to be Exene Cervenka.
• He is a photographer, painter, musician, and published poet. (These are not vanity projects; his earliest book was published in 1993, long before his role in The Lord of the Rings made him a household name.)
• He was in Young Guns II. If you don't think that's pretty cool, then you really need to watch Young Guns II. (You don't need to have seen the first Young Guns, and you don't need to care about Westerns.)
• His brief performance as Lalin, a paraplegic ex-gangster, opposite Al Pacino in Carlito's Way evinced more genuine pathos than any other moment in the entire 144-minute film.
• He played the role of Lucifer (yes, that Lucifer) in the 1995 film The Prophecy, and managed to not seem completely ridiculous in doing so. No small feat, if you think about it.
• His performance in A History of Violence, the actor's first collaboration with director David Cronenberg. Mortensen convincingly plays his character as a small-town everyman, until the plot convinces you otherwise.
• His performance in Eastern Promises, the actor's second collaboration with director David Cronenberg. Look for a false note in Mortensen's portrayal of compromised Russian gangster Nikolai Luzhin. You will not find one.
• Along with Johnny Depp, he may be the only human being who can get away with curiously sculpted facial hair. (I am not advocating this.)
• In A Dangerous Method, his most recent collaboration with Cronenberg, he played the towering historical figure Sigmund Freud. His take on the character was nuanced; calculating without seeming calculated; amusing, but without any trace of parody. (I'm legally required to point out that Mortensen's co-star in A Dangerous Method is the Media Corner favorite Michael Fassbender.)
• He participated in the documentary film The People Speak, in which actors and musicians perform dramatic renditions of the words of every-day Americans. His reading of a letter written by the family of a man who died in the World Trade Center attacks is deeply moving.
• His performance in The Road, an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's grim  post-apocalyptic novel. Mortensen powerfully portrays the unnamed father's relentless determination to protect and provide for his son.

Twilight in Forks: The Saga of the Real Town

This documentary interviews people from Forks, Washington, the city where author Stephenie Meyer set the Twilight series, in addition to Twilight aficionados. Interviewees include Twilight Moms, the Twilight Guy, and shrieking Twilight fans. What appears to be a theme in all the fans' comments is that they connect with the love story in Meyer's books. The story has affected fans in different ways. For example, after reading the books a 46-year-old father speaks differently to his wife and is closer to his daughter.

Most interesting is when locals talk about how the Twilight series has affected the town. Many shops sell memorabilia for the thousands of fans from around the world who now visit each year. The Twilight-related visits have helped local businesses, as the increased tourist traffic acted to offset the struggling timber industry. Also emphasized by several interviewees is the energy of fans all over the world and how well Meyer described the town in the novels. More fun trivia tidbits: the city of Forks celebrates September 13, Bella's birthday, and the town (and high school) receives mail for the Cullens. This is an interesting documentary for Twilight fans to check out, and it's only a little annoying having to listen to shrieking teenagers describe the time they traveled to the movie set and got to meet Rob Pattinson.

Twilight in Forks: The Saga of the Real Town
NEW DVD 917.97 TWI
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The September Issue

This documentary follows Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and her staff on the fashion runways, at photo shoots, and within the Vogue offices in Times Square as they prepare the September 2007 issue of the magazine. The September issue is important because, as one staff member puts it, September is the "January in fashion. This is when I change." The September issue is also the thickest, often being compared to a telephone book.

Wintour, originally from London, grew up with 1960s fashion influences and is actually the first to use celebrities in fashion. Today we always see celebrities on magazine covers, but in the past only fashion models were used. Wintour is often described as cold, and we see why, as staff members get worked up when she rejects ideas ("I wanna kill myself.") In addition to Wintour, the documentary follows around Grace Coddington, the magazine's creative director and a fashion stylist. Originally from northern Wales, Coddington modeled for Vogue as a teenager before traveling to London to model full-time. When an auto accident ended her modeling career Coddington started work as British Vogue Junior Editor and then worked her way up. Coddington is unique in that she's a fashion stylist that actually touches the models and also retains a romantic notion about photography and fashion.

I enjoyed this documentary and found it very fascinating to look at what goes into creating an issue of a magazine. I especially liked watching Grace Coddington's photoshoots. Watching her work was definitely the highlight of the movie for me. When she re-shoots the color blocking photographs, she comes up with an idea that includes the documentary cameraman, Bob. After seeing the finished photos Wintour makes a comment that the photo needs retouching and that Bob needs to go to the gym; upon hearing Wintour's response, Coddington makes a call that she absolutely does not want his tummy airbrushed. Awesome!

This DVD set includes an entire disc of special features. One deleted scene finds Wintour upset about "horrible white plastic buckets of ice." Even if you don't check out the special features, after watching this movie you'll never look at a fashion magazine the same again.
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Howard Zinn: The People's Historian

Howard Zinn is best known as author of the eminently readable magnum opus  A People's History of the United States: 1492-Present; a powerful and inclusive text that follows the course of American social history from the "discovery" in 1492 through to the Millennium. Howard Zinn passed away January 27, 2010, at the age of 87. His long life of activism and scholarship continues to inspire social engagement and engender debate. 

The People Speak: A companion volume to A People's History, titled The People Speak: American Voices, Some Famous, Some Little Known, Dramatic Readings Celebrating the Enduring Spirit of Dissent. Delivering on its title, The People Speak is an anthology of primary source material that includes the words of well known historical figures (Frederick Douglass, Mark Twain) as well as people who are all too often treated as historical non-entities: Native Americans, slaves, migrant-workers, the unemployed, and the working poor. In 2009, the History Channel adapted the book into a documentary. Some of the actors who provide dramatic readings: Benjamin Bratt, Josh Brolin, Matt Damon, Morgan Freeman, Danny Glover, Christina Kirk, Viggo Mortenson, Mike O'Malley, Marisa Tomei, and Kerry Washington.
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You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train:  Professor Zinn's memoir, You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train: A Personal History of Our Times, has also been adapted as a documentary. The film features archival material, insightful interviews with Zinn himself, and comments from some of his contemporaries, including Noam Chomsky, Marian Wright Edelman, Daniel Ellsberg, and Alice Walker.
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More Than A Game

On Saturday afternoon 15 people turned out to watch the library's free screening of More Than A Game, a documentary about a high school basketball team and their coach in Akron, Ohio. To borrow from the title, this movie is more than a sports documentary. This movie is about enduring friendships, perseverance and dedication to following dreams, leadership, and teamwork.

Sian Cotton, Willie McGee, Dru Joyce III, and LeBron James started playing basketball together when they were in fourth grade. Dru's father, Dru Joyce II, coached them on an AAU travel team called the Ohio Shooting Stars. The Fab Four then went on to play basketball at St. Mary-St. Vincent High School instead of the inner city school Butchel. Dru decided against attending Butchel because he did not feel he would be given a chance to play there because of his size. Unselfishly, the other three boys followed him to that school so they could all play together.

The tight bond shared by the boys translated onto the court in a big way. As freshmen at St. Mary-St. Vincent the team went 27-0. During their sophomore year Romeo Travis joined the team and at first distanced himself from the "always sharing, giggling" (his words) Fab Four. Dru Joyce III took over as head coach for the team during their junior year.

Each player faced his own set of challenges. Dru had to work extra hard to prove himself because of his smaller size, and the relationship with his father as coach had its problems. Sian did not want to repeat the problems of his father and wanted to go to college to make his family proud. LeBron was raised by a single mother; they moved around often when he was younger. Romeo also moved around a lot as a kid, and sometimes his family didn't have enough food to eat. As a boy Willie moved from Chicago in order to get away from the drugs and alcohol problems of his family. He was raised by his brother and his wife, who were recent college graduates when they took him in.

Dru Joyce II's first year as coach didn't end the way the team had hoped. The boys became complacent because of their winning record and did not want to listen to the coach. This was a wake-up call for Joyce as well, who realized his "job was not teaching the boys basketball but helping them become young men." During their senior year, Willie was pulled from his starting position and put on the bench, which he accepted as a sacrifice for the better of the team. This mature behavior did not go unnoticed; Romeo realized that he "wanted to be a part of something outside basketball" and opened himself up to having friendships with the guys. The Fab Four then became the Fab Five. During their senior year they were determined to not only win a State Championship but a National Championship.

The special features on this DVD are also worth watching. Director Kristopher Belman (also an Akron native) describes how he came to make the movie, which started out as a ten-minute project for an Introduction to Documentary college film class. Another interesting special feature talks about the More Than A Game soundtrack, which includes both hip-hop and rap songs in addition to a score played by an 80-piece orchestra (unusual for a documentary).

The main draw for some people in watching this movie may be NBA star LeBron James. In his junior year he became the focus (and later target) of sports and news media, drawing such immense crowds to the team's games that they had to be played at the University of Akron. But watching More Than A Game, you see that the movie is not a one-man show. Director Belman focuses on the importance of a team and coach working together. You see how a coach's leadership helps change young boys into mature men. The brotherly bonds and success of a team like this doesn't come around everyday. I highly recommend you watch this movie. Since More Than A Game was released on DVD I have watched it several times and have been moved each time I watched it.

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If this is a subject of interest to you, LeBron also wrote a book about his basketball journey with his high school teammates called Shooting Stars: Find it in the catalog!

Movie screenings at the Dundee Township Public Library in March

Visit the library in March and catch a free movie on the big screen! If you are a basketball fan and get swept up in March Madness, then Hoosiers and More Than A Game are right up your alley. Hoosiers (1986), starring Gene Hackman and Dennis Hopper, is our Classic Movie Night selection. More Than A Game is a documentary about a high school basketball team in Akron, Ohio. LeBron James, Sian Cotton, Willie McGee, Dru Joyce III, and Romeo Travis are the Fab Five on St. Vincent-St. Mary's Fighting Irish team. The movie is a touching portrait of friendship, hard work, and leadership. The third movie we will show during March is from Japanese writer-director Hayao Miyazaki, who also made Spirited Away (2001). Inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen tale The Little Mermaid, this animated film is about a boy named Sosuke and his friendship with a goldfish named Ponyo. Come join us! All movies are shown in the downstairs Meeting Room. No tickets or reservations are required, but audience space is limited to 80 people.

Hoosiers
Wednesday, March 17 at 6 PM
Rated PG; 1 hour 55 minutes
Doors open at 5:30 PM for free popcorn and refreshments.

Ponyo
Saturday, March 20 at 2 PM
Rated G; 1 hour 41 minutes
Doors open at 1:30 PM for free popcorn and refreshments.

More Than A Game
Saturday, March 27 at 2 PM
Rated PG; 1 hour 42 minutes
Doors open at 1:30 PM for free popcorn and refreshments.

2010 Oscar nominees: Who was overlooked

Earlier this month the nominees for this year's Academy Awards were announced. While the Best Picture category expanded to 10 films, the rest of the categories still have only 5 spots. Take a look at the nominations here. I know it's next to impossible to nominate all of the deserving artists or movies, but I made a list of work that I think is good enough to receive a nomination. What do you think of the nominees? Who, or which films, do you think were snubbed?

Here is my list of snubs from this year's nominations:

Best Motion Picture of the Year
(500) Days of Summer
Bright Star  
The Hangover

Star Trek

Directing
J.J. Abrams, Star Trek
Wes Andersen, Fantastic Mr. Fox (coming to DVD March 23)
Jane Campion, Bright Star
Greg Mottola, Adventureland

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Matt Damon in The Informant! (out on DVD February 23)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt in (500) Days of Summer
Michael Stuhlbarg in A Serious Man

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Zach Galifianakis in The Hangover
Anthony Mackie in The Hurt Locker
Alfred Molina in An Education (currently playing in theaters)

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Emily Blunt in The Young Victoria (currently playing in theaters)
Abbie Cornish in Bright Star
Zooey Deschanel in (500) Days of Summer

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Diane Krueger in Inglourious Basterds
Melanie Laurent in Inglourious Basterds

Best Documentary Feature
More Than A Game

Adapted Screenplay
Bright Star
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Informant!
Where the Wild Things Are (coming to DVD March 2)

Original Screenplay
(500) Days of Summer
Adventureland
The Hangover
I Love You, Man

Original Score
Where the Wild Things Are (original songs by Karen O and the Kids)

Is it magic perfume? Yi conducts interviews about love in Paper Heart

The inventive docudrama Paper Heart received a limited release over the summer and I have only recently been able to see it now that it's playing in Buffalo Grove. And wow, was it worth the wait. Comedian and musician Charlyne Yi (Knocked Up) doesn't believe in love and travels across the country interviewing couples, professors, motorcycle bikers, kids, and friends (including actors Martin Starr, Seth Rogen, and Dmetri Martin) about love. She asks couples how they met, how they knew they were in love, and how they define love. Yi also asks them to share a special story about their relationship; she creatively uses homemade puppets and dioramas to illustrate these stories. During her travels Yi is accompanied by a film crew including director Nicholas Jasenovec (played by Jake M. Johnson). Yes, this is confusing. Jasenovic directed and co-wrote the movie with Yi but he is played by an actor. The lines between fiction and reality are further blurred when Yi meets actor Michael Cera (Superbad) and they begin to date. The film goes back and forth between Yi's interviews and her blossoming romance with Cera, who feels uncomfortable being filmed by the cameras. Is Yi falling in love, something she thought she never would be able to do?

The soundtrack, which features both Michael Cera and Charlyne Yi, is awesome as well. Since I saw the movie I haven't been able to get Yi's "Magic Perfume" out of my head. If you aren't able to catch Paper Heart in the theater then be sure to reserve a copy when it's available on DVD December 1.

• Now playing at Buffalo Grove Theatres (120 McHenry Rd, Buffalo Grove)
• 1 hour 28 minutes
• Rated PG-13 (It does not deserve that rating; I'd rate it PG)

Jack Taylor of Beverly Hills

Question: What did Cary Grant, Jack Lemmon, Dean Martin, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, and Danny Thomas all have in common? Answer: Their tailor. His name is Jack Taylor, and he's been doing his thing for over sixty years. The 2007 documentary Jack Taylor of Beverly Hills offers a fascinating and relaxed view of this master craftsman, whose Rolodex reads like a who's-who of Hollywood's most fashionable leading men. If you're interested in men's fashion, American success stories, Hollywood glamor, or just want to be reminded of a time when men dressed up before leaving the house, this one is not to be missed.

Jack Taylor of Beverly Hills
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