I struggle to write this article because I have so many feelings going on. First, please read my movie BFF Henri Lowe’s article about the Chattanooga Film Festival. Next year we want to take a group with us to it. It was that well done! I’m thankful Henri captured the festival so well because I gotta deal with all the emotions over here!
The two things that completely stopped me in my tracks were as diverse as they could be, but equally tore at my heartstrings. “Inside Out 2” was literally everything. If you, like me, have ever struggled with anxiety, codependency or fear, you rarely find apt descriptions in film of those gut-wrenching emotions. Watching “Inside Out 2,” I could finally look at my husband and say, “That’s me! That’s how it feels!”
The other representative of my internal dialog and hard work in therapy is the third season of Hulu’s hit “The Bear.” It’s hard for me to not use this entire article to discuss “The Bear.” I want to warn that this show has R rated language. I so wish it was PG language so parents could view with kids. This shows keeps getting better each season. The main character Carmine (AKA Carmy, Chef, Bear) returns home in the first season to save his family’s sandwich shop after his brother’s death. Carmy is a celebrated chef in New York and has to sacrifice it all to return to Chicago to save this shop. I would say the first season focuses on chosen family and the power of those people. I have no nuclear family and my chosen family is my lifeline.
The second season of “The Bear” is about the secrets we carry to protect our nuclear families and how damaged that makes us. Episode six, “Fishes,” was a gut punch to me. I’ve been at that table.
Season three’s eighth episode, “Ice Chips,” shows almost the exact conversation I had to have with my mother. That episode, along with “Inside Out 2,” so perfectly captures so many important moments, conversations and feelings that viewing it was like a therapist putting her arm around my shoulders saying, “Great job, kiddo.”
Suffice to say, if you have not binged “The Bear” on Hulu, I cannot recommend it highly enough. It may take several episodes to be hooked, and, yes, the kitchen scenes are intense, but the power of the message is too profound to miss. An Al-Anon saying, “What other people think of you is none of your business,” coupled with the finale of the third season, left me in tears because it accurately portrays what happens when we make that our business.
I’m just blown away by the talent of people making such powerful depictions of these heavy emotions and capturing them so perfectly. I had the luxury of being at our favorite place, Lakeview Fontana, complete with treetop cabana soaks and views of Fontana Lake, to binge the latest season, but it’s a must-watch no matter where you are.
Now, onto other viewing options. I went down a deep dive of true crime this month, so I apologize if that’s not your thing, but there are some excellent options in this genre.
Netflix
Hulu
Paramount
HBOMAX
Beginning in September, my movie BFF Henri Lowe and I will be hosting a movie club at Canopy once a month. I will have the exact date for you next month. The first movie we will discuss is “Lars and the Real Girl” starring Ryan Gosling. We will have clips to see and questions to discuss. We will all have a beverage and have a great time. It is strongly recommended you watch the film before attending. Please note that you might think this movie is going down a sexually deviant path but I PROMISE it is not. It is a story of a community showing up with love and one of my all-time favorite films, and we will definitely be passing the popcorn!
The two things that completely stopped me in my tracks were as diverse as they could be, but equally tore at my heartstrings. “Inside Out 2” was literally everything. If you, like me, have ever struggled with anxiety, codependency or fear, you rarely find apt descriptions in film of those gut-wrenching emotions. Watching “Inside Out 2,” I could finally look at my husband and say, “That’s me! That’s how it feels!”
The other representative of my internal dialog and hard work in therapy is the third season of Hulu’s hit “The Bear.” It’s hard for me to not use this entire article to discuss “The Bear.” I want to warn that this show has R rated language. I so wish it was PG language so parents could view with kids. This shows keeps getting better each season. The main character Carmine (AKA Carmy, Chef, Bear) returns home in the first season to save his family’s sandwich shop after his brother’s death. Carmy is a celebrated chef in New York and has to sacrifice it all to return to Chicago to save this shop. I would say the first season focuses on chosen family and the power of those people. I have no nuclear family and my chosen family is my lifeline.
The second season of “The Bear” is about the secrets we carry to protect our nuclear families and how damaged that makes us. Episode six, “Fishes,” was a gut punch to me. I’ve been at that table.
Season three’s eighth episode, “Ice Chips,” shows almost the exact conversation I had to have with my mother. That episode, along with “Inside Out 2,” so perfectly captures so many important moments, conversations and feelings that viewing it was like a therapist putting her arm around my shoulders saying, “Great job, kiddo.”
Suffice to say, if you have not binged “The Bear” on Hulu, I cannot recommend it highly enough. It may take several episodes to be hooked, and, yes, the kitchen scenes are intense, but the power of the message is too profound to miss. An Al-Anon saying, “What other people think of you is none of your business,” coupled with the finale of the third season, left me in tears because it accurately portrays what happens when we make that our business.
I’m just blown away by the talent of people making such powerful depictions of these heavy emotions and capturing them so perfectly. I had the luxury of being at our favorite place, Lakeview Fontana, complete with treetop cabana soaks and views of Fontana Lake, to binge the latest season, but it’s a must-watch no matter where you are.
Now, onto other viewing options. I went down a deep dive of true crime this month, so I apologize if that’s not your thing, but there are some excellent options in this genre.
Netflix
- “Your Honor” Bryan Cranston shines as a widowed judge in New Orleans who grapples with how far a parent will go to protect a child from consequences of accidental actions. I’m so glad this finally made the move from Showtime to Netflix so more people can view this excellent series. My husband and I loved it but be warned - it is VERY intense.
- “Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult” This docuseries is insane! Mention cult and I’m all in because I find it fascinating how people end up in them. This one is especially crazy because TikTok dancers join a management firm that ends up being tied to a church that has a sinister agenda. It’s a short series and I plowed through it.
- “Cold Copy” This movie follows an ambitious journalism student who falls under the spell of an esteemed - yet not particularly ethical - reporter she wants to impress so badly she’s willing to manipulate the truth.
- “Under Paris” It’s summer, sharks terrify me and the Olympics are in Paris, so this was a perfect Friday night thriller for me. Yes, it’s campy but oh-so-fun.
- “A Family Affair” One of my daughters recommended this Zack Efron/Nicole Kidman rom-com. I reported last month that the Anne Hathaway led “The Thought of You” was delightful (minus adult content) because the mom sacrificed for her 16-year-old daughter. This time, this daughter is 24, and I found it a bit uncomfortable that the mom felt “done” with parenting and did what she wanted. Granted, the daughter is an adult. It’s sweet and predictable, but I liked “The Thought of You” on Prime better.
- “Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies and Scandal” I found this docuseries so compelling as it deals with corporate greed and the fallout on families. I also loved the diversity of the couples they chose that had been affected by the leaks at Ashley Madison. Very well done and so gripping!
Hulu
- “The Bear” As of right now, this is my favorite show of 2024. If Hulu does nothing else of great note this year, it has my heart because of this series. Start lining up the Emmy Awards!
- “Brats” I was in high school from 1980-1983 and college (War Eagle!) from 1983-1987. John Hughes movies were my life because they captured my life and feelings in ways I didn’t know were possible. Andrew McCarthy was in all these movies. He made a documentary on the fallout of the article that dubbed their acting group as “The Brat Pack.” This documentary is thoughtful, meaningful, powerful and filled all my ’80s buckets to the brim. I cannot recommend it highly enough, especially if you are around my age.
- “Cult Massacre: One Day in Jonestown” As I said earlier, say cult and I am in. This is a fascinating look at what happened in Jonestown by Jim Jones’ own son and others who escaped. It is only three episodes and, yes, I watched them all in one sitting. If you love cult documentaries as much as I do, you will love this. There is an incredible amount of unseen footage, and it is riveting.
- “The Free Fall” This is one of the best psychological thrillers I’ve seen in recent history. A young woman awakens with amnesia and must figure out if her husband is telling the truth.
Paramount
- “Bull” and “Elsbeth” are both exceptional shows. “Elsbeth” only has one season, but “Bull” offers multiple seasons.
- There is a movie coming out soon with a stellar cast called “Speak No Evil.” It is based on a foreign film of the same title. I watched it with my oldest daughter, and it is beyond disturbing. Please skip it.
HBOMAX
- “Six Schizophrenic Brothers” If this was not a true story, you would not believe it. If you have an interest in psychology or genetics, you will love this well-done short docuseries.
- “Fallen Idols” This docuseries deals with the sad demise of Nick and Aaron Carter and the role their parents played in using them for money and brushing things under the rug.
Beginning in September, my movie BFF Henri Lowe and I will be hosting a movie club at Canopy once a month. I will have the exact date for you next month. The first movie we will discuss is “Lars and the Real Girl” starring Ryan Gosling. We will have clips to see and questions to discuss. We will all have a beverage and have a great time. It is strongly recommended you watch the film before attending. Please note that you might think this movie is going down a sexually deviant path but I PROMISE it is not. It is a story of a community showing up with love and one of my all-time favorite films, and we will definitely be passing the popcorn!
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