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Film & BooksIssue: Pisces 2009 - The Movie Issue

Frozen River

frozenriver1_200A struggling, single mother of two has only one wish for Christmas – to move her family out of a broken-down trailer and into a new double-wide.

Ray Eddy (portrayed by Melissa Leo, now nominated for a Best Actress Oscar) earns meager wages working at the Yankee Dollar Store in Upstate New York, near the Canadian border. After her husband runs off with all their savings, Ray stumbles upon a Mohawk woman, Lila, who is making money driving illegal immigrants over the frozen St. Lawrence River. Perhaps if Ray partnered with Lila just once…or maybe just twice…she could turn her life around?

The uneasy relationship that develops between Ray and Lila speaks to the racial divides in which they live. Lila is clear about her motives and her hatred of whites while Ray has her own racial stereotypes to deal with. However, in the course of the film, the two women find they have something very important in common. They both love their children, and as single mothers, they don’t have much to give them.

Written and directed by newcomer, Courtney Hunt, this low-budget film is a very important one because it doesn’t sugarcoat the immense suffering of the millions of Americans living at or below the poverty line, most of whom are single mothers. And this year’s Oscar nomination of Melissa Leo appears to be a conscious choice for fabulous acting over Hollywood’s seemingly insatiable need for glitz and glamor. dots

by Ann JandaSagittarius

Film & Books Archives (total entries: 36)

Cancer 10

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Aquarius 10

Burma Chronicles

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Sagittarius 09

Wild Chickens and Petty Tyrants

This witty, accessible, and concise book will raise the mindfulness of the most stressed out person in mere seconds.

Virgo 09 - The Climate Change Issue

Julie & Julia

Meryl Streep is absolutely mesmerizing in Nora Ephron’s film, Julie & Julia. I was blissfully swept away by her portrayal of Julia Child and the story of her supportive and adoring husband, Paul Child, played by Stanley Tucci.

Taurus 09 - The Garden Issue

Edible Green Mountains

My new favorite food magazine is Edible Green Mountains. Filled with beautiful images and interesting articles about local Vermont growers, retailers, chefs, and food artisans, Edible Green Mountains is a feast for the eyes with plenty of food for thought!

Aquarius 09 - The Change Issue

WALL-E

Adorable, funny, and eerily post-apocalyptic, WALL-E is, in short, brilliant, and if you haven’t seen it yet, you must rent this fabulous film made by the Pixar division of Disney.

Capricorn 08 - The Career Issue

Dispatches from the Edge

Though Anderson Cooper has reported on many natural and political disasters across the globe, his response to Hurricane Katrina is what made him famous.

Sagittarius 08 & Honest Self Expression

Rachel Getting Married

Like real life-families who have a member struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, the focus of “Rachel Getting Married” isn’t on Rachel, even though it should be. It is on her narcissistic sister, Kym, who is out of rehab for the weekend to attend Rachel’s wedding.

Scorpio 08 - The Money Issue

Review of “The Good Society: The Humane Agenda” by John Kenneth Galbraith

At a time when our nation’s security is in question and our economy is in shambles “The Good Society: The Humane Agenda” by John Kenneth Galbraith has much to teach the abiding liberal as well as the dutiful conservative.