And the Winner Is — 1946

  Our family is working our way through Oscar winners and whichever nominees take our fancy. Also as they are available, since some films are hard to find. 

The nominees were in no way equal to the winner and we generally didn't like them much.

WINNER

The desparate life of a chronic alcoholic is followed through a four-day drinking bout. This combines a riveting story with authentic behavior and, despite my expectations, was fantastic. Deserved the win.  My review is here.

 NOMINEES

Two sailors on shore leave head out for four days of partying – only to become involved in the affairs of an aspiring singer and her precocious nephew.

Never was going to beat the winner but it's a good time watching it. A Movie You Might Have Missed #10.

This psychological thriller follows an amnesiac impostor suspected of murder and the psychoanalyst who tries to unlock his mind.

It doesn't age well but was probably a worthy nominee for the time when people would have been really fascinated by all the psychobabble.A Movie You Might Have Missed #74.

A hard-working mother inches towards disaster as she divorces her husband and starts a successful restaurant business to support her spoiled daughter.

Ugh. Mildred's motivations were baffling. Imitation of Life did it much better. Watch that instead.

A priest and a nun, despite their good-natured rivalry, try to save their parochial school from being shut down.

Fun enough in it's way but no Oscar contender.

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All the Oscar viewing is here.

And the Winner Is — 1945

 Our family is working our way through Oscar winners and whichever nominees take our fancy. Also as they are available, since some films are hard to find.

This is the first year that only five films could be nominated. This really cut down on the variety and we missed the wide ranging field from previous years with more nominees.

Nominated films that we didn't watch because we'd couldn't find them were The Pied Piper and Wake Island.

WINNER

After being appointed to a run-down New York parish, a young, hip priest connects with a gang of boys looking for direction and eventually wins over over the aging, conventional Parish priest.

1945 Oscar winner. It did not age well.

 NOMINEES

Fred MacMurray is the insurance salesman who comes up with the perfect murder scheme to rid femme fatale Barbara Stanwyck of her husband's annoying presence. Edward G. Robinson is MacMurray's boss, a wily insurance investigator who feels that things don't quite add up. 

This should have won. A true classic that we didn't rewatch for this because we've seen it so many times. A Movie You Might Have Missed #10.

A newlywed fears she’s going mad when strange things start happening at the family mansion.

Another one that should have won and it's a classic for a reason. If you only know the term "gaslight" but not where it came from, then you need to watch this movie.  A Movie You Might Have Missed #74.

The political career of Woodrow Wilson is chronicled, beginning with his decision to leave his post at Princeton to run for Governor of New Jersey, and his subsequent ascent to the Presidency of the United States.

We were curious to see what a movie would be like that was made so soon after Wilson's presidency. Oy veh. Hero worship, anyone? Not bad but not really worth watching.

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All the Oscar viewing is here.

And the Winner Is — 1944

Our family is working our way through Oscar winners and whichever nominees take our fancy. Also as they are available, since these early films continued to be hard to find.

This is the last year until just recently that more than five films could be nominated. Normally we have enjoyed the wide variety. This year, however, ugh! Casablanca was the only genuinely good movie. The others were obviously chosen for artsy quality or topic (WWII anyone?). 

You can't blame them but it didn't make for much enjoyable viewing. Nevertheless we persevered, except for For Whom the Bell Tolls — 3 hours of the Spanish civil war and Hemingway was not going to cut it. We save those long movie nights for Indian movies!

Nominated films that we didn't watch because we'd couldn't find them were The Pied Piper and Wake Island.

WINNER

In Casablanca, Morocco in December 1941, a cynical American expatriate meets a former lover, with unforeseen complications.

1944 Oscar winner. The Academy got this one right. One of the best movies ever made. Interestingly, it was made to show how American indifference to the war was wrong. 

 NOMINEES

Spoiled playboy Henry van Cleve dies and arrives at the entrance to Hell, a final destination he is sure he deserves after living a life of profligacy. The devil, however, isn’t so sure Henry meets Hell’s standards.

There was no contest between this and winner Casablanca. Also, this is nothing like the infinitely more charming 1978 movie of the same name.

In 1858 Lourdes, France, adolescent peasant Bernadette has a vision of “a beautiful lady” in the Massabielle grotto - the townspeople assume this lady to be the Virgin Mary.

A perfectly fine straight-forward telling of Bernadette of Lourdes and the opposition to her reports of the visions of the Virgin Mary. Not really my sort of movie, possibly because I knew of all the events except for after she became a nun.

Set in Washington, D.C., this romantic comedy presents a comic look at the housing shortage during World War II.

We thought we'd see something not about WWII. The joke was on us! It was amusing although it didn't have the feel of the sort of movie that would have been nominated for an Oscar. 

On the eve of World War II, the German Kurt Müller, his American-born wife Sara, and their three children, having lived in Europe for years, visit Sara’s wealthy mother near Washington, DC. Kurt secretly works for the anti-Nazi resistance. A visiting Romanian count, becoming aware of this, seeks to blackmail him.

This was a long, boring, preachy version of Casablanca - American style. It's truly hard to believe that Dashiell Hammett had anything to do with this. Ugh.

A posse discovers a trio of men they suspect of murder and cow theft and are split between handing them over to the law or lynching them on the spot.

This had one message and one message only. No time for subplots! Well done but really depressing. Even more sadly, we've seen enough mobs motivated by feelings that it felt all too familiar. That feels rather surreal, here in 2026.

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All the Oscar viewing is here.

A Movie You Might Have Missed #104: Harvey

"I’ve wrestled with reality for 35 years, doctor, and I’m happy to state
I finally won out over it.”

Elwood P. Dowd (James Stewart) is a good-natured gentleman and frequent drinker whose best friend Harvey is an invisible rabbit that stands a little over six feet tall. Everyone naturally assumes he’s crazy. His sister Veta, worried about the family’s social standing, attempts to have him locked away in a sanitarium.

Elwood P. Dowd is soft-spoken and disarming, and so is this movie, which keeps audiences guessing as to whether Harvey is a figment of Elwood’s eccentric mind or really does exist.

I watched this with my book club and realized just how much I had forgotten, including how laugh-out-loud funny it is. I also didn't realize just how pertinent one of the main messages would be in modern times: how little we listen to each other and what misunderstandings that can cause. I also loved how much Elwood paid attention to each person who came across his path. This is shown in several ways but never more than his response when someone accepts a dinner invitation. What makes Harvey great is the fact that it’s equally enjoyable as a piece of comedic fluff and as slyly intelligent social commentary.

Years ago I wouldn't have had to put this in a "movie you might have missed" category but no one in the book club had seen it except for the hostess who chose it and me. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed it and there was a lot of laughter through the entire movie. It's time to watch — or rewatch — this classic.

Sholay — A Curry Western

We rewatched this and fell in love all over again. I thought I'd remind adventurous film watchers to see a different kind of Western.

A retired policeman in a small village summons a pair of small-time thieves that he had once arrested. He feels that the duo — Veeru and Jai — would be ideal to help him capture Gabbar Singh, a bandit wanted by the authorities dead or alive for a big reward. The policeman will pay an additional award if they surrender Gabbar to him alive.

Veeru and Jai grow fond of the villagers. Veeru is attracted to Basanti, a feisty, talkative young woman. Jai is drawn to Radha, the policeman's reclusive, widowed daughter-in-law.

Eventually, several skirmishes leads to big show-down comes with the bandits and the chance for Veeru and Jai to show what they're really made of.

Based on Wikipedia description

I've known about spaghetti Westerns for a long time, of course, but had never heard of a curry Western until I watched the most famous one ever made — Sholay (Embers).

This was set in the time in which it was made, 1975, but it still feels authentically Western. Rural India was fairly undeveloped technologically so there's the juxtaposition of a modern policeman, motorcycles, and denim caps with horse-mounted bandits, steam locomotives, and the simple village life. That setting totally works. You can identify elements of the source materials but the plot is still distinctively Indian and goes its own way, as is so often the case in these adaptations.

As an interpretation of The Seven Samurai, The Magnificent Seven, and Once Upon a Time in the West, this was perfect in so many ways. Yet being a meandering 3-1/2 hour film simultaneously makes it imperfect, at least by Western standards. It surely would have benefited from a tighter screenplay, but then it wouldn't have been a 1975 Indian film. So it is what it is.

I am now on the Amitabh Bachchan train and understand why so many people liked his acting. I'd only seen him in Amar Akbar Anthony which is a screwball comedy with a crazy plot that I wasn't a fan of, although I could see why it was an iconic film. In this, however, there was none of the over-the-top acting which is the Bollywood standard. He was very natural and totally cool. I could watch Jai all day.

I am sure that some of the other elements I loved are equally iconic:

• the coin flips
• the opening with a bandit gang mounted on horses trying to rob a Western-style steam train
• Basanti's dance to save Veeru
• the Holi celebration of colors
• the vicious villain Gabbar
• the first song with Jai and Veeru celebrating their bromance on a motorcycle with sidecar while one plays a harmonica. Good times.

I can see why this film has had such staying power.

Rating — for advanced viewers. (You've got to be willing to let this one wash over you, enjoying the ride for what it is ... and that means you've got to have seen enough other Indian movies to not worry about some dead space or romantic side trips. After all, how else are you going to see a musical Western with a Hindi celebration of colors?)

And the Winner Is — 1943

  Our family is working our way through Oscar winners and whichever nominees take our fancy. Also as they are available, since these early films continued to be hard to find.

Nominated films that we didn't watch because we'd couldn't find them were The Pied Piper and Wake Island.

WINNER

it shows how the life of an unassuming British housewife in rural England is affected by World War II.

Simply stunning in the way that it takes you into this family's life and then shows the effects of war on the British as WWII breaks out. Definitely deserved to win.

 NOMINEES

The spoiled young heir to the decaying Amberson fortune comes between his widowed mother and the man she has always loved.

Wonderfully made but with a story I really hated.

A film of the life of the renowned musical composer, playwright, actor, dancer and singer George M. Cohan.

I didn't care for having encapsulated versions of Cohan shows dropped in everywhere but that is how this form of musical genre works. The Ziegfeld Follies did it best. Alexander's Rag Time Band did it worst. This falls just between the two.

The story of the life and career of the baseball hall of famer, Lou Gehrig.

An affectionate, straight-forward telling of Lou Gerig's life. Not especially Oscar worthy except, perhaps, as a sentimental favorite because of the subject.

Five young adults in a small American town face the revelations of secrets that threaten to ruin their hopes and dreams.

I liked it much more than I thought I would, certainly more than The Magnificent Ambersons which had Orson Welles' wonderful style but a drag of a story. And Ronald Reagan did a great job.

A German U-boat is sunk in Canada’s Hudson Bay. Hoping to evade capture, a small band of German soldiers led by commanding officer Lieutenant Hirth attempts to cross the border into the United States, which has not yet entered the war and is officially neutral.

We were surprised at how much we liked this. It was much more propagandistic than winner Mrs. Miniver, but it was still really good. Thus proving, I suppose, that top notch talent can elevate and improve upon a basic message. In a sense it was somewhat like a mystery, watching which of the group of Nazis trying to get back to Germany would be picked off next and by whom.

Hilarity ensues when a falsely accused fugitive from justice hides at the house of his childhood friend, which she has recently rented to a high-principled law teacher.

A lot more interesting than the description made it sound. We really enjoyed it.

Wandered away from his asylum, an amnesiac World War I veteran falls in love with a music hall star but his amnesia makes it difficult to last.

An extremely frustrating amnesia plot. Good amnesia plots provide character growth by forcing the victim to begin anew. This one was just a huge soap opera full of inexplicably missed chances to help Smithy remember a crucial 3 years. It's a real waste of wonderful actors. So annoying.

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All the Oscar viewing is here.

Koyla (Coal)

A village girl agrees to a marriage to a king she has never met after he sends her a photograph of himself. But the man in the photograph is not the king but his most loyal slave, the handsome but mute Shankar.

Just a perfect viewing experience if you like 1990s Indian movies - and we do. That means this is for the experienced Indian movie viewer. We'd never have liked this seven years ago but now we relished every moment.

This is a villain heavy dramatic thriller with a good dose of Madhuri Dixit's classical dancing, Amrish Puri's over the top villain and, of course, Shah Rukh Khan's inimitable heroic style. You will believe that the hero can be mute (which really bemused us at the beginning of the film).

We really loved the "5 hands" scene which was very skillfully done for genuine laughs. I've never seen Johnny Lever with so few over the top moments, which was interesting. Anyway, it was a hit with us.

Best of 2025 — Movies

 Here are my top picks from our year of viewing around 130 movies.   We continued in our Oscar winner/nominees series and, as always, there is a generous dose of our Indian and Korean discoveries. All are listed in the order we encountered them.

As always, the movies may be old, but my viewing was brand new this year. In no particular order.

I began my "Best of" lists way back in 2008. To see them, check the label cloud in the sidebar under "Best of ..."

2025 BEST MOVIES

Raat Akeli Hai
(The Night is Lonely)

A truly classic style noir that reminded us irresistably of Chinatown. With a subplot of the mother trying to find the detective a bride which made it truly Indian. Featuring one of our favorite actors, Nawazuddin Siddiqui. A real gem.

Cinderella (1950)

The original animated classic, which was considerably enhanced by watching it with our 5-year-old grandson. I saw this so long ago that it might as well have been new to me.

Kai Po Che!
(I've Cut the Kite!)

I don't usually like coming of age stories but this was simply delightful as we saw 3 friends drawn to what they cared about most, finding ways to follow their dreams while making a living. And while remaining friends. Real historical events disrupted their lives but we also see how those are handled and the difference they make in the young men's decisions.

Thelma

When 93-year-old Thelma falls prey to a phone, she sets out to reclaim what was taken from her. This was a delight. Thelma being inspired by Tom Cruise to track down the scammers who tricked her into sending cash is just the first level.

(My review here.)

Noryang: Deadly Sea

The last in the trilogy about naval genius Admiral Yi. The director brilliantly manages to show huge sea battles in a way that conveys the incredible chaos while making the strategy crystal clear. That's important because Admiral Yi's genius only becomes clear as the battle proceeds. Not to be missed.

(My review here.)

Hi Nanna!

An ill child, her protective father, and a mysterious woman journey through love, parenthood, and destiny. Against all odds I loved this film, especially with the insane number of plot twists in the second half. Read the review to get the vibe.

(My review here.)

Chhaava

Indian historical movie about the Marathis battling to save their land from the Moguls. The link between the king and his wife along with what we know of his lifelong question about his mother add depth to the love of country and devotion to the gods. This was really well done and surprisingly moving at the end. (Not for beginners to Indian movies.)

Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds
Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days

And I thought Dante's circles of hell were bad. In The Two Worlds, we follow a soul on trial as his three accompanying guardians defend him through the Buddhist circles of hell. This is a really entertaining fantasy. The imaginings of the hells were wonderful and probably would really resonate with those who know Buddhism basics.

The Last 49 Days is essentially the second half of the story and, as such, is a strong finish.

Frankenstein

Director Guillermo del Toro somehow managed to stay true to the book while whirling around with his own different details a lot of the time. Best of all, the point of the story was articulated enough to be sure that we really got it. Really good.

(My review here.)

The Host

Really solid monster movie although, as is often the case, it is more about the people than the monster. It holds up wonderfully for a 20 year old film, helped considerably thanks to our experience with Covid.

Good Ol' Freda

This was a gentle, sweet look at the Beatles' 10 year run through the eyes of their secretary, Freda.

Wake Up, Dead Man

The latest in the Knives Out mystery series by Rian Johnson. Best depiction of a modern priest since Calvary. Also a pretty good murder mystery with everyone's favorite detective, Benoit Blanc. Clearly Rian Johnson was interested in religion and, as from my vantage point as a Catholic believer, he gets it right.

And the Winner Is — 1942

 Our family is working our way through Oscar winners and whichever nominees take our fancy. Also as they are available, since these early films continued to be hard to find.

Nominated films that we didn't watch either because we'd seen them recently or couldn't find them were Here Comes Mr. Jordan, Hold Back the Dawn, and One Foot in Heaven.

WINNER

A man in his fifties reminisces about his childhood growing up in a Welsh mining village at the turn of the 20th century.

Not my favorite sort of story but well enough told. I really can't believe that it beat The Little Foxes.

 NOMINEES

Regina Hubbard Giddens  and her scheming brothers plan to get rich from a cotton mill, but first they must tap into the wealth of Regina's sickly husband, Horace.

I don't usually like melodramas and I certainly don't like venomous family arguments. However, this one grabbed me and didn't let up to the very end.

The life and legacy of Charles Foster Kane, played by Welles, a composite character based on American media barons William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer, and Chicago tycoons.

Truly a classic although not one that I ever really cared about. You can't help but admire the artistry though.

Edna opens a home for foundlings and orphans and begins to place children in good homes, despite the opposition of “conservative” citizens, who would condemn illegitimate children for being born out of wedlock.

Not as artful, but we liked this a lot better than the winner. Greer Garson is a wonderful actress and the story, though told in a straight forward manner, handled several social issues that were still hot button topics when the film was made. We also appreciated the way the story showed major events without drawing out the tragedies. Living in Dallas I'd heard of the Edna Gladney home and I was interested in the story. It did not disappoint.

A sheltered heiress falls for a charming playboy and elopes with him, but soon begins to suspect that her husband’s affection may conceal a deadly motive—and that she could be his next victim.

This was good up until the very end when it rushed a la "a shot rang out and everyone fell dead." That left it feeling really flat.

A private detective takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a beautiful liar, and their quest for a priceless statuette.

Not really Oscar quality story-wise but it sure was fun to watch.

After a religious awakening, Alvin York is drafted and despite deep ibjections to fighting becomes one of the most celebrated American heroes of WWI.

Really excellent. As a movie itself I can see why it earned 11 Academy nominations and why Gary Cooper won for best actor. He was convincing in every stage of York's life, hell-raiser, suitor, converted, conscientious objector, soldier, and hero. I'm a fan.

A boxer, mistakenly taken to Heaven before his time, is given a second chance back on Earth.

Meh. Watch the much better remake Heaven Can Wait (1978) starring Warren Beatty.

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All the Oscar viewing is here.

Frankenstein (2025)

Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro adapts Mary Shelley's classic tale of Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist who brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation.

I am really fond of the Frankenstein story so I worried about what Del Toro might change that would affect the ultimate message. I needn't have. It turns out that he loves the story as much as I do and somehow managed to stay true to the book while whirling around with his own different details a lot of the time. 

Best of all, the point of the story was articulated enough to be sure that we really got it. Really good.

100 Movies Every Catholic Should See has a really good review with it's eye on Catholicism (natch).

Maareesan

Dhaya, a thief, sets out on a journey with Velayudham, who has Alzheimer's disease, intending to loot him. However, the trip ends up changing their lives forever.

Even if I don't like a Fahdah Faasil movie, I always love watching his performance. I really liked this so it was a double win. Don't read about the plot. Just let it unfold.

And the Winner Is — 1941

  Our family is working our way through Oscar winners and whichever nominees take our fancy. Also as they are available, since these early films continued to be hard to find.

Nominated films that we didn't watch either because we'd seen them recently or frequently were The Letter, Our Town, Philadelphia Story. We couldn't get a captioned copy of All This & Heaven Too so we skipped it because my mother couldn't watch it.

WINNER

A young woman marries a fascinating widower only to find out that she must live in the shadow of his former wife, Rebecca, who died mysteriously several years earlier. The young wife must come to grips with the terrible secret of her handsome, cold husband, Max De Winter. She must also deal with the jealous, obsessed Mrs. Danvers, the housekeeper, who will not accept her as the mistress of the house.

1941 Best Picture so it is our first stop in our next series of watching Oscar winners and nominees. It was stunningly well directed, acted, and shot. I myself have never liked the basic story of Rebecca, whether in print or film. But I can see why this won.

 NOMINEES

American crime reporter John Jones is reassigned to Europe as a foreign correspondent to cover the imminent war. When he walks into the middle of an assassination and stumbles on a spy ring, he seeks help from a beautiful politician’s daughter and an urbane English journalist to uncover the truth.

A lively spy thriller from Hitchcock. Very entertaining but the best thing about it was George Sanders in a rare good-guy role.

Dictator Adenoid Hynkel tries to expand his empire while a poor Jewish barber tries to avoid persecution from Hynkel’s regime.

One of the earliest movies to try to motivate US participation in WWII. This movie has its moments but it just didn't age well for us.

A hard-working, white-collar girl falls in love with a young socialite, but meets with his family’s disapproval.

Ho hum. Kitty makes a lot of bad choices in the middle of this film although I am sure that when this was made they were seen as brave, feminist choices. Regardless, it can't hold a candle to that year's winner, Rebecca.

The crew of the merchant ship Glencairn hope to survive a transatlantic crossing during World War II.

This was surprisingly good although you have to wait for the end for everything to pay off. It is a slow build through the movie as we learn the characters, see them struggle with each other and their own problems, and so forth. It was my favorite of the nominees that didn't win.

Tom Joad returns to his home after a jail sentence to find his family kicked out of their farm due to foreclosure. He catches up with them on his Uncle’s farm, and joins them the next day as they head for California and a new life… Hopefully.

How about that John Ford — nominated for two best pictures in one year! An amazing movie if this is the kind of movie you like. It isn't the kind we like.

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All the Oscar viewing is here.

49th Parallel

In the early days of World War II, a German U-boat is sunk in Canada’s Hudson Bay. Hoping to evade capture, a small band of German soldiers led by commanding officer Lieutenant Hirth attempts to cross the border into the United States, which has not yet entered the war and is officially neutral. Along the way, the German soldiers encounter Canadians who tell a truth that contradicts Nazi propaganda.

Viewed for our 1943 series of watching Oscar winner/nominees.

We were surprised at how much we liked this. It was much more propagandistic than winner Mrs. Miniver, but it was still really good. Thus proving, I suppose, that top notch talent can elevate and improve upon a basic message. In a sense it was somewhat like a mystery, watching which of the group of Nazis trying to get back to Germany would be picked off next and by whom.

I especially enjoyed Laurence Olivier as French Canadian trapper Johnnie, Leslie Howard as the overly civilized and somewhat effete Philip Armstrong Scott, and Raymond Massey as the basic Canuck army recruit Andy. In a very real sense, the land of Canada was a character in the movie and we enjoyed that also.

Hi Nanna

Six-year-old Mahi, a spirited child with cystic fibrosis, shares a deep yet complex bond with her father, Viraj, a dedicated single parent and successful fashion photographer. Her curiosity about her absent mother leads to a journey of discovery when she runs away with her loyal dog, Pluto. A chance encounter with a kind woman named Yashna sparks unexpected revelations

Against all odds I really loved this movie.

This isn't the kind of movie that I usually love but the acting, direction, and pacing were so strong that they made up for the plot holes and how much I hated the snowflake of a wife. Also the second half was amazing. One twist after another and we didn't see any of them coming except for Dr. Aarvind.

The movie itself is probably 3 stars because of the script but my enjoyment earns it 4 stars.

And the Winner Is — 1940

 Our family is working our way through Oscar winners and whichever nominees take our fancy. Also as they are available, since these early films continued to be hard to find.

This year was exceptional and we had seen many of the nominees fairly recently so we didn't rewatch Ninotchka, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Wizard of Oz, or Wuthering Heights, excellent though they all are.

WINNER

The spoiled daughter of a Georgia plantation owner conducts a tumultuous romance with a cynical profiteer during the American Civil War and Reconstruction Era.

We watched this 1940 Oscar winner to kick off our next series of viewing all the Best Picture nominees. The right movie won. This remains a masterpiece. It's so true to the book, even while having to trim details to fit it all in. The performances and costuming made a feast for the mind and eyes.

 NOMINEES

A group of people traveling on a stagecoach find their journey complicated by the threat of Geronimo, and learn something about each other in the process.

It was perfectly fine but no match for most of the other nominees or winner in this stellar movie year

Judith Traherne is at the height of young society when Dr. Frederick Steele diagnoses a brain tumor. After surgery, she falls in love with Steele.

Can't hold a candle to most of the other nominees. It seems to exist only to try to make us cry.

A French playboy and an American former nightclub singer fall in love aboard a ship. They arrange to reunite six months later, if neither has changed their mind.

This is another film that seemingly exists only to make us cry If you've seen An Affair to Remember or Sleepless in Seattle, then you know the plot.

A bookish classics professor makes an inauspicious debut at the hallowed halls of Brookfield School for Boys but eventually finds his feet, ultimately becoming something of an institution at the school.

We were surprised at the subtlety of the storytelling. Not many movies extoll the virtues of the shy person who just needs a little encouragement. A complete surprise and we loved it. My review is here.

An intellectually disabled giant and his level headed guardian find work at a sadistic cowboy’s ranch in depression era America.

The final film we watched for the 1940 Oscar nominees. A very well done version of the famous John Stenbeck novella. Like every other Steinbeck story except East of Eden this one is traumatic and I hate it.

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All the Oscar viewing is here.