Tag: Coming of Age

The Theatrical Experience Lives! You’ve Never Seen Anything Like Avatar: The Way of Water (Since the First Avatar)

After years of waiting and speculation, writer/director James Cameron and his Avatar franchise have returned to the big screen. After its monumental achievements in 2009 that included becoming the highest grossing film of all-time and a Best Picture Oscar nomination,…

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The Fabelmans Uses Film to Teach About Family and Personal Growth

Steven Spielberg makes his return to the big screen in his most personal film yet. The Fabelmans is a semi-autobiographical film about the director’s childhood and love for film and directing. Even more than the movies, this film…

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Armageddon Time Is an Interesting 1980s Time Capsule, but Not an Interesting Film (Middleburg Film Festival)

The 1980s was a pivotal decade that saw many great changes for the United States. An actor became President, a child star went solo and changed music and television forever, and commerce coined a phrase that would last…

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The Woman King: How to Balance Historical Accuracy and Filmmaking

Historically based films in Hollywood have never been lauded for their accuracy. Some of film’s most beloved cinematic masterpieces have been extremely dubious with the truth surrounding their stories, sometimes egregiously so. Despite this, these films are usually…

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Cha Cha Real Smooth is Charming and Effective (Sundance Film Festival)

The first foray into adulthood has always been a fraught time for human beings and our current generation of young adults are no different. The latest film from writer/director/actor Cooper Raiff takes a tender look at a young…

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Licorice Pizza is an Ode to Young Love That Teaches Universal Lessons For Any Age

Coming of age stories can teach us a lot about human behavior and the latest film from Paul Thomas Anderson is no exception. Licorice Pizza takes us to the San Fernando Valley in the 1970s as Gary Valentine (Cooper…

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Belfast is an All-Encompassing Family Drama and One of 2021’s Best (Middleburg Film Festival)

At times, our world today feels as if it’s on the precipice of completely splintering. People feel more separated than they have in a long time with a growing number of people in the United States feeling as…

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Wild Indian Examines the Cycles of Violence and Trauma (Sundance Film Festival)

The one person you can never truly run from is yourself. Though many people have tried, our issues and past are always with us just as our shadows are. Wild Indian, a new debut feature film from indigenous…

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CODA Balances Laughter and Inclusion for the Differently Abled in One of 2021’s Best Films (Sundance Film Festival)

Growing up is hard to do. All of us have experienced the hardships of transitioning from a teenager to a young adult and making those vital decisions about which direction you want to begin to steer your life…

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The Green Knight is a Beautifully Shot, Dense Tale of Self-Discovery

Tales of knights and dragons, Kings and Princesses, have enthralled audiences for centuries now, with the epic sword fights, shining armor, and tales of bravery sparking imaginations in kids and adults alike. Most of us associate the genre…

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