I had the great honor to speak with the incredible Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, & Mike Schur about the second season of the fun, lighthearted mystery...
Mother’s have a tendency to want to care for everyone and handle everything. Making it hard for them to find any time for themselves. In the new comedy, “I’ll Be Right There”, Edie Falco stars as a mom who is constantly giving rides and all of herself to the loved ones in her life.
The film begins with Wanda (Falco) at the doctor’s office consoling her mom, Grace (Jeannie Berlin), who is convinced she has lung cancer. She then has to drive her pregnant daughter, Sarah (Kayli Carter) to the doctor’s office to check on the baby. After that she has to meet her son, Mark (Charlie Tahan) for his therapy appointment, where he shows clear signs of resentment towards his mother. You see, in addition to Wanda continuously trying her best to there for everyone, they don’t appear to be appreciative of her efforts. And Wanda’s ex-husband, Henry (Bradley Whitford) is no help because he’s too busy with his new wife and kids that he can’t seem to support either.
I know what I have described is far from groundbreaking and we’ve have certainly seen versions of this story before, but that doesn’t mean “I’ll Be Right There” isn’t offering something fresh. The heart and soul of this movie is Falco, who you connect with from the start. It’s her authentic and relatable performance as a mother who’s just trying to keep it all together that makes her so easy to care for her. She naturally shines and those around her are a solid supporting cast.
“I’ll Be Right There” has a simplistic charm to its mild story. The screenplay could have used a little more meat, but writer Jim Beggarly got the point across; writing about the ups and downs of family drama and Wanda being forced to re-examine herself. And in just under an hour and half, you will feel as though that comedic, yet bittersweet journey of self-discovery flew by.
The significant Amber Alert hits close to home every time we hear it ring. The new thriller, “Amber Alert” powerfully exhibits how people just like us can help save a child’s life when we get these notifications. I had the opportunity to speak with the filmmakers (Kerry Bellessa, Summer Bellessa, and Joseph Restaino) and one of the stars of the film, Golden Globes Winner, Tyler James Williams.
“Amber Alert” opens in theaters and OnDemand September 27, 2024.
Maya and the Wave is currently playing at the Village East theater in New York, with upcoming screenings at the Laemmle Glendale and the Laemmle Monica in Los Angeles, and expanding through the end of the year
NEW YORK—September 12th, 2024—The team behind Maya and the Wave announced today that Rashida Jones and Meena Harris have officially boarded the film as executive producers. The documentary tells the extraordinary story of Maya Gabeira, the first woman to surf the giant wave in Nazaré, Portugal. She nearly drowns – and is ridiculed by the male big wave surfers who dominate the sport. Three spine surgeries and five years later, she surfs the biggest wave a woman has ever surfed. When her accomplishment is disregarded, Maya enlists the help of her fans to fight for recognition — and becomes the first female surfer honored with a Guinness World Record in big wave surfing.
The story of the films’ release mimics Maya’s own story of heartbreak and comeback. Shortly after the Toronto premiere, the film’s cinematographer and co- producer, Jorge Leal, had a brain stem stroke, leaving him completely paralyzed. The crew and Maya rushed to his side and spent the next 10 months in hospitals and treatment centers, aiding in his recovery. With Jorge well enough to go back home, it was finally time to bring Maya and the Wave into the world.
“We are so excited to have Rashida Jones and Meena Harris come on board the film. We admire them both so much for their commitment to amplifying female voices and are beyond thrilled to have their support. Getting the film here has been a journey, and they feel like the best partners we could ever have.” said Stephanie Johnes, the film’s director.
“As we witness a global backlash against women’s human rights, we need powerhouse women like Rashida and Meena to champion women’s stories more than ever before. All hail these loud and powerful women for bringing their fire and their platforms to support a story that, at its core, is an everywoman’s story of living in a man’s world,” added producer Ali Johnes.
“On and off the screen, Maya and the Wave is a miraculous story of resilience and perseverance. This inspiring portrait of an underestimated woman determined to win also happens to be an epic sports documentary — everyone should see it,” said Meena Harris.
Rashida Jones added, “Maya and the Wave is inspiring, shocking, gorgeous, intimate and triumphant. Maya’s courage, determination and vulnerability will stick with me forever. Hers is the consummate heroine’s journey. I’m so proud to have any small part of sharing this movie with the world.”
Meena Harris is the founder and CEO of the Tony-Award winning company Phenomenal Media. She is a #1 New York Times bestselling children’s book author, and the co-founder and general partner of the VC firm Phenomenal Ventures. Meena is also a lawyer and influential activist for gender and racial equity. She most recently co-produced Dylan Mulvaney’s Edinburgh Fringe sensation, Faghag, and the Tony-Award winning musical Suffs, currently on Broadway.
Rashida Jones is an Emmy-nominated and Grammy award-winning actress, writer, director and producer, best known for her beloved roles on the universally acclaimed, fan favorite sitcoms, Parks and Recreation and The Office. Beyond acting, Jones is a renowned documentary filmmaker, who garnered an Emmy-nomination for her Netflix docuseries, Hot Girls Wanted, and won a Grammy for Best Music Film for Quincy, a film about her father, Quincy Jones. Jones is an outspoken feminist, and advocate for women’s rights and intersectional inclusivity, who often reflects these themes in her illustrious body of work.
After a family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life is turned upside down when her teenage daughter accidentally opens the portal to the afterlife. I review the long-awaited sequel to one of Michael Keaton’s legendary roles, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”.
“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is currently
playing in theaters.
This week I review the thrilling new sequel starring Glen Powell and Daisy-Edgar Jones, “Twisters”. How does it compare to the original? Find out by watching my full interview in the video below!
This week I review the new romantic comedy, “Fly me to the Moon.” The film follows marketing maven Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson), who wreaks havoc on launch director Cole Davis’s (Channing Tatum) already difficult task. When the White House deems the mission too important to fail, Jones is directed to stage a fake moon landing as back-up.
“Fly Me to the Moon” opens in
theaters on July 12, 2024.
Academy Award nominee, June Squibb has been acting for 60 years and at 93 years old she’s landed her first lead role in “Thelma”. The film is about a grandmother who gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson and sets out on a mission to reclaim the money stolen from her.
I had the opportunity to speak with June and director Josh Margolin about the movie.
“Thelma” opens in theaters nationwide June 21, 2024.
The sheer genius of turning our emotions into loveable characters was enough to make you fall in love with the magic of the first “Inside Out”. Like many, I was hesitant to the idea of a sequel. But after watching “Inside Out 2”, and meeting Anxiety, it all makes sense.
“Inside Out 2” follows Riley entering into her teen years, making room for new emotions right before she goes into High School. She and her two best friends, Bree and Grace, have been selected to go to a 3-day hockey camp. Everything seems to be going smoothly in Riley’s life until Bree and Grace inform her, they won’t be going to High School together due to different school zones. This puts Riley in a panic of who she will be friends with next year. Que, Anxiety and her close friends; Envy, Embarrassment, and Ennui. They all step in to try to navigate the unexpected situation, but Joy and her core group of emotions clash with them on to best help Riley.
Obviously, the first “Inside Out” is better than the sequel. But that’s because the element of surprise and awe has been revealed. Which is why the first film is one of the best Pixar films ever made. There was so much attention to detail and every second in that movie was intentional. It was clearly filmmakers Pete Doctor and Ronnie Del Carmen’s baby and all their hard work paid off. They have passed the torch to director Kelsey Mann this time around and he respects the craft he’s been given to work with, building on this world and adding value instead of a cheap remake.
Introducing audiences to Anxiety at a time in our lives where we all felt this emotion, but probably didn’t know how to define it, is beneficial to younger and older viewers. With hope, it encourages children to understand their feelings and why they are feeling it. Anxiety is voiced by Maya Hawke, who brings out the vibrant energy and panic you’d imagine from the emotion. More of the attention to detail lies in her and not so much from her buddies. Though all the newcomers do a fine job, they won’t be as memorable as Anxiety or Joy and her core friends. Speaking of Joy, Amy Poehler returns as they happy-go-lucky emotion who is still trying to see everything in a positive light. Her voice is the backbone to this franchise and truly is a joy to hear. Phyllis Smith as Sadness is still role/emotion she brilliantly gives life to.
I do think the setting of a 3-day hockey camp was a little limiting to the story. I would have rather seen Riley navigate her emotions starting High School with no friends versus trying to make new ones at camp with her best friends present. There is so much anxiety when start freshman year and there’s a lot the filmmakers could have done with that potential story, but what they did give us, isn’t bad by any means.
“Inside Out 2” still sparkles from its lovable characters and relatable storylines told through emotions we all have. Providing a family-friendly avenue to discuss our feelings and mental health with loved ones.
“Inside Out 2” brings Joy and her whole group back to help Riley as she enters her teen years and welcome new emotions, including, anxiety! I spoke with the wonderful 2 x Emmy winner Tony Hale, who voices Fear in the film. Tony discussed the movie and some of his emotions he felt as a teen.
