Entertainment

I recently watched a documentary from HBO Films titled Little Rock Central: 50 Years Later.  From the HBO web site:

The wave of desegregation that transformed the South during the 1960s began in Little Rock in September 1957. After Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus defied the Supreme Court's 1954 Brown v. Board of Education ruling and ordered the National Guard to prevent nine black teenagers from entering Central High School, President Dwight D. Eisenhower responded by sending troops from the 101st Airborne Division of the U.S. Army to protect the students as they entered the building.

But what is the legacy of the Civil Rights struggle for equal education today? To mark the 50th anniversary of the forced integration of Central High School, Little Rock natives Brent and Craig Renaud provide a candid look at the lives of contemporary Central High students in the documentary LITTLE ROCK CENTRAL: 50 YEARS LATER.

Brent and Craig Renaud followed the lives of contemporary Central High students, teachers and administration, as well as community leaders, over the course of a year for this intimate documentary, visiting classes, school meetings and assemblies, teenagers' homes and community events. Sharing the stories of both black and white students, the special reveals the opportunities and challenges facing them in and out of the classroom.

There are many interesting aspects to this film.  One of the most striking was how the school that was forcefully desegregated 50 years ago is today voluntarily segregated on the common line of race and wealth.  Another was hearing some of the black kids face the realization that their black peers don't care about school and neither do their parents, and they don't try very hard to succeed.  Another was how many of the black kids resent the advantages that the wealthy white kids have (which, admittedly, they do have) without acknowledging how hard the white kids work to succeed in their advanced coursework.  Another was a segment of a black kid admitting how prejudiced he is against whites.  In the end, the film was pretty depressing...both in terms of the situation we were in 50 years ago and the ones we are still in today.  We're certainly moving in the right direction...but it's obviously a long, slow process and we're nowhere near the end.

I give it 5 out of 5.

In an article of the same title, the USA Today has a list of the TV shows that (now that the writers' strike appears to be near its end) are expected to return with new episodes this spring, which are expected to return but not until later, which are in doubt, and which ain't coming back.  I was glad to see that several new shows that we've been watching will survive: Pushing Daisies, Dirty Sexy Money, Chuck, and Life.  It was also nice to see that a couple of the shows that are dead were ones that I sampled but wasn't hooked by: Bionic Woman and Journeyman.   I was disappointed to see Reaper on the questionable list, and I wonder about Aliens in America (I guess I'm not too optimistic).  There is one dead show that I had been watching and thought was OK despite it being panned by most: Cavemen.

Tonight I finished watching My House in Umbria (2003).  From Rotten Tomatoes:

Based on the novella by William Trevor, MY HOUSE IN UMBRIA is set in the sprawling Italian countryside. After a tragic train accident, four survivors find solace in the villa of an English writer, Mrs. Delahunty (Maggie Smith).

This was a bit dull and never really grabbed me, though it certainly makes hanging out in the Italian countryside look attractive.

I give it 3 out of 5.

The third (and best !?!) film that I watched on the flight back from Germany was Balls of Fury (2007,PG-13) (ScreenIt! Review).  From ScreenIt!:

A former child ping-pong prodigy is recruited by the FBI to lead them to a mysterious crime figure with an obsession for the sport.

You don't start watching a movie like this with your expectations too high, but I was pleasantly surprised.  It was goofy and funny and pretty consistent throughout...never running out of gas.  Maybe it was the mood I was in, or lack of sleep, or something, but I really enjoyed it.

I give it 5 out of 5.

Another film I watched on the flight back from Germany was 3:10 to Yuma (2007,R) (ScreenIt! Review).  From ScreenIt!:

Desperate for money to keep his farm operational, a down-on-his-luck, 19th century rancher agrees to transport a legendary and dangerous robber to a train that will take him to prison.

I've never been a big fan of westerns, but this was enjoyable.  I didn't really like the ending, though...it seemed too sappy or something.  All in all it was good, though.

I give it 4 out of 5.