Thursday Movie Picks: Parenting
1) Infinitely Polar Bear
So this one isn't completely depressing, but it is completely underrated. Mark Ruffalo plays a depressed man trying to take care of his two daughters while his wife is away at school. I adore it.
2) The Broken Circle Breakdown
Aside from one terribly misplaced scene, this is a very solid story about two people who start a whirlwind relationship, have a child, then struggle to deal with that child getting cancer. It manages to feel a bit different from your usual sick kid movie.
3) We Need To Talk About Kevin
I read this book right after I had my son and I swear I gave him so many extra snuggles because of it. A great book translated into a great film, and Tilda Swinton and Ezra Miller should've had Oscar nominations for it.
I've heard of your first and last but haven't seen any of them. I'll most likely get to the Mark Ruffalo film first, the other two just look so heavy.
ReplyDeleteI went lighter with mine though my first definitely shows both the joys and sorrows of raising kids and that it doesn't stop when they themselves think they're grown up.
Parenthood (1989)-Ron Howard directed this gentle, insightful comic drama of a group of siblings-Gil (Steve Martin), Helen (Dianne Wiest), Susan (Harley Jane Kozak) and the ne’er do well Larry (Tom Hulce)-their parents (Jason Robards & Eileen Ryan), their somewhat dotty grandmother (Helen Shaw) and their various spouses and offspring (including Mary Steenburgen, Rick Moranis, Martha Plimpton and a very young Joaquin Phoenix) as they navigate the big and little issues of child rearing.
Mr. Mom (1983)-When automobile engineer Jack (Michael Keaton) is downsized his wife, Caroline (Teri Garr), returns to work as an ad exec with Jack taking over as homemaker and caring for their three kids. Though he eventually gets the hang of it there are many hilarious misadventures beforehand. But then tensions start to rise between Jack & Caroline as her work demands increase and his jealousy rises. Daffy and fun.
Father of the Bride (1950)-When the apple of Stanley Banks’s (Spencer Tracy) eye, his daughter Kay (Elizabeth Taylor-breathtakingly beautiful), announces at dinner her engagement to Buckley Dunstan (Don Taylor) he’s thrown for a loop. But he discovers that the realization that Kay is grown up is nothing compared to the problems he encounters planning her wedding! As things get hectic, Stan's wife, Ellie (Joan Bennett), tries to be the calm in the center of the storm, but even she might not be a match to Stan’s jitters. Released to coincide with Elizabeth Taylor’s first (disastrous) marriage to Nicky Hilton this was an enormous hit.
I've seen parts of all three of your picks but never the whole thing. I highly recommend all three of my picks, though #2 is definitely the weakest.
DeleteInfinitely Polar Bear isn't "totally" depressing, but it's pretty rough. On the other We Need to Talk About Kevin is a true downer. Good movie, but man is it a gut punch. Haven't heard of your other choice.
ReplyDeleteIt is rough, but the happy-ish ending makes it seem less so. Kevin is certainly a gut punch.
DeleteI haven't seen the first 2 picks but We Need to Talk About Kevin... fucking hell. That film was terrifying.
ReplyDeleteYes it was. And so good.
DeleteGreat minds think alike? I went with a sad theme too, but I went way darker and listed movies where parents loose their child. But before I decided on that, I had picked out a similar theme to yours: difficulties of parenthood and had Kevin in the list. That movie is just way too dark.. yikes.
ReplyDeleteNeed to see the first film though! I haven't even heard of it!
Kevin is just such a good movie/book. Even with all that subject matter. Definitely check out Infinitely Polar Bear!
DeleteI haven't seen any of these movies, but they sound interesting! Great picks!
ReplyDeleteHere’s my Thursday Movie Picks!
Ronyell @ The Surreal Movies and TV Blog
Thanks!
DeleteYes! It's such bloody hard work but so rewarding <3
ReplyDeleteI'm an emotional mess in movies since becoming a Mum so I'll try and sob my way through your picks sometime!
Oh so am I. I can pinpoint the exact time I started crying more in movies and it's 100% because of having a baby lol
DeleteLike you on my blog, I haven’t seen any of these but the last one sounds particularly interesting
ReplyDeleteIt's sooo good!
DeleteInfinitely Polar Bear is indeed underrated. You forgot to mention though that he has bipolar! =p and having it myself, the script, screenplay and especially all Ruffalo nailed it.
ReplyDeleteHim riding around on a bike in speedos while saying 'I'm fine I'm fine!!' or something to that effect is spot on. I've been in a very similar position, acting totally nuts but not realising it and claiming I'm 100% healthy while scaring the shit out of my parents
The fact he had to look after his kids while dealing with such problems would be such a huge challenge, I could never do it myself. I struggle with two dogs! The ups and downs can be full-on at times, and all his different odd unfinished projects in his house, and the general state of it, is another spot on aspect of bipolar. I actually saw this with my mother and she cried at a few points and afterwards essentially said she felt like she was watching me and how I was in the past at times.
My favourite bit though is when the kids hang the sign about cigarettes around his neck. Classic! There are some other really funny parts. I need to watch this again, I'm obviously biased but it was just so realistic that I'm convinced one of the writers has bipolar or knows someone with it.
I've never heard of the second film, I don' think it'd be my cup'a tea, but have heard of the last one somewhere and now I want to watch it after reading a bit about it on imdb. Sounds very interesting indeed. And I like dark so I'll probably check it out soon.
It is a huge task, even more so with BPD. I have a family member that struggles with it as well and I could see a few similarities.
DeleteBroken Circle Breakdown is a foreign film, if I remember correctly it had very mixed reviews. There is one part of it I absolutely hate but I liked the rest quite a bit. lol
Hmmm I prefer foreign films to US ones, I'll have to go online and sniff that one out to. I got the Kevin one, will need to make time to watch it between Stranger Things and so much other stuff. There is a lot happening in 2019!! I still need to watch that Little Woods movie too
DeleteWhile I know of the first two, the third one is the only one I've seen and it was disturbing, something that truly would scare parents or scare people off being parents.
ReplyDeleteOh I know, or make existing parents very paranoid.
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