GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT

GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT - 1947

RATED - NR but probably G/PG for mature themes.

RATINGS - 29 Amazon (4.5/5), 63,325 Netflix (3.7/5), 2,612 IMDB (7.3/10), TV Guide (5/5)

STARRING - Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, John Garfield.

AWARDS - 3 Academy Awards including BEST PICTURE plus 5 Academy nominations. AFI TOP 100 Movies nominee.

THEMES - Prejudice, discrimination, justice, morality.

STORY - Gregory Peck stars as successful reporter Philip Schuyler who is given an assignment to write on anti-semitism. Looking for an angle for the story, he poses as a Jewish man with his son (he is recently widowed). At first, it's just about getting a more inside look for the story. It becomes very personal when both he and his son actually experience the prejudice he's writing about. Interspersed is a romance with Kathy Lacy (Dorothy McGuire), the divorced niece of the editor. While she is supportive and actually initiated the idea for the story, Philip finds there is a real difference between those who intellectually oppose prejudice and those willing to actually do something about it. When he finds out she owns a home in an area where there is a GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT not to ever sell to anyone Jewish, the romance hits the rocks and he turns into a crusader for the Jewish people. While the story may be somewhat outdated (it was actually shocking in 1947) the question to ask ourselves is where are we more like Kathy in areas of our lives that we should be outspoken about. Where can we make a difference by standing up for those who are experiencing discrimination or something less than equality? A film well worth watching and discussing. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 03/15/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB

THE ROCKET

THE ROCKET - 2005

RATED - PG for rough sports action, including fighting, some bloody images, some language, and historical smoking throughout.

RATINGS - 2 Amazon (5/5), 1,144 IMBD (8.1/10), 1,937 Netflix (3.7/5).

AWARDS - 9 GENIE AWARDS (Canadian Academy Awards) and 4 nominations.

THEMES - Discrimination, perseverance, teamwork.

STORY - It may be hard to imagine today but in 1937 the NHL consisted of 6 teams and was on the verge of folding. It desperately needed a hero. Working as a machinist in a factory was a young French-Canadian named Maurice Richard with dreams of playing in the NHL. When he finally earned a tryout with the Montreal Canadiens, he had already suffered one serious injury, and despite an impressive tryout, the owners did not want to take a chance. The coach took a hard line stance in favor of the young Maurice and got him on the team. He soon proved the owners right by getting injured again. It took some incredibly hard rehabilitation as well as enduring some brutal attacks by teammates who were testing him to convince the owners to give him another chance. So began the career of, arguably, the most loved and well known Montreal Canadien ever. He has been called the 'Babe Ruth of hockey'. In some ways, he was more like Jackie Robinson. French-Canadians had about the same status as African-Americans in the U.S. Although not the first F-C to play in the NHL, his success and popularity threatened the status quo. Despite scoring 50 goals in 50 games, he didn't win the scorng title because the teams conspired against him to the point of awarding assists to players not even on the ice to build up their point totals. As an aside, F-C fans even had to sit in a segregated section of the arena which was enclosed by a chain link fence. Not only is this an entertaining and inspiring hockey movie but it's a great education for someone not familiar with the history of Quebec and the fight for equality by the French Canadians. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 12/22/2007.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMBD

SEPARATE BUT EQUAL

SEPARATE BUT EQUAL - 1991

RATING - PG

STARRING - Sidney Poitier, Burt Lancaster

AWARDS - 7 Emmy Nominations, 2 Wins

RATINGS - 24 Amazon ratings (5/5), IMBD (7.5/10)

STORY - SEPARATE BUT EQUAL is one of my favorite movies. Nominated for seven Emmy Awards. It is about the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court Case. Starring Sidney Poitier as Thurgood Marshall, the lead attorney for the NAACP, Burt Lancaster, as John W. Davis, arguing the other side, and Richard Kiley, as Chief Justice Earl Warren, it is a powerful story about one of the most important Supreme Court Decisions in the history of our country. The first half is set in South Carolina and depicts the human side of that tragic law called 'separate but equal'. They were separate but anything BUT equal. The second half is the legal battle. My only comment would be that this should be REQUIRED WATCHING to understand the background of the civil rights' movement and the racial situation in our country. As entertaining as it is educational. Five stars all the way. Unfortunately, it's hard to buy (VHS is still relatively cheap but very expensive on DVD) but readily available from Netflix, etc. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 10/20/2007.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMBD