I was introduced to Edith Wharton in college and was taken by her way with words. Wharton was an American writer who spent a good deal of her life living overseas. Edith Wharton: The Sense of Harmony is a biographical film about Wharton’s life and how her work was interpreted and admired during her life and after her death.

 

Wharton lived in the interesting time known as the “Gilded Age.” She lived a life of privilege among the second and third generations of wealthy post-Civil War American tycoons. She loved to travel and later in life resided in areas of Europe, although she still wrote about life in America. Much of her work spotlighted American values and upper-class morals.

 

Being socially and politically connected, Wharton was privy to the society of wealth and class, yet when World War I broke erupted, she went to the front lines to see the fighting for herself. This was a woman of strength and a formidable one at that. And, she was a notable author. She was the first woman to win the Pulitzer for fiction.
If you are not familiar with her work, you might not be interested in this film. Edith Wharton is considered one of the great female American writers having penned many books which are still part of many school curriculums: The Age of Innocence, Ethan Frome, The House of Mirth, The Custom of the Country, and about 40 others. The film includes home movies, interviews with biographers, and an interesting breakdown of Wharton’s life. She is described as “a natural storyteller.”

 

Viewers might be surprised to learn Wharton’s other talent was designing. Her home, “The Mount,” is now a museum and one of the only 5% of the National Historic Landmarks dedicated to a woman. Edith Wharton broke ground for women and is held in high regard in American literature and among American women in history. As a matter of fact, she was the first woman to receive an honorary degree from Yale.

 

While this film might not be of interest to the general population, those interested in literature, women in history, and the Gilded Age, will find this an interesting look at history and one of America’s notable female novelists.
Edith Wharton: The Sense of Harmony is not rated.

 

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 12 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

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The ensemble film This is Where I Leave You is reminiscent of the 1983 ensemble movie The Big Chill. Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Adam Driver, and Corey Stoll star as siblings with Jane Fonda playing their mother. The siblings, along with their spouses, children, and significant others gather in the family home to mourn the loss of the family patriarch. They are together for a week to “sit Shiva,” the Jewish tradition of taking the week to reflect after a passing.
While together for the week, the relationships between the family members and their childhood friends is put under a microscope for the viewers, with some funny consequences, however, this is more of a drama than a comedy. It’s an emotional journey for everyone.

 

While reconnecting with each other and figuring out some of their past mistakes, the family encounters several interesting dilemmas. Each person is dysfunctional in his/her own way, and the family unit is definitely dysfunctional, to put it mildly.
Rose Byrne, Kathryn Hahn, Connie Britton, Timothy Olyphant, Dax Shepard, Debra Monk, Abigail Spencer, and Ben Schwartz add to the ensemble cast.

 

The combo pack includes a DVD, a Blu-ray, and a Digital HD download code. There are some fun featurettes as well as deleted and extended scenes on the Blu-ray. The film is also available in a single DVD.
While critics and audiences have praised This Is Where I Leave You, those who remember The Big Chill might think it doesn’t measure up to that hit film of the past. I thought there were some cute scenes in this film, however I’m partial to The Big Chill and that ensemble. Both films delve into the relationships between a group of people who gather after a death and reflect on their lives. Among a group of talented actors, the standout in this film is Jane Fonda. The veteran is a consummate actor and in this role she shows her comedic as well as her dramatic talent.

 

This is Where I Leave You is rated R for language, sexual content and some drug use.

 

 

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 12 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

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Three years ago the world was introduced to Winter, a sweet dolphin that was injured and had to have her tail removed. Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of many people, a prosthetic tail was created, allowing Winter to move more like she should. Dolphin Tale was the story of how Winter survived. Now, Dolphin Tale 2 continues on her story and introduces a new dolphin to viewers: Hope.

 

The entire cast returns for this sequel: Harry Connick, Jr. (Dr. Clay Haskett who runs the facility), Nathan Gamble (Sawyer Nelson), Ashley Judd (Sawyer’s mother), Kris Kristofferson (Clay’s father), Cozi Zuehisdorff (Clay’s daughter Hazel), Austin Stowell (Kyle), Morgan Freeman (Dr. Cameron McCarthy who invented Winter’s prosthesis), and Bethany Hamilton joins the group as herself.

 

The film begins with Winter being a little lackluster these days. For some reason she isn’t up to her usual self. Then, her “surrogate” mother Panama, an old dolphin who has been Winter’s best friend, suddenly dies. Did Winter know Panama was dying? Anyway, after Panama’s death, Winter is even more sullen. It is evident she feels the loss of the other dolphin. But that’s not the only problem facing the team. According to the law, Winter cannot be kept alone. She must be paired with another female dolphin. Then, a dolphin is found beached. She is brought to the facility, but after she recovers from her injuries, she is released back into the ocean. There is no reason to keep a dolphin that can survive in the wild.

That leaves group with the same dilemma as before. They must find another female dolphin or Winter will be moved to a facility in Texas. Texas! They’re not about the let that happen. They have cared for and loved the animal through the years. But what happens next is nothing short of a miracle in the form of a little dolphin named Hope.

 

Meanwhile, the kids who were so important in the first movie have grown up. Hazel and Sawyer are best friends, and becoming closer. They take more responsibility at the center this time around. Dr. Clay Haskett sees they are ready to step up and are dedicated to the animals and the center.

Bethany Hamilton appears as herself. Hamilton lost an arm to a shark and has been a popular figure in the surfing world and an inspiration for disabled people all around the world. Her story was dramatized in the film Soul Surfer. Hamilton and Winter are role models for disabled people, especially those who have lost a limb due to war, illness, or accident.

 

While the drama with Winter is continuing and everyone is hoping there will be a miracle to keep her in Florida, Sawyer gets an incredible offer to join a three-month semester at sea where he will learn even more about the animals in the ocean. He is conflicted about leaving Winter in her time of trouble. Should he leave her when her future is in jeopardy?

 

Kristofferson is Clay’s father who doles out wisdom, and Morgan Freeman is the sympathetic doctor who creates another amazing prosthetic for Winter.

 

This inspiring true story will capture the hearts of everyone. The story of Winter and Hope is endearing and wonderful. And the dedication of all the people at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium is nothing short of inspirational.
For some additional humor in the story, keep your eyes out for a dedicated pelican who takes a liking to a sea turtle!

 

Bonus features include a look at how they filmed the underwater scenes, the true story of the dolphins, why the film was created, how the two kids had grown between the two films and took on more responsibility this time around, Bethany Hamilton’s part in the movie, and some additional bonuses. The combo pack includes a Blu-ray, a DVD, and a Digital HD code.

 

Dolphin Tale 2 is rated PG for some mild thematic elements.

 

 

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 12 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

Follow her on Twitter

Like her on Facebook