Based on a true story, Field of Lost Shoes is a Civil War film about the bravery of a group of young cadets from the Virginia Military Institute. This group included some upperclassmen as well as a new addition to the school, a young boy anxious to blend in.

 

This group of fun-loving boys is filled with antics and when they see the new kid, Robert (Nolan Gould), looking like a fish out of water, they take him under their wing. Sure, they tease him and initiate him into the group, but Robert is one of them and they all stick together. All for one and one for all. Honor is their code.

 

When the Shenandoah Valley is being threatened by General Grant’s (Tom Skerritt) army, General John Breckenridge makes the difficult decision to bring 274 cadets from the military institution along to help his army defeat the Yankees. His intention is to keep the cadets at the back of the line, and use them for reinforcements only. However there comes a time when the rebels are being overrun and the cadets take it upon themselves to take charge. This heroism for these young boys is amazing. Instead of fearing for their lives, they decide to take over and rush the Union army to take control of their cannons.

 

Even though he is worried about the cadets, Breckenridge is proud of these young men. They accomplish more than his regular army. The teens prove their worth, however not without cost.

 

The characters of the cadets make the film as interesting as their actions. They have personal differences when it comes to the situations of the time, but when push comes to shove, they pull together and would do anything to help each other, even if that means jumping in front of a bullet or cannonball.

 

While there is not much to this story except the relationship between the boys and their ultimate bravery, it is an interesting look at how these cadets helped save the rebel army in one critical battle of the American Civil War. Today these heroic cadets are still celebrated at the VMI.

 

This is definitely an inspirational story. Field of Lost Shoes is rated PG-13 for war violence and some 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.

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The Tony Award Winning musical is now available for home entertainment viewing. Into the Woods boasts music from the incomparable Stephen Sondheim and a cast featuring Bernadette Peters, Joanna Gleason, and Chip Zen. Into the Woods is about to hit the silver screen, but to get the true feeling of the story, it should be first viewed as it was originally intended – as a theatrical production.

 

This is a mixed-up fairy tale combining several well-known characters including Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, the Baker, Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, and others. To say this is a smorgasbord of stories is to put it lightly. This story intertwines the various characters in a way that creates an interesting and musical play for viewers of all ages. By mixing up the characters and bringing them together for various reasons, the viewers get to see alternate versions of how their stories could play out.

 

Act One has the main characters (Cinderella, The baker and his wife, Jack, and the witch) on a quest to fulfill their main desires. Jack and his mother want wealth, Cinderella wants her prince, the baker and his wife want a child, and the witch wants beauty. What happens when they get what they want? Happily ever after is the focus of Act Two. But is happily ever after really possible? You can guess for yourself. This is, after all, a fairy tale too.

 

Sondheim, who was mentored by Oscar Hammerstein II, composed some amazing music for this play. He had contributed to West Side Story, Gypsy, and is perhaps best known for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George, and now Into the Woods.

 

This production of Into the Woods is filled with delight for adults and a lot of fun for children. Fairy tales do, after all, bring out the child in all of us. And by mixing them up what we have is an endearing way of looking at the characters with which we have all grown up and who are part of our lives, our culture, and our childhoods.

 

If your child enjoys fairy tales, this is an enchanting disc to pop intp the player to view together. It is, however, a bit long at 153 minutes, so you might want to break it into two nights of viewing. That way, you and your child will be able to digest the fun of Act One before continuing onto Act Two. The show is divided by an intermission, which makes the perfect place to stop for the night, and then resume the following night to see the rest of the story and learn what happens to the characters once they get what they want.

 

Into the Woods: The Original Tony-Award Winning Broadway Musical is available for the first time on Blu-ray.

 

 

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