‘RFK: His Words for Our Times’ by Edwin O. Guthman & C. Richard Allen – Book Review

Posted on June 22, 2018 by Francine Brokaw

We just passed the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. 25 years ago I assisted on the book RFK: Collected Speeches, by Guthman and Allen. This year, Rick Allen has updated the original book and published it for a new generation. RFK: His Words for Our Times is definitely a book worth getting and reading as well as passing down from one generation to another.

Why did Robert Kennedy affect us so deeply, unlike any other politician to date? For many of us the week of the 50th anniversary was like experiencing PTSD. And yet this man was not a president (although he most likely would have been), and he was only a senator for a short time (unlike his brother who was in the senate for nearly 50 years).

There was something special RFK exuded that managed to touch people of all ages. His words and actions exemplified his inner desire to make life in this country as good as possible for all our citizens. He evolved through the years and was not afraid or embarrassed to admit when he had made mistakes.

The words of Robert Kennedy were eloquently spoken. He mixed quotations and imagery so beautifully and reading his speeches is, at times, like reading a well-crafted poem or essay. There isn’t anyone today who can turn a phrase like RFK did. And when he spoke, he spoke from his heart.

Reading the pages of this book brings back emotions and sparks memories of what was and what could have been. From one page to the next are the words and phrases of the man who experienced so much, saw conflicts and problems, and felt “obliged to do all that I can.” (From his presidential announcement.) RFK was the most prepared person to be president than anyone has ever been, and as readers read his words, they will definitely understand why he meant so much to so many of us. Even when he spoke extemporaneously (when discussing the death of Martin Luther King), he was still able to put words and phrases together in his own special way.

While adding his own flair to his speeches, and infusing them with quotations and imagery, RFK was able to state his feelings and explain the situations of the time with elegance, even when discussing the war. He made his views clear in speeches that will always be remembered.

The book also contains comments from today’s leaders as well as those who knew him and worked with him.

For Rick Allen, “Robert Kennedy’s words summon each of us to slip the bonds of our comfort or our burdens and instead fully engage in the struggles of our age.”

For those who were not alive during his life (and that includes two generations) and those who were too young to remember him, this book provides a window into the world of those of us who did live during his times. Perhaps by reading RFK’s words, a new generation will come to understand how remarkable he was in his rather short life.

This book is divided into three sections: 1948-1960, 1961-1964, and 1965-1968. As readers go from cover to cover, they read the evolution of RFK chronologically through the three phases of his public life.

I will always remember the images of him through the years, and the way he quoted poets and philosophers. Who does that today? But he didn’t just add them to his speeches to sound special. He chose quotes that meant something to him and to his subject matter. Rereading these pages is a cathartic experience.

And, as he quoted Aeschylus, “In our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.” Think about that.

Rick Allen has done a remarkable job of bringing back the words of Robert Kennedy in a way that will hopefully inspire new generations. Thank you, Rick, for updating the original book and keeping the spirit of RFK alive for today’s population.

Hardcover: 480 pages
Publisher: William Morrow (May 1, 2018)
ISBN-10: 006283410X
ISBN-13: 978-0062834102

About the Reviewer

Francine Brokaw writes about books, products, travel, and entertainment. 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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‘Lean on Pete’ on Blu-ray

Posted on June 22, 2018 by Francine Brokaw

If you’re in the mood for a deep drama, check out Lean on Pete. It’s a bittersweet story, with the emphasis on the bitter and less on the sweet.

Charlie Plummer stars as 15-year-old Charley, a boy whose mother abandoned him and his dad when he was a child. Since then Charley and his dad have been moving around and getting jobs wherever they can. The latest move takes them from Spokane to Portland where Charley discovers a local racetrack. There he gets a job with Del Montgomery (Steve Buscemi) who takes him under his wing and teaches him how to care for horses.

Charley becomes attached to an aging racehorse named Lean on Pete. Pete becomes his best friend and confidante, so when he discovers his “friend” is about to go to the slaughterhouse he takes drastic measures.

There is a small spark of The Electric Horseman winding through the story, but just a bit. Charley know he has to get Pete away from there to save his life.

Charley goes on a physical and emotional journey, turning from a sweet, caring kid into a law-breaking do-anything tough street kid. Where is he taking Pete? Hopefully, they will both find their true home when he finds his long lost aunt.

This is definitely a drama in the true sense of the word. It’s the story of being lost in the world and finally finding a home. It’s the story of love and sensitivity.

The movie was the Heartland Film award for “Truly Moving Picture.” Charlie Plummer won the Venice Film Festival award for “Best Young Actor or Actress.”

Lean on Pete is rated R for language and brief violence. It’s available on Blu-ray and also DVD. The bonus on the discs is a “making of” feature.

WARNING: Beware if you aren’t comfortable watching animals die.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 20 years. She also writes about products and travel. 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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‘Krystal’ on DVD

Posted on June 22, 2018 by Francine Brokaw

Krystal is a whacky story about an 18-year-old boy who falls in love with an older woman. The redeeming part of this somewhat farcical film is the brilliant acting of Nick Robinson who plays 18-year-old Taylor.

Taylor has a heart condition and during times of stress his heart races – it really races. Sometimes he has to go to the hospital to get it to slow back down. But he has come to terms with the situation and understands he must stay as calm as possible and avoid stress.

Then he meets Krystal (Rosario Dawson), a kind woman who becomes the object of his affections. He decides he will do anything to get her attention and win her heart. When he sees her go into an AA meeting, he follows. And, lo and behold, he begins acting like an alcoholic. After all, if they have that in common, perhaps she will be more interested in him.

But not only does he pretend to be an alcoholic (he has never had a drink in his life), he tells her his whole family are alcoholics so when they are around her, well, you get the picture. Everyone is pretending to be something he/she isn’t.

Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy play his parents and Macy directed the film. The story includes plenty of mischief and some sensitive scenes as well as some comical ones. There is a thread weaving itself through the story and connecting all the players, and that is Krystal. Her past comes back to haunt her and not only does it haunt her and she her son – did I forget to mention she has a 16-year-old son (Jacob Latimore) who is in a wheelchair? – but also her ex-husband (T.I.) and Taylor’s family. Talk about a far-fetched story. But there is something a “little” endearing about it, nonetheless. Perhaps it is the heartfelt feelings of young Taylor. He’s the best part of the story.

There are no bonus features on the DVD.

Krystal is rated R for language throughout, drug use, some nudity and brief sexuality.

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Check out the Opening Credits for ‘DreamWorks The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants’ on Netflix

Posted on June 20, 2018 by Francine Brokaw

July 13, 2018 is the day! That’s when DreamWorks The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants premiers on Netflix. Check out the just released opening credits:

From Peabody Award and Emmy-winning executive producer Peter Hastings, the series is based on the epic novels by Dav Pilkey that have sold more than 70 million copies worldwide. Pilkey himself has praised the show saying “I binge-watched all of the episodes in one afternoon…I couldn’t help myself. Peter Hastings has totally captured the craziness and heart of the Captain Underpants multiverse and I hope everybody will love the show as much as I do. Kids have been asking for more Captain Underpants books for years, and to me it feels like we are getting brand-new books— except they’re animated!”

‘Blockers’ comes home on DVD and Blu-ray

Posted on June 19, 2018 by Francine Brokaw

Blockers is a coming-of-age comedy for both the teenage girls and their parents as the story unfolds over the course of one night – Prom Night. With Leslie Mann, John Cena, and Ike Barinholtz in the roles of the over-protective parents, the night is filled with raunchy and yet heartening scenes.

Lisa (Mann) is a single mother who is very close to her daughter Julie (Kathryn Newton). Mitchell (Cena) is the over-bearing tough father of Kayla (Geraldine Viswanathan). And Hunter (Barinholtz) is the divorced father of Sam (Gideon Adlon). They all met years ago on the first day of school and have been best friends ever since.

This year the girls are preparing to go off to college in the fall and make a pact to lose their virginity on Prom Night. When their over-protective parents accidentally discover their plan, the three take off in search of their daughters with the intent on stopping them from making what could be the biggest mistakes of their lives.

As the night wears on and the parents get closer to catching up with their daughters, they are the ones behaving more like the children while the girls are the more level-headed of the six main characters. The girls enforce the lesson that they have the right to say “no.”

While the film is about teenagers preparing to become adults, it is also a story of parenting and giving your children the right lessons in life for them to make the best decisions for themselves.

Yes, this is a teen sex romp, but it is also an adult sex romp with the parents of one of the teenage boys (who is also about to lose his virginity) having their own sexual escapades. Gina Gershon and Gary Cole play the lustful parents of Austin (Graham Phillips) who is Julie’s boyfriend.

The Blu-ray combo pack includes plenty of bonus features, including deleted scenes and a gag reel. The cast also discusses the film and parenting. There is a scene in the film involving a lot of puking and a featurette looks at how the filmmakers created that aspect of the story as realistic as possible.

Yes, this is a vulgar and raunchy movie, but critics and audiences embraced it when it ran in the theaters. With the crude humor as well as language, the film also encompasses the lesson of emotional growth – for teens as well as their parents.

Blockers is rated R for crude and sexual content, and language throughout, drug content, teen partying, and some graphic nudity.

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‘Designing Woman’ now on Blu-ray

Posted on June 17, 2018June 17, 2018 by Francine Brokaw

Gregory Peck and Lauren Bacall star in Designing Woman, a fun film from 1957 directed by Vincente Minnelli. The movie won the Academy Award for “Best Writing, Story and Screenplay – Directly for the Screen.”

Peck is Mike Hagen, a New York sports writer and Bacall is Marilla Brown, a New York fashion designer. They meet when they are both in Los Angeles and fall in love over the period of a few days. So, what do two people do when they fall in love? They get married, of course.

After getting hitched, the couple returns to their NYC lives and they quickly discover that they have very different lifestyles. Mike’s apartment can fit in Marilla’s living room, so they decide to move into her spacious apartment. Not only are their dwellings complete opposites, but their friends are as well. Mike enjoys poker nights with the guys and Marilla’s friends are artsy and refined.

Then, Marilla uncovers something interesting about Mike’s past. His former girlfriend is the woman (Dolores Gray) for whom she is now designing clothes for a Broadway show. But Mike refuses to admit he knew her before she “just” introduced them.

Soon Marilla is deep in despair about her husband’s lie while at the same time Mike is trying to keep a low profile while uncovering a story about a mobster who has been fixing boxing events. How will these two mesh their different lifestyles? The bottom line is, love conquers all, even when it’s up against some hard-hitting mobsters.

There is a fun bonus feature with the costume designer for the show, Helen Rose. Viewers get to see how “interviews” are sometimes conducted. Rose pauses to “listen” to a question and then answers it. This is a common practice, even today. The local press reporters are given the same questions that they “ask” and then Rose proceeds to answer them, as though she were talking directly to that specific reporter. The questions are missing in this bonus, but with her answers viewers get an idea of what was asked.

Helen Rose designed the costumes for many MGM shows and was nominated for several Academy Awards, of which she won two. She also was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002 for the Costumes Designers Guild.

Designing Woman is not rated. This HD remastered Blu-ray is part of the Warner Archive Collection and can be ordered at their website or online retailers where DVDs and Blu-rays are sold.

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‘The Affair’ Season 4 debunks the popular belief ‘Time is a great healer’

Posted on June 15, 2018 by Francine Brokaw

Alison (Ruth Wilson) and Noah (Dominic West) had an affair while married to Cole (Joshua Jackson) and Helen (Maura Tierney), respectively. Showtime’s Golden Globe-winning series The Affair is a fascinating study of the emotional and psychological effects of an affair that shatters two marriages and the crime that keeps the star-crossed quartet intertwined. In Season 3, after spending three years in prison for the crime he didn’t commit, Noah finally revealed his true identity with a question to his therapist, “Can a cheater be a great accomplished man at the same time?” What a narcissistic, insecure man-child he is!

The Affair Season 4, which returns Sunday, June 17, embodies the phrase “out of the frying pan into the fire.” The four characters are all involved in new relationships, yet it’s business as usual in the new normal. More than six years have passed and their unexamined past rear its ugly head. Helen doesn’t bend, accommodate, or meet halfway when it comes to co-parenting with Noah who followed the two younger children across the country. He was incarcerated to protect the mother of his children, but she just can’t forgive him for leaving her! How dare her ‘safe choice’ betray and abandon her!!! Never mind she lives very comfortably with Dr. Vic Ullah (Omar Metwally) in a beautiful house.

While Noah & Helen carry on their dumper-dumpee drama in sunny Los Angeles, Alison and Cole stay put in Montauk. Alison, still in a victim mentality, is the embodiment of insanity; she does the same thing over and over again and expects different outcomes. And she works as a peer-to-peer counselor!? Seriously? Haven’t you heard of a self-fulfilling prophecy? What I fear, I create? Cole might be the only one who is aware of his baggage he has brought into his marriage with Luisa (Catalina Sandino Moreno), but he just can’t let go of Alison. In other words, they haven’t learned a thing from the trials and tribulations of divorce and other trauma.

Divorce is not for the faint of heart, especially if kids are involved. There is no time to grieve or work on yourself, period. Although Helen sees a West Coast therapist and scans her body to read her feelings, healing/forgiveness/enlightenment might be the last thing on her mind. She claims that she has put the past behind her, but is in total denial of her own baggage and demons. The lifetime damage inflicted by our parents (Thanks, Mom & Dad!) and the absence of positive married role models usually do a number on us. So if you don’t take time to face the pain head-on and become aware of your emotional baggage you might be bringing into your next relationship, you are doomed to end up like the star-crossed quartet you see in Season 4.

“I learned from my parents’ mistakes, your mother learned from hers, just as you will learn from our mistakes. Until someone someday finally has a perfect childhood,” said Noah to Whitney (Julia Golden Telles), his oldest daughter. Really? It is more than likely that Whitney as well as her younger siblings will continue the dysfunctional legacy; the damage is already done until somebody decide to break the vicious cycle. Nobody will ever have a ‘perfect childhood.’ You’ve got to grow up, Noah! It’s what you do with the time that counts. Healing doesn’t just happen; you have to make it happen.

The Affair returns Sunday, June 17, on Showtime.

About the Author

Meg Mimura is a TV critic who actually watches shows zealously in search of human drama worth watching. She is a member of Television Critics Association as well as Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

‘American Values: Lessons I Learned from My Family’ by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. – Book Review

Posted on June 14, 2018 by Francine Brokaw

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has penned an interesting and insightful memoir about his life and times, and his family and how their legacies have shaped the country and the world. There are plenty of personal memories recounted throughout the pages, but the book is a memoir of how his relationships and how his family have played a role in the world and how they have shaped his own life. “American Values: Lessons I Learned from My Family” is filled with history and facts that are new to most readers.

Kennedy breaks the book down into sections, each focusing on a specific person or time in history. He begins with his grandfather, Joseph P. Kennedy, the patriarch of the family, and then turns his focus to his grandmother, Rose Kennedy. He discusses his grandparents and their contributions to the family. Kennedy emphasizes his grandmother’s insistence on punctuality, cleanliness, and good manners – especially at the dinner table.

RFK Jr. is not only a Kennedy, but he is also part Skakel. His mother, Ethel Skakel Kennedy came from an influential and wealthy family. The Skakels were different from the Kennedys in that they did not have the regulations placed on them. They didn’t have a set dinnertime, and they were staunch republicans. So, when Ethel married into a democratic family, her family was surprised. She gradually took on the values of her husband. Theirs was a love that lasted through the decades, and even the five decades since his death.

Kennedy then tackles the subjects that we have come to expect from a Kennedy memoir: The White House years and the contributions of the president as well as his mistakes, growing up at his family’s farm known as Hickory Hill, his father’s tenure as Attorney General, and his father’s years as senator. The author had a front row seat to all of these and although he was young, he has a remarkable memory and adds his own reflections about these times.

Unlike most personal Kennedy memoirs, RFK Jr. tackles the subjects of both assassinations and describes what he and his family did during those horrific days. He explains how he found out his father had been shot and what he did – along with his siblings – on the subsequent days. It’s heartening to read his personal accounts of the tragedies that affected the country but even more so the family. While we think of the assassinations as American tragedies – which they were – we also have to remember the victims were also members of a large and loving family.

The author finishes with reflections about his mother and their turbulent relationship through the years. RFK Jr. was often in trouble with the law and confesses to being an alcoholic and drug user. He also confesses to the many times he and his mother clashed. But in the end, they have come to terms with their past and, according to the book, have a good relationship today.

There is no doubt the world would be a different place if either John or Robert had not been killed. As the author explains, President Kennedy had planned on removing all American forces from Vietnam as soon as possible after his reelection. He also wanted to normalize the relationship with Cuba, making the tiny island nation a friend and not a foe.

There are also several interesting facts brought out about the CIA and the assassinations. The author has had personal conversations with many influential people all around the world and weaves them into the pages as he paints a portrait of his life and times, in a very interesting and compelling way.

Hardcover: 448 pages
Publisher: Harper
ISBN-10: 0060848340
ISBN-13: 978-0060848347

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‘Incredibles 2’ is filled with fun

Posted on June 11, 2018 by Francine Brokaw

In 2004 the world was introduced to an incredible family – the Incredibles. Actually, they are the Parr family. Audiences probably remember that Supers, aka Superheroes, have been outlawed and they are living regular lives, well, as regular as they can. Incredibles 2 begins about 30 seconds after the end of the first film and takes audiences on a fun adventure with the entire Parr family, especially little Jack-Jack. Actually, you could say Jack-Jack is the star of the show!

When approached by a tycoon who wants to bring back Superheroes and make them legal, Elastigirl, aka Helen Parr, is offered the first assignment. She is tasked with saving people from horrible fates so she can prove that Supers are necessary and worthwhile and should not be outlawed. But to take on this assignment Mr. Incredible, aka Bob Parr, must also take on a new role, that of stay-at-home dad. He feels confident he can handle the three kids with no problems. After all, how hard is it to get them fed, to the school bus on time, help them with their homework, take on the emotional upsets of a young girl’s first date, and look after a tiny baby?

“Bob isn’t a bad dad,” says producer Nicole Paradis Grindle. “He’s a little overconfident at first. He thinks, ‘I’m Mr. Incredible, I’ve got this.’ But I think any parent can relate to the idea that kids can wear you down. Add to that a toddler—they want what they want and they don’t like hearing ‘no.’ Jack-Jack is no different, except when he gets mad, he bursts into flames.”

That might sound difficult, but out in the world Helen comes up against a difficult villain. Her concentration is split between her job as Elastigirl and her role of mom. “This villain is different,” says producer John Walker. “Helen has her work cut out for her to stop a villain who can manipulate people from a distance. And if Helen fails, her mission to bring back Supers fails. A lot is at stake.”

As the audiences, and soon the Parr family, discovers, Jack-Jack isn’t your ordinary baby. He has powers – and not just one or two. He has a lot of powers. He’s a super baby.

Soon the entire Parr family finds themselves in the middle of a Super catastrophe.

Before the movie is the new short Bao. It’s a cute little film about a mom who is suffering from empty nest syndrome. Then, magically, one of her dumplings comes to life and she once again has a little guy to care for. But this little dumpling soon starts growing and eventually leaves the nest. No one stays young forever.

Incredibles 2 is a fun frolic through the lives of this incredible family. It’s filled with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. And, as stated earlier, little Jack-Jack steals the show, or at least every scene in which he is seen. What a cute – and scary – baby. And Violet and Dash have some great scenes as well.

If you love the visuals and the characters in the movie, “The Art of Incredibles 2” is a great book that takes you into the creation of the scenes and the characters. With a foreword by John Lasseter and an introduction by Brad Bird, readers get an inside look at the creation of the film.
The house the Parr family uses is a typical mid-century modern house with great open spaces and plenty of rocks and stone. Lasseter admits he grew up in a mid-century modern house and says the designs of them are “cool” to those of us today. Mid-century modern is “on trend” these days, so having the Parrs live in one of these beautiful homes is the perfect touch to the story.

Bird explains, “The core idea of Incredibles 2 – a role reversal between husband and wife superheroes Bob and Helen Parr – was one that I had a long time ago…” Many of today’s audiences can relate to this situation.

As readers flip through the pages of the book, there are countless images of the characters and the items used in the film even drawings of the cereal boxes enjoyed by the Parr family. When audiences see the scene in the film when the family goes to dinner at The Happy Platter, most of them will recognize the architecture as also being mid-century. Images of this place are part of the book.

The book highlights the creative genius that went into crafting this new film. As readers turn the pages there are new drawings and images that recreate the fun of the film.

“The Art of Incredibles 2” makes a great coffee table book and is always fun to flip through to see how these images became part of this great movie.

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Enjoy ‘Girlfriends’ on DVD

Posted on June 11, 2018 by Francine Brokaw

The first season of this intoxicating and addicting British drama series is now available on DVD. Girlfriends stars Phyllis Logan, Miranda Richardson, and Zoe Wanamaker as best friends who manage to get into a lot of drama through each of the six episodes in this season. It’s like a train wreck of situations, each more dramatic than the others. And, like a train wreck, you can’t stop watching!

The season starts and ends on a cruise ship. In the opening episode Linda (Logan) and her husband are celebrating an anniversary. But soon her husband falls overboard leaving no trace and leaving Linda alone to cope with the tragedy.

Sue (Richardson) learns her business partner and ex, not to mention father of her son, is replacing her in their bridal magazine. It’s age discrimination, pure and simple.

And Gail (Wanamaker) is separating from her husband. She lives in her house with her mother who has dementia, her son who is out on probation, and his young son. To say she has her hands full is an understatement, but she doesn’t complain.

The three women see each other through all the ups and downs of life – together. Whether it’s propping one of them up when her husband dies, or encouraging one of them in a tough business decision, they have each other’s backs.

It’s nonstop drama as these “senior” women prove that youth isn’t always the best time in life. There’s something to be said for experience. Yet, those experiences add up to some pretty weird and often humorous situations. They are parents and grandparents, and they have arthritis, need glasses to read, and want to be appreciated. That’s the bottom line. It is the love and appreciation of each other that sees them through all their tragedies, and yes, adds to their triumphs.

These three amazing actors are not new to American viewers. Phyllis Logan was Mrs. Hughes in the popular PBS series Downton Abbey. Miranda Richardson was Clemmie Churchill in the film Churchill and Rita Skeeter in the film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, to name just a couple roles. And Zoe Wanamaker was Princess Marie in Mr. Selfridge.

Bonus features on the DVD include a behind the scenes look at the series and a featurette with the cast talking about their characters and the show.

Girlfriends is a fun British drama with plenty of meat and potatoes, or should I say shepherds pie and chips? It’s for adults only as the content is not child-friendly.

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