December Film: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Our December pick, which stars Tom Hanks, whose judgment I always trust when choosing a film for our club, is A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. It's a much-praised, fact-based, tale about an encounter with the beloved Fred Rogers children's TV host that turned the life of a depressed journalist (Matthew Rhys, who starred in The Americans TV series) around. Suffice to say that the movie is anything but a treacly bon bon.

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VLEPhfEN2M

REVIEW: 
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/21/movies/a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood-review.html

BACKGROUNDER: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/19/magazine/mr-rogers.html

November Pick: Harriet

Our November film is Harriet, a biopic about the terrifying adventures of Harriet Tubman, one of the most courageous slave-rescuers in history and an extremely effective abolitionist.

SYNOPSIS:  From her escape from slavery through the dangerous missions she led to liberate hundreds of slaves through the Underground Railroad, the story of heroic abolitionist Harriet Tubman is told.

TRAILER:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqoEs4cG6Uw

CAST & CREW:  Harriet Tubman is played by Cynthia Erivo, a virtual newcomer to movies whose performance has garnered unanimous praise. Janelle Monáe, arguably the best-known actor in the cast, is best known as a musical recording artist, actress, and model, plays another major role. Director Kasi Lemmons is an American film director and actress, most notable for her work on the films Eve's Bayou, The Caveman's Valentine and Talk to Me. 

VIDEO ABOUT THE REAL HARRIET TUBMAN:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ85z9vggYM

REVIEW:  https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/harriet-review-cynthia-erivo-1203330489/