Movie Review—Black Panther

Black Panther

by Peter J. O'Connell

Black Panther. 134 mins. Released: Feb. 16, 2018. MPAA Rating: PG-13 for prolonged sequences of action violence and a brief rude gesture.

Black Panther, directed and co-written by Ryan Coogler, is a blockbuster featuring a comic-book hero, but it is also more than that. In some respects it can be seen as a kind of parable about the historical and current situation of the world's black people.

The movie begins aeons ago when a meteorite containing an extraordinary mineral, vibranium, crashes into Earth. After a warrior in Africa ingests a heart-shaped herb affected by the metal, he gains superhuman abilities and becomes the first Black Panther, a superhero. He unites various tribes to form the kingdom of Wakanda.

The movie then develops the interesting concept that Wakandans use vibranium to create a highly advanced technological society but hide that society behind a perceptual veil, as it were, that allows them to appear to the outside world as an isolated, primitive, pastoral society, not a prime target for colonialist exploitation. The underlying idea here, of course, is that Africa—and people of African descent—have an enormous unrealized potential. 

The movie then moves to Oakland, California, in 1992. If black potential is to be realized, questions of leadership and legitimacy have to be settled. T'Chaka (John Kani), king of Wakanda and potential Black Panther, has placed undercover operatives in various parts of the world to report on what is going on there. T'Chaka's brother, N'Jobu (Sterling K. Brown) is in Oakland and has become convinced that Wakanda's isolationist policies have done more harm than good. 

Thus N'Jobu has decided to work with black-market arms dealer Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) to remove vibranium from Wakanda and share it with people of African descent around the world in order to help them overcome their oppressors. T'Chaka confronts N'Jobu over this plan and kills him in a struggle. The clash of the brothers is perhaps a distant echo of the divergent perspectives on strategies for black advancement advocated by Booker T. Washington vis-a-vis W.E.B. DuBois  in the early 20^th century and Martin Luther King vis-a-vis Malcolm X in the mid-20^th century. 

The movie then moves back to Wakanda and forward to the present. T'Chaka has died, and his son, T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman), returns to Wakanda to take up the kingship and the potential Black Panther-ship. After M'Baku (Winston Duke), a warrior from a dissident tribe, is defeated by T'Challa in ritual combat (not using special powers), the new king looks forward to a peaceful and prosperous reign, surrounded by: Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o), his former girlfriend; Okoye (Danai Gurira), head of the all-female special forces of Wakanda; Shuri (Letitia Wright), T'Challa's technologically brilliant young sister (who can function as a good role model for young black women); Ramonda (Angela Bassett), T'Challa's mother and one of his main advisers; and Zuri (Forest Whittaker), Black Panther's version of Star Wars' Obi-Wan Kenobi. 

But a peaceful and prosperous reign by T'Challa is not yet possible. Klaue reappears and links up with Erik Stevens (Michael B. Jordan), born N'Jadaka but nicknamed “Killmonger.” Killmonger is actually the son of N'Jobu, T'Challa's uncle. The killing of N'Jobu by T'Chaka, T'Challa's father, was kept secret, and the young N'Jadaka was left behind in Oakland. Eventually, he served as a U.S. “black ops” soldier. Now aware of his heritage, he has his own ideas about how Wakanda should be run—and they are not the same as T'Challa's. They are more like N'Jobu's.

In pursuit of his plan, Killmonger carries out a museum theft, clashes with CIA agent Everett K. Ross (Martin Freeman), who becomes a T'Challa ally, and eventually arrives in Wakanda, where he challenges T'Challa to ritual combat and then leads a fierce rebellion. After much spectacular fighting and the emergence of the Black Panther, a future course for Wakanda is determined—and a direction for the world's black people initiated.

Black Panther has fine acting throughout by its African, African-American, Afro-British, and white American (Serkis and Freeman) cast, with Michael B.Jordan particularly notable. His Killmonger is screen-scorchingly intense. The film's costuming and makeup are outstanding, mixing traditional African elements with modernist ones. One cavil might be that the settings sometimes have the feel of Cecil B. DeMille-era ones rather than products of the latest computer-generated imagery. This situation somewhat takes away from the notion that Wakanda is very technologically advanced,. But overall, Coogler's Black Panther is a both an exciting and a thoughtful film. One might say that it has both emotional and intellectual bite!

“Footnote” to the film: The first “Black Panther” comic book came out in 1962. The militant Black Panther Party was organized in Oakland, California, in 1966.  

Artichoke Mashed Potatoes for Easter Dinner

Whether you do ham or lamb for Easter dinner, mashed potatoes make a terrific accompaniment. Actually, mashed potatoes are good almost any time, so maybe you’d rather have scalloped potatoes for Easter and save this artichoke-enhanced version of mashed for another time. Of course, plain old butter, milk, salt and pepper mashed potatoes are wonderful all by themselves. But should your soul hanker for a variation, artichokes are just the ticket.

I am the proud owner of a very large jar (thirty-three ounces, to be exact) of marinated artichokes in oil with a few seasonings added. I toss them into salads, or mix them into pasta dishes both hot and cold, or add them to tuna salad sandwiches, or tuck a quarter of an artichoke into an omelet. So handy. Somewhere along the line, I bumped into a pot luck dish of mashed potatoes with artichokes in them, and decided I would give that a try myself.

If you have artichokes canned in water, use those. I like the marinated ones because the oil, most of which I drain off, is fine mixed into the potatoes. If you have the water-canned ones add butter to your potatoes. Actually, you can add butter anyway, to taste. And while I am gilding the lily, I add garlic to the potatoes, too. That is certainly optional.

I suspect there are strong feelings about what potatoes to use. I know some are downright dogmatic about using russets. I’d agree with almost anyone who said waxy reds are not the best choice. I favor an all-purpose potato that I grow called Carola. Click here to continue reading.

So warm up some milk just as you normally would, keep your salt and pepper handy by, mash the potatoes with the artichokes tossed in, stop and taste, decide if it needs butter, or more salt and pepper. If you have some raw spinach, consider chopping it finely and adding that, too. It will make it pretty.

Simple ways to save on your pet's medical costs

(BPT) - Pet parents know that there's nothing like the love of furry family members. Keeping your pets healthy is a priority because you want them to live as long as possible. However, health care costs for pets are expensive, and if you are dealing with additional expenses such as prescriptions for chronic conditions, it can become a burden to your budget.

Fortunately, there are several things pet owners can do proactively to keep pets healthy and save money on health care costs.

Invest in preventative care

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" is just as applicable to pets as it is to their human caregivers. One of the most important things a pet parent can do to ensure the ongoing health of any animal is to bring them in for annual checkups whether they are experiencing health issues or not.

During wellness checkups, veterinarians can screen for a variety of health conditions. They provide insight on diseases, age-related concerns, dental health, nutritional considerations and so much more. Plus you're able to provide your pet with important vaccinations. Regular checkups help vets identify problems sooner rather than later, and this can translate to more affordable health care costs to pet parents in the long run.

Get an Inside Rx Pets prescription card

Costs for managing your pet's health can be a bear with pet owners spending more than $8 billion on prescription and over-the-counter medications annually. The Inside Rx Pets program offers savings on commonly prescribed medications such as insulin and antibiotics, as well as seizure, glaucoma and anti-inflammatory drugs. The Inside Rx Pets savings card is not insurance; it is a savings card you can use for certain human medications that may be prescribed for your pet. A complete list of the medications with which you can use the Inside Rx Pet card, as well as pricing information and other details, can be found at https://InsideRx.com/Pets.

Benefiting from these discounts is easy for pet parents: If your pet's veterinarian writes a prescription for an applicable medication, simply download the free discount card from the Inside Rx Pets website and present it with the prescription at one of the 40,000 participating pharmacies located across the U.S. that fill prescriptions for animals. These include national chains such as Kroger Family of Pharmacies, CVS and Walgreens (yes, the same pharmacies you go to for your own medications).

Exercise and focus on nutrition

Obesity is a growing concern for many pets. Poor nutrition paired with limited exercise causes pets to put on additional weight. This weight can put them at higher risk for health concerns like diabetes, osteoarthritis and ligament injuries. These health concerns not only risk the quality of life for Fluffy or Fido, but also can deeply impact your pocketbook.

Pets, just like humans, require exercise and proper nutrition to stay healthy and feel their best. Whether that's letting your rabbit out of the cage to run or going on a walk with your dog, be sure to make regular exercise a part of your fur family's routine. If you're unsure what is appropriate for your pet, call your veterinarian or bring it up at a wellness visit. They'll be delighted you reached out for more information to keep your pet healthy.

Start an emergency fund

Choosing between a pet and an unexpected health expense is something no one wants to experience. Being prepared can make a big difference when facing difficult decisions, so it's wise to have savings set aside in case of a rainy day.

Some people are starting pet health savings accounts (HSAs) that are similar to the accounts that people hold for themselves to pay for medical expenses. Whether you choose that path or a traditional savings account, when you have an emergency fund you won't have to worry about any unexpected expenses, so you can simply focus on getting your pet well again.

Being proactive is important for keeping your pets healthy for many years. From scheduling annual wellness visits to taking advantage of the Inside Rx Pets discount card, there are many easy actions pet parents can take today to reduce costs so furry family members stay well.

Movie Review—Red Sparrow

Theatrical release poster

by Peter J. O'Connell

Red Sparrow. Released: March 2018. Runtime: 139 mins. MPAA Rating: R for strong violence, torture, sexual content, language, and some graphic nudity.

In her rise to superstardom, Jennifer Lawrence has appeared in a diverse assortment of movies, including: rural thrillers (Winter's Bone), X-Men blockbusters, dystopian epics (The Hunger Games series), satires and comedies, (Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, Joy), offbeat allegories (Mother!). In Red Sparrow, directed by Francis Lawrence (no relation), she stars in a film that could be said to have been put together from several types of movies. 

At first Red Sparrow seems to be a movie about a dancer. Lawrence is Dominika Egorova, a ballerina in today's Russia. Dominika's beloved mother (Joely Richardson) is an invalid who requires frequent monitoring. Dominika's apartment and her mother's care are paid for by the ballet company. When treachery causes Dominika to have a career-ending injury and the ballet company cuts off aid, Dominika and her mother face a bleak and uncertain future. 

At this point Dominika is approached by Vanya (Matthias Schoenaerts), her sleazy uncle, who works in the Russian intelligence service. Vanya says that if Dominika carries out a seduction and some intelligence tasks, her mother's needs will be taken care of. Dominika reluctantly agrees and finds that she has entered into a world of political treachery worse than the personal treachery that ended her career as a ballerina. Brutal developments require her to take up a a career of intrigue, and the movie becomes a spy movie. 

Dominika is sent to “sparrow school” for training in espionage techniques, including how to use charm and sexuality to seduce subjects and gain useful information from them. As the icy headmistress (Charlotte Rampling) puts it: “Your body belongs to the state.” Dominika excels at much of the training, but she resists some of it, calling the school a “whore school.” Despite her defiance, she graduates with high marks and is given an important assignment. 

The scenes at the sparrow school involving the learning of spycraft and the interaction of Dominika and the headmistress are fascinating, but it must be said that at times in these scenes and some later ones, the movie's sexual content and graphic nudity move it from spy thriller to the so-called “erotic thriller” genre. (Some would even say “almost soft porn.”) But the character Dominika and the skillful actress playing her both succeed in retaining their integrity. 

In the meantime, Nate Nash (Joel Edgerton), a CIA operative is working in Moscow with a “mole,” codename Marble, within Russian intelligence. Nate is the only person with whom Marble will work. A setback causes Nate to have to return to the U.S. for a time, but he then is sent to Budapest to regain contact with Marble.

The headmistress told her students that “the Cold War did not end; it merely shattered into a thousand pieces.” Dominika is sent to Budapest to try and gain the trust of Nate and learn the identity of Marble. Dominika deals with this piece of the Cold War assigned to her by setting out to establish a hot relationship with Nate, while the twists, turns, crosses, and double-crosses of a spy thriller take place around the two. The strong violence involved in these developments is dwelt on at such length and close up that the spy thriller at times takes on the aspects of a “slasher flick” or what is sometimes called “torture porn.” However, again, Dominika and Lawrence (Jennifer) retain their integrity.

Does the Dominika-Nate relationship move from maneuver to more? Is the identity of Marble discovered? The movie is worth seeing to find out (but pay attention to the MPAA rating first). The performances of Jennifer Lawrence and Charlotte Rampling are fine. It must be said, however, that though the relationship of Dominika and Nate becomes “hot” visually, there is not much personal “chemistry” between the two. Also, the film's overall form is somewhat misshapen. So much time is spent–interesting though it is—on backstory that the major story line, set in Budapest, seems foreshortened, despite the movie being longer than most. 

“Footnotes” to the film: (1) Francis Lawrence also directed Jennifer Lawrence in three films in The Hunger Games series. (2) Red Sparrow is based on a novel, well regarded for its “inside” detail, by Jason Matthews, a former CIA operative. Curiously, the novel contains a recipe in every chapter.  

5 Life Lessons From Stephen Hawking

As the passing of renowned physicist and public intellectual Stephen Hawking is met with grief and remembrance the world over, Next Avenue wanted to honor the man who educated the world on a host of issues by sharing five important lessons we learned from him:

1. Trust in science, but remember that we haven’t uncovered all its mysteries yet.

At 22, Professor Hawking was diagnosed with a rare form of motor neuron disease and told he only had a few years to live. For most of his adult life, he was wheelchair bound and could speak only with the aid of a vocal synthesizer. Yet, against all odds, Hawking had a successful career and rich family life until passing away at the age of 76.

2. Sometimes a person’s greatest impact happens when he or she feels (literally) voiceless.

From Oxford graduate to public figure to cosmologist to celebrity, Stephen Hawking was perhaps the scientist with the most prominent place in the public eye in the past few decades. His book, A Brief History of Time, shattered expectations for sales. And in recent years, he was a vocal critic of environmental policies that he felt were hurting the planet. He traveled to space, figuratively, and had a “theory of everything.” In short, Hawking hasn’t spoken without the aid of a computer for decades, but he has most definitely been heard.

3. The universe is vast, and our own potential is just as limitless.

Professor Hawking had as much to say about humanity as he did about the cosmos. In a 1998 interview with Der Spiegiel he said “We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star. But we can understand the Universe. That makes us something very special.” He also had great wisdom about our responsibilities to ourselves and one another as people. In a 2010 interview with Diane Sawyer on ABC, Hawking offered three pieces of wise advice: “One, remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Two, never give up work. Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it. Three, if you are lucky enough to find love, remember it is there and don’t throw it away.”

4. Live in the moment and remember what (and who) truly matters.

Despite having his mind and gaze directed at the stars, Hawking was always present in the life, family and community that surrounded him. Indeed, his children have credited him as being a loving father, noting that he would often say, “It would not be much of a universe if it wasn’t home to the people you love.” Click here to continue reading.

The Top Drugs for Older Adults to Avoid

You fill a prescription, a medication you’ve relied on before. A few days later, you experience a troubling side effect. You read online that no one your age should take this medication.

What happened?

Drug Side Effects and Older Adults

Two pharmacists say the aging process is to blame, and they reveal here the names of medications on their “black list” that older adults may want to avoid.

“Prescribing medications for people 65 and older can be more challenging, because some drugs can be more toxic or cause more side effects than when you were younger,” says Kirby Lee, a pharmacist and associate professor of clinical pharmacy at the University of California at San Francisco. “As your body ages, it absorbs medications differently. They can be metabolized differently by your liver and excreted differently by your kidneys, so you may be more sensitive to some medications.” Click here to continue reading.

Movie Review—The Post

Theatrical release poster

by Peter J. O’Connell   

The Post. Released: Dec. 2017. Runtime: 116 mins. MPAA Rating: PG-13 for language and brief war violence.

Print journalism is an embattled phenomenon today. Digital devices and controversies about bias and “fake news” have taken away much of the readership and advertising that newspapers used to have. Two recent films, however, have reminded us if the vital role that a newspaper can play.

Spotlight, the 2015 Oscar winner, depicted how the Boston Globe at the turn of this century exposed the cover-up of child sexual abuse by the Catholic clergy. Now, The Post, one of the Oscars nominees for 2017, shows how in 1971 the country’s first female publisher of a major newspaper and a hard-driving editor entered an unprecedented battle between the press and the government to uncover deceptions about the Vietnam War.

This story of The Washington Post’s role in the Pentagon Papers affair is directed by Steven Spielberg and was written by Liz Hannah and Josh Singer. A 20^th Century Fox film, it begins by showing the company’s logo but not its usual fanfare. Instead, we hear sound effects of action in Vietnam, which leads into the movie’s first scene.

In that scene, set in late 1965, Daniel Ellsberg (Matthew Rhys), a military analyst for the State Department, observes things going badly for U.S. troops. On a flight home, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara (Bruce Greenwood) agrees with Ellsberg’s view that the war in Vietnam is hopeless. Yet upon landing in the U.S., McNamara buoyantly expresses an optimistic attitude about the war effort to the press and public.

Experiencing increasing disgust at this kind of mendacity, in 1971, Ellsberg, now working for a civilian military contractor, the RAND Corporation, secretly photocopies a trove of classified reports from the 1945-1967 period that document the policymaking process with regard to Vietnam and the progress—actually, lack of same—of the war there. He then leaks these documents, which come to be known as the Pentagon Papers, to The New York Times.

In the meantime, heiress Katharine Graham (Meryl Streep) has become owner and publisher of The Washington Post, following the deaths of her father and her husband. A wife, mother, and socialite for most of her life rather than a business executive, Graham finds running a major newspaper a difficult challenge, particularly in view of the prevailing sexism of the period. The movie indicates this aspect of the period well by having Graham as the only woman in a room full of men in dark suits and white shirts—or even waiting outside the room—or chatting after dinner about light matters with women while in a another room men discuss weightier topics. Things are particularly difficult for Graham in 1971 as the Post is about to become a publicly traded corporation rather than a privately held one. This pending deal is a delicate one that could be derailed if controversies or legal hassles engulf the paper.  

One of the men who sometimes “overrules” Graham is the paper’s assertive editor-in-chief, Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks). Bradlee is extremely desirous of catching up with The New York Times in terms of getting the “big stories.” Ellsberg has given the Times the big story of the Pentagon Papers, but when the Times begins to publish that story, a court injunction obtained by the Nixon administration halts the series.

At this point the movie takes on aspects of a thriller as Bradlee activates Ben Bagdikian (Bob Odenkirk), an assistant editor, to track down the source of the Pentagon Papers and obtain copies. Bagdikian succeeds in this assignment, and Post editors and reporters find themselves, in a somewhat humorous scene, on the floor trying to put together thousands of pages (page numbers have been cut off) in the proper order for possible publication, while making sure that no genuinely current national security material will be revealed.

Whether there will be publication or not depends on Graham’s yes or no. If legal action by the Nixon administration after publication should be successful, the Post could be badly harmed at a crucial juncture. But if the newspaper should prevail in a legal challenge, it would become a national institution, not just a Washington one. Lawyers advise against publication. Bradlee is for publication but knows that the difficult decision is Graham’s alone to make.

And she does. And it’s “yes.” That always exciting moment in movies about newspapers when the presses run and the paper hits the streets is particularly well done in The Post. The White House immediately strikes back. The Times and the Post are soon before the Supreme Court arguing for their First Amendment rights to publish the Pentagon Papers. As the case is argued, newspapers throughout the country publish the formerly secret documents. The Court rules for the press. Nixon then orders that the Post be banned from the White House.

And in a flash-forward to 1972, a security guard discovers a break-in in progress at Democratic Party offices in the Watergate complex. Thus, The Post ends as a kind of prequel to the classic movie about the value of newspapers, All the President’s Men (1976), which dealt with how Washington Post reporters did much to uncover the scandals that led to President Nixon’s resignation.

Steven Spielberg’s direction of the film is economical and “to the point,” nicely weaving together the political and legal themes with the woman’s empowerment theme, and the world-historical aspects with lighter ones. And he lets his stars do what Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks always have done so well—create convincing characters , whether based on actual persons or not. Hanks may not have quite that “certain something” that Jason Robards as Bradlee had in All the President’s Men, but he’s very good. Streep’s Kay Graham, like her Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady (2011) or the title character in Florence Foster Jenkins (2016), is a “grande dame” type but with a likeable as well as “grande” side. She has “spunk” as well as aplomb. (And she was sometimes called the “Iron Lady” by her colleagues.)

All in all, The Post is an effective reminder of the truth declared in the majority Supreme Court opinion in the Pentagon Papers case: “In the First Amendment, the Founding Fathers gave the free press the protection it must have to fulfill its essential role in our democracy. The press was to serve the governed, not the governors.”

“Footnotes” to the film: (1) The Post may give The Washington Post a bit too much credit and The New York Times not enough. It was, after all, the Times that began publication of the Pentagon Papers and was the sole winner of the Pulitzer Prize for doing so. Also, The Post may give the Nixon administration too much discredit. The Pentagon Papers dealt mostly with the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, and not at all with the Nixon administration. There is no reason to believe that the Nixon administration in its response to publication of the Pentagon Papers was not acting out of sincere beliefs regarding national security. (2) Spotlight was written by Josh Singer, co-screenwriter of The Post. Ben Bradlee’s son was a reporter on the Boston Globe and is depicted in Spotlight. (3) Steven Spielberg developed The Post with great alacrity. Shooting and final cutting was done May-July of 2017, and the film was released at the end of the year.       

  

Movie Review—I, Tonya

I, Tonya
Theatrical release poster

by Peter J. O’Connell

I, Tonya. Released: Dec. 2017. Runtime: 120 mins. MPAA Rating: R for pervasive language, violence, and some sexual content/nudity.

Mothers were memorable figures in a number of movies over the past year. For example, there was the title character played by Jennifer Lawrence in Darren Aronofsky’s odd allegory, Mother! And there was the agnostic mother (Julianne Nicholson) and the Reverend Mother (Melissa Leo, who contended for the heart and mind of a young nun in Novitiate. And there was the mom (Laurie Metcalf)—both hassled and hassling--in Lady Bird. Perhaps most memorable of all was LaVona Fay Golden (Allison Janney), merciless mater of figure skater Tonya Harding (Margot Robbie), in the tragicomic biopic I, Tonya, directed by Craig Gillespie and written by Steven Rogers.

I, Tonya’s chronicle of the relationship between Tonya and her mother—and other key figures in the skater’s life—is done in a kind of “mockumentary” way, based, as an on-screen text says, on “mostly true, wildly contradictory” actual interviews. Though some actual footage is included in the film, most of the interviews are “faux” ones. There are also direct addresses by characters that “break the fourth wall” of the unfolding drama. The Tonya character sums up one of the story’s themes as: “There’s no such thing as truth. It’s bull. Everyone has their own truth, and life does whatever it wants. “

But for much of her life, Tonya has to do what her mother wants. Noting Tonya’s natural ability at skating, LaVona arranges for her daughter (played as a child by Maizie Smith and McKenna Grace) to begin expensive skating lessons at the age of four years. This was a sacrifice for LaVona, a waitress, to make. Her family, a Pacific Northwest equivalent of “rednecks,” was financially constrained.

This initial sacrifice, however, proves quite problematic, and most of the time LaVona—a cigarillo-chomping, fiercely foul-mouthed harridan, often with a bird, and always with a “chip,” on her shoulder—verbally and emotionally abuses Tonya. Sometimes the abuse is physical. Joan Crawford, played by Faye Dunaway in Mommy Dearest (1981), notoriously beat her daughter with metal coat hangers, but LaVona throws knives at hers.

Strangely, although she arranged for skating lessons, LaVona undercuts Tonya’s self-esteem when she competes, and she doesn’t help her child with costuming, musical choices, etc. In one of the pungent passages with which the script is replete, the mother/daughter dynamic is summed up thusly: LaVona—“I made you a champion, knowing you’d hate me for it. That’s the sacrifice a mother makes! I wish I’d had a mother like me instead of nice. Nice gets you s---! I didn’t like my mother either, so what? I f------ gave you a gift!” Tonya—“You cursed me.”

Tonya does get love and respect from her father (Jason Davis), but he eventually divorces LaVona and leaves the family. Predictably, Tonya as an adolescent turns to a boyfriend, Jeff Gillooly (Sebastian Stan), as a daddy substitute. Predictably, Jeff starts abusing her, even after they marry, much as her mother had.

The skating establishment of the 1980s and early 1990s, in its way, also abuses Tonya. They prefer balletic princess-types rather than an athletic type such as the sassy Tonya (who can be as foul-mouthed as her mother). But Tonya perseveres, and when she becomes only the second woman ever to perform the incredibly difficult triple-axel jump in international competition, respect finally comes her way. At that moment, as the best figure skater in the world, she is a glowing champion!

But as recognition comes Tonya Harding’s way, so does scandal, one of the most notorious scandals in sports history. As the 1994 Winter Olympics approach, Tonya has Nancy Kerrigan as her main competition. Much loose talk and little intelligent thought characterize Tonya’s circle of Jeff, Shawn Eckhardt (Paul Walker Hauser), and some other dimbulbs. Under circumstances whose nature is contested in “wildly contradictory” stories by those involved, Kerrigan is brutally struck on the knee in an attempt to disable her from competition. But she recovers and beats Tonya at the Games. Jeff, Shawn, and Tonya are convicted of various crimes, and Tonya is banned from competitive figure skating for life.

Tonya reflects on her life and the larger scene, the American scene, of which her life is a part: “America. They want someone to love; they want someone to hate.” And: “I was loved for a minute; then I was hated. Then I was just a punch line.” And, addressing the movie audience: “It was like being abused all over again. Only this time it was by you. All of you. You’re all my attackers too.”

There are characters in I, Tonya who are dimbulbs, but the movie’s makers and cast perform brilliantly. Gillespie and Rogers have given the film an imaginative and innovative structure, with dialogue frequently as sharp as a skate blade. Margot Robbie leaves her blonde bimbo persona from previous films behind to create a multidimensional Tonya—abuse victim, glowing champion, tough broad. Her performance is the acting equivalent of a triple axel, which is matched by Allison Janney as a “mommy damnedest.”

“Footnotes” to the film: (1) Through her youth and adolescence, Allison Janney trained seriously to become a figure skater. At age 17, however, she accidentally walked into a glass door and gravely injured her right leg. She had to spend weeks in the hospital and missed her first year of college. After that she didn’t skate for a very long time. (2) In 1993 I, Tonya’s director, Craig Gillespie, directed a Campbell’s Soup commercial starring Nancy Kerrigan. 

       

76-Year-Old Blogger Navigates Aging With Cancer

“It’s a shadow chasing behind you constantly,” says popular Time Goes By blogger Ronni Bennett. Her site’s tagline is “What it’s really like to get old,” but Bennett, 76, is now writing about more than aging. Eight months ago, she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

After posting the news that she referred to as a “kick in the gut,” it triggered a virtual international support system from readers of love, prayers and assurances. Those living close by also offered food, transportation and even pet-sitting for Bennett’s cat, Ollie.

As we grow older, we most likely will become familiar with cancer, whether it’s with family, friends or ourselves. In fact, its diagnosis isn’t all that uncommon. Age is actually the greatest risk factor, according to Cancer.net, and 60 percent of those with cancer are 65 years and older. This group also makes up 60 percent of survivors.

When readers asked Bennett if she’d write about the daily life of a cancer patient, she said yes, allowing now a glimpse into not just what it’s like to get old, but to also be really sick. She openly talks about good days and bad, where she stands on having a bucket list and what it’s like to be the most afraid she’s ever been.

Here are a few thoughts Bennett, a former network TV producer and writer and managing editor of the first CBS News website, shared during an interview in December: Click here to continue reading.

Age With Grace – Tips for a Better Life--Meriden Library

Dr. Keith Zeitlin, a certified Naturopathic Physician, presents an informative and entertaining exploration of the aging process.

Dr. Zeitlin discusses important everyday activities for our health. How life style and 

Tuesday, March 6 at 6:00

Dr. Keith Zeitlin, a certified Naturopathic Physician, presents an informative and entertaining exploration of the aging process.

Dr. Zeitlin discusses important everyday activities for our health. How life style and using natural treatments prevents premature tissue damage. You will leave with valuable tools for personal improvement inside and out.

To register, Call 203-630-6349