Not Rated| 2 h 6 min | Drama, Comedy | 1938 Grandpa Vanderhof’s (Lionel Barrymore) eccentric household is the only one in downtown Depression-era New York resisting Anthony Kirby’s (Edward Arnold) business ambitions. Kirby wants a moat of unencumbered land around his munitions business, even if it runs his rivals aground. But Vanderhof won’t sell…

Commentary The 95th Academy Awards are taking place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday, March 12. The 95th year! It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost a whole century since the first Oscars were handed out at a short, private ceremony at the Blossom Ballroom in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. I applied…

Commentary “In these days of wars and rumors of wars – haven’t you ever dreamed of a place where there was peace and security, where living was not a struggle but a lasting delight? Of course you have. So has every man since time began. Always the same dream. Sometimes he calls it Utopia –…

Commentary Frank Capra is remembered as one of the most beloved directors of all time. His movies from the 1930s to 50s captured the American spirit with touching sentiment and truthfulness, which have made them enduring classics to this day. At this time of year, “It’s a Wonderful Life” from 1946 is played on television…

1961 | Approved | 2h 16m | Comedy, Drama ‘Tis the season to be merry and for getting together with friends and family to watch charming Christmas movies. Of course, the usual titles invariably pop up, such as “It’s a Wonderful Life (1946),” “White Christmas (1954),” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964).” There are also…

Unrated  | 1h 53min | Drama, Comedy | 1936 Trustful giving is at the center of Frank Capra’s classic “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town.” It’s about how trust in our goodness and the goodness of others can unleash tremendous good. It’s also about how a lack of this same trust can hold us back. Mr….

Academy-Award-winning director Frank Capra was one filmmaker who truly cared about imparting important values through his movies, not just making a profit.  Many of Capra’s most famous movies have political themes. A traditional conservative with strong anti-communist leanings, he loved stories which glorified and celebrated the American way of life, and his films are just…

NR | 2h 2min | Drama | 1941 Frank Capra’s “Meet John Doe” (1941) is about how our trust in the basic goodness of people can help us live by facing, rather than fleeing, our deepest anxieties. Equally, it’s about how cynicism can lead us to die under the weight of these very anxieties. The…