Focus Features

I liked the historical placement of the story & the characters; also the romance (think I'm a romantic at heart). It speaks to the fact that where our life’s path takes us is often out of our control and can in fact be decided by the external events that are taking place around us. The movie is not only set in was a time of conflict but also of great societal change in American. The ultimate message that you can do anything if you keep trying against all odds sticks with me.

A documentary about how multinationals are stealing water, then selling it to poor towns in Africa, India and other places. They even took it from the eastern seaboard of the US; the locals fought it but lost. It ends on a very hopeful note. I saw it at home in Gibsons, at a United Church environmental movie festival. It really impacted me: I came out of it thinking "two things are important to developing countries, water & literacy."

A deep psychological study of a family rent by a past trauma & what it did to one member in particular, seen through the eyes of her brother (Nick Nolte). Fascinating interaction between Nolte and Barbra Streisand, who played the psychiatrist treating his sister. I guess it appealed to me because of my psychology background.

I liked it because it's the story of two strong women who set out to reach their goal, despite encountering many hurdles. It's good modeling for women. Also the two parallel stories were an unusual way of structuring a movie. (Amy Adams is Julie Powell and Meryl Streep Julia Childs in Nora Ephron's adaptation of 2 memoirs). The scenes between Julia and Paul (Stanley Tucci) are quite masterful as they juxtapose affectionate, yet witty banter and moments of intimate tenderness.

This is a beautiful and touching movie, made more poignant for me by the fact that my mother has Alzheimer’s. The movie presents the process of loss; even though they are still physically present it is a fading away of the person that you have known for years that one struggles with. Fiona and Grant have been married for over 40 years. Grant gradually accepts that Fiona, who no longer knows him, has affections for another man at the nursing home. It is love that ultimately enables you to make the difficult decisions, in this case to let go. He returns to their home with what is left to him, the memories.