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Rhett Reese recommended Field of Dreams (1989) in Movies (curated)

 
Field of Dreams (1989)
Field of Dreams (1989)
1989 | Drama, Family, Sci-Fi

"Okay, we’ve gotten to number one for me. I know you’re not going in order. Field of Dreams, Kevin Costner — my favorite movie. I’ve watched it, again, about 15 or 20 times. The final shot, also perfect, maybe even better than Once. The helicopter up in the sky with them throwing the baseball. To me, it’s perfect. It is a perfect movie, and it also contains the single best moment of love on screen of all time — I’m getting emotional talking about it — which is when he says, “Am I crazy to build a baseball field in the backyard? Do you think I’m crazy?” And his wife says, “Yeah, but I also think that if you really, really think that you should do it, then you should do it.” It’s like if you really, really want to do it, you should do it. But then ultimately, the end is the best father-son — “Dad, do you want to have a catch?” I hardly can talk about it. Kind of the reason I became a screenwriter. I love it that much."

Source
  
I'm married to my best friend. That's what I tell people who don't know me and want to know who my husband is. He's my best friend. When we met, I was leery of another relationship. My first marriage was not the greatest. Too many bad things happening. I didn't trust any guy. But, my husband patiently persisted and one day I took a leap of Faith after praying hard, and 4 years later we are still married. Do we fight? Oh Lord, do we ever! But, one thing  I can say is we stay friends through it all. We work our problems out. We seek advice if we need it. We never give up. 

Kevin A. Thompson is an author I'd not heard of before, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this book, especially with it being a non fiction book. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised! He takes three key aspects to making a marriage work and tells us why they work. It's definitely something I have taken to heart and really want to work on with my husband! The way Mr. Thompson describes these aspects really make me reflect on my marriage now. Four years of happiness with my best friend, sure. But, there is more that we can be doing to really make it work. 

This is a 4 star worthy book, in my opinion! I enjoyed his writing style, as it makes it easy to read this non fiction book and to not get bored reading it. If you are in a happy marriage, or a marriage that you aren't sure if it's going to make it, then I highly recommend this read! It will help you think and reflect on what your doing now, and what could improve it. Definitely a great partner read with your spouse! <a href="http://cafinatedreads.com/review-friends-partners-and-lovers-what-it-takes-to-make-your-marriage-work-by-kevin-a-thompson/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Cafinated Reads</a>
  
Missionary (2014)
Missionary (2014)
2014 | Drama, Mystery
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Directed by Anthony DiBlasi (whom is no stranger to the horror genre) ‘Missionary’ stars Dawn Olivieri (Heroes, True Blood, House Of Lies, CSI, How I Met Your Mother, Stargate Atlantis, The Vampire Diaries, Entourage, American Hustle) as Katherine, a young single mother recently separated from her husband Ian portrayed by actor Kip Pardue (Remember The Titans, Driven, The Rules Of Attraction, Hostel: Part 3, Mad Men, House) who is struggling to work full time, go to school, and raise their son Kesley (Conner Christie). One afternoon while helping Kelsey practice before tryouts for the junior high football team they are visited buy two Mormon missionaries. One of the two, Elder Kevin Brock (Mitch Ryan) offers to help Kelsey practice thereby ‘bending the rules’ regarding Mormons and sports under the guise of hoping to convert Katherine and Kelsey to the Mormon faith. In reality, Kevin and Katherine become infatuated with each other despite their 10 year age difference and begin an affair which also seriously compromises what Katherine likes to refer to as ‘the rules in the Mormon handbook’. While Katherine sees this as only a ‘temporary’ yet passionate sexual relationship, Kevin becomes more and more obsessed not only with Katherine but becoming a father figure to her young son Kelsey and based upon ‘his interpretation’ of Mormon doctrine believes that Katherine and Kesley are the family he’s been seeking since he joined the Mormon and that they will become his ‘celestial family’. Eventually, Katherine decides that the relationship is not good for either of them and instead choose to reconcile with her husband Ian and attempts to quietly end her relationship with Kevin. Now obsessed and bordering on psychotic, Kevin begins to stalk Katherine and her son determined to make them his ‘family’ at any cost.

 

For a film that follows the blueprint for the classic slasher/stalker, I have to give it a great deal of credit.

The introduction of the ‘Mormon Component’ was an original idea that to the best of my knowledge no one had dared to utilize in a movie. Probably out of fear that it might anger the leadership and followers of the Mormon faith. This film did an exceptional job though of creating a ‘distance’ between the antagonist and the other characters in the movie who were Mormons so even those who are not familiar with the religion almost instantly know that Kevin is not a legitimate follower of the faith and that his actions are NOT those of an everyday follower of that faith. The casting of Dawn Olivieri, Connor Christie, and Kip Pardue as the Kingsmen family were spot on. They were truly believable as a struggling family that was going through rough times and trying to work through their difficulties only to be thwarted by a most unlikely circumstance in the form of a crazed stalker-type who twists his religious beliefs into justifying his violent and evil actions.

 

On a scale of 1 to 5 stars, I’d give this film 3 stars. The film may not win any awards with the exception being an excellent job on the part of the actors and crew. The film does follow a blueprint of sorts as mentioned earlier for a slasher/stalker film and combined with original components definitely deserves a place in the scary movie section. Definitely NOT one for the kids as the film contains violence, gore, and some partial nudity. I would include it in a movie marathon on a Friday or Saturday night with a group of friends and some popcorn.
  
The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
2002 | Action, Drama
Kevin Reynolds - who also directed Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves - take on the classic Alexandre Dumas (probably more famous for The Three Musketeers) tale of love, loss and revenge, starring Jim Caviezel as Edmond Dantes, who is wrongly imprisoned for treason and who - 13 odd years or so later - finally escapes with the aid of another Prisoner, who vouch safes to Dumas the location of a vast treasure that Dumas then spends to gain his revenge on those who betrayed him (including his former best friend).

Since I've never read (or listened to) the book, I cannot speak to how accurate this is to the source.

I can say, however, that it is an enjoyable enough watch, that reminds me (somewhat) of the likes of 'The Man In The Iron Mask' as well as 'The Three Musketeers' - no surprise there!
  
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David McK (3233 KP) rated The Postman in Books

Jan 28, 2019  
TP
The Postman
David Brin | 1985
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
1986's winner of the 'Locus Award for Best Science-fiction novel' (same year as Orson Scott's Card's Ender's Game), this is also the basis for the Kevin Costner film of the same name.

Set in a post-apocalyptic America, this starts with Brin's central character of Gordon Krantz being robbed, and seeking to ambush his robbers. Losing his way when tracking them, he stumbles across a crashed post-van, with the uniform of the driver still intact, as is the mail to be delivered. Originally taking the mail to read for entertainment (and the uniform for warmth!), Krantz soon finds himself living the lie of being an actual postman for 'The Restored United States', heralding the (re)spread of civilization. The novel also hints that it might just be Krantz's actions that brings about that spread, acting as the catalyst for the reunification of several disparate communities.