Smashbomb

Search

Search results

All (5000)

Content

Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated McFarland USA (2015) in Movies

Aug 6, 2019

McFarland USA (2015)

2015 | Drama, Family

8.3

(3 Ratings)

Movie Rating

The new Disney movie, McFarland USA, is based on a true story.

I didn’t recognize any of the actors in it, except Kevin Costner, but that didn’t take anything away from the movie for me.

I really enjoyed the film a lot.

I laughed, I cried, I held my breath, and it had me on the edge of my seat in some parts too.

Costner plays Coach Jim White, who, due to an outburst of temper at his previous position, has had to take on a teaching and assistant coaching job in an out of the way tiny town called McFarland, CA.

He has a slight run in with the head coach, and gets demoted.

Discovering the untapped potential in a handful of the McFarland high school boys, Coach White petitions the principal for permission to start a cross country track team.

The principal gives his consent, and the story unfolds.

The kids help the Coach on his ‘life journey’ as much as he helps them.

He helps them realize their potential, and teaches them how to dream big and never give up, and they teach him about the importance of community, that ‘bigger’ isn’t always ‘better’, and that sometimes having the heart and desire to do something means more than a fat paycheck.

I wouldn’t bring very young kids to this movie, but children from maybe 9 and up should appreciate and enjoy it.

I would give this movie 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Kudos

Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Cake (2015) in Movies

Aug 6, 2019

Cake (2015)

2015 | Drama

8.0

(3 Ratings)

Movie Rating

The movie ‘Cake’ starring Jennifer Anniston as Claire, who is an accident survivor struggling with chronic pain and emotional pain was really hard to watch.

It was very slow in the beginning and I felt like it dragged on and was taking driver to ‘get anywhere’.

Anniston, in my opinion, completely captured what the struggle of many people with chronic pain, emotional pain, and dependence on pharmaceuticals can look like. I found myself thinking to myself, ‘wow, she looks and moves and acts just like a friend that I have that gas chronic pain’.

I’ve never seen Anniston look so haggard and ‘un-put-together’, but it certainly lent credence to the role.

Anniston is tended to by her housekeeper Silvana (Adriana Barraza) who tries her best to keep Claire on track. I think she did a really good job of portraying the frustrations of trying to help someone who won’t help themselves and seems to not want to help themselves sometimes.

Parts of the movie were physically difficult for me to watch, and I did spend most of the last half of the movie in tears.

I don’t think its a movie that everyone would enjoy seeing because it can be slow, and very emotionally taxing, but its a good portrayal of a person with chronic pain and how it affects them and those around them and the struggles they face daily.

I would give this movie