Change Your Image
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Reviews
West 47th Street (2001)
Cinema verite about homelessness and mental illness
This is the story of several people who have been homeless at some point in their lives, and also have a mental illness. The film crew had incredible access to Fountain House, which is a combination homeless shelter/mental health treatment facility in New York City. They had 350 hours of videotape, edited to 82 minutes. The camera does not flinch away from hard subjects as you watch people trying to build their lives or work at a job or just get along in the world as best they can.
I showed it to two groups already--some homeschooled teenagers for whom I am running a class called "Psychology in the Movies," and one section of college freshmen in an Intro to Psychology class. Both times, great discussion. This film, which is subtitled "Four People You Have Tried Not To Notice," really made these people seem real and important to my students. They unanimously said I should show it every semester.
You see some successes and some failures. You get an idea about why these odd people do these odd things--and how it makes sense, from that person's perspective, once you know his or her back story. I highly recommend it.
Morning Glory (1993)
Needed more back story
This is a very sweet little movie, and a good adaptation of the book. (Not a GREAT adaptation, but a good one.) Christopher Reeve's portrayal of this character was excellent.
The movie could have been improved with a few flashbacks, to give the characters a bit more back story. Both the widow and the ex-convict were people who had been damaged by the cruelty of others. Both of them wanted something better for the children in their lives. Both of them wanted to believe in dignity, kindness, and respect--and therefore gave those gifts, hoping to get the same things in return.
I would recommend this movie to anyone who wants to think positively about hope and healing.