Most of these I watched a while ago and really wanted to.
Three of them were last minute additions, two of which I felt very critical of, but possibly unfairly.
The movies:
The Lovebirds (2020)
This one just looked like fun, and it was.
I saw the trailer in the theaters, but ended up seeing it on Netflix, just seeing that I could. (That is how I ended up watching most of these.) It was nice because previously I had only seen Issa Rae in The Photograph (also 2020), which had not been fun (it was a romantic film, but very solemn and serious.). She is known for comedy, so I felt like I was missing out. Now I have seen her as President Barbie as well.
Enjoyable, and actually some pretty realistic points about relationships.
42 (2013)
A little ponderous, but there is a good cast and it covers important material.
There have been other media that told me more about Jackie Robinson, Branch Rickey, and baseball in general, but one of the really interesting and unexpected things here was the story of Wendell Smith, a Black sportswriter who faced similar obstacles and isolation to Robinson, with much less publicity.
Becoming (2020)
Behind in my viewing, I had not realized how many of these came out the same year.
Obviously you get more from the book, but this gives you the opportunity to hear from other people, the chance to observe her interacting, and a few fun surprises.
Rustin (2023)
This is where I started impulse watching and then not being sure that I was glad I had.
In this case, there were things that I worried they made worse than they needed to be for dramatic impact. That it is normal with movies -- you combine and compress -- but then I was not sure if they were making it less true. For some of the emotional things... he had been doing this for a long time by then, which doesn't mean it wasn't hard, but did they give you an accurate idea of Rustin himself?
Except... one thing they really drove home is how much work really good organizing takes, as they work out sound systems and latrines and food and temperatures and chartering buses and fundraising, all while dealing with the racism and the homophobia. (I don't think that was exaggerated.) There was so much, and while Rustin did not do it without help, he was amazing at it and a big part of motivating and instructing that help. Could they have pulled off the March on Washington without him? Maybe, but it would have been much harder.
American Symphony (2023)
Going over Jon Batiste's preparation for an upcoming symphony performance while also having an amazing year at the Grammy's and facing the recurrence of his wife's cancer. There is a lot going on.
I was not familiar with him before, and this was a good introduction.
It probably is also an indication that in my current space, I am happier with documentaries where you hear the voice of the subjects than historical features where you don't know how much is the screenwriter and crew.
Shirley (2024)
This is again one where I was not sure how well they were representing, and worried by that.
On one level, I felt like it was kind of portraying her as Bernie Sanders -- too honest and ornery to succeed, at least in getting elected president. However, in the text at the end they show her as an effective legislator, bringing forward a lot of legislation, so the comparison ends there.
It did bring home how difficult campaigns can be, especially for family members.
The Play:
Seven Guitars
Well, the August Wilson play debuted in 1995, but it's set in 1948, and I saw it in 2023.
My eventual goal is to have seen Wilson's entire Pittsburgh Cycle. This put me at 30%. I will say that after some online searching trying to understand what was going on with the rooster, I understand some things about Fences better. There was no rooster in Fences, but getting some ideas into the symbolism made Troy Maxson's arc and the ending more clear.
Note: I did also see Origin this year -- which is super current for me -- but I think I will write about it at a different time.
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