Lynn Venhaus

Total Post: 1299

Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.  She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.  She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women's and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle. She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.

The Black Rep Hosted Playwright Paul Webb for ‘Hold On!’ Premiere

The Black Rep Hosted Playwright Paul Webb for ‘Hold On!’ Premiere

By Lynn Venhaus
In 1965, the conflict between Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and President Lyndon Johnson regarding voting rights came to a head because of escalating violence. On the streets of Selma, Alabama, the struggle to end racial discrimination was real. The drive for equality that resulted in the historic march from Selma to Montgomery and the hard-fought triumph that was the Voting Act Rights is depicted in a new historical drama written by British playwright Paul Webb.

The St. Louis Black Repertory Company hosted British playwright Webb for the world premiere of “Hold On!” that began with previews Jan. 10, opening night was Jan. 12, and the show ran Wednesday through Sunday until Jan. 28 in the Edison Theatre on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis. It was the kickoff to their 47th mainstage season and directed by founder and producing director Ron Himes.

“We’re delighted to be producing this exceptional world premiere and we’ve pulled together an extraordinarily talented group of creatives to tell this story, It’s a great way to kick off our 47th Season,” Himes said.

Webb. who wrote the screenplay for the 2014 film “Selma,” was first inspired to write a play focused on the historic events in the Civil Rights Movement that led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, a year after the landmark Civil Rights Act was passed, and after King won the Nobel Peace Prize.

“What I came to realize was that the Selma voting rights campaign was the pinnacle of the careers for two extraordinary, although extraordinarily different, leaders,” Webb says.

Webb said he has been fascinated with American culture since childhood, and told a group of us at the opening night party about hitchhiking across America for six months. He saw how complicated race relations were in the South. He was intrigued by President Johnson’s efforts during the civil rights area, and his relationship with King. The importance of the demonstrations in Selma was a way to develop the story he wanted to pursue. .

Webb’s other works include “Four Knights in Knaresborough” about the assassination of Thomas Becket, and the BET mini-series “Madiba” about the life of Nelson Mandela.

Paul Webb, standing next to Ron Himes, says a few words about his play’s cast. Lynn Venhaus photo

Conversations with the Webb were included throughout the opening weekend, at the Jan. 11 preview performance at 7 p.m., followed by a post-show discussion, and after opening night Jan. 12, there was a post-show reception and a meet and greet. On Sunday, Jan. 14, there was a pre-show discussion at 2 p.m. before the 3 p.m. matinee performance.,

In 1957, King said: “So long as I do not firmly and irrevocably possess the right to vote, I do not possess myself. I cannot make up my mind; it is made up for me.”

In the 1960s, Americans debated what the “equal protection of the laws” in the 14th Amendment meant. Did the Constitution’s prohibition of denying equal protection always ban the use of racial, ethnic, or gender criteria in an attempt to bring social justice and social benefits?

In June 1963, President John Kennedy asked Congress for a comprehensive civil rights bill. This was after resistance to desegregation and the murder of Medgar Evans, a civil rights activist in Mississippi, who was fatally shot on June 12.

After Kennedy’s assassination in November, President Johnson took up pushing for it, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin, passed. That forbade using race and sex as reasons in hiring, promoting and firing, and strengthened the enforcement of voting rights and desegregation of schools.

Then, Johnson introduced the Voting Rights Act to Congress in March 1965, the same month that voter registration protests began in Selma.. The violence there added pressure on Congress to act, and the bill passed in four months.

To further learn about King’s journey, here are some resources:

https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-resources/major-king-events-chronology-1929-1968

Fifty-nine years ago, Selma became the battleground for Black suffrage, and. the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the site of the brutal Bloody Sunday beatings of civil rights marchers, is now a national historic landmark. Because the attacks were televised, public support for the activists grew, and marches continued for voting rights.

For more information about the landmarks in the historic civil rights efforts, visit the Civil Rights Trail: https://civilrightstrail.com/

The protections that King and his supporters fought for are under actual threat today, with attempts at voter suppression making the Voting Rights Act vulnerable. The Freedom to Vote Act addresses voter registration and voting access, election integrity and security, redistricting, and campaign finance. (Sources: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/2747 and https://www.brennancenter.org/freedom-vote-act

Specifically, the bill expands voter registration (e.g., automatic and same-day registration) and voting access (e.g., vote-by-mail and early voting). It also limits removing voters from voter rolls.

Next, the bill establishes Election Day as a federal holiday.

The bill declares that the right of a U.S. citizen to vote in any election for federal office shall not be denied or abridged because that individual has been convicted of a criminal offense unless, at the time of the election, such individual is serving a felony sentence.

The bill establishes certain federal criminal offenses related to voting. In particular, the bill establishes a new criminal offense for conduct (or attempted conduct) to corruptly hinder, interfere with, or prevent another person from registering to vote or helping someone register to vote.

Additionally, the bill sets forth provisions related to election security, including by requiring states to conduct post-election audits for federal elections.

The bill outlines criteria for congressional redistricting and generally prohibits mid-decade redistricting.

The bill addresses campaign finance, including by expanding the prohibition on campaign spending by foreign nationals, requiring additional disclosure of campaign-related fundraising and spending, requiring additional disclaimers regarding certain political advertising, and establishing an alternative campaign funding system for certain federal offices.

‘Hold On!’ at The Black Rep

The Black Rep’s 47th season will continue with “Fly” (Feb. 14 to March 10) in WashU’s A.E. Hotchner Studio Theatre, followed by “Wedding Band” (March 13-31) at COCA, 6880 Washington Ave., and “Timbuktu!” (May 15 to June 9) in Edison. The season will conclude with “King Hedley II” (June 19-July 14), also in Edison.

Single tickets are now available through the Box Office, in person, or at (314) 534.3807. Reduced pricing is available for seniors, educators, students, and groups of 12 or more. Season 47 subscriptions remain on sale at TheBlackRep.org.

Support for The Black Rep’s 47th Main Stage Season comes from The Berges Family Foundation, The Black Seed Initiative, Caleres, Missouri Arts Council, the Regional Arts Commission, Rogers-Townsend, The Shubert Foundation, and the Steward Family Foundation.

Opening Night Meet and Greet: Lynn Venhaus, Playwright Paul Webb, Chas Adams

‘The Zone of Interest’ Focuses on the Evil of Apathy During WWII Holocaust

‘The Zone of Interest’ Focuses on the Evil of Apathy During WWII Holocaust

By Lynn Venhaus
A film as necessary for this time and throughout the ages, “The Zone of Interest” is a chilling look back at how Germans normalized their extermination of Jews during the Holocaust.

SS Officer Rudolph Hoess, who served the longest as the head commandant of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland (1940-43 and 1944-45), lived in a villa next door with his wife and children.

In the shadow of atrocities, his family enjoyed their dream home, and director Jonathan Glazer depicts their daily life in the most mundane ways possible. Cinematographer Lukasz Zal chiefly observes to underline the horrors taking place a few feet away, using distance instead of close-ups to speak volumes.

This makes the scenario even more unsettling as the Third Reich masterminds meet to discuss carrying out Hitler’s orders for the “Final Solution.”

Several acclaimed films have shown us the brutality of the Holocaust, in various degrees of harrowing, including Oscar winner for Best Picture “Schindler’s List” (1993) and “Son of Saul” (2015), which won the Academy Award for Best International Feature. While “The Zone of Interest” is just as haunting, the horror lies in the obvious apathy of the bystanders.

Hoess was instrumental in implementing pesticide into gas chambers that killed more than a million European Jews. (Later, at his trial, he claimed responsibility for 2.5 million deaths, the rest caused by “starvation and disease.”)

Christian Freidel plays Hoess as a dutiful Nazi, a company man who is pleased with his advancement – the undetected monster in our midst. Sandra Huller, who is having a moment with her other acclaimed performance in “Anatomy of a Fall,” Cannes Palme d’Or winner, portrays his complacent wife, Hedwig. She takes care of the children and runs the household with a desire for order.

In conversations with other wives, she is matter of fact. Her mother, Linna Hensel, played by Imogen Kogge, comes to live with them, and is impressed with their spacious digs and comfortable lifestyle, with servants at the ready and absconded goods delivered to them.

Their insensitivity and lack of empathy is revealed when interacting with others. The women guests covet what’s been pilfered from those rounded up and imprisoned or killed.

Glazer loosely adapted Martin Amis’ 2014 novel but he used real, not fictional, characters as his framework. He has constructed this historical drama to disturb because of what you don’t see and can only imagine based on details we know now.

The idyllic yard, featuring a pool and a garden, is separated by a large concrete fence, but you can hear occasional screams, gunshots, and the incinerator’s fire from a distance, and see ash floating from the crematorium.

The technical audio-visual elements, particularly the sharp editing by Paul Watts, effective sound design by Johnnie Burn and ominous music score by Mica Levi are disquieting in a slow-burn way, building on the dichotomy of the situation.

Glazer, known for “Sexy Beast” starring Ben Kingsley and “Under the Skin” starring Scarlett Johansson, has put a distinctive stamp on this cautionary tale. The end scene is one of the most powerful images in a 2023 film.

Although the film doesn’t add the real details of what happened to Hoess after Germany lost the war, it indicates that he knew their lives were doomed. Convicted of his war crimes against humanity, he was hanged at age 45 in 1947 – at Auschwitz.

“The Zone of Interest,” in subtitles, is an unforgettable work that speaks volumes by what it doesn’t say in its 1 hour, 45-minutes runtime. It is the United Kingdom’s official entry into the Academy Awards’ international feature category and was recently nominated for five Oscars. It won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival.

This one will linger because it unnerves, reminding us of how quickly freedoms can be taken away and how evil flourishes when people are systematically dehumanized.

“The Zone of Interest” is a 2023 historical drama written and directed by Jonathan Glazer. It stars Christian Friedel, Sandra Huller, Imogen Kogge and Max Beck. An international feature, it is in German and has English subtitles. Rated PG-13 for thematic material, some suggestive material and smoking, the film runs 1 hour, 45 minutes. It opens in St. Louis area theaters on Jan. 26. Lynn’s Grade: A.

Powerful Ensemble Refreshes Equality Struggles with Urgency in ‘Hold On!’

Powerful Ensemble Refreshes Equality Struggles with Urgency in ‘Hold On!’

By Lynn Venhaus

The movement is a rhythm to us
Freedom is like religion to us
Justice is juxtapositionin’ us
Justice for all just ain’t specific enough

–“Glory” by Common and John Legend
2015 Oscar winner for Best Song, from the movie “Selma”

A remarkable history lesson more so than a lecture, “Hold On!” features a powerhouse ensemble recreating a pivotal period in 1965 that was a clarion call then and eerily an alarm bell now.

The Black Rep honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy with the timing of opening weekend to coincide with the federal holiday marking his Jan. 15 birthday, which has taken place on the third Monday of January every year since 1983.

King, the most prominent advocate for nonviolent activism to protest racial discrimination, helped get the Voting Rights Act signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on Aug. 6, 1965, after convincing the president a year earlier to sign the landmark Civil Rights Act (July 2, 1964), the same year he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (Dec. 2, 1964).

Their fascinating relationship was at times contentious but also collaborative, and those power battles royale are embodied by Enoch King as resolute MLK and Brian Dykstra as salty LBJ.

Dykstra easily slips into playing the master politician Johnson, for he has appeared twice before in the role – but in the drama “All the Way” that was produced at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis in fall 2015, which focuses on the civil rights endeavors in ’64, and as Brian Cox’s understudy in “The Great Society,” playwright Robert Schenkkan’s sequel, on Broadway in 2019

King is tenacious as the motivational visionary, remaining idealistic about moving people to action in divisive times. Both King and Johnson knew they couldn’t advance anything alone but needed supporters to be fervent about progress. The good reverend is a shrewd strategist in getting what he wants with the President, whose legendary battles with the “Dixiecrats” are well-documented.

While both were certainly flawed individuals, they were able to come together and change the course of America, pushing to outlaw discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin.

On March 15, 1965, LBJ delivered a speech before Congress on voting rights — stating that the civil rights problems challenged the entire country, not one region. He asked for legislation that dictated clear, uniform guidelines for voting regardless of race or ethnicity, which would allow all citizens to register to vote free from harassment.

Through a turbulent lens, this sobering play looks back when blacks were being murdered in the South, just for daring to register to vote, use their voice to speak up and stand up, and the killers were not punished. These incidents still pack a gut-punch, and this drama, thriller-like, illuminates gathering storms, and as history prompts us, we must be vigilant.

In 1965, Selma represented the epicenter, and in Alabama, the struggle for justice and equality escalated. This well-researched historical work by Paul Webb depicts the drive for voting rights that resulted in the March 7 “Bloody Sunday” where protesters were beaten at the Edmund Pettus Bridge trying to march to Montgomery, the state capital.

Two weeks later, King, James Forman and John Lewis led marchers on that landmark trail after a U.S. District judge upheld the rights of demonstrators.

Webb, a British playwright and screenwriter who is credited with the screenplay for the 2014 film “Selma,” first began the project as a play, then moved forward instead with the film, but in the years since, has revised and finished his play. The Black Rep is the first company to produce it.

The Civil Rights Movement was a long and winding road, starting in 1954 and ending in 1968. Webb, fascinated by the motives of both Johnson and King during the 1964-65 period, has formatted the play as a series of vignettes, with 21 scenes, carried out by a cast of 14.

Ambitious, yes, and director Ron Himes deftly moves along characters and action, focusing on the urgency.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

This true story has a lot of moving parts to convey onstage, establishing characters who figure prominently in the tumultuous days highlighted. Scenes are mostly divided between Selma, Atlanta (King’s residence), Brown Chapel and Washington D.C., where Dunsi Dai’s evocative scenic design includes the Oval Office as a focal point, and Meg Brinkley’s prop design conveys.

Because of the nature of a stage play, the action offstage is chronicled through news clippings and video reports, which projections designer Zach Cohn has astutely put together.

The play is dense at first, takes a while to gain momentum, but when it does, it’s riveting and empowering.

Those unfamiliar with this period may need a primer to know who the key players are. People alive then or who remember it from the history books may recall who Alabama Gov. George Wallace and Dallas County Sheriff Jim Clark are, both masterfully played as hot-headed intolerant bigots by Eric Dean White.

The segregationists were firmly entrenched in the power grid during the Jim Crow era, and the selective timeline deepens the storytelling,

Making an impression as racist Al Lingo of the Alabama Highway Patrol and heroic activists Jimmie Lee Jackson and Annie Lee Cooper are Jeff Cummings, Jason Little and Tamara Thomas, who also play another role each.

Little and Thomas are strong in their characterizations of ordinary citizens who represent how despicably treated minorities were – and you’ll remember those names.

Isaiah Di Lorenzo smoothly plays a cruel county courthouse registrar and a redneck state trooper in addition to presidential speech writer Richard N. Goodwin. Thomas Patrick Riley tackles three unflattering roles – the ignorant courthouse worker Leverne, and an unenlightened deputy and state trooper. Tammie Holland is posh as King’s fling Della.

Other dedicated performers resemble the real people of King’s inner circle so we don’t forget their contributions:  Greg Carr Sr. as Ralph Abernathy, Olajuwon Davis as James Foreman, Greg Carr II as (future Congressman) John Lewis, Joel Antony as Hosiah Williams and Little doubling as Andrew Young (future Congressman, US Ambassador to the United Nations and Atlanta mayor).

These characters earned a place in history but perhaps are unknown to subsequent generations. (And if history is being rewritten in certain school districts…I digress).

Evann DeBose

For the play version, Webb laudably expanded the role of Coretta Scott King, and Evann DeBose is radiant –and assertive — as a woman working alongside her famous husband on the same goals, a strong force who won’t be diminished or treated callously.

Musically inclined, Coretta is shown singing and playing the piano (kudos to pianist Antonio Foster). DeBose’s soulful and heartfelt renditions of songs associated with the movement — Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” from 1964 and “Keep Your Eyes on the Prize,” a folk song referencing Biblical passages, also known as “Hold On,” popularized in 1963, remain indelible. The rallying anthem “We Shall Overcome” had to be prominently featured and it is.

One of the highlights of this production is sound designer Lamar Harris’ original music score. His compositions vividly capture the moods and punctuate the action in a notable way.

Some of the horrifying attacks are choreographed movements to represent the explosive violence and shrouded in blue lighting by expert designer Sean M. Savoie. Annie Lee Cooper’s front-page-news punch to the sheriff is well-staged for optimum effect.

Costume designer Marc W. Vital II has put together appropriate vintage looks for the women and standard business attire for the men. Special recognition goes to stage manager Tracy D. Holliway Wiggins and assistant Alan Phillips for maintaining the flow of all the comings and goings, no easy feat.

It’s important to keep this story at the forefront today because of its relevancy to equal rights.

The shock of brutal attacks with prejudice and without accountability reminds us that we are again living in tense times and protections are not absolute. As far as we have come in 59 years, scary to even think suppression is happening again.

It’s difficult to wrap one’s head around that more than 60 years ago, people died for the right to vote, and as I write this, voting rights are being threatened. However, a movement is underway supporting the Freedom to Vote Act of 2021 and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2023, which would modernize and revitalize the 1965 Voting Rights Act, strengthening legal protections against discriminatory voting policies and practices. Maybe “Hold On!” will be a timely nudge in the right direction.

“Hold On!” is a fine example of people keeping their eye on the prize, illustrating how many marched away from the darkness and into the light because of King’s special skills, and those he passed the torch to during his lifetime and beyond. It’s a refresher course on Selma not being a bridge too far.

Facin’ the league of justice, his power was the people
Enemy is lethal, a king became regal
Saw the face of Jim Crow under a bald eagle
The biggest weapon is to stay peaceful
We sing, our music is the cuts that we bleed through
Somewhere in the dream we had an epiphany
Now we right the wrongs in history
No one can win the war individually
It takes the wisdom of the elders and young people’s energy
One day when the glory comes

–“Glory”

The Black Rep presents the world premiere of “Hold On!” Jan. 10-Jan. 28 with performances Wednesday-Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday-Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Performances take place Jan. 10-28. Tickets are $50, or $45 for seniors and $20 for students (17+), with student rush tickets $15. No one aged 5 and under is admitted. Season 47 subscriptions are available. Tickets can be purchased at the Edison Theatre box office; the Black Rep’s box office, 813 N. Skinker Blvd.; or by calling 314-534-3810. For more information, visit: www.theblackrep.org

Cinema St. Louis is pleased to partner with the St. Louis Black Repertory Company for a special screening of the film, “Selma,” on Saturday, Jan. 20, at the Hi-Pointe Theatre at 1 pm. General Admission Tickets are $10, and a discounted ticket of $8 is available for current students and senior citizens aged 55+.” Visit site for tickets: https://www.cinemastlouis.org/selma-screening-black-rep

‘Oppenheimer’ Wins 8, with 4 for ‘The Bear’ and ‘Beef’ at CCA Awards

‘Oppenheimer’ Wins 8, with 4 for ‘The Bear’ and ‘Beef’ at CCA Awards

The Critics Choice Association (CCA) announced the winners of the 29th annual Critics Choice Awards live on The CW. Hosted by Chelsea Handler, the star-studded gala was held at The Barker Hangar in Los Angeles. 

“Oppenheimer” led the winners in the film categories, earning eight awards including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for Robert Downey Jr., Best Acting Ensemble, Best Director for Christopher Nolan, Best Cinematography for Hoyte van Hoytema, Best Editing for Jennifer Lame, Best Visual Effects, and Best Score for Ludwig Göransson.

In the series categories, “The Bear” and “Beef” each took home four trophies, while “Succession” earned three. “The Bear” won Best Comedy Series, Best Actor in a Comedy Series for Jeremy Allen White, Best Actress in a Comedy Series for Ayo Edebiri, and Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for Ebon Moss-Bachrach. “Beef” won for Best Limited Series, Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television for Steven Yeun, Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television for Ali Wong, and Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television for Maria Bello. “Succession” won Best Drama Series, Best Actor in a Drama Series for Kieran Culkin, and Best Actress in a Drama Series for Sarah Snook.

James Mangold presented the Career Achievement Award to Harrison Ford in a very special highlight of the evening, while Margot Robbie presented this year’s SeeHer Award to America Ferrera. The SeeHer Award honors a woman who advocates for gender equality, portrays characters with authenticity, defies stereotypes and pushes boundaries.

The 29th annual Critics Choice Awards show was executive-produced by Bob Bain Productions and Berlin Entertainment. The Critics Choice Awards are represented by Dan Black at Greenberg Traurig, LLP. 

Sponsors of the Awards included Verizon, Delta Air Lines, FIJI Water, Cold Stone Creamery, Milagro Tequila, Champagne Collet, d’Arenberg and Maison L’Envoyé wines.

Follow the 29th annual Critics Choice Awards on Twitter and Instagram @CriticsChoice and on Facebook/CriticsChoiceAwards. Join the conversation using #CriticsChoiceAwards.

INNERS OF THE 29TH ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS

FILM CATEGORIES 

BEST PICTURE
Oppenheimer (Universal) 

BEST ACTOR
Paul Giamatti – The Holdovers (Focus) 

BEST ACTRESS
Emma Stone – Poor Things (Searchlight) 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Robert Downey Jr. – Oppenheimer (Universal) 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Da’Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers (Focus) 

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Dominic Sessa – The Holdovers (Focus) 

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
Oppenheimer (Universal) 

BEST DIRECTOR
Christopher Nolan – Oppenheimer (Universal) 

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach – Barbie (WB) 

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Cord Jefferson – American Fiction (Amazon)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Hoyte van Hoytema – Oppenheimer (Universal) 

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer – Barbie (WB) 

BEST EDITING
Jennifer Lame – Oppenheimer (Universal) 

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Jacqueline Durran – Barbie (WB) 

BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP
Barbie (WB) 

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Oppenheimer (Universal) 

BEST COMEDY
Barbie (WB) 

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony)

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Anatomy of a Fall (Neon)

BEST SONG
“I’m Just Ken” – Barbie (WB) 

BEST SCORE
Ludwig Göransson – Oppenheimer (Universal) 

SERIES CATEGORIES 

BEST DRAMA SERIES
Succession (HBO | Max) 

BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Kieran Culkin – Succession (HBO | Max) 

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Sarah Snook – Succession (HBO | Max) 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Billy Crudup – The Morning Show (Apple TV+)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Elizabeth Debicki – The Crown (Netflix)

BEST COMEDY SERIES
The Bear (FX) 

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Jeremy Allen White – The Bear (FX) 

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Ayo Edebiri – The Bear (FX) 


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Ebon Moss-Bachrach – The Bear (FX) 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Meryl Streep – Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)

BEST LIMITED SERIES
Beef (Netflix) 

BEST MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Quiz Lady (Hulu) 

BEST ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Steven Yeun – Beef (Netflix) 

BEST ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Ali Wong – Beef (Netflix) 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Jonathan Bailey – Fellow Travelers (Showtime)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Maria Bello – Beef (FX) 

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE SERIES
Lupin (Netflix) 

BEST ANIMATED SERIES
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (Netflix) 

BEST TALK SHOW
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO | Max) 

BEST COMEDY SPECIAL
John Mulaney: Baby J (Netflix)

ABOUT THE CRITICS CHOICE ASSOCIATION (CCA)

The Critics Choice Association is the largest critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 600 media critics and entertainment journalists. It was established in 2019 with the formal merger of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association, recognizing the intersection between film, television, and streaming content. For more information, visit:

www.CriticsChoice.com.

Kimmie Kidd-Booker, Chris Moore to Emcee AFL’s Trivia Night Jan. 27

Kimmie Kidd-Booker, Chris Moore to Emcee AFL’s Trivia Night Jan. 27

Award-winning local performers Kimmie Kidd-Booker and Chris Moore will be the emcees for Arts For Life’s annual Trivia Night on Saturday, Jan. 27. Tables are still available.

The event will take place at the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 S. Geyer Road, St. Louis, with doors open at 6:30 p.m. and 10 rounds of general-knowledge questions to begin at 7 p.m.

Cash prizes will be awarded to first and second place teams. There will be a 50/50 raffle, silent auction, mulligans available, and a costume contest.

This year’s theme is Ticket to Paris, as the city will host the Summer Olympics, mark the 135th anniversary of the Eiffel Tower and the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Feel free to dress up as any French character in entertainment or real life. Vive la France!

Nominations will be announced for the annual Theatre Mask Awards (plays) and Best Performance Awards (musicals) honoring excellence in community theater and youth productions during 2023.

“Don’t miss the most fun time in metropolitan St. Louis’ community theater!” said AFL President Mary McCreight.

Tables of 8 players are available, at $160 per table. Soft drinks are provided. To make a reservation, visit https://arts-for-life-2.square.site/ or www.artsforlife.org. You can also email: [email protected] for more information. Mulligans will be available, at 5 for $10 or 10 for $20.

For the past 24 years, AFL has honored musical theater with the Best Performance Awards and introduced the Theatre Mask Awards to honor comedy and drama productions in 2015.

This year’s TMA ceremony will take place on Saturday, April 20, at the Royale Orleans in South County and the Best Performance Awards will be held on Sunday, June 30, in the Keating Theatre at Kirkwood High School. More information will be forthcoming.

“These events recognize the incredible talent we have in St. Louis community theater and honor the passion and dedication of those who build this amazing and unique theatrical community,” McCreight said.

Chris Moore

Arts For Life is a local not-for-profit arts organization dedicated to the healing power of the arts through its work with youth, the underserved and the community, with its goal of “Making a Dramatic Difference.”

AFL is dedicated to promoting public awareness of local community theatre, encouraging excellence in the arts, and acknowledging the incredible people who are a part of it.

For more information, email [email protected]. or visit the website.

‘Hamilton’ Returning to the Fox This Summer

‘Hamilton’ Returning to the Fox This Summer

The national tour of the Broadway musical HAMILTON will return to the Fabulous Fox Theatre as part of the 2024-2025 Broadway season, as announced Jan. 11 in celebration of Alexander Hamilton’s birthday by producer Jeffrey Seller and the Fabulous Fox Theatre.

The best way to guarantee tickets to HAMILTON is to purchase a season subscription for the Fabulous Fox Theatre’s 2024-2025 Broadway season. Season ticket holders who renew their subscription for the 2024-2025 season will get priority access to purchase tickets for the return engagement of HAMILTON before tickets become available to the general public. The 2024-2025 Broadway season will be announced at a later date.

HAMILTON will be playing the Fabulous Fox Theatre for two weeks only August 28 – September 8, 2024. Information on how to purchase groups and single tickets will be announced at a later time. 

A revolutionary story of passion, unstoppable ambition, and the dawn of a new nation. HAMILTON is the epic saga that follows the rise of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton as he fights for honor, love, and a legacy that would shape the course of a nation.

Based on Ron Chernow’s acclaimed biography and set to a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and Broadway, HAMILTON has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education. In addition to its 11 Tony Awards, it has won Grammy®, Olivier Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and an unprecedented special citation from the Kennedy Center Honors.

HAMILTON features book, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire.

HAMILTON features scenic design by David Korins, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Nevin Steinberg, hair and wig design by Charles G. LaPointe, and casting by Telsey + Company, Bethany Knox, CSA.

The musical is produced by Jeffrey Seller, Sander Jacobs, Jill Furman and The Public Theater.

The HAMILTON Original Broadway Cast Recording is available everywhere nationwide. 

For information on HAMILTON, visit: HamiltonMusical.com. Follow HAMILTON on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X & TikTok @HamiltonMusical.

Lynn’s Best Films of 2023

Lynn’s Best Films of 2023

By Lynn Venhaus

I admit it. I was skeptical of the whole ‘Barbenheimer” match-up that same week in July. But you know what? It worked — the two biggest movies of the year, and two of the most critically acclaimed. They couldn’t have been more different, and they dominated the film conversation.
They’re my one-two punch. Eight of my Top Ten received Academy Award nominations for Best Picture.
I was not on the bandwagon for “Poor Things,” or “Killers of the Flower Moon” (but yet I acknowledge the technical prowess, and Lily Gladstone was robbed).
As part of the team at Webster-Kirkwood Times, we publish our Top Ten in alphabetical order, then on KTRS Radio, I only did my Top Ten, but here, I get to give as many films and people I want to a trophy, a shout-out. It’s my list, so without further ado, here’s my favorites. (And I really did see about 150 films.)

1. Oppenheimer

Director Christopher Nolan’s erudite character study on American theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer is a stunning achievement in sight, sound, story, and scope. A big-brained biopic, meticulously crafted like a big-stakes psychological thriller, is bold cinematic grandeur, featuring the year’s best ensemble, cinematography, editing, sound, and tremendous performance by Cillian Murphy in the titular role. He’s nearly on screen the entire time.

2. Barbie

Director and co-writer Greta Gerwig crafted an irresistible female-fantastic self-aware fantasy-comedy that brims with great gags, first-rate actors (Kenergy!), and vibrant visuals. Gerwig and co-writer Noah Baumbach’s toy story takes a closer look at a fashion doll icon in a clever and inventive way, and says so much about us through a splendid cast. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling anchor one of the year’s best ensembles: America Ferrera , Kate McKinnon and Michael Cera add flavor, and the bevy of cameos evoke big grins.

3. The Holdovers

Tapping into the anger and loneliness of people who find themselves alone at a New England boarding school during Christmas 1970, director Alexander Payne coaxes terrific performances from Paul Giamatti as a misanthrope teacher, Da’Vine Joy Randolph as a grieving cook, and newcomer Dominic Sessa as a student abandoned by his mother and new husband. Screenwriter David Hemingson’s comedy-drama resonates in a rich and deeply satisfying way. 

4. Past Lives

A trio of pitch-perfect performances mark Celine Song’s directorial debut on how people we love shape our lives, and what we learn and still carry with us. Greta Lee, Teo Yoo and John Magaro are adults at a crossroads, and express yearning, but from distinctive viewpoints. Song’s script brings up relatable issues to ponder, especially “In-Yun,” the ties of fate that connect two people across lifetimes.

5. Anatomy of a Fall

Justine Triet’s Hitchcockian examination of a mysterious death and a troubled marriage is a riveting crime case, courtroom thriller and family drama that shifts lenses and perspectives for nearly 2 hours and 31 minutes. Set in the French Alps, Sandra Huller is riveting as the accused wife, whom you are not always sympathetic with, and Milo Machado-Graner is sensational as her 11-year old son.

6. The Zone of Interest

Constructed in such a way as to be more disturbing about what you don’t see and can only imagine based on historical accuracy. Director Jonathan Glazer focuses on the mundane daily life of Nazi mastermind Rudolph Hoess (Christian Freidel) and his family for an unsettling look at the past and a chilling cautionary tale for today. The Hoesses live next door to Auschwitz in their dream home while he is the head commander of the concentration camp. How the Germans normalized the atrocities is haunting.

7. Maestro

Career-best performances from Bradley Cooper as America’s first superstar conductor Leonard Bernstein and Carey Mulligan as his wife, actress Felicia Montealegre, in an intricate portrait of life, art and love. They throw themselves into these roles with a heartfelt and powerful intensity. It’s an uncommon but charismatic exploration, and this passion project has stunning camera work, costumes, production design, sound, hair/makeup and one of the year’s finest scenes: Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 in the Ely Cathedral. 

8. American Fiction

A scathing social satire about the current cultural obsession about reducing people to stereotypes is manifested in a remarkable directorial debut by Cord Jefferson. Jeffrey Wright is outstanding as a frustrated novelist-professor who uses offensive tropes in a book written with a pen name and that not only gives him the praise that had eluded him but also enlarges the hypocrisy involved. The sharp jabs against the publishing world and Hollywood entertainment that perpetuates tired cliches delivers some knockout punches, but there is a universal family dynamic as a major part of the journey too that emotionally connects.

9. Air

An exceptional all-star ensemble and Alex Convery’s savvy script with a keen sense of time and place makes this a fascinating underdog story. The tightly-constructed film, based on the game-changing story of Nike landing Michael Jordan, gives the real people their due for their efforts in a sturdy crowd-pleaser deftly helmed by Ben Affleck.

10. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret

In her adaptation of the iconic young adult novel, writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig doesn’t hit a false note. With unforced wit and oodles of charm, this empathetic coming-of-age story resonates with every little detail. Abby Ryder Fortson delivers the year’s best juvenile performance.

The Rest of the Best of 2023:
All of Us Strangers
American Symphony
Boston Strangler
The Color Purple
Dream Scenario
Dumb Money
Godzilla Minus One
Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant
The Iron Claw
John Wick Chapter 4
The Last Repair Shop
May December
A Million Miles Away
Nyad
Origin
Perfect Days
Society of the Snow
Still: A Michael J Fox Movie
The Teachers’ Lounge
Tetris

Best Performances by an Actor

  1. Cillian Murphy “Oppenheimer”
  2. Bradley Cooper “Maestro”
  3. Paul Giamatti “The Holdovers”
  4. Jeffrey Wright “American Fiction”
  5. Colman Domingo “Rustin”
  6. Andrew Scott “All of Us Strangers”
  7. Teo Yoo “Past Lives”
  8. Koji Yakusho “Perfect Days”
  9. Paul Dano “Dumb Money”
  10. Nicolas Cage “Dream Scenario”

(Matt Damon “Air,” Christian Friedel “The Zone of Interest,” Jamie Foxx “The Burial,” Gael Garcia-Bernal in “Cassandro,” and Zac Efron “The Iron Claw” honorable mention)

Best Performances by an Actress

  1. Lily Gladstone – “Killers of the Flower Moon”
  2. Carey Mulligan – “Maestro”
  3. Margot Robbie – “Barbie”
  4. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor – “Origin”
  5. Sandra Huller – “Anatomy of a Fall”
  6. Greta Lee – “Past Lives”
  7. Natalie Portman – “May December”
  8. Annette Bening – “Nyad”
  9. Leonie Benesch “The Teachers’ Lounge”
  10. Teyana Taylor “A Thousand and One”

(Alma Poysti “Fallen Leaves,” Cailee Spaeny “Priscilla,” Michelle Williams “Showing Up,” Laurie Metcalf “Somewhere in Queens” honorable mention)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

  1. Ryan Gosling “Barbie”
  2. Robert Downey Jr. “Oppenheimer”
  3. Charles Melton “May December”
  4. Robert DeNiro “Killers of the Flower Moon”
  5. Dominic Sessa “The Holdovers”
  6. Glenn Howerton “BlackBerry”
  7. Paul Mescal “All of Us Strangers”
  8. Jamie Bell “All of Us Strangers”
  9. Dar Salim “Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant”
  10. John Magaro “Past Lives”

(Sterling K. Brown “American Fiction,” Eddie Marsan “Fair Play,” Jon Bernthal “Origin,” Hugh Grant “Wonka,” Matt Damon “Oppenheimer,” Jacob Elordi “Saltburn” and Sebastian Stan “Dumb Money” honorable mention)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

  1. Da’Vine Joy Randolph “The Holdovers”
  2. Danielle Brooks “The Color Purple”
  3. Jodie Foster “Nyad”
  4. Viola Davis “Air”
  5. Rachel McAdams “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret”
  6. Sandra Huller “The Zone of Interest”
  7. America Ferrara “Barbie”
  8. Emily Blunt “Oppenheimer”
  9. Julianne Moore “May December”
  10. Claire Foy “All of Us Strangers”

(Juliette Binoche “The Taste of Things,” Rosamund Pike “Saltburn,” Erika Alexander “American Fiction,” Cara Jade Myers “Killers of the Flower Moon” honorable mention)

BEST DIRECTOR

  1. Christopher Nolan “Oppenheimer”
  2. Greta Gerwig “Barbie”
  3. Justine Triet “Anatomy of a Fall”
  4. Jonathan Glazer “The Zone of Interest”
  5. Chad Stahelski “John Wick Chapter 4”
  6. Cord Jefferson “American Fiction”
  7. Alexander Payne “The Holdovers”
  8. Celine Song “Past Lives”
  9. Andrew Haigh “All of Us Strangers”
  10. Takashi Yamazaki “Godzilla Minus One”

(J.A. Bayona “Society of the Snow,” Ben Affleck “Air,” Kelly Fremon Craig “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret,” Bradley Cooper “Maestro,” Sean Durkin “The Iron Claw” and Davis Guggenheim “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie”)

ENSEMBLE

  1. Oppenheimer
  2. Barbie
  3. Air
  4. The Holdovers
  5. The Iron Claw
  6. The Color Purple
  7. Rustin
  8. All of Us Strangers
  9. Origin
  10. American Fiction

SCREENPLAY – ORIGINAL

  1. Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach “Barbie”
  2. David Heminson “The Holdovers”
  3. Justine Triet and Arthur Harari “Anatomy of a Fall”
  4. Celine Song “Past Lives”
  5. Alex Convery “Air”
  6. Kristoffer Borgli “Dream Scenario”
  7. Nicole Holofcener “You Hurt My Feelings”
  8. Samy Burch, Alex Mechanik “May December”
  9. İlker Çatak, Johannes Duncker “The Teachers’ Lounge”
  10. Bettina Gilois, Hernán Jiménez, Alejandra Márquez Abella “A Million Miles Away”
  11. Ray Romano, Mark Stegemann “Somewhere in Queens”

SCREENPLAY – ADAPTED

  1. Christopher Nolan “Oppenheimer” (based on the book “American Prometheus” by Kai Bird, Martin J. Sherwin)
  2. Cord Jefferson “American Fiction” (based on the book “Erasure” by Percival Everett
  3. Andrew Haigh “All of Us Strangers” (based on the Taichi Yamada novel)
  4. Jonathan Glazer “The Zone of Interest” (based on the Martin Amis novel)
  5. Kelly Fremon Craig “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” (based on the book by Judy Blume)
  6. “Dumb Money” Rebecca Angelo, Lauren Schuker Blum (based on the book by Ben Mezrich)

CINEMATOGRAPHY

1. Hoyte de Hoytema “Oppenheimer”
2. Rodrigo Prieto “Killers of the Flower Moon”
3. Matthew Libatique “Maestro”
4. Jonathan Ricquebourg “The Taste of Things”
5. Rodrigo Prieto “Barbie”
6. Erik Messerschmidt “The Killer”
7. Claude Mirando “Nyad”
8. Jamie D. Ramsay “All of Us Strangers”
9. Simon Beaufils “Anatomy of a Fall”
10. Dan Laustsen “John Wick Chapter 4”

(Pedro Luque “Society of the Snow.” Haris Zambarloukos “A Haunting in Venice,” Linus Sandgren “Saltburn” honorable mention)

BEST EDITING

  1. Oppenheimer, Jennifer Lame
  2. The Killer, Kirk Baxter
  3. Anatomy of a Fall, Haris Zambarloukos
  4. The Zone of Interest, Paul Watts
  5. John Wick: Chapter 4
  6. Still a Michael J. Fox Movie
  7. Barbie, Nick Houy
  8. American Fiction, Hilda Rasula
  9. The Iron Claw, Matthew Hannam
  10. The Holdovers, Kevin Tent
  11. John Wick Chapter 4, Nathan Orloff
  12. Missing, Austin Keeling, Arielle Zakowski
(L to R) Jake Ryan, Jason Schwartzman and Tom Hanks in director Wes Anderson’s ASTEROID CITY, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features

PRODUCTION DESIGN

1.Asteroid City, Adam Stockhausen
2. Barbie, Sarah Greenwood
3. Wonka, Nathan Crowley
4. The Holdovers, Ryan Smith
5. Maestro, Kevin Thompson
6. Taste of Things, Toma Baqueni
8. Priscilla, Tamara Deverell
9. Oppenheimer, Ruth De Jong
10. Killers of the Flower Moon, Jack Fisk
(Suzie Davies “Saltburn,” John Paul Kelly “A Haunting in Venice,” Arthur Max “Napoleon,” François Audouy “Air,” Steve Saklad “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” and Shona Heath, James Price “Poor Things”)

COSTUME DESIGN

1. Barbie
2. The Color Purple
3. Maestro
4. Killers of the Flower Moon
5. Priscilla
6. Are You There, God? It’s Me Margaret”
7. Oppenheimer
8. Napoleon

MUSIC SCORE

1. Oppenheimer
2. The Boy and the Heron
3. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Daniel Pemberton
4. The Holdovers
5. American Symphony, Jon Batiste
6. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, John Williams
7. A Haunting in Venice

MUSIC SOUNDTRACK

1. Barbie
2. Air
3. Maestro
4. The Holdovers
5. Flora and Son
6. Dumb Money
7. Wonka

VISUAL EFFECTS

  1. Oppenheimer
    2. Godzilla Minus One
    3. John Wick: Chapter 4
    4. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
    5. Society of the Snow
    6. Wonka
    7. Guardians of the Galaxy

STUNT TEAM

1. John Wick Chapter 4
2. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
3. The Iron Claw
4. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny   

ANIMATED FEATURE

1.The Boy and the Heron
2. Nimona
3. The Peasants
4. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
5. Robot Dreams
6. Elemental
7. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
8. Ernest and Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia
9. They Shot the Piano Player
10. Leo

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

  1. Still A Michael J. Fox Movie
    2. American Symphony
    3. Beyond Utopia
    4. 20 Days in Mariupol
    5. It Ain’t Over
    6. The Lady Bird Diaries
    7. King Coal
    8. Stamped from the Beginning
    9. Aurora Sunrise
    10. Bad Press

    (The Eternal Memory, Little Richard: I Am Everything, Immediate Family, The Disappearance of Shere Hite, Chasing Chasing Amy, Sly)

COMEDY

1. Barbie
2. Dream Scenario
3. The Holdovers
4. Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret
5. They Cloned Tyrone
6. What’s Love Got to Do With It?
7. Dumb Money
8. You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah
9. Theater Camp
10,. Quiz Lady
10. Shotgun Wedding

ACTION

  1. John Wick Chapter 4
    2. Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Part One
    3. Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant
    4. Godzilla Minus One
    5. The Killer
    6. The Equalizer Part 3
    7. Gran Turismo

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE

1. The Zone of Interest
2. Anatomy of a Fall
3. The Teachers’ Lounge
4. Society of the Snow
5. Perfect Days
6. Afire
7. The Peasants
8. Godzilla Minus One
9. Fallen Leaves
10. The Taste of Things

BEST SCENE

1.America Ferrara’s monologue on the impossible standards set for women in “Barbie”
2. Bernstein Conducting Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection” in the Ely Cathedral in “Maestro”
3. Observers commenting on trio at the bar in “Past Lives”
4. Trinity test in “Oppenheimer”
5. Staircase fight in Paris in “John Wick Chapter 4”
6. Fight replay at the trial in “Anatomy of a Fall”
7. Tilda Swinton restaurant scene in “The Killer”
8. Joe talking to his son on the roof in “May December”
9. Finale in “The Zone of Interest”
10. Matt Damon predicts the future in “Air”

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

  1. The Last Repair Shop
  2. The ABC’s of Book Banning
  3. Deciding Vote
  4. The Barber of Little Rock 

BEST JUVENILE PERFORMANCES

  1. Dominic Sessa, “The Holdovers”
  2. Abby Ryder Fortson, “Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret”
  3. Milo Machada Graner, “Anatomy of a Fall”
  4. Josiah Cross, “A Thousand and One”
  5. Aaron Kingsley Adetola, “A Thousand and One”
  6. Aven Courtney, “A Thousand and One”
  7. Arianna Greenblatt, “Barbie”
  8. Leo Stettnisch, “Teachers’ Lounge”
  9. Callah Lane, “Wonka”
  10. Oren Kinlan, “Flora and Son”

Sharp Social Satire Lands Knockout Punches in ‘American Fiction’

Sharp Social Satire Lands Knockout Punches in ‘American Fiction’

By Lynn Venhaus

A scathing social satire about the current cultural obsession that reduces people to stereotypes is manifested in “American Fiction,” which is a remarkable directorial debut by Cord Jefferson.

Monk (Jeffrey Wright) is a frustrated novelist who is fed up with people profiting from ‘black’ entertainment that relies on offensive tropes. So, to prove his point, he uses a pen name to write an outlandish ‘black’ book of his own, which propels him to the heart of hypocrisy and the madness he claims to disdain.

Jefferson, who has toiled on some tony television series – “Succession” and “Watchmen” included, has cleverly adapted Percival Everett’s 2001 book “Erasure,” which criticizes the narrow view of black-focused entertainment like Sapphire’s novel “Push,” which was adapted into the film “Precious,” as authentic.

His sharp jabs against the publishing world and Hollywood entertainment that perpetuates tired cliches delivers some knockout punches, but there is a universal family dynamic as a major part of the journey too that emotionally connects.

Jeffrey Wright gives one of his best performances as Thelonius “Monk” Ellison, angry and alienating, who decides to fight back – if you ‘can’t beat them, join them’ – and dumbs down his writing in a book “My Pafology,” as Stagg R Leigh, an ex-con who’s on the run.

That not only gives him the praise that had eluded him but also enlarges the hypocrisy involved. As he tells his publisher, Arthur, nicely played by ace character actor John Ortiz: “The dumber I behave, the richer I get.”

In puncturing the stereotypes through thoughtfully written characters that are part of Monk’s personal orbit, Jefferson gives us a generational story that everyone can relate to because they appear as real people just trying to figure out life.

The supporting cast is exceptionally deep – creating nuanced turns are Sterling K. Brown as Monk’s irresponsible brother Cliff who has now come out as queer, Tracee Ellis Ross as his stressed-out lawyer sister Lisa and Leslie Uggams as their mother Agnes, who is beginning to show signs of dementia.

Tracee Ellis Ross, Leslie Uggams

Lisa has been taking care of their mom, and Monk’s other siblings are harboring resentment about his lack of commitment to his family. Granted, he is in L.A., but now back in Massachusetts, where he’s staying at his childhood home, full of memories and triggers. This is a family of intellectuals whose lives are enriched through art and culture.

Erika Anderson creates another layer as a single woman lawyer romantically interested in Monk, but whose eyes are wide-open to his flaws.

Through his uneasy relationships with his family, we understand that Monk, often self-righteous and condescending, needs to change and could be ripe for a reckoning.

Issa Rae is buzzy author Sintara Golden who pushes all of Monk’s buttons with her critical darling but pandering book, “We’s Lives In Da Ghetto,” that the public has embraced for what they believe is black suffering,

Jefferson’s script is smartly written, but there is a lot to digest over the 2-hour runtime. Besides the blistering social commentary, the family story has multiple layers. This cast really delivers the film’s heart as these imperfect individuals go through changes, not forgetting the past relationships while forging new ones.

In a sweet subplot, the family housekeeper, Lorraine, beautifully played by Myra Lucretia Taylor, reunites with the beach town’s law enforcement officer Maynard (Raymond Anthony Thomas).

Laura Karpman’s jazz-inflected score delicately punctuates the exchanges and confrontations, and the film’s other elements are solid — cinematography by Cristina Dunlap, production design by Jonathan Guggenheim and editing by Hilda Rasula.

The film’s message is not unlike what Spike Lee attempted in 2000 with “Bamboozled,” only instead of television, this is set in academia and book publishing in today’s ‘influencer’ world.

The wrap-up isn’t as satisfying as it should be, but this material is clever and the performances so superbly rendered. “American Fiction” has enough thought-provoking material to keep us mulling over the body of work, and appreciate what it’s trying to say.

F_01952_R Sterling K. Brown stars as Cliff Ellison, Jeffrey Wright as Thelonious “Monk” Ellison and Erika Alexander as Coraline in writer/director Cord Jefferson’s AMERICAN FICTION An Orion Pictures Release Photo credit: Claire Folger © 2023 Orion Releasing LLC. All Rights Reserved.

“American Fiction” is a 2023 social satire written and directed by Cord Jefferson. It stars Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown, John Ortiz, Adam Brody, Leslie Uggams, Myra Lucretia Taylor, Raymond Anthony Thomas and Erika Anderson. It is Rated: R for language throughout, some drug use, sexual references, and brief violence. It opened in local theaters Jan. 5 after first debuting at the St. Louis International Film Festival in mid-November. Lynn’s Grade: A-

Powerful ‘The Color Purple’ Soars As Soulful, Spirited Movie Musical

Powerful ‘The Color Purple’ Soars As Soulful, Spirited Movie Musical

By Lynn Venhaus

A strong sense of community, sisterhood and triumph over adversity runs through the big, splashy movie musical adaptation of “The Color Purple.”

What an inspiration Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize winning 1982 novel was 41 years ago, and its historic significance has not diminished. It told Celie’s powerful story through letters to her sister and children, which isn’t the easiest type of source material to adapt for film, nor are the horrors that she has endured. But a different presentation is a new way to see how one woman’s journey to self-realization resonates.

A determined Celie Harris (Fantasia Barrino) faces many hardships in life, but through the years, finds extraordinary strength and hope, and learns self-acceptance.

Purple symbolizes strength, transformation, power, wisdom, bravery, and all meanings can be applied in this version.

Celie’s tough path started in 1909 in rural Georgia. She’s a poor, black 14-year-old girl who has delivered two babies, impregnated by the man she thinks is her father. They are taken away from her. 

Against her will, she has been given to a widower Albert “Mister” Johnson, who emotionally and physically abuses her. She must serve him and his unruly children. As the heartless husband perpetuating a long cycle of suffering, Colman Domingo doesn’t soften the villainous aspects. However, after he is cursed, you do see a gradual change.

Celie’s endurance through deep-rooted cruelty and oppression is heart-tugging, and Barrino depicts her sorrows, love and indomitable spirit with courage and grace. 

Fantasia, an American Idol winner who performed the role for eight months on Broadway, portrays Celie’s faith as unwavering through tough times, and how she relied on her beloved sister Nettie (Halle Bailey) and her church to raise her up. Her kindness will eventually lead to good things.

Things change, through the people she meets, but she also changes people. The nurturing Celie meets the glamorous and sophisticated nightclub chanteuse Shug Avery, and they have a deep bond even though the singer has an ongoing affair with Mister and a marriage to Grady (Jon Batiste). Taraji P. Henson is a flamboyant and fiery Shug, and sashays admirably through “Push the Button,” In a role added for the movie, David Alan Grier plays her father, Rev. Avery.

One of Mister’s grown children, Harpo (Corey Hawkins) , marries Sofia, and Danielle Brooks is marvelous as the strong-willed free spirit, known for her independence and speaking her mind, with her phrase: “Hell, no!” even a song title that’s a showstopper. She cannot be ‘tamed,’ and her outspokenness will bring her harm. Brooks reprises her Broadway role and is the dynamo here.

As the story has evolved from book to movie to musical to movie musical, the familiar main points haven’t changed, although how much time is devoted to turning points has varied. 

For whatever reason a movie that had been smoothly running along feels rushed and haphazard in its last act, because of choppy storytelling and erratic pacing. But overall, director Blitz Bazawule makes the theatrical elements of a stage play cinematic.

Dan Lausten’s cinematography, Paul Denham Austerberry’s production design and Francine Jamison-Tanchuck’s costumes — 40 years of style — are vibrant components of the ultimately uplifting and very spiritual essence of this work.

The dynamic ensemble deeply feels their experiences, but the film finds its emotional center in the musical numbers. The score is an appealing mix of gospel, jazz, ragtime, blues, and African beats, with the Broadway songs by Brenda Russell, the late Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray that bring out the purpose, yearnings and period of these early 20th century lives. Sixteen songs are from the stage musical and there are several new ones: “Keep It Movin'” (written by Halle Bailey) and “Superpower.”

Mega-talented Kris Bowers composed the film’s score, and Fatima Robinson’s choreography is joyous.

Steven Spielberg directed the first adaptation – a moving 1985 film, which famously was nominated for 11 Oscars, but didn’t win any. Spielberg is among the producers of this version, so is Quincy Jones, who scored the original, and so is Oprah Winfrey, who was Oscar-nominated as Sofia.

Jones and Winfrey helped launch the 2005 musical on Broadway, which was revived in 2015, and this is a combination of the two. While this version, adapted by Marcus Gardley from Marsha Norman’s book, doesn’t shy away from Celie’s harsh life, its sisterhood focus sweetens the story. 

Over the course of several decades, what the women learn, how they grow and overcome obstacles will tug at our hearts, so that the mercy shown in the second act leads to triumph– and somewhat of a redemption for Mister.

The heart and soul of any version is Celie, and it’s no fluke that both actresses who played Celie on Broadway — LaChanze in the original 2005 production and Cynthia Erivo in the 2015 revival — won Tony Awards (Director John Doyle’s re-imagining also won the Tony Award for Best Revival). When Fantasia sings the powerhouse “I’m Here,” she puts an exclamation point on a sensational debut.

Yes, it’s gut-wrenching, but it’s also about healing, resilience, and the mighty power of love. Throughout our history, we have learned that we should never forget what’s happened before, those teachable moments that make us better people.

The ensemble is top-tier in every way. Singers Ciara and H.E.R. are elder Nettie and Squeak respectively, and Louis Gossett Jr. has a memorable turn as Ol’ Mister. Even the brief parts contribute a sense of faith, hope and charity that church communities share.

If you believe, as I do, that if you spread light and love in the world, and are a good person, then the universe responds in kind. That is ultimately why Celie’s story is relatable. She never gave up her belief in goodness, and finally realized her worth as a human being.

While musicals are a hard sell as movies these days, “The Color Purple” has enduring appeal for what it says and what it means. The cast makes this version shine, for they bring emotional truth to each role.

“The Color Purple” is a 2023 musical directed by Blitz Bazawule and starring Fantasia Barrino, Colman Domingo, Danielle Brooks, Corey Hawkins, Taraji P. Henson, Halle Bailey, Ciara, Jon Batiste, Gabriella Wilson (H.E.R.), Louis Gossett Jr., David Alan Grier. It is rated PG-13 for mature thematic content, sexual content, violence and language, and runs 2 hours, 20 minutes. It opens in theaters Dec. 25. Lynn’s grade: B+

Remarkable True Story ‘The Boys in the Boat’ Lacks Punch with Generic, Predictable Storytelling

Remarkable True Story ‘The Boys in the Boat’ Lacks Punch with Generic, Predictable Storytelling

By Lynn Venhaus

While it has all the makings of an old-fashioned feel-good sports drama, perhaps we’ve seen too many rousing underdog team stories so that “The Boys in the Boat” pales in comparison to other revered crowd-pleasers (“Rudy,” “Hoosiers,” “Remember the Titans”).

This latest example of scrappy athletes overcoming obstacles is based on a bestselling nonfiction book by Daniel James Brown, “The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics,” which was published in 2013.

At the height of the Great Depression, an underdog team of rowers at the University of Washington struggle and sacrifice, eventually competing in the ”world is watching’ Hitler Summer Olympics.

Their true story is remarkable – eight guys from lower-middle-class families overcome obstacles, endure the uncertainty of the Great Depression, and find glory at the Nazi Olympics, triumphing while Hitler’s Third-Reich propaganda was in full force.

But the script by Mark L. Smith, adapting Brown’s book, hits the predictable beats in such an uninspired way that it feels generic. Smith must be a streaky writer, for he crafted the wilderness epic “The Revenant” but also the confusing and clumsy storytelling in “The Midnight Sky” and the forgettable “The Marsh King’s Daughter” earlier this fall.

This is the second time Smith has worked with Clooney as a director, first with the aforementioned “The Midnight Sky” in 2020.

This is Clooney’s ninth film in the director’s chair, and while I’m sure the movie has enough components to move some people, it seems too familiar and flat. There is little that is special about it.

His last, in 2021, “The Tender Bar,” was a heartfelt coming-of-age story also based on a book. He showed such great promise with “Good Night, and Good Luck” in 2005 and “The Ides of March” in 2011, that you’d think a story tailor-made for Hollywood treatment would be a perfect fit.

He does work well with young actors, but the script lets them down because their characters are largely underdeveloped. The eight-man rowing shell doesn’t have any star power either, and I’m sure that was intentional, to make them a team in every sense of the word.

Callum Turner, as poor boy Joe Rantz, has the most compelling story arc, although predictable. He’s on his own, sleeping in a car, and can’t pay his tuition, so when he finds out rowers are given places to stay and a job, he’s in.

Rantz becomes the de facto leader of the motley crew, and you just know they will beat the odds (besides, you already know the outcome of what happened 87 years ago). The handsome Turner (Theseus Scamander in the “Fantastic Beasts” movie franchise) is likable as Joe, but a subplot with girlfriend Joyce (Hadley Robinson) seems perfunctory.

Joel Edgerton is their coach Al Ulbrickson, a no-nonsense guy who believes in his team but has a gruff manner. He wants them to achieve “swing,” when teammates are in perfect union so that the symmetry feels like poetry.

By the time they are on their improbable trajectory, the film builds up some energy and it’s stirring when they beat Ivy Leaguers for the Olympic spot, and of course, the whole USA vs. Hitler match-up in Germany goes for the obvious.

While often clunky in storytelling, the conventional sports saga has a beautiful look – the sun on the rippling water, young muscular lads exerting themselves in competition, and the imposing Olympic-size landscape. Cinematographer Martin Ruhe, who has worked with Clooney several times (including those Nespresso commercials), captures the action well. And Alexander Desplat’s score swells with emotion at the right times.

A documentary “The Boys of ’36,” is currently streaming on PBS, and was first broadcast on “American Experience” in 2016. It may flesh out some of the story that the fictional account fails to deliver.

A beat-all-the-odds real-life story deserved a better movie than filmmakers put together. They needed more than a rah-rah message of “we’re all in the same boat.” (OK, groan).

“The Boys in the Boat” is a 2023 Biography, Drama, Sports film directed by George Clooney and starring Joel Edgerton, Callum Turner, and Hadley Robinson. It is rated: PG-13 for language and smoking and runtime is 2 hours, 4 minutes. Opens in theaters Dec. 25, and will eventually stream on Amazon Prime. Lynn’s Grade: C