Justice for all

As a moviegoer for more than 70 years, I’ve seen some great movies, some not so great, some really bad ones, some trying but failing to be deep and meaningful, some reveling in their shallowness. I was born the year The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind were released. My mother started taking me to the movies shortly after that. I saw some movies that were definitely not PG rated. I can still remember being afraid of The Thing.

Many times I disagree with the critics. I don’t call them and tell him what I think of their reviews, so now that there is an internet for anyone to babble on, I add my voice. I’m sure there are many of you who will disagree with my assessments. Some of you will agree.  I hope to hear from all of you.

Movies have traditionally been used to expose social ills. By seeing on the big screen the injustices we may never witness in real life, we become more aware and ready to protest. I remember when I first saw Gentleman’s Agreement I was shocked and angered. Social justice films are an important genre—they entertain as well as send a message.

Iron-jawed Angels (2004): Hilary Swank, Frances O’Connor, Bob Gunton (as Woodrow Wilson), Anjelica Huston, and Julia Ormond star in this film about the struggle for women to obtain the vote. The outright cruelty is shocking. It seems men will do just about anything to keep their power. This is a must-see film for those who take your right to vote lightly.

Malcolm X (1992): Denzel Washington takes up the black cause with tragic results. Angela Bassett and Spike Lee costar.

Norma Rae (1979): Sally Field won an Oscar for her portrayal of a union organizer. This based-on-a-true story film demonstrates what one person can do to change circumstances—truly uplifting and inspiring. Ron Leibman and Beau Bridges are the men in her life.

Gran Torino (2008): Curmudgeonly Korean war veteran is less than pleased when Koreans move in next to him. Clint Eastwood knows how to play this role convincingly. He huffs and puffs and spits and scowls. Aha! He’s prejudiced. When Korean family’s young son tries to steal Eastwood’s prize car, the Gran Torino of the title, somehow our hero does an about face and becomes the boy’s protector. Go figure.

Cheyenne Autumn (1964): Richard Widmark, Carroll Baker, Karl Malden, James Stewart and more a-listers pursue a band of Cheyenne as they try to return home to Wyoming from a bleak Oklahoma reservation. There are several good Hollywood films that track the plight of Native Americans. Early films did not try to be fair, but as opinions changed, Hollywood did too.

Citizen Ruth (1996): This satire explores the abortion issue. Laura Dern is in prison. She has four children and discovers she is pregnant again. A judge offers her a deal if she will agree to an abortion. The lines are drawn and the fight begins. Burt Reynolds costars.

 A Civil Action (1998): Kathleen Quinlan stars in this based-on-a-true story about the dangers of polluted water. Her child dies of leukemia, along with several other children. She hires John Travolta to sue a major corporation that allows industrial solvents to be released into a river in Woburn MA. Robert Duvall and James Gandolfini costar.

Mississippi Burning (1988): When civil rights workers go missing in 1964, FBI agents Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe are sent to investigate. What do you suppose they find?

Erin Brockovich (2000): Another case of a single woman fighting against overwhelming odds to achieve justice. Although I think Julia Roberts is a lightweight, she did an okay job as the legal clerk fighting a power company. Albert Finney and Peter Coyote also star.

Grapes of Wrath (1940): The classic story by John Steinbeck is brought to the screen. Young Henry Fonda is Tom Joad who leads his family from the dust bowl of Oklahoma to the orange groves of California. Journey’s end is disappointing. Instead of good paying jobs, they are exploited and resented. The term “Okie” is still a pejorative.

The Insider (1999): Hollywood takes on tobacco in this intense film starring Al Pacino as a television producer who urges researcher Russell Crowe to tell about the real dangers of smoking. The tobacco company Crowe works for tries to silence him.

Lone Star (1996): Kris Kristofferson, Matthew McConaughey and Chris Cooper star in this modern Western in which prejudice against Mexicans is a major theme.

Matewan (1987): Efforts to organize Virginia coal miners turns violent in this film about the 1920-21 Coal Wars. Racial hostility adds to the mix. Chris Cooper and James Earl Jones star.

Milagro Beanfield War (1988): Robert Redford directs this lovely film pitting Mexican farmers against big development. Throw in a little magic and voilá, you have a very interesting little movie.

Silkwood (1983): Meryl Streep knows that something bad is going on at the nuclear plant where she works. Unfortunately, her attempts to improve working conditions fail. Cher and Kurt Russell costar.

The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal (1979): Although this is a made-for-television movie, it is worth its place on this list. The 1911 New York fire at a shirtwaist factory killed 146 garment workers. This tragedy led to a growth of the garment workers union and new worker-safety laws.

American History X (1998): Edward Norton, Edward Furlong and Stacy Keach star in this film about the neo-Nazi movement in the U.S.  Norton is sent to prison where he changes his mind about the goal of the neo-Nazis. When he is released, he must try to save his younger brother.

Judgment at Nuremburg (1961): A cast of stars directed by Stanley Kramer bring to life the trial of Nazi war criminals. This is a tough movie to watch, but worth it.  Spencer Tracy plays the judge in the 1948 trial. He is supported by Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Marlene Dietrich and Judy Garland.

Jasper, Texas (2003): This based-on-a-true story film traces the 1998 murder of an African-American man dragged to death in the title city. The white sheriff and black mayor try to keep the town from exploding.

Gentleman’s Agreement (1947): Gregory Peck plays a reporter assigned to explore anti-Semitism for a progressive magazine. He decides to pose as a Jew. He soon finds himself subjected to all manner of prejudice, some of it directed at his young son. Elia Kazan directs. Costars include Dorothy McGuire, John Garfield and Celeste Holm.