This is What Love in Action Looks Like

This is a documentary about a institution previously known as Love in Action now called Restoration Path. It is the true story of a teenager who came out as gay to his parents and as a result they sent him to a "turn you straight" institution. The story was brought to everyone's attention because of the blog that the teen was keeping.

It brought about a lot of attention specifically by those that were against this kind of institution existing. There ended up being protesters who would show up daily to make their feelings known to those running Love in Action.

I am trying my hardest to keep personal opinion aside about this kind of institution, but it is definitely hard. I liked the documentary for being to light what is going on and that there are some people who believe that you really can get rid of someone's sexual preference. This is not an easy movie to watch as you hear the stories of those that suffered at the hands of such an institution, but I think it is a good documentary.

If you enjoy documentaries, I would say give this movie a watch. Currently available on Instant Netflix.

Patrik, Age 1.5

This is definitely a special interest film for a couple reasons, first, it's about a gay couple, second, it has subtitles. I turned on the movie and almost turned it off because I was not in the mood to read my movie. However, I am really glad I stuck with it because this is a very sweet movie.

It is unfortunate but a lot of gay/lesbian films are low budget and tend to have not the greatest actors. This is the opposite of both of those. Well, actually I'm not sure what their budget was, but it turned out really great.

Without ruining anything you fall in love with half of the couple and the teenager. The story is about a couple who wants to start their own family, but because of the laws they are greatly restricted with options. They end up receiving Patrik, who they believe is going to be 1.5 but due to a typographical error in their letter they end up with a 15 year old. On top of that, this kid is homophobic.

However, the movie ends happily, not the way you'd imagine, but still happily. If you are okay with watching a movie outside your normal realm, give this one a shot, it's worth a watch, and currently on Netflix Instant.

Life Happens

This was a Netflix recommendation. That being said, I cannot say it was awful. It wasn't great either by any means. The story starts with two roommates who are about to have sex with their dates for the evening. But ut oh, they only have one condom. So one risks it and guess what? She gets pregnant.

The story continues on to discuss the lives of the roommates and the new mother, between working, going out, and just your every day duties. Some of it is funny and some of it is just depressing. I know Bosworth has not been in anything great for a long time, I keep giving her the benefit of the doubt, but usually that doesn't play out.

Hopefully, Bosworth will end up in something everyone can enjoy, and for the rest of the cast, sorry, this movie is just okay.

If you are bored and have nothing to do, watch it, it's on Netflix Instant which makes it convenient. Unfortunately, if you have to go out of your way to get this movie, skip it.

Big Miracle

I am a sucker for movies about whales. As a kid I fell in love with Free Willy (all of them). So, when I saw this movie was coming out I wanted to see it in the theater but no one would go with me. I instead settled for renting it, shout out to Netflix again.

This is a great family movie! It is based on a true story and even has pictures at the end of the movie of the characters in real life. The story, in case you are unaware, is about a family of whales who get trapped in Alaska because the ice freezes over faster than normal. A journalist notices the whales and calls attention to their needing assistance.

The movie is the tale of getting the three wales out from the ice and to safety. It is fun movie, there is a sad part however, so if you are watching with children be prepared to deal with them being sad and/or having questions.

This is a great family movie to rent for a night in or if you are like me and enjoy movies about animals especially whales!

Oz The Great and Powerful

My #1 favorite film of all time is The Wizard of Oz, so naturally I was very excited to see this film. I am also not the biggest fan of 3D films, however I thought if I was going to give it another shot this would be the perfect movie to do so. And let me tell you, it was!

Now, while many of our old favorites from The Wizard of Oz are copyrighted and as a result cannot be used, it doesn't stop them from making a great film. There are new characters to fall in love with, I personally was a huge fan of Finley. A second wonderful little character is the China Girl.

Oz, is clearly a ladies' man, which is something that takes a second to get used to, but by choosing the lovable James Franco it is easy to get past what we had known about the wizard.

The colors used in this movie are nothing short of what we would expect and each destination is met with a great deal of imagination. Now, without ruining anything, the Wicked Witch that we have come to know as the green one, is not as scary as I would have imagined her to be. That doesn't mean there aren't some scary scenes in this movie, so parents be careful taking your children, especially the young ones.

Oz The Great and Powerful is most definitely theater worthy in my opinion.

Let's Talk About Sex

First off, thank you Netflix for having a lot of documentaries to choose from for my watching pleasure. Now that I got that out of the way, let's discuss this movie!

I strongly believe that this is a movie that every school/parent/pastor should watch, especially those that believe abstinence only is effective. The reality is, it's not. This fun fact (sense the sarcasm) is brought to you from this documentary: 10,000 teens a day get an STD.

Now I can't blame that all on the schools teaching abstinence only, but I can blame it on the fact that parents are not talking to their children the way they should be and schools are not providing accurate information.

This documentary brings to light a huge issue and something that America, more specifically parents, should be facing head on. It proves that in other countries families that talk openly about sex endure less problems, whether that be pregnancy, STDs, and so on, than those of us here in the US. For whatever reason it has become something that we find shameful to talk about, unless you're getting advice from your friends, which when you are a child, pre-teen, or teen these not the most reliable of sources.

So, families, friends, whoever you are reading... watch the documentary and take a clue. This is not me saying do exactly as they do, I don't agree that having your teenager's lover stay the night is a great idea, but to each their own.

This movie is a must watch, especially if you have pre-teens or teens in your household, buy it, rent it, watch it on TV, but make sure you at least see it once.

Seven Psychopaths

I feel like writing the review for this movie is complicated. The reason being, I did not love the beginning of the movie. Actually, I didn't like the first half of the movie at all. And I think the reason may be, it's confusing on purpose. Or maybe I was just confused, I'm not sure.

You're being told the stories of these psychopaths and while it keeps your attention, it's nothing fabulous. I guess if I would have read the description of the movie first I would have understood better, but I don't always like to know what I'm getting myself into. The movie is about what is going to become a movie script and needed for this script are crazy people's stories. That's fine and the characters' stories were definitely crazy and psychotic.

There is one scene in particular where one of the crazy stories are being told that something big is revealed and I think that was where I really stated to pay more attention. The second half is much more entertaining. It is because of the second half of this movie and the ending that I would tell people it is a funny (dark humor) movie.

If you like dark humor than I suggest you rent this movie, if not, probably skip it.

21 and Over

21 and Over is a decent movie. There is nothing that makes it stick out like The Hangover or Superbad. I'm afraid that among all of the other "wow that was outrageous" films this one may get lost after time.

One of the main characters for many will be recognized from the recent popular movie Pitch Perfect. Astin is an easy guy to love and I have feeling this will help him get numerous roles in the future. There is a bit of a back and forth in this movie with his character where you love him but then you are upset by the way he is acting. Of course by the end he is lovable again.

The other characters do a good job when it comes to their friendship and the story overall I feel had the potential to be a good plot. I think maybe the execution was just a bit too... extreme. Things that are supposed to be funny, and probably would be if they were tamed down, are over the top and unrealistic. Unfortunately, some scenes are just crude and gross. Girls, if you ever wondered what Astin or Teller's butts looked like, this is the movie for you.

This movie, if you're willing to sit through some stupid scenes and wade through the over the top shenanigans than I'd say go ahead and rent it, there are some good laughs.

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Oscar season has just passed us by and anyone who pays attention to these festivities knows that this young lady was the talk of the town. Initially I was drawn in by how adorable the young girl is but she really packs the double punch with being cute and quite the actress.

This is a sad movie, there are no ands, ifs, or buts about it. The young girl known throughout the movie as Hushpuppy does not know her mom who left when she was just a baby. Her father is an alcoholic who is suffering from an illness and does not really care for his daughter.

The movie takes place in what is known as The Bathtub. The imagery in the movie brings to mind the wreckage that was left from Hurricane Katrina and you see these people just trying to survive in what is left of their homes.

There are two scenes in particular that stuck out to me, the first is a scene where the young girls of the town are in a strip club and a woman who is assumed to be her mother (I think) picks her up and dances with her. Hushpuppy describes how this is her favorite thing and that she has only been held twice in her whole life. It is in that moment that you are further invested into the film. The final scene, which I don't want to ruin for those that will see it, is also one of the best scenes.

I cannot say that I am sad I didn't see this in the theater, but it is definitely worth renting.

Small Apartments

Something I often do is find any and all films certain actors/actresses are in and watch them. It just so happened that this movie had both Rebel Wilson and Juno Temple in it and I love both of them. I want to say that those two made this film worth watching, but they did not.

This is a strange movie, with a strange main character. Most people would recognize him as Rebel Wilson's brother from Bridesmaids. There are definitely funny parts to this movie, however I am not sure I would actually classify it as a comedy. By the way the film is done and the odd script the movie seems comparable to Indie films. Don't get me wrong, I do like some Indie films. 

The message at the end of this movie is touching but I'm not sure the rest of the movie is worth watching to get to that point. Sorry everyone, this is another skip it movie.

The Paperboy

This movie... what do I even say about this movie? Being blunt, the best part about this film is Zac Efron for whatever reason seems to be in his underwear a lot. I'm not sure if Nicole Kidman has anything to be proud about by being in this film. On several occasions I thought Kidman was Lindsay Lohan and not the good Lindsay we fell in love with in Parent Trap. 

The ending is horrible. I'm just going to put that out there. Really, the movie as a whole is pretty horrible. It was barely bearable to finish the movie, but I am one of those people that once I start a movie, I have to finish it.

This movie definitely falls under the skip it category, sorry Efron seeing you in your underwear is just not enough.

Won't Back Down

Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis, wow! I really enjoy movies that are based on true stories, I know I know we can all argue about just how true they are, but none the less I like them. This movie is definitely a feel-good movie.

The story is about a mom incredibly frustrated by the fact that her daughter is not getting the help in school that she needs. The little girl is clearly frustrated and it becomes known that it is because of finances and location that she attends the school. 

There are several heart-wrenching scenes throughout the film which further pushes the mom to seek help and resources. The last scene of the movie is definitely the best and is really what makes the movie. 

This is a wonderful movie and definitely is a reminder of the kind of love a mother can have for her child. In my opinion, it is definitely worth renting.