Tag Archives: relationships

Ben-Hur (1959) and the Emptiness of Seeking Revenge

My wife and I recently rewatched Ben-Hur (1959), that classic film that won 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and I discovered something amazing about it. This may not come across as groundbreaking, but I realized that the film paints … Continue reading

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James Cameron’s Amazing Flip from 1994 to 1997

The years 1994 and 1997 were significant for James Cameron. He had two big films that came out those years that went head-to-head with other big blockbusters. And the results are telling because they flipped spectacularly in Cameron’s favor.

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11 Things I Learned from 8 Months of Unemployment

I lost my job of 15 years on May 22, 2025 and started a new job on February 2, 2026. So I was out of work for a little over eight months. That wasn’t how I planned to spend last … Continue reading

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Each Story Beat in Fiddler on the Roof Has a Perfect Match

Jo’s matchmaking skills are even better than those of Yente the matchmaker! She already helped me discover the chiasmus in How to Train Your Dragon 2, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, The Lion King, The Hunt for … Continue reading

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After 3 Years of Searching, I Finally Found an Obscure 1970s Film!

In 2023, I started to have an itch to find a 1970s movie that I didn’t even know the title of. I described it in my article, “My Quest to Find an Obscure 1970s Film.” It’s frustrating to be convinced … Continue reading

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Untangling the Beautiful Complexity of An American in Paris

Some people like to examine the endings of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Inception, and The Usual Suspects as masterclasses in complexity. Those film endings are endlessly minable for depth, and they’re quite challenging to decipher. There’s one film I’ve never … Continue reading

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Groundhog Day and the Importance of Doing Things in the Right Order

Have you ever noticed something interesting about the way Phil Connors ends his two “perfect” days with Rita Hanson? He says nearly the same things, but he gets completely opposite results. The first time Phil gets Rita to care about … Continue reading

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Movie Matchups: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse vs. Back to the Future Part II

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is similar in many ways to Back to the Future Part II. I’m too excited to say much more than that in this introduction, so let’s just fly through their connections and see what sticks.

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Edge of Tomorrow’s Most Impressive Parlor Trick

In Edge of Tomorrow, Major William Cage experiences a time loop every time he is killed in battle fighting a horde of aliens called mimics. He also falls in love with a fellow soldier named Rita Vrataski along the way. … Continue reading

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Phil Connors and Becoming the Perfect Job Candidate

“I am really close on this. Really close.” That’s how Phil Connors describes his prospects of becoming the ideal guy for Rita Hanson. How many of us (as job seekers) have said those words when reading job descriptions? That’s right, … Continue reading

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