18 Movies and Shows for Families with Older Teens and College Students
By: The Couch Tamale
Tags: Taylor Swift, Lists, Film, Quarantinelife, Film Reviews

From the 1983 Warner Brothers film “Local Hero”

One of my students told me recently he grieves the many losses he’s facing as the last part of his senior year is spent isolated from his friends. In the next moment he said: “I have to admit I’m enjoying spending more time with my family.” A teenager admitting time with his loved ones is sustaining his hurting heart is an unexpected upside to a time filled with woe.

In practice, the gathering place for many families today is not just the dinner table or the driveway basketball court: it’s the flatscreen. More than ever, the digital machines in our dens or walls have become a portal that lets us escape, distract, and possibly, when the program we watch calls for it, to engage with each other.

This list is an eclectic menu of films and tv programs I’ve selected because they can provide a substantial experience that can be shared between parents and their mature teens/college age/young adults home from school. Some of the list is designed to provide joy and uplift during a difficult time, other films are included to provoke couch-side discussion and speculate on what kind of world we want to create when we emerge from our quarantine. Of course, the list can also be used by solo shelterers, roommates or families of any composition. I don’t recommend most of these entries for younger children, though some of them (like “Oliver!”) do work in that regard. For each film or show, I provide a suggestion of where it might be found and follow each summary with sample discussion questions that can lead viewers to reflect and articulate their reactions and hopes, or perhaps, to share a story from your own life inspired by the film plots and subjects.

For those just looking for the quick version of the list, here it is; what follows after the list are short reviews of each film or series (in no particular order.)

1. Breaking Away

2. Children of Paradise

3. ‘Chuckles Bites the Dust’ episode from ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’

4. Living Undocumented

5. Local Hero

6. I Am Not Your Negro

7. Roxanne

8. Harriet

9. Miss Americana

10. Singin’ in the Rain

11. Gentefied

12. Skinny and Fatty

13. Blown Away (reality competition series)

14. Koyaanisquatsi

15. Columbus

16. Handsome Devil

17. Oliver!

18. The ‘Up’ series (including the most recent, ’63 Up’)

plus a bonus for dessert: The Commitments

BREAKING AWAY (1979, on youtube and other streaming services)

The ‘Cutters’ in ‘Breaking Away’, photo from 20th Century Fox

Start with the retro seventies vibe, stay for the tears and triumph. Steve Tesich’s Oscar-winning screenplay is considered one of the best films about coming-of-age, weaving together the life of four restless 19 year old boys in Bloomington, Indiana. The boys are ‘cutters’, young men who are on track to work in the local stone quarry, unlike the ‘townies’, the upper-class college students with precision feather-style haircuts and gleaming smiles who cycle through their hometown. Led by Dave, they spend their days wondering how they can escape their perceived dead-end fates, causing them to debate participating in a famous bicycle race coming up in the IU schedule. Interwoven is the story of how these boys relate to their fathers, and a charming romance that coasts a bit on a well-intentioned but poorly considered deception. The film is full of comic asides, a memorable turn by the great Paul Dooley as a long-suffering “Papa”, and unexpectedly poignant sideways glances at the needs of each boy on the bike team. (Keep an ear out for the quick revelatory comments by Daniel Stern’s ‘Cyril.’) Voted one of the top ten sports films by AFI, ‘Breaking Away’ rewards you with honestly earned inspiration. Questions for discussion: What are the various meanings of the title? What were the underlying reasons for the tension between Dave and his father, and how does his Mom offer respite? Does romantic love tempt us to put on a disguise when we first date, and what consequences may occur as a result — has anything similar happened to you? Are the class differences discussed in the film still present today? How can college students integrate and serve their campus home communities, rather than just tour them?

CHILDREN OF PARADISE (1942, Available occasionally on demand on TCM; Criterion; other streaming services.)

If I suggest a nearly three hour intimate French epic in black and white about a theater troupe, would you say “Cue it up” or start to scroll past? What about if I say it was made behind the backs of the Nazis, choosing to tell a story about the various forms of love even as the filmmakers tried to avoid getting caught? If I said it’s considered one of the greatest films of all time?

‘Children of Paradise’ is not only a rich and resonant drama, it’s also such a heroic act of moviemaking that the film’s own production backstory has even been turned into a play. Therefore ‘Les Enfants du Paradis’ has dazzling meta-layers of interpretation. The incomparable Arletty portrays a beautiful actress who has become the obsession of four men, and the story’s pace moves in a more rapid and modern fashion that one might expect from a older classic. ‘Children of Paradise’ eventually emerges as a tart but humane meditation on the natures of sacred and profane love. And yes it has a French mime, but this mime is so good he makes you revisit why you ever had resentment towards this art form in the first place. ‘Children of Paradise’ regularly showed up in top movie polls. Over 600 filmmakers and critics named it ‘Best Film of All Time’ in 1995; Marlon Brando once called it ‘maybe the best movie ever made’ and Truffaut said, “I would give all up all my films to have directed Children of Paradise.’

Do you have a French language student in your household? This film would make for excellent viewing, and why not pair it with some French cuisine — even quarantine-shopped cheese and wine would work.

Questions for discussion: Research ‘the four loves’ (agape, storge, philia, eros). How are the ‘four loves’ illustrated in ‘Children of Paradise’? What are the parallels between the people who saw theater from ‘paradise’ (the least expensive seats’) and today? How does the film convey both a tone of poignance and irony? Which character did you most identify with and why? What are the rewards of investing in an ‘epic’ length film?

‘CHUCKLES BITES THE DUST’ (episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, youtube for free, perhaps Sundance on Demand)

Chances are, your kids love and have memorized every episode of ‘The Office’ and may have moved on to ‘Parks and Recreation.’ Why not introduce them to one of the original and best of all ‘workplace comedies’, ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show.’ You can absolutely binge watch episode after episode of this show and lose yourself in comedy that’s savvy and witty yet still maintains a type of wholesomeness and joy, not to mention some truly iconic seventies fashion. This episode is one of the show’s most famous, and in fact, one of television’s most acclaimed and honored half-hours ever. In this later chapter in the show’s long run, a minor, off-screen character, Chuckles the Clown, dies in a particularly ummm…well…I don’t want to give away how Chuckles dies because that’s part of the fun in the plot. But Mary, a news producer, is appalled at how head writer Murray, boss Lou Grant, TV host and ‘Happy Homemaker’ Sue Ann and arrogant news anchor Ted react to the surreal news, riffing on it with irreverent glee. The episode culminates in a hilarious funeral segment that has one of the most quoted of all sitcom twists.

The deeper meaning that may emerge for you from this episode relative to our times today is that in the face of our mortality, is there a ‘proper’ way to react? What does it mean to realize the tragedy and absurdity of death at the same time? In today’s situation: how can we be comfortable with opposing or conflicting emotions that occur within us at the same time? Come for this episode, stay for the entire series and you might be surprised at how much your quarantine mates beg for more. If you see do finish the series, you might enjoy moving on to the other great MTM series production of the seventies, the sublime ‘Bob Newhart Show.’ Questions for Discussion: What do you think was the point of the episode? Have you ever tried to control your grief? What conflicting emotions are we experience during this crisis? How can laughter and humor help us to face darker realities?

‘LIVING UNDOCUMENTED’ (2019, Netflix)

It’s easy to both want and want to avoid a 24 hour news cycle that is all Covid-19, all the time. But other issues of justice and compassion haven’t gone away; in fact, the disease has exacerbated them. This beautifully produced and directed series, with exceptional cinematography and editing, is galvanizing and if you’re at all empathetic, highly addictive. ‘Living Undocumented’ isn’t a scripted dramatization; each episode follows real people who have tried to engage America’s confusing labyrinthian immigration system and fallen victim to it. The subjects of the film are more compelling than perhaps any fictional characters you’ve engaged with, each one eliciting sympathy just for their sheer determination to be with the people they love. A number of my high school students, once introduced to the series, watched the rest on their own. (Be warned that not every episode ends with conclusive resolutions; the series is true to the cruel realities of the migration experience.) There’s also jaw-dropping interactions with ICE, and shocking twists, some pleasant, some unfathomable. Exec produced by Selena Gomez, this series will illuminate and challenge your understanding of being undocumented in America, no matter what positionality you start off with. Questions for discussion: Which segment particularly gave you an understanding of what undocumented persons live with? What stereotypes, if any, were challenged? What adjustments would you make to the immigration system or current detainment camps if you could? How can your family relate to the families in the series? What concerns should we have for those detained within these immigration camps during a pandemic?

LOCAL HERO (1983, Daily Motion, rental on various services)

If you’re able to have a job and shelter in place with some sense of job security, thoughts may still turn to an examination of the rapid pace at which you lived life before shelter-at-home, and what kind of pace you want to live at in the future. This gentle fable by Bill Forsyth is set in the 1980s, but it resonates with today. Then, as now, a disease ravaged the world and a greed-is-good mentality put profits over people.

‘Local Hero’ is about a man (Peter Riegert) sent by his oil baron boss (the great Burt Lancaster) to go to a small Scottish town and persuade them to sell their town mineral and land rights away. Filled with wry jokes, witty quips, a feast of quirky supporting characters and charm in abundance, ‘Local Hero’ turns into a tale of moral realignment and the excitement of discovering one’s soul. The Northern Lights (the sky phenomenon, not the name of an indie group) make a memorable appearance, with a gentle score by Mark Knopfler, and you can understand why decades later, ‘Local Hero’ has been turned into a stage musical (for which I had tickets to see in London this summer, but then…) Questions for discussion: Why is the contrast between the anticipated experience of the town people and the reality of what they want so important to the film? What place in your travels so far have beckoned you in a deep way to return or even to imagine living in? As difficult as the quarantine has been, what values have been reawakened in you? Has the pandemic or any of the events in recent life caused you to consider the pace of your own life?

I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO (2017, available for free on Kanopy library card service, also rental on various services)

Magnolia Pictures and Amazon Studios

If you never caught this dazzling fusion of documentary and cinematic collage featuring the lacerating words of novelist and essayist James Baldwin, this would be an ideal time to catch up with this brilliant film essay. Baldwin’s rigorous and investigative mind was bold and provocative, full of equal parts hope and despair about the possibility of America ever dealing in an honest way with its poisonous legacy of racism. Narrated by Samuel L. Jackson in a hushed voice-over approximating Baldwin’s voice (it’s actually one of Jackson’s best performances), IANYN uses all the tools of filmmaking, including scintillating footage of Baldwin himself being interviewed (on college campuses, on talk shows). Director Raoul Peck weaves in contemporary news footage of African-American protest, Hollywood portrayals of blacks, images of nature and historical examples of racism. Peck didn’t just make one of the best documentaries of recent times, he made one of the best films period. Talk shows today are often places where guests appear to promote and joke, but at one time, several prominent talk shows regularly invited ‘intellectuals’ to engage in stimulating conversation, and Baldwin was a notable guest in that regard; footage here may make you lament the devolution of the talk show. This film is sure to provoke discussion and probably best of all, it can introduce young people (and many older folks) to the work of the brilliant James Baldwin. Questions for discussion: Instead of a traditional bio-pic or straightforward documentary about Baldwin, the director chose a different approach. How did the technique of the filmmaking match its subject? How did it enhance the experience of learning about Baldwin? How are the situations that Baldwin addressed still present in America and the world today? How do you think Baldwin’s ‘outsider’ status as a gay man influenced his ability to observe the socio-political realities around him? How did talk shows in those days mirror their times, and does public talk today mirror our times?

ROXANNE (1987, various streaming services)

Movie Poster for Roxanne from Columbia Pictures

This is just a lovely, lovely film. Steve Martin wrote the script for this small-town Americana version of the ‘Cyrano De Bergerac’ story. The gifted Australian Fred Schepesi directed, Daryl Hannah co-starred along with Martin in the lead, and a dream of a cast in supporting roles you wish were bigger: Shelly Duvall, Michael J. Pollard and Fred Willard to name just some. Martin re-imagines the story as the tale of a fire station chief with an unusual nose, his comically dim but brave crew, and Hannah as the sweet object of desire. Of special note is the pitch-perfect performance by Rick Rossovich as a strapping but inarticulate firefighter in love with Roxanne; I always hoped for much more for Rossovich based on this underrated turn. Martin of course is in his element as the pained letter writer hidden in the wings, and Hannah is just as accomplished a light comedian and charming here as she was in ‘Splash.’ The entire film seems to have been filmed during ‘magic hour’, and you can easily pass 90 minutes in the town’s relaxing setting, while still contemplating the big mysteries of life. Questions for Discussion: Is it ‘better to speak or to die? What makes us feel inadequate when we fall deeply in love? Can the ‘love letter’ be rediscovered for a quarantine era? Have you ever written and sent a love letter, or written one and not sent it? Why?

HARRIET (2019, various platforms)

Cynthia Erivo in ‘Harriet’, Perfect World Pictures

The story of Harriet Tubman is depicted in ‘Harriet’ with an eye both to the historical and the spiritual, in a more explicit way than usually encountered with most portrayals of great heroes. That’s fitting, because Harriet Tubman certainly seized her moment in history and was informed and guided by her faith, complete with mystical visions. Cynthia Erivo, in a towering performance that combines these layers with a sense of urgency and vitality that transcend the ‘then-this-happened’ biopic genre. The well-researched and intelligent screenplay, by Gregory Allen Howard and Kasi Lemmons, and compelling direction by Lemmons result in a film that may remind you, incongruously, of white male dominated Westerns of the past. This is what gives the film some of its pressing energy and why the movement to have more diverse talent behind the camera is so necessary; frankly, we should be long past discussions about this form of equality. ‘Harriet’ also features resonant performances by Lamar Odom, Jr. and in a particularly devastating turn, Janelle Monae. Questions for discussion: What did you learn about Harriet Tubman’s story that you didn’t know before? Where do you think she got her courage, and where do you see people today exhibiting that same kind of courage, or needing to find it? Have you ever had a sense that you were being called or drawn to some kind of action through an inner or intuitive voice? How did those experiences work out? When you see films like this, how do you think we can pull the pernicious weed of racism out from our contemporary lives? Will the pandemic motivate us to help heal or exacerbate racism?

MISS AMERICANA (2020, Netflix)

Let me help the person deciding whether to watch this in terms of possible response to Taylor Swift. Person A) I’m not a fan of her music. Person B) I like some songs but I think she’s overrated and overhyped and/or manipulative, white privilege, whiny, etc. Person C) I like her enough but don’t get the point of a whole documentary about her.

So AB and C ask: Will I learn anything by watching this? And the answer to AB and C is: 90 percent yes. Like a lot of documentaries about famous people, Michelle Obama’s ‘Becoming’ being the latest example, at this point even celebrities who seem to have genuinely charming, caring personalities have been stung badly in our divisive world by the most innocuous remarks, and they have a guarded force field of self-conscious presentation that I imagine must be very difficult to turn off. To that end, director Lana Nelson deserves a lot of credit; you get the sense that we get about 90 percent of the Taylor Swift her closest friends and family know, and sometimes, more than that. This film isn’t a concert film (the fans among us may wish there were more songs) or a solely a home-video-to-million-dollar-music-video biography.

It’s a glimpse behind the black SUV window for sure, and a look at Swift’s famously self-decorated living spaces, but also it’s several types of love story. Not the kind of love stories Swift’s detractors stereotype her for writing, but a love story between a girl and music, a real pairing of natural talent and the desire for a stage to share it. Swift is happiest here when lost in the art of creating, using apps to record her middle of the night inspirations, working hard to achieve what’s in her head, trying to communicate her vision to her producers. It’s also a love story, as ‘self-care’ trendy as it sounds, between Swift and herself. Swift is the kind of student I have taught in the past, the one who is funny and thoughtful, a good writer, intuitive about what the teacher wants, trying to stay buoyant even when bullied, but hardest of all on herself. At one point, we see Swift gets disappointing news from her manager about the lack of Grammy nominations for her ‘Reputation’ album (I’m still convinced ‘Reputation’, Swift’s album initially dismissed for being a ‘revenge record’, will stand the test of time.) Instead of shrugging off the Grammy’s notoriously capricious and political system of nominations, Swift says, “I just need to make a better record.” It might seem like a false bit of modesty, taking a ‘the buck stops here’ sort of responsibility that she doesn’t really mean, but what the camera records is an artist who actually believes that. She’s the type of “student” whose biggest competition is with herself, and that must get exhausting.

By taking steps to define herself near the end, which I won’t spoil, Swift finds a way to reach a maturity that must be hard won when you’ve been dealing with a ‘team’ for half your life. The result seems to free her to a greater appreciation of a more expansive and mature love, for herself and others. Lastly, but importantly, the film is a love story to Taylor Swift and her parents, particularly her mother Andrea. One of Swift’s most touching songs is ‘The Best Day’, a reverie about a shopping trip to the mall with her mother and the preciousness of time. Her latest song about her mother, ‘Soon You’ll Get Better’, has a more plaintive, despairing tone, listing what it’s like to wait in the hospital as her mother receives cancer treatment. (Andrea Swift has faced breast cancer and this past year, Swift disclosed that her mother had a brain tumor.) Seeing their necessarily complex but warmly companionable relationship, you see the girl who managed probably the biggest maturity homework assignment of all; becoming a friend and eventual caretaker for your own parent. Discussion questions: Why has Swift been so criticized for behavior that male musicians have routinely engaged in? Was Swift’s initial reaction to the Kanye West MTV Music Awards moment surprising to you — what did it reveal about her? What perspective about life and people do you think Swift has due to her rapid rise and unusually scrutinized position? What is our responsibility to the talents we discover that seem to be innate and natural to us? How does Swift’s joy in the creative process echo your own creative journey?

SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN (1952, Turner Classics, various streaming)

It’s surprising how many people think they’ve seen ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ when actually they’ve only seen clips in movie montages, including, obviously, the title song. If this is you or your family, let your fingers do a tap dance on your remote and order this up. Not only does the film give you a satirical lesson about a key transition time in motion picture production, it also gives you a lesson on what perfectly matched genius, talent and hard work can do.

But the reason I really recommend this film is because it captures joy, the joy of singing, dancing, entertaining, laughing, creating. The end result manifests a sense of joy, of transcendence, of escapism without any guilty hangover. Silly when it needs to be, then romantic, and then suddenly surreal, ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ would be worth seeing even if just for the sheer amazement of the Donald O’Connor and Gene Kelly collaboration, ‘Make ’Em Laugh.’ Then marvel at how Debbie Reynolds, who had little to no choreographic experience before working with one of the all-time geniuses of film dance, emerges as a perfect partner for the charismatic but exacting Kelly. Specia treat: Jean Hagen’s supporting work as a formidable diva is one of the most celebrated comic turns in movies. Questions for discussion: Which do you think was the greater experience of joy for a master craftsman like Kelly or director Stanley Donen: the painstaking process of making ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ or the end result? What brings you joy? The film is about the panic caused when a new innovation in technology arrived. What current modes of technology are hard to imagine changing, or how do you think they will change?

GENTEFIED ( 2020, Netflix)

Cast of ‘Gentefied’ from Netflix

This filmed series attempts to transcend the limitations of family sitcoms, and it mostly succeeds. A Mexican-American family deals with ambition, grief, economic displacement and the quest for authenticity in Boyle Heights/East LA. The whole series is written with a type of Latinx humor being tested on the similarly-themed ‘Vida’, on the upbeat but thoughtful reboot of ‘One Day at a Time’ and on the stylish and bubbly network romance ‘The Baker and the Beauty” (definitely recommended if you want some sweet escapism.) Attempts at clever Spanglish jokes abound, as do the kinds of references ‘Culture Clash’ and Latino comics since the early 90s have been making; these shows stand on some singular shoulders. Still, this is hip enough, warm, nuanced and often surprising, plus if you aren’t Chicano, this is a great way to learn about the contemporary challenges the culture faces, in a quipping, stereotype-twisting way. Questions for discussion: What do you think are the unique challenges for the Mexican-American community to face in the American story of immigrant assimilation and identity? Are Mexican people really ‘immigrants’ to America or California? Research: What is the history of marginalization of Mexican and Latinx people in Southern California? From viewing other representations of Latinx culture, what are you learning is unique in that umbrella to Mexican-American or ‘Chicano’ culture?

SKINNY AND FATTY, original title: Chibideka Monogatari, (1958, free on youtube and other sources, 46 minutes)

This shorter narrative Japanese film is available through searching on a black and white print that isn’t as well-preserved as should be for a movie that is beloved by a whole generation of people. Back when you only had a few channels to choose from, CBS would air a range of films for children, the Children’s Film Festival, in the early afternoon, and many were captivating enough to keep you from heading outside right after Saturday cartoons. Many of the countries having the hardest recoveries from WWII abandoned artificial studio fare in favor of ‘social realism’ or neo-realism.

This gem in that style is the story of two boys, one wealthier, one poorer, and each with a different body type. While threading a story of how one friend can inspire another friend to achieve more, we also glimpse hardship, suffering and loss, perfectly balanced in a way that respects and affects the emotional intelligence of kids (look on youtube comments to find how many older adults cried at the ending of this film) by not shying away from the abrasive realities of life. As old as the film stock print available may be and as slow as the rhythms of classic Japanese cinema require patience, I still find that young people today respond to this film and are inspired to recall stories of their own life-saving friendships. Questions for Discussion: Who is a friend in life who has inspired you to reach a goal? How did they do that? Which of your friends do you think would say you have inspired them and helped them be their best selves? How did you do that? What have you learned about your connection to your friendships during this pandemic? If you were to make a ‘realistic’ movie about this crisis, but still tell timeless truths, what would it be about?

BLOWN AWAY (reality competition series, 2019, Netflix)

The silliness of competition creativity shows, from the granddaddy “Project Runway” through this one about glass artists, is that declarations of a ‘best’ are ridiculous, like so many aesthetic comparisons. Still, this division of reality show can be addictive because we love agreeing or arguing with the show’s carefully cast panel of judges. If you and yours have exhausted “Next in Fit” or have run through even the Christmas episodes of “The Great British Baking Show”, try this one. Whatever you imagine glass blowing is, ‘Blown Away’ upends it. The risk factor with this particular skill goes beyond the occasional sewing machine puncture wound in ‘Runway’, and the creations are wondrous, and as usual, you’ll debate your favorite characters. Questions for Discussion: What unique artistic form or expression do you feel drawn to but have never seriously explored? What would keep you from it?

KOYAANISQATSI (1983, various streaming)

Criterion says this film was an unpredictable sensation when it was released, and it really was. People at parties would say, “Have you seen Ko…Koyan..what’s it called again?” (no disrespect to the title, which means “unbalanced life” in the Hopi language. Mastering the title became a bit of a moviegoer bragging right.)

If you and yours choose to watch this, put it on your biggest screen, hook up to your speaker system for the (warning: intense) Phillip Glass soundtrack, and let everyone dig into their most comfortable couch positions. Watch this all at once for the best effect: do NOT watch this with pauses and breaks.

Godfrey Reggio’s film is a collage of images — of nature, of cities, of people — told in time-lapse style edited towards a gradually accelerating tension. The net effect is to make you look at civilization with fresh eyes, not unlike what the pandemic may have made you do. Even if you’ve seen this film before, this might be an excellent time to again use it for reflection; though it was made years ago, the sense that modern life is too fast in all aspects may hit you with an additional poignance now that we were forced to our knees to stop. The film is hypnotic and meditative, and even it cheats a bit to make its case, it remains relevant while simultaneously taking on a new historical curiosity factor for the seventies and eighties lifestyle design on ample display. Be aware this is the first film in a three-part cycle. Questions for Discussion: If ‘Koyanaasqatsi’ were to be made today, what images do you think it would include to portray the same theme? Is the film more or less relevant than when it was made? Do you think the world has experienced a ‘re-balancing’ with the quarantine? What did you see in the film that planted the seeds for our world today? Has the world improved since the film was made? Is there anything about the film that gives you hope?

COLUMBUS (2017, free on Kanopy, also on various streaming services)

In the mood for something indie, something small, something bracing and intelligent? Anyone in your group interested in architecture, or whether film cels can be framed architecturally? Try this interesting coming-of-age and friendship story with Haley Lu Richardson and John Cho; both of them are terrific. Columbus, Indiana may surprise as a place to find world famous architecture, but that and other aesthetic discoveries await you in this mysterious film, which manages to create an elegant tension between formal composition and moments of emotional acuity. A great discovery. Questions for Discussion: How does the film make you consider the importance of our shelters and gathering places? What is the tension between our duty to our loved ones and our dreams for ourselves?

HANDSOME DEVIL (2016, Netflix)

Andrew Scott-centric poster for ‘Handsome Devil’, distributed by Icon

Writer-Director John Butler’s witty and generous-spirited film highlights the friendship between two boarding school roommates, outsider Ned (Fionn O’Shea) and new ruby team recruit Conor (Nicholas Galitzine). Their school is obsessed with getting its first finals match in years; Ned is decidedly indifferent, so he’s targeted for homophobic slurs and general boys’ school nastiness. Even though Butler defies all odds to deliver a ‘big game’ finale that’s rousing and poignant, along the way you may recognize how many other subjects he’s woven into that framework. The best scenes involve the gradual friendship that emerges from the two boys’ mutual love of music, a discovery they make after being forced into a pairing by their English teacher (Andrew Scott, from ‘Fleabag’ and ‘Sherlock.’) That same teacher’s secrets dovetail with one of his students, which deepens the film’s subject matter as well. The indie rock soundtrack is a treat, and if you give a wide berth to the feel-good genre it lands in, this small gem of a movie is a good evening Irish craic.

Questions for Discussion: Have you ever had a friendship develop from an unlikely origin — initial rejection or reticence, different backgrounds, etc.? What brought that friendship to a deeper level? The teacher in the film is revealed to have a life and concerns of his own; how do we compartamentalize our thinking about our teachers and how can we protect them? Why is homophobia still so prevalent in the sports world, and how do you think that can be changed?

OLIVER! (1968, Amazon and other streaming services)

This musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ ‘Oliver Twist’ is, from a cinematically traditionalist point of view, one of the most satisfying storytelling experiences ever committed to film. Director Sir Carol Reed, a longtime master of the craft, commandeers a production in which every detail is set, cast and filmed with skillful attention to detail, or what has been called at times “a big old-fashioned movie-movie.” The story involves dark subjects — child labor, kidnapping, coercion, crime gangs, domestic abuse — and yet Reed balances the views of poverty and criminality with glimpses of hope, beauty and grace. With young Mark Lester as Oliver and Jack Wild as the Artful Dodger, and shadowy, entertaining work by Ron Moody as Fagin, Oliver Reed as Bill Sykes, and a radiant Shani Wallace as Nancy, the film manages to take you through the darkness of a fairy tale with a steady eye towards the light. The songs are memorable and rousing, and though it’s a long evening on the couch, you and yours will feel like you all read a very good, very satisfying book together (and maybe afterwards you will read Dickens’ original novel.) Questions for Discussion: How does the film illustrate the realities of Victorian England and the Industrial Revolution, so often brushed over in other films? Are the conditions seen in the film still present in the world, and where? Our society often portrays itself as a ‘child first’ culture, but what are significant ways in which children are neglected or worse?

For additional discussion, consider pairing the film with a documentary on modern child labor, like “It Takes a Child” about the child labor activist Craig Kielburger.

THE UP SERIES (7 UP THROUGH 63 UP, Britbox, Kanopy, other streaming services)

If you like non-fiction film, or reality shows, here is the ultimate one. Starting in 1964, the first show (it airs on TV in Britain) gathered together a deliberately mixed group of twenty children to interview them about their dreams with the supposed Jesuit motto (sometimes attributed to Francis Xavier), “Give me a child until he is seven and I will give you the man.” From interviews and playground footage we meet these cute kids, and hear about their dreams and background. (A major focus of the series is the long-lasting effects of the class system in Britain.) Thereafter, the filmmakers gathered together with the subjects every seven years, from ’21 Up’ all the way to the latest installment, ’63 Up.’

It’s extraordinary that the ‘Up Series’ has been shepherded all along by the wise and patient director Michael Apted, whose relationship with his interview subjects becomes woven into the story itself in minor but telling ways. (Apted has said he wants to continue the films when the subjects are in their 80s and he’s 99!) Through the years, some of the original twenty have dropped out due to the fame the show brought them, or the difficulty in having one’s life examined and laid bare for public scrutiny every seven years. By the time we get to the most recent installment, ’63 Up’, some of the characters are no longer present for a sadder reason: some have passed, or are facing serious illness. Still, this is delightfully far from a depressing encounter: nearly all the subjects are in a mellow and reflective mood. Most inspirationally, a number have a pragmatic “not done yet” attitude, continuing to create, contribute and wittily share the wisdom they’ve gained. (Be aware that he premise of the films has been repeated in several other countries, to various results, but Apted’s films are the originals.)

All of the films now are like nesting dolls, edited to contain examples of interviews from the previous films to provide context and contrast to the present day person. It’s an extraordinary achievement: sociological study, psychological profile and cinematic wonderment. (‘Boyhood’ showed us the real-time aging of its actors over just 12 years in a fictionalized drama and was itself quite marvelous, but this series certainly has the greatest time scope of any known film work.) If you can, start with the earliest entries and then gradually build up; if you can’t, it’s perfectly fine to start with ’63 Up’ and then see if you are intrigued to go back and watch the others. You won’t be at a loss if you are new to the series; in fact, you just might be found. Questions for discussion: Do you really believe the idea “Give me a child at seven…” and do you think the film proves or disproves it? Which person’s story contained the biggest surprises? If you had been part of a group that was studied like this on film, do you think you would have stayed with the project all your life or dropped out? What parts of you at younger stages of life — 7, 14, 21, etc. — contained the roots of the person you are today? Which segment of the series is your favorite? How does the film provoke spiritual or personal reflection in you?

Film poster for 63 Up, from ITV Studios/Britbox

AND FOR DESSERT: ‘THE COMMITMENTS’

Poster for The Commitments, from Beacon Pictures

R and B music, especially dynamic, gritty soul music of the fifties and sixties, found a welcome reception in the UK and Ireland, despite the seeming cultural incompatibility. ‘The Commitments’ is about a group of young people during Ireland’s long economic slump of the eighties and early nineties. Their lives seem stunted by circumstances beyond their control, so they channel their energy into making satisfying, bar band extraordinaire soul music. It’s mid-MTV peak era, but also anti-MTV too. ‘The Commitments’ is really a ‘let’s put on a show’ movie, populated by singularly Irish quirky side characters. Director Alan Parker, normally too quick with a manipulative camera or edit, here builds the performance tension masterfully. This is a fun but still dramatically thoughtful movie, a blast of energy and feel-good vibes to warm up a long night and make you reflect on the challenges of staying together. Questions for Discussion: Why do you think the band had such difficulty communicating? Which performances did you enjoy the most? Do you think music crosses borders fluidly, or do you see concerns with one group interprets the music of another culture? What projects have you worked on that fostered your enthusiasm intently?