TxMike

First, a note about the title. In Scotland, where this is set and filmed, "the outrun" is a reference to a piece of outlying grazing land on a farm. We see a scene of Rona in the outrun, helping to deliver newborn sheep. The farm is her safe place.

This is based on a novel, the author wrote it based on her own life and her own experiences with alcoholism and eventual sobriety. While it is often hard to watch it is in fact a very good movie.

Saoirse Ronan at 29 is the main character, Rona. At one point, working on recovery, she says, "I don't know if I can be sober and be happy." As we have come to expect, she is great in the role.

My wife and I watched it, at home on DVD from our public library. The disc contains several interesting "extras" on the making of the movie, and includes comments from the author of the book.

My wife and I enjoy a weekly Hallmark movie after our usual steak and red wine dinner. This one has a higher (6.9) rating than most similar movies but we found that a bit deceptive. While we were entertained we didn't find it up to the usual Hallmark standards.

A bright spot for me is Margaret Colin as Barbara, the mother of three 40-ish sons. I have always enjoyed her roles and this one is no exception. During the first half of the movie the constant juvenile bickering between the three men became annoying. Plus the pratfalls, the physical humor didn't always come off as entertaining.

Aside from some holiday issues, particularly putting on the annual Christmas play with small kids, the big issue was their widow mother's new boyfriend, a local pastor. That character is a very nice man but the sons seem more jealous than anything and the resolution of the story requires them to be accepting of their mother's choices.

(In the way of a BIG aside, in the 1970s my own widow mother made a choice to re-marry, none of us adult kids liked the man, we tried to convince her against it but she was strong-willed. He was a very bad choice and pretty much ruined things for her.)

I found "The Tempest" on a set of DVDs at my public library. I wanted to see it for Jessie Buckley who has the part of Miranda. She has become one of my favorite actresses. This was a live performance filmed at Shakespeare' Globe Theater in London with an audience. Buckley was still starting out at about age of 24 (The closing credits show a 2013 production date.)

I'm not a kid, I grew up in the 1950s and 1960s, in college I studied Shakespeare reluctantly. I find the stories rather silly and cannot tolerate the stilted language. I am a musician, I have played in the pit for musicals, I was on stage in college, but Shakespeare is not at all enjoyable for me.

However I did enjoy Buckley in this production.

The Tempest is about Prospero, a magical sorcerer who uses his powers to shipwreck his enemies on a remote island, including his usurping brother Antonio. The plot unfolds as Prospero orchestrates events to seek revenge and reconciliation, leading to the budding romance between his daughter Miranda and King Alonso's son Ferdinand, while confronting other conspiracies and freeing his servant Ariel and slave Caliban. Key themes include forgiveness, freedom, and the nature of power, while the play is notable for its theatricality and is often interpreted as Shakespeare's farewell to the stage.