kathy bates – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

MATLOCK – Review by Susan Granger

September 30, 2024October 3, 2024 Susan Granger Beau Bridges, Eve Ikwuakor, Jason Ritter, Jennie Snyder Urman, kathy bates, Matlock, paramount, series

Madeline ‘Matty’ Matlock (Kathy Bates) is a disarmingly genial attorney with a brilliant legal mind. Like many septuagenarians, she feels that her age has rendered her invisible. That’s what character-centric showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman (“Jane the Virgin”) capitalizes on: how older women are underestimated and overlooked. After the tragic death of her daughter from a drug overdose, widowed Matty is raising her 12 year-old grandson. Declaring she’s in debt yet still skilled, Matty cleverly manages to land a job at the prestigious Jacobson Moore law firm. Matty is assigned to an outspoken who takes on challenging cases that no one else in the firm views as profitable.

Reviews

A FAMILY AFFAIR – Review by Susan Granger

July 5, 2024 Susan Granger A Family Affair, Carrie Solomon, joey king, kathy bates, Lisa Koshy, netflix, nicole kidman, Richard La Gravensese, zac efron

A Family Affair is a Hallmark movie – only it’s on Netflix. Shallowly concocted by debuting screenwriter Carrie Solomon, it’s clumsily directed by Richard La Gravensese, who desperately tries to breathe life into a mundane romantic fantasy that’s filled with beautiful, privileged people wearing stunning ‘designer’ clothes, cavorting on lavish sets.

Reviews

THE MIRACLE CLUB – Review by Valerie Kalfrin

June 26, 2023June 26, 2023 Valerie Kalfrin kathy bates, laura linney, lourdes, Maggie Smith, Thaddeus O’Sullivan, the miracle club

Working-class Dublin and the women who want something more out of life are the core of The Miracle Club, an ensemble dramedy about a pilgrimage to Lourdes, the Catholic shrine in France where the Virgin Mary is believed to have appeared in 1858. Maggie Smith, Kathy Bates and Laura Linney lead an esteemed cast in a story that has so much on its mind at times, the tone and the pacing are uneven. Still, fans of the three may find this story rewarding, especially in its focus on honesty and forgiveness.

Reviews

ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET – Review by TJ Callahan

May 1, 2023May 5, 2023 T. J. Callahan abby ryder fortson, ann roth, are you there god? It's Me Margaret, Benny Safdie, Elle Graham, kathy bates, kelly fremon craig, lionsgate films, rachel mcadams

It’s difficult to reinvigorate excellence, but this cast and crew has. Sometimes
you want your favorites to be so good, you become too critical, but this feature version manages
to keep our memories intact of reading the book under the covers with a flashlight and taking
some of the pain out of puberty.

Reviews

ARE YOU THERE, GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET – Review by Valerie Kalfrin

April 25, 2023April 25, 2023 Valerie Kalfrin abby ryder fortson, ann roth, are you there god? It's Me Margaret, Benny Safdie, Elle Graham, kathy bates, kelly fremon craig, lionsgate films, rachel mcadams

If you know a tween girl—or you remember being one—go see Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret. Judy Blume’s beloved book about an eleven-year-old girl’s budding puberty comes to rich, layered life in this charming adaptation that’s funny, empathetic, and affecting. Abby Ryder Fortson takes the lead as Margaret, an easygoing, wide-eyed girl who returns home from summer camp to find her world upended. Her mom and dad have bought a home in New Jersey, leaving the bustle and clutter of a New York City apartment behind. For Margaret and her paternal grandma, moving across the Hudson might as well be across the country.

Reviews

RICHARD JEWELL – Review by Diane Carson

December 15, 2019December 15, 2019 Diane Carson 0 Comments clint eastwood, kathy bates, olivia wilde, paul walter jauser, richard jewell, truth-based

Joel Cox’s editing moves this story along with emotional closeups, and cinematographer Yves Bélanger’s strong compositions deliver strong content without distractions. The takeaway is that Eastwood’s presentation of Richard Jewell’s unjust victimization insists on a political relevance for our current climate, a targeted message that can’t be missed.