ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

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susan sarandon

Spotlight 

SPOTLIGHT July 2022: Geena Davis, Actor and Activist for Diversity in Cinema

Valerie Kalfrin , , , , , , ,

Geena Davis seeks challenges in the roles she plays—and challenges others to view women’s roles differently. She’s used her fame to draw attention to disparities in representation, especially in family entertainment, and she’s passionate about recognizing unconscious biases and breaking boundaries around gender, race, body image, and abilities. By measuring evidence of what we see on screen, her institute provides evidence of how well media represents us and the inspiration to do better.

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Movie of the Week Reviews 

MOVIE OF THE WEEK September 25, 2020: BLACKBIRD

Jennifer Merin 0 Comments , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Centered on an emotional, moving performance by Susan Sarandon, Roger Michell’s Blackbird (a remake of the Danish film Silent Heart) is a powerful family drama about love and loss — and letting someone say goodbye on their own terms. It addresses the often-controversial issue of assisted death head on, ultimately depicting it as one of the hardest but most important choices a person can make for themselves.

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Reviews 

BLACKBIRD – Review by Susan Wloszczyna

Susan Wloszczyna 0 Comments , , , , , , , , ,

There’s something Big Chill-ish about Blackbird, as an exemplary cast gathers together for a weekend to celebrate the death of Lily, a beloved matriarch. But unlike that Baby Boomer classic, the soon-to-be-deceased person who is in the early throes of a terminal illness is staging her own demise on her own terms.

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Reviews 

BLACKBIRD – Review by Liz Whittemore

Liz Whittemore 0 Comments , , , , , , , , ,

Blackbird will hit home for anyone who has watched a loved one slowly deteriorate due to illness. Matriarch Lily has requested support from her family so she can die on her own terms. This arrangement comes as no surprise and s everyone has agreed to spend their final weekend together as a family unit and be present for what will come. We see everyone go through the stages of grief and they are messy and honest. And while secrets are exposed and new information comes to light, Blackbird leaves space for truth and real emotion.

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Festivals Reviews 

BLACKBIRD – TIFF19 Review by Lauren Bradshaw

Lauren Bradshaw 0 Comments , , ,

A remake of a Danish film, Blackbird focuses on a family coming together to celebrate the last weekend of the matriarch of the family’s life. Lily (Susan Sarandon) is terminally ill and starting to feel her body shut down. Instead of waiting for her condition to get worse and taking away her self-sufficiency, Lily decides she wants to end her life her way, on her own terms.

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Movie of the Week Reviews 

MOVIE OF THE WEEK April 26, 2019: Jennifer Townsend’s CATCHING SIGHT OF THELMA & LOUISE

Jennifer Merin 0 Comments , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Few films have made the kind of impact on feminist-minded moviegoers as Thelma & Louise did when it hit theaters in 1991. Ridley Scott’s story of female friendship and empowerment struck a powerful chord with women (yes, men, too, but let’s let the ladies own this one) — one that still resonates almost three decades later. In the compelling documentary Catching Sight of Thelma & Louise, director Jennifer Townsend, helming her first film at age 80, digs into exactly why the movie had — and continues to have — such an impact.

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Reviews 

CATCHING SIGHT OF THELMA & LOUISE – Review by Loren King

Loren King 0 Comments , , , , , , ,

Thelma and Louise was more than a riveting movie; it hit the cultural zeitgeist when it was released in 1991 and profoundly impacted its core audience — women. One of them, Jennifer Townsend, was so stirred by the film, she conducted a survey of women’s responses. took out ads seeking responses to a mailed questionnaire about the film. Years later,the results of that survey are revealed in this engaging documentary.

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