The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) is available on Amazon Instant Video. This film adaption of the bestselling novel by Stephen Chbosky (who also directed) is a coming-of-age story about Charlie, a freshman in high school wrestling through the difficulties of making friends, falling in love, and coming to terms with his past. The novel has been called the Catcher in the Rye of our time, and the film, which stars Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, and Ezra Miller, has been hugely successful since its release last year. Read our review here.
Disney's Oz the Great and Powerful (2013) borrows elements from the classic story to spin a tale of how the Wizard first came to Oz. The film follows the misadventures of a con artist (James Franco) that land him in the vibrant world of Oz, his encounters with three witches, and a moral struggle that will determine the fate of the land. It's streaming on Amazon.
To commemorate the recent passing of James Gandolfini, consider watching the PBS documentary series America in Primetime. Directed by Ron Howard and consisting of four hour-long episodes, the series evaluates the development of iconic character motifs in society through the best shows television has brought us from its inception till now. The episode "Man of the House" interviews filmmakers and actors from a variety of shows, including The Sopranos, discussing the significance of Gandolfini's character Tony Soprano for the changing ways in which American society understands the role of the family man.
The Windmill Movie (2001) is the result of film maker Richard P. Roger's attempt at making a documentary about his own life. He died before he could complete the project, but his student Alexander Olch, at the request of Roger's wife, compiled the footage and crafted this picture. With an 86% "fresh" rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, this reflection on the life of a filmmaker and his meditations on art is worth a view. It's streaming on Hulu this weekend.
