Classics dominate the lists of new streaming releases this week. Netflix added the disturbing but enlightening 1990s tragicomedy American Beauty that follows the moral and psychological spiral of a suburban man struggling with an unloving family. You can read Roger Ebert’s review here.
To balance out that heavy film you can also now watch the medieval adventure A Knight’s Tale, which stars Heath Ledger as a passionate commoner who dreams of the glory of knight errantry. With a goofy troop of friends, an exotic princess, and a rock-and-roll soundtrack, it’s a little kitschy and a lot of fun, but has some elements that may not be suitable for kids younger than high school age. You can take a look at The New York Times’ review here.
Netflix also added the most recent adaptation of the life of Christ, Christopher Spencer’s Son of God, which was adapted from footage from the History Channel’s miniseries The Bible. When he reviewed it for CT, Kenneth R. Morefield said watching the film “was not a dreadful experience, but it wasn't a particularly inspirational or entertaining one, either.” You can read the full review here.
Amazon Prime’s most significant classic addition this week is the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger, starring Sean Connery as the apparently immortal British MI6 agent. Frank Smith discussed the Bond films in CT here when Daniel Craig was tapped to replace Pierce Brosnan in 2005. You can also read Roger Ebert’s take on Goldfinger in his “Great Movie” series of reviews here.
While the grown-ups are getting their fill of nostalgia this week, kids can enjoy a sequel to their own classic character’s story, Stuart Little 2 on Amazon Prime. The movie picks up as the adopted mouse’s new family life gets disrupted in a series of misadventures with another animal in trouble, a canary named Margalo. You can read Plugged In’s review here.
Jessica Gibson is an intern with Christianity Today Movies and a student at The King’s College in New York City.
