Movie Review by Fr. Tom Condon, O.P.

I’m sure most of us remember the incredible scene of the “Miracle on the Hudson.” On a winter day in 2009, Chesley (Sully) Sullenberger, successfully landed a US Airways jet in the Hudson River without losing a single one of the 155 passengers. Shortly after takeoff at New York’s La Guardia airport, the plane flew into a flock of birds, knocking out both engines. Fearing he could not return to La Guardia or another airport, Sully felt he had no choice but to do a water landing in the Hudson. Sully became an overnight hero and celebrity for his remarkable landing.
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Movie Review by Fr. Tom Condon, O.P.

I remember first hearing the unusual story of Florence Foster Jenkins about 30 years ago. A friend had a recording of Florence singing the “Queen of the Night,” an aria from The Magic Flute. We laughed and laughed at the awful singing of Florence. He told me that Florence had been a cult celebrity many years ago and crowds would come to hear her sing, barely containing their laughter. Florence was a wealthy New York socialite and patroness of the arts who rented out Carnegie Hall and other concert venues so that she could sing, quite badly, before enthusiastic crowds. I wondered then if Florence knew that people were laughing at her.  How did she feel about that?
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Movie Review by Fr. Tom Condon, O.P.

Jane Austen has certainly enjoyed a renaissance at the movies in the last several years. Not only have there been recent film versions of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility; we’ve also seen Pride and Prejudice and Zombies! What more could we want?

Now there’s an acclaimed new film made of Austen’s novella Lady Susan, entitled Love and Friendship. American writer/director Whit Stillman has done the adaptation for the screen. In some ways, Love and Friendship has the characteristics of other Austen films, including great period costumes and lovely English scenery. However, unlike some versions of classics, Stillman’s is surprisingly funny. The clever observations that Lady Susan Vernon (Kate Beckinsale) a recent widow, shares with her friend Alicia (Chloe Sevigny), are priceless.
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