Films like The Godfather and Joker have become iconic, but what do they say about masculinity? What does healthy masculinity look like? Who are our heroes? What can we re-envision for a cleaner world. This post explores how we see, what we choose to see, and what we can create with clear sight.

The 1983 film Flashdance uses an interplay of masculine and feminine energy to create a story of not only romance, but someone able to seek out and accomplish her goals and her dreams. Why does this work, and what can this film teach us about the interplay of masculine and feminine? Listen to the article and some questions we can consider on this episode of the Ms. Wonderful Film Club podcast.

The film Bruiser, starring Trevante Rhodes and Jalyn Hall, came out in 2022 and explores what fatherhood is, and how challenging it can be for a teenage boy to learn about healthy masculinity. Are fathers domineering, hard-working, focused, or free-spirited and easily forgiven? How do we teach young men healthy lessons about adulthood--and do we sometimes make adulthood come too soon? Learn more about this podcast on the blog mswonderful.substack.com and read through the archives. You can also follow @mswonderfulfilm on Instagram. More about the creator of this feminine-lensed enterprise of film exploration on janamarierose.com

Barbie (2023, directed by Greta Gerwig) was one of the highest-grossing films of all time, and it is full of pink femininity. What is it about this character that appeals to our sensibilities--regardless of age? I suspect it is our desire to get lost in other worlds, and our desire for play. Listen to this posting from 2023 about the power of play and femininity to help us overcome the struggles of a slowly shifting paradigm.

From the archives, this post is about the power of acting and the way that director Richard Linklater uses sun and lighting to create a story for his main character Jesse (played by Ethan Hawke) in Before Sunset. This is the second film in Richard Linklater's Before trilogy. The trilogy grapples with a man trying to understand his place as an artist, a father, a husband, and the changing perceptions that occur with the passage of time.

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Yannick Jamey is a filmmaker based in London, UK who finds unique people living unconventional lives for the subjects of his films. His film "The Big Wait," about two people living in a very remote airport in Australia, was recently featured on the film site, Short of the Week. This podcast episode discusses what it means to be free, the role of silence and music in films, and how a film can come together spontaneously with the right people and the right timing.

Find more information about Yannick Jamey on his website: ⁠www.yannickjamey.com⁠

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Learn about healing and the connection of film and healing: ⁠www.janamarierose.com⁠

The film Moonlight won best picture in 2016 and establishes a new lens for looking at black men, love, generosity, and mentorship. Directed by Barry Jenkins and starring Trevante Rhodes and Mahershala Ali, this film pairs truth and beauty in a way you will never forget. Now streaming on Hulu and for rental elsewhere.

For Season Two of the Ms. Wonderful Podcast, Ms. W is reading posts from the archives that were never shared on the podcast. These posts were published beginning in May 2023 and they intuit and reveal ways of seeing that can be helpful for forward progress.

Footloose (1984) is about a young man who inspires a town through dancing. Some people think dancing is silly, but what can it accomplish that speaking cannot? Ms. W discusses on this episode.

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Ms. Wonderful and Ms. Cool explore the 1996 film Walking and Talking to round out the films of writer and director Nicole Holofcener. They discuss romance, literary parallels for women's literature, the special bond of friendship women share. As always, the end of the podcast presents a short original script imagining what happens after the credits.

Discussing the Nicole Holofcener film You Hurt My Feelings, art and life, and if we can be honest with the people we love about their work. Learn more on the blog mswonderful.substack.com . Find out why film blends with healing work on www.janamarierose.com