Screen Cares

With Mother’s Day just around the corner we’re asking ourselves what it means to be a mom, and what kind of mom-friends we appreciate having in our lives, in this special double feature discussion. Instead of going to the playground, Screen Cares Co-Hosts Jennie and Sarah go to the movies to find their favorite movie moms to invite to a pretend Mother’s Day Brunch. Jennie sympathizes with the all-powerful-but-heartbroken Wanda Maximoff whose dark alter ego The Scarlet Witch terrorizes the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the 2022 film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in the name of reuniting with her departed children. Sarah connects with the fierce advocacy shown by Isabel Pullman, the mother of a child with craniofacial differences named August, in the 2017 movie Wonder. Pull up a chair to our fantasy movie-mom brunch, pour some coffee or a mimosa, and tune in to our mother-lovin' episode. 

IMDB Description of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

IMDB Description of Wonder

For those who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please visit this link for the transcript of this episode of Screen Cares: Episode Transcript

Screen Shares Rating: 

• Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a great Family Screen because it highlights the importance of moving past mistakes, appreciating family, and not letting grief rule us. 
• Wonder is an excellent Family Screen because the Pullman Family demonstrates how every family member’s experience is important and valid, and that supportive and open communication is vital to growth and connectedness. 

Additional Movie Moms to Befriend on Mother's Day:

Molly Weasley- Harry Potter Series

Evelyn Abbott- A Quiet Place

Eudoria Holmes- Enola Holmes 

Sheryl Hoover- Little Miss Sunshine 

Julia Knight- Fighting With My Family 

Brad Pitt- Interview of a Vampire 

Beatrix Kiddo- Kill Bill

Marmie- Little Women

Helen Griswold-National Lampoon Series

Mrs. Gump- Forrest Gump 

Queen Elinor- Brave

Hagrid (Mother of Dragon)-Harry Potter Series

Screen Sparks:

Use our Screen Sparks to discuss Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness & Wonder:

• If you are a parent, do you have a group of parent-friends that you choose to spend time with?
• If so, why are these relationships and connections important?
• In parent-friend groups, what qualities are important to you and how do they impact your own parenting style?
• How do you celebrate Mother’s Day, if you do?

Resources & Background

• How the Mimosa Became the Official Drink of Brunch

Visit www.ScreenCares.com for all of the resources mentioned in the episode and for additional Screen Cares content.

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The Pain is All In Your Head: Rye Lane

In this week’s special episode, Jennie texted Sarah with a request for a cinematic salve to help cope with the challenge of living with chronic pain. Instead of focusing on conquering pain, Screen Cares co-hosts dive into the 2023 Sundance Film Festival favorite, Rye Lane, and how vibrance, quirkiness, and willingness to talk about discomfort, pain and heartbreak (even when it smarts!) can help close the gateway for pain. (Colin Firth serving guacamole doesn’t hurt either.)

Rye Lane (2023) - IMDb

For those who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please visit this link for the transcript of this episode of Screen Cares:

Episode Transcript

Special Thanks to Dr. Myers for his time in explaining the mechanism, construct and neurological process of pain in such an informative, thoughtful way! 

Screen Shares Rating: 

• Rye Lane is a fantastic Solo Screen and Love Screen so that you can hunker down when you’re feeling crummy, tired and just need the cinematic equivalent of a warm cup of tea. 

Screen Sparks:

When you let your guard down, you invite connection-building conversation that’s meaningful and beyond the how-is-the-weather surface-level chat. Use our Screen Sparks to discuss Rye Lane, chronic pain.Check out our socials pages (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube) share your thoughts with the Screen Cares Community this week.

• What makes you feel better when you don’t feel great?
• Do you have anything in your life that you are lying about to protect yourself, whether it is pain, emotional, or physical things that you're trying to avoid?
• Do you wave at people on boats or not
• What colors resonate with you or make you feel good?

Resources & Background

• The Connection Between Pain and Your Brain | Arthritis Foundation
• How Pain Actually Works
• Theories of pain: from specificity to gate control
• Pain Theory
• Chronic Pain: What Is It, Causes, Symptoms & Treatment
• Color Psychology: Does It Affect How You Feel?
• Facial Expression Pain Scale Referenced in This Episode

Visit www.ScreenCares.com for all of the resources mentioned in the episode and for additional Screen Cares content.

Follow the podcast on Instagram @screencarespod and Facebook!

Subscribe to Screen Cares wherever you enjoy podcasts to make sure you never miss an opportunity to watch better, together.

Screen Cares co-hosts Jennie and Sarah use the power of movies to help parents navigate the fears that may arise as their babies hit the road in a world that can sometimes feel like the Wild West. When Sarah asked Jennie to find a movie to help guide the conversation, Jennie went off trail and picked a movie with no actual cars, but lots of horsepower, the 2010 remake of the classic Western film True Grit. Listen to learn how history can provide context and comfort for these big rights-of-passage moments in a child’s life. 

The world may be scary and time may be passing by with no regard for speed-limits, but it’s nice to remember that when parents have grit and kids have strong connections, there’s no road too wild or distance too great for our love to reach and sustain our children- parent’s have been doing it for tens–of–thousands of years.

For those who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please visit this link for the transcript of this episode of Screen Cares: Episode Transcript

Screen Shares Rating: 

• True Grit is a great Love Screen. Watch with anyone you're parenting with. Brace yourself for the wild ride that is trusting your child to enter the world.
• Buddy Screen with your fellow parents driving the same road of life with you! We're looking at your Karen. 

Screen Sparks:

Discuss these Screen Sparks, with your kids, mechanic, or bounty hunter or simply mull them over on your own:

• What is our greatest fear when children take on new responsibilities and freedoms? 
• What is within our locus of control?
• How have children and our expectations for them changed through history? How can that inform our present?

Resources & Background

True Grit:

• Imdb description
  • https://m.imdb.com/title/tt1403865/
• Hailee Steinfeld on the True Grit Experience 
  • https://collider.com/hailee-steinfeld-interview-true-grit/
• True Grit 1969 vs 2010 
  • https://whatnerd.com/true-grit-movies-1969-original-vs-2010-remake-compared/
• Historical Accuracy and Inaccuracies Plus Making the Movie

Visit www.ScreenCares.com for all of the resources mentioned in the episode and for additional Screen Cares content.

Follow the podcast on Instagram @screencarespod and Facebook!

Subscribe to Screen Cares wherever you enjoy podcasts to make sure you never miss an opportunity to watch better, together.

It’s frustrating when an injury or illness interrupts a personal goal, especially when you feel that you’ve “let yourself go” and failed to meet your own personal expectations. Sarah tackles the big “b” (body image) in this episode of Screen Cares, and shares how Sundance Film Festival Audience Award: US Dramatic winner, Brittany Runs a Marathon (2019) - IMDb can remind you that unlike in an athletic race, finish lines can be fluid and adaptable. 

For those who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please visit this link for the transcript of this episode of Screen Cares: Episode Transcript

Screen Shares Rating: 

• Brittany Runs a Marathon is an entertaining Buddy Screen to enjoy with friends, especially those who might personally relate to the struggles of body image, weight, and more.

Screen Sparks:

When you let your guard down, you invite connection-building conversation that’s meaningful and beyond the how-is-the-weather surface-level chat. Use our Screen Sparks to discuss Brittany Runs a Marathon, body image, pushing through vs. setting limits:

• Have there been any people or experiences in your life that have led you to question your body?
• Where is the line between pushing yourself and hurting yourself? 
• How do you talk about body image and related issues with your kids?

Resources & Background

• Sarah and Jennie encourage you to check out the fantastic podcast, Maintenance Phase, for thoughtful, irreverent and engaging conversations about wellness, health, and more!
• Sundance Film Festival’s award winners are a great watch. Check out this complete list!

Visit www.ScreenCares.com for all of the resources mentioned in the episode and for additional Screen Cares content.

Follow the podcast on Instagram @screencarespod and Facebook!

Subscribe to Screen Cares wherever you enjoy podcasts to make sure you never miss an opportunity to watch better, together.

It's the birds, it's the creepy characters, NO it's the fear of losing the ones you love! Jennie leads Sarah through the experience of watching The Birds (1962) during a special family movie night on her father Jim's birthday. The Screen Cares hosts  unpack all the ways the film can bring us together through shared fears and how the film highlights some of the ways we can do better appreciating life and loving one another. Warning this episode may not be suitable for the ornithophobes among us, but it is perfect for anyone looking for ways to use films to make intergenerational connections with those they love. 

For those who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please visit this link for the transcript of this episode of Screen Cares: Episode Transcript

Screen Shares Rating: 

• The Birds (1963) is a perfectly terrifying Family Screen to watch in an intergenerational setting. Discuss the special effects, rotary phones, hairstyles, and lax privacy standards of times gone by, but most importantly connect over stories of how each family member experienced The Birds for the first time. 
• The Birds can also be a great Love Screen if you're looking to spark conversations about a variety of relationships throughout the various stages of life.

 Screen Sparks:

Discuss these Screen Sparks, after you've boarded up the windows and stoked the fire to keep the birds out:

• How can media help us treat real deaths more equitably?
• Are there any movies that are "infamous" in your family- too scary or so awesome you've either never seen them or seen them too many time?
• What is the difference between uncanny, suspicious, and harmless difference?
• Are there any movies or art that dramatically impacted the way you live in the world?
• What do you love and how can you connect with it every day?

Resources & Background

• The Birds Daphne du Maurier 
  • https://mrnsmith.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/the-birds-by-daphne-du-maurier.pdf
• The fear of birds: Ornithophobia
  • https://www.verywellmind.com/ornithophobia-2671874
• Rewatching The Birds as adults
  • https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/fear-birds
• Tippi Hendren Abuse Allegations

Visit www.ScreenCares.com for all of the resources mentioned in the episode and for additional Screen Cares content.

Follow the podcast on Instagram @screencarespod and Facebook!

Subscribe to Screen Cares wherever you enjoy podcasts to make sure you never miss an opportunity to watch better, together.

Sarah and her family make a big decision from her nightmares…a move to the ‘burbs. As a self-proclaimed “weirdo” and non-conformist, Sarah and Screen Cares co-host, Jennie, work through a fun watch of Pleasantville (1998) - IMDb in the hopes of finding peace with living in a neighborhood where everything is the same. Instead of focusing on the film’s political implications, we try to figure out how can we consolidate our need to be part of a community while reconciling our own individual needs, while asking ourselves: Is the safety of the suburbs worth risking homogeneity and living away from the opportunities afforded by city life? 

For those who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please visit this link for the transcript of this episode of Screen Cares: Episode Transcript

Screen Shares Rating: 

• Pleasantville (1998) is a great Family Screen with your entire family to spark conversations about what your residential values are when choosing where to live and most importantly: how to maintain your own individuality, no matter where you reside.

Screen Sparks:

Have a real, old-fashioned conversation with someone about suburbia, feeling “at home,” individuality, conformity, truth and Pleasantville by using our Screen Sparks to get it started:

• Do you believe that children should be denied access to specific content, subjects, art forms, literature, etc. in order to “keep the peace” and to maintain pleasantness?
• Are there specific ways of living that feel “you” such as living in an apartment in a large city, living in a rural area with lots of acreage, etc.? And has this always been the way that has felt appealing to you?
• Which is more important- being part of a community member or focusing on your individuality? 
• Which Pleasantville character do you feel most accurately reflects who you are in your current stage of life?
• What unlocks the color, the passion, your life’s motivation for you? 

Resources & Background

• Suburb Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
• The History and Evolution of Suburbs
• Malvina Reynolds’ Song ‘Little Boxes’ Connects Suburbia with Conformity
• Tony Lombardo from The Descendents Actually Wanted “a Suburban Home”
• The Big Orange Splot is a classic children’s book that introduces the power of individuality, even in a neighborhood filled with the “little boxes” that Malvina Reynolds cautioned about.

Visit www.ScreenCares.com for all of the resources mentioned in the episode and for additional Screen Cares content.

Follow the podcast on Instagram @screencarespod and Facebook!

Subscribe to Screen Cares wherever you enjoy podcasts to make sure you never miss an opportunity to watch better, together.

Maybe Hannah Gadsby's Nanette isn't quite a movie, but Screen Cares host Jennie finds value in bringing the Netflix comedy special to the table to give context to her approach to viewing creative works and her own personal attempts to grow in her authenticity and vulnerability. Co-host Sarah helps make personal connections related to growing up in small communities, Jennie's collegiate studies in Art History, finding connections through authenticity, and defining what "being in your prime" means on our own terms. Hosts invite listeners to watch Nanette with an open mind, and a heart open to breaking down personal walls and being aware of when others are building up their own. 

For those who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please visit this link for the transcript of this episode of Screen Cares:  Episode Transcript

Screen Shares Rating: 

• Solo Screen- Settle in alone and let Hannah Gadsby take you on a humorous yet highly intellectual and passionate journey through her experiences with comedy, gender, sexuality, art, and trauma.
• Buddy Screen- You're going to want to debrief this intense "comedy" special with someone who sees you and makes you feel comfortable telling you the truth when they've had a shit day. 

Screen Sparks:

1. What parts of your life are you living as jokes? 
2. Do you have an obligation to regulate how you spread anger?
3. What would it look like if we didn’t ask for artists to suffer? Do you think creativity would still happen?
4. How do we diffuse tension with jokes and self-deprecation? What if we stopped?

After the Credits Roll-Links Referenced during the show:

• Hannah Gadsby’s Website 
• Hannah Gadsby Isn’t a Comedy Elle Magazine
• Van Gogh’s Sunflowers and information from The Van Gogh Museum

Soooo, when making the show notes for this episode Jennie realized she had, in fact, conflated two interviews with Kumail Nanjiani and his conversations about Hannah Gadsby. Although he was interviewed by Terry Gross on Fresh Air Three Times (https://freshairarchive.org/guests/kumail-nanjiani) . He actually talked about Nanette on an episode of the podcast Pop Culture Happy Hour. 

POP CULTURE HAPPY HOUR

Hannah Gadsby's Netflix Special 'Nanette' With Kumail Nanjiani

• Behind the Scenes:     

Jennie on her last day "being fancy" and working at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston 16 years ago. 

Extra Amazing Quotes and takeaways from Hannah Gadsby's Nanette:

Extra amazing quotes and takeaways:

1. 1. “There is NOTHING stronger than a broken woman who has rebuilt herself!”
   2. Laughter is not our medicine, stories hold our cure. Honey is just the honey that sweetens the bitter medicine.
   3. We have th

Visit www.ScreenCares.com for all of the resources mentioned in the episode and for additional Screen Cares content.

Follow the podcast on Instagram @screencarespod and Facebook!

Subscribe to Screen Cares wherever you enjoy podcasts to make sure you never miss an opportunity to watch better, together.

Isolation can be crushing, whether from geographical restraints (like if you live on a tiny fictional island off of the coast of Ireland like this week’s movie characters, Colm and Padraic, or if you live too far from loved ones), psychological (if you don’t look beyond the normal initial first impressions of people you meet and get stuck in this one-dimensional view), or even global (hello, pandemic social distancing!). Sarah shares that she won’t throw fingers at Jennie’s door, literal or proverbial because friendship is valuable, and encourages intentional friendship, open communication and reminds us that ghosting will only lead to regret. 

For those who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please visit this link for the transcript of this episode of Screen Cares:  Episode Transcript

Screen Shares Rating: 

• Buddy Screen- We encourage you to to share this movie with those who are reflecting on the value of friendships, on boundary setting, and on the experience of being ghosted, or ghosting someone. 

Screen Sparks:

1. Are we ever entitled to other people’s time?
2. What is more timeless: art or kindness?
3. Have you ever ghosted anyone? Or has anyone ever ghosted you?
4. Specifically, has anyone done anything to cut off a relationship that was hurtful or extreme?
5. Have you ever had to do anything extreme to get a toxic person out of your life? 

After the Credits Roll-Links Referenced during the show:

• Padraic’s Misguided Musical Response to Colm’s Rejection 
• The Banshees of Inisherin’s Many Accolades
• Learn More About The Irish Civil War
• How to Pronounce Padraic

Visit www.ScreenCares.com for all of the resources mentioned in the episode and for additional Screen Cares content.

Follow the podcast on Instagram @screencarespod and Facebook!

Subscribe to Screen Cares wherever you enjoy podcasts to make sure you never miss an opportunity to watch better, together.

Jennie outs herself as a life-long Elvis enthusiast in the name of drawing out deep life lessons from Baz Luhrmann’s Oscar nominated biopic Elvis (2022). Sarah and Jennie discuss how the film reveals truths about how we engage with ourselves and the world around us through three main musically-inspired themes: Return to Sender, Devil in Disguise, and That’s Alright Mama. Listen to learn how you can appreciate instead of appropriate, fill your life with supportive people, place balance above showmanship in your everyday life, and how Elvis is every mom. 

For those who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please visit this link for the transcript of this episode of Screen Cares: Episode Transcript

Screen Shares Rating: 

• Work Screen- Setting boundaries is an important part of a healthy working relationship, and the film Elvis gives many excellent non-examples.
• Little Screen- Elvis can serve as a launching off point to discuss self-care, achievement, and growth with mature children in your life.
• Family Screen- Make intergenerational connections by watching Elvis with your extended family of many ages. The film could be particularly good at connecting older people who were alive during Elvis' fame with younger people. 

Screen Sparks:

1. How do we grapple with the historical precedents that minority culture is often only elevated when it’s appropriated? How can we do better?
2. What is your personal boundary between performance and reality?
3. Do you ask anyone in your life to perform?
4. Is it okay to idolize anyone?

3 Musical Take-Aways from Elvis (2022) and Opportunities to Take Action:

1. Return to Sender-Check your sources and cite your work-There’s value in re-examining origins and problematic histories with an open mind, and willingness to make changes. 
   • We talk about cultural appropriation and artistic reparations. Please consider donating to one of the following organizations that support black artists. 
     • The Memphis Black Arts Alliance 
     • 10 Organizations Supporting Black Artists, Creators, Movers & Shakers You Can Donate To Today 
     • Here Are 26 Organizations You Can Donate to That Support Emerging Black Artists, Thinkers, and Change-Makers 
2. Beware Devils in Disguise-Be with people who want you whole-People who only want you at your best don’t want what’s best for you; they want what’s best for them. People are not monolithic symbols they’re complex beings
3. It’s Alright Mama-Be a wheel or better yet, be a rock-No-one is super human. When we put a person at the center of a system and/or on a pedestal we risk stripping them of their humanity and burning them out.  

Visit www.ScreenCares.com for all of the resources mentioned in the episode and for additional Screen Cares content.

Follow the podcast on Instagram @screencarespod and Facebook!

Subscribe to Screen Cares wherever you enjoy podcasts to make sure you never miss an opportunity to watch better, together.

While hosts Sarah and Jennie have always promised that Screen Cares isn’t just another movie podcast that provides lists and critique, the upcoming 95th Academy Awards Ceremony is the “elephant in the room” for a podcast that is centered on cinema. Jennie and Sarah share their experience with the Oscars and explore ways to make deeper connections using this years’ nominated movies by using the Screen Shares Rating system.

For those who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please visit this link for the transcript of this episode of Screen Cares:  Episode Transcript

Screen Shares Winners: Want to use this year’s Academy Award nominated movies as a bridge to forge connections or interesting conversations with the people in your life? Check out your favorite movie podcast hosts’ Screen Cares Rating System as a way to guide your movie-watching and chatting experience this week:

• Solo Screen- For introspection and a movie to enjoy alone, we encourage you to check out Everything, Everywhere, All at Once and Marcel the Shell With Shoes On.
• Buddy Screen- When you’re looking for a great movie to watch with friends, watch Causeway and Banshees of Inisherin for interesting friendships. 
• Work Screen- While it may not always feel natural, recommending movies to colleagues is a great way to spark a great conversation. For these great professional watches, stream both Elvis and The Elephant Whisperers;
• Family Screen- To engage with your family for a fun movie night, we suggest Marcel the Shell with Shoes On and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.
• Little Screen- Movie watching with the special kids in your life can encourage precious conversations, like those found in The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse.
• Love Screen- Watching movies with a significant other or potential significant other is a wonderful way to consider compatibility, love, weirdness, passion and whether your partner is documentary-watching-material or not, so grab your romantic partner and watch Fire of Love and Everything, Everywhere, All at Once

After the Credits Roll-Links Referenced during the show: 

General Oscar Information:

• Sunday, March 12 
  • ABC.com or ABC app, or some streaming platforms (like Hulu) to access the ABC channel 
• Hosted for the 3rd time by Jimmy Kimmel
• Diversity & Inclusivity: Oscars in 2024 will look different for Best Picture
• Here’s where you can stream some of the nominees (in the major categories)
• Summary and important information about all best picture nominees 

Visit www.ScreenCares.com for all of the resources mentioned in the episode and for additional Screen Cares content.

Follow the podcast on Instagram @screencarespod and Facebook!

Subscribe to Screen Cares wherever you enjoy podcasts to make sure you never miss an opportunity to watch better, together.