Nation Oct 26 For Hilary Swank, a ‘vulnerable’ role as the daughter of an Alzheimer’s patient The new film “What They Had” explores the painful journey of a family coping with an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Its accomplished cast includes Blythe Danner as an ailing mother and Hilary Swank as the daughter who comes home to care for…
Arts Oct 24 Octavio Solis on growing up a ‘skinny brown kid’ on the U.S.-Mexico border As politicians spar over immigration, playwright Octavio Solis recounts his childhood as a “skinny brown kid” in El Paso in his memoir “Retablos”. Solis says that though he was in the U.S. legally, Border Patrol would ask him to recite…
Arts Oct 19 ‘Beautiful Boy’ resonates for a country gripped by addiction A harrowing, timely film that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this fall opens around the country today. "Beautiful Boy" chronicles meth addiction and recovery through the eyes of a father and his afflicted son. Jeffrey Brown speaks…
Arts Oct 16 For these Native American artists, business opportunities arrive by bus On South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation, a substantial number of Native households earn income by creating and selling art. But many of these residents lack access to the transportation and financing that would enable them to market and grow their…
Arts Oct 15 ’22 July’ explores the deadliest attacks in Norway since WW2 The film “22 July” is a dramatization of the 2011 massacre at a Norwegian summer camp. A right-wing fanatic killed 77 people. Jeffrey Brown talks with British director Paul Greengrass about the film, the country’s reaction to the massacre and…
Nation Oct 12 ‘The Hate U Give’ tackles race, policing and a teen girl’s two worlds In “The Hate U Give,” Amandla Stenberg plays teen Starr Carter who witnesses a white officer kill her best friend. Carter struggles to grieve and find her voice while navigating her poor, mostly black neighborhood and her mostly white prep…
World Oct 05 Tiny Easter Island deals with giant trash problem Easter Island off the coast of Chile has a major trash problem. It’s near what’s known as a “trash vortex” in the middle of the South Pacific and floating waste is constantly washing ashore. Local officials estimate the growing population…
Arts Sep 24 Robert Redford retires from acting as a bankrobber who won’t quit In the movie "The Old Man and the Gun," a charming, aging criminal manages to leave a smile on the faces of those he robs. Robert Redford and Sissy Spacek join Jeffrey Brown to discuss their new film, and to…
Arts Sep 21 Film legends Robert Redford and Sissy Spacek on aging gracefully on-screen In "The Old Man and The Gun," Robert Redford is a charming, well-dressed and friendly old guy -- who just happens to be a bank robber. He and co-star Sissy Spacek join Jeffrey Brown for a conversation about their first…
Nation Sep 07 How winning the U.S. Open gave Arthur Ashe the spotlight to speak out against injustice The huge stadium where U.S. Open championships are won and lost is named for a tennis great who transcended the court and sport itself. In "Arthur Ashe: A Life," author Raymond Arsenault examines the athlete's journey and the connection between…