A good time and place for family

The week of Thanksgiving is also known as National Family Week. Begun

in 1968 by Sam Wiley, an Indianapolis school teacher -- and later

sponsored by the Alliance for Children and Families -- the

celebration’s purpose is to support institutions and nonprofits that

promote the care and education of children and families in our

community.

The reasons for choosing Thanksgiving week are obvious. It is one

of the few times of the year that most families come together and

celebrate.

With that positive thought in mind, let the library help you

celebrate with your family. One way to do this is to view some

outstanding films that illustrate the powerful forces that make up a

family. Unlike reading a book, a film is a shared experience, and

sharing a good laugh or even a good cry that will promote some good

conversation is a way to bring us together.

So let us suggest a few titles.

Ron Howard’s “Parenthood” is the quintessential movie about

American families. It’s a hilarious and moving portrait that

faithfully depicts all the ups and downs of different generations in

an extended family trying to get along.

Another wonderful film about American families is an independent

film, called “The Daytrippers,” about a New Jersey family that piles

into a station wagon and heads for New York City in order to save a

daughter’s marriage. Other terrific films about the American family

include the Thanksgiving-based “Pieces of April” and “Home for the

Holidays,” “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” “Breaking Away,” “Avalon,” and

(think about it) “Back to the Future.”

Families, however, exist all over the world, and some of the best

films about this social grouping are made abroad. “Hope and Glory,”

director John Borman’s autobiographical memoir of World War II in

Great Britain, is more than just a view of the Blitz through the eyes

of a child. It is also a charming portrait of a family trying to hold

itself together in times of inordinate stress.

The great Ingmar Bergman’s “Fanny and Alexander” is an

autobiographical film about his family in Sweden. “Monsoon Wedding,”

about a contemporary arranged marriage in India, and “Bend It Like

Beckham,” about an Indian family trying to adjust to life in

contemporary London, sweetly show how families must adjust to

survive. And John Schlesinger’s “Cold Comfort Farm” demonstrates how

even the quirkiest of families can come to a happy ending.

But the Irish may have a lock on wonderful family films. “Into the

West” is a painfully beautiful movie about two gypsy boys in search

of their mother. “Evelyn,” with Pierce Brosnan in a role very

different than his usual ones, tells the true story of an Irishman’s

struggle against a law that stipulated a father alone could not gain

custody of his children, even if deserted by their mother. And for

the most oddly endearing picture of family dynamics at work, there is

“Rat” about an Irish dad who literally changes into a rat.

So as our families gather together this week to celebrate our one

true national holiday, consider watching a good film. If nothing

else, it will remind us how lucky we are to be together in times

where other families are not so fortunate.

* CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public

Library. This week’s column is by Sara Barnicle. All titles may be

reserved from home or office computers by accessing the catalog at

https://www.newportbeach

library.org. For more information on the Central Library or any of

the branch locations, please contact the Newport Beach Public Library

at (949) 717-3800, option 2.