The Greatest Showman: The Embodiment of the American Spirit

After walking out of this film, I have to conclude either the critics did not “get” The Greatest Showman, or they did… and didn’t like it. Or maybe it’s the fact that the film hits them where it hurts, with the critic within the film representing the wider critics at large, and the film asserting...

The Crown: Smoke & Mirrors

I read a book on relationships that said what people most desire from others is acceptance, the ability to be loved for who (or in spite of what) they are. When others reject us, it hurts. It causes us to lash out, or withdraw, or feel unworthy. The truly terrible thing is, I see this...

The Crown: Act of God

I wonder, when was the first time someone blamed God for a horrific act against humanity? And when will be the last time, when He finally shows up (again) to roll His divine eyes and say, “Honestly, mortals, must you blame everything on me? I gave you brains for a reason. You could use them...

The Crown: Windsor

I’ve never known a Brit without an opinion on the Duke of Windsor, also known as the “abdicated king.” And I cannot guess what the writer thinks of him, either, since he makes him in turns, dreadful and pitiable. “David” enters an England glad to see him (if you ask the wrong people), and loathe...

The Crown: Hyde Park Corner

Death is the inevitability of life, the one thing that links people across the globe, for no one can escape it. The second episode of The Crown is a study in death, loss, and the change it brings. While England and the royal family, the Prime Minister, and the Cabinet mourn the loss of a...

The Crown: Wolferton Splash

I’m an Anglophile. Maybe it’s my mostly-British blood, or that I dig the English and their outward emotional constipation while a storm brews underneath, or just that I’m kinda, sorta, okay a lot, obsessed with the  English monarchies; the up and coming king and his wife, not so much. Could not care less. Have they...

Reverting to our Barbarian Roots: the true perils of Game of Thrones

Throughout history, there has never been a social group without collective hatred for another social group, with the result of persecution, abuse, and slaughter. No society escapes it, from Ancient Civilizations to modern ones, and each society divides into an “us vs. them” mentality in a new way. Hatred is intrinsic in our humanness, but...

Misunderstanding Feminism

As a feminist, I have noticed a disturbing trend in recent historical productions. Since writer Emma Frost defined The White Princess, an adaptation of a Tudor novel by Philippa Gregory, as a “feminist story,” I feel it’s fair to point out the behaviors exhibited in it are not “feminist.” I also want to use the ITV...

Fact & Fiction: The White Princess, Episode 1

Since Starz announced this production, I have waffled between anticipation and dread. The former because I appreciate new costume dramas centered on the lesser-known Tudors; and the latter, because I’ve read Philippa Gregory’s book series. She’s a talented enough writer that her “historical slander” passes for the truth – and she maligns reputations, turning decent...