PAGE 20 • GO! MAGAZINE
MOVIES
THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021 • THE BULLETIN
Continued from previous page
“Harlan County U.S.A.” (1976) — The
documentary by Barbara Kopple shows
bluntly the struggle coal miners in Har-
lan County, Kentucky, experienced for 13
months during the Brookside Strike of 1973.
In it, Kopple doesn’t use narration to move
the story forward and instead allows her
subjects to do that on their own. The strike
was sparked by the miners’ calls for better
and safer working conditions, and through-
out the months of picketing, Koppel cap-
tured the violent clashes between both sides,
the development of black lung in some of
the workers and even murder. The haunting
bluegrass soundtrack that accompanies the
film makes it even more powerful to watch
all these years later. Stream it on HBO Max.
“The Hitch-Hiker” (1953) — Director Ida
Lupino is one of the most prolific female
filmmakers of the 1950s and started her ca-
reer off as an actress who would only accept
roles if the script was acceptable to her. As
such, she found herself suspended by her
boss Jack Warner (this was during the stu-
dio system when an actor was under con-
tract to one studio). She took the opportu-
nity to step behind the camera and thrived.
This 1953 film noir classic was written by
Lupino and her ex-husband Collier Young
and follows two friends (Edmond O’Brien
and Frank Lovejoy) as they pick up a killer
hitchhiker (William Talman) who assures
them he will kill them if he deems them un-
useful. The film is in public domain and can
be streamed on Tubi and Vudu for free, or
on Amazon Prime with a subscription.
“My Brilliant Career” (1979) — Gillian
Armstrong directs this impressive Austra-
lian period drama based on the novel of
the same name by Miles Franklin. In 1897,
Sybylla (Judy Davis) is a headstrong and
independent woman who is torn between
social expectations, romance and being a
writer. The film plays on the ideas of late
19th century manners and features a young
Sam Neill as Sybylla’s suitor. Davis is won-
Columbia Pictures
Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton in a scene from “Something’s Gotta Give” (2003).
derful, and her performance earned her a
BAFTA at the time while the film went on to
be nominated for an Oscar for its costumes
and for Best Foreign Film at the Golden
Globes. Stream it on HBO Max or rent it on
iTunes.
“The Matrix” (1999) — Lana and Lilly
Wachowski broke the mold when they
brought their cyber-punk, kung-fu, sci-fi
film to the screen. The trippy concept fol-
lows the idea that a man named Neo (Keanu
Reeves) is awakened to the fact that his re-
ality isn’t reality at all and is instead a simu-
lation. When he is brought into the fold of a
band of people who are working to wake the
rest of humanity to rise up against the forces
that bind them in the simulation, he discov-
ers that he is the only one who can do it. A
fourth installment in the saga is supposedly
being released in December. It will hope-
fully be better than the second and third
films, but nothing can beat the originality
of the first. Stream it on HBO Max or rent
it on Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes,
Vudu or YouTube.
“Something’s Gotta Give” (2003) — A
peak Nancy Myers comedy that stars Jack
Nicholson and Diane Keaton and has all the
hallmarks of a Myers film that audiences
love. Keaton plays Erica, a playwright who’s
holed herself away at her stunning Hampton
beach house in order to finish her next play
when she meets her daughter’s (Amanda
Peet) new boyfriend Harry (Nicholson), an
aging womanizer. The two are then forced
to live together when Harry has a heart at-
tack and begin to form a deeper connection
than Harry has ever known. Meanwhile, Er-
ica begins dating a handsome young doctor
(Keanu Reeves). Stream it on Starz or rent
it on Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes,
Vudu or YouTube.
e e
Reporter: 541-383-0304, mwhittle@bendbulletin.com
Predict who will take home Oscar gold, win a $50 gift card
Think you know who will take home Oscar gold this
year? Test your prediction skills against Central Oregon
cinephiles for a chance to win a $50 gift card!
Enter now through 4 p.m. April 25, before the 93rd
Academy Award broadcast on ABC and then check out
the ceremony to see how you did.
The contest is open to all Central Oregon residents and
you must include your full name and contact email in
order to win.
Enter online at bit.ly/BulletinOscars. Good luck!
— Makenzie Whittle, The Bulletin
Warner Bros.
Keanu Reeves in a scene from “The Matrix” (1999).