THE BULLETIN • APRIL 8 - 14, 2021
TV • PAGE 25
What’s Available NOW On
“Movie: Unhinged”
A case of road rage escalates into terror
for a single mom and her son when they
become the targets of an unstable man
following a rush-hour incident in this
2020 suspenser from director Derrick
Borte (“American Dreamer,” “The
Joneses”). Russell Crowe, Caren Pistorius,
Gabriel Bateman and Jimmi Simpson head
the cast.
BY JAY BOBBIN
“A Raisin in the Sun”
“Duel at Diablo”
“To Sir With Love”
“Movie: Art of Falling in Love”
“Movie: Burden”
“Movie: Wander”
From Canada comes this 2019 romance
telepic about an artist who finds herself
falling for the architect of the hospital
wing where she’s painting a mural —
though she’s worried he might think less
of her if she reveals the unfortunate story
behind her secret bucket list. Kimberly-
Sue Murray and Josh Dean head the cast
for director Justin Dyck (“A Very Country
Christmas”).
Mike Burden (Garrett Hedlund), a young
man raised in a culture of racist hate in a
small South Carolina town, finds a path
to redemption thanks to a compassionate
Black preacher (Forest Whitaker) and a
young woman (Andrea Riseborough) who
senses hidden, untapped sensitivity in
Mike. Director Andrew Heckler’s film won
the Audience Award at the 2018 Sundance
Film Festival.
Hired to probe a death in the small town
of Wander, a troubled private detective
(Aaron Eckhart, “Sully”) links the crime
to what he believes is a conspiracy cover-
up that caused the death of his daughter.
Katheryn Winnick (“Vikings”), Tommy
Lee Jones and Heather Graham also star
for director April Mullen (“Dead Before
Dawn 3D”) in this 2020 thriller.
BEST SIDNEY POITIER MOVIES
“Blackboard Jungle” (1955) Since he later
would play one of the screen’s most famous educators,
it’s ironic that Poitier had one of his first hits playing a
student in this tense classroom tale.
“The Defiant Ones” (1958) Poitier and Tony
Curtis convey appropriate fury as literally linked
chain-gang fugitives in director Stanley Kramer’s
racially blistering drama.
“A Raisin in the Sun” (1961) Poitier rises to
the occasion, as do his co-stars, in the adaptation
of Lorraine Hansberry’s classic play about a family’s
sudden windfall.
“Lilies of the Field” (1963) Poitier became the
first African-American to win the best actor Oscar for
his portrayal of a handyman who reluctantly helps
a group of nuns build a chapel. The film is included
in Turner Classic Movies’ “31 Days of Oscar” event
Thursday, April 15.
“A Patch of Blue” (1965) Poitier and Elizabeth
Hartman are heartbreakingly wonderful in this drama
of a blind woman and the man who befriends her.
“The Slender Thread” (1965) Sydney Pollack
(“Out of Africa”) made his feature-film directing
debut with this tense tale of a crisis center worker’s
(Poitier) attempt to save a suicidal woman (Anne
Bancroft) via telephone.
“Duel at Diablo” (1966) Poitier reunited with
“Lilies of the Field” director Ralph Nelson on this
notably mature and gritty Western, also starring
James Garner.
“To Sir, With Love” (1967) Poitier had a hit-
after-hit movie year that started with his memorable
portrayal of a novice teacher dealing with a classroom
of London toughs.
“In the Heat of the Night” (1967) The screen
truly sizzled from the teaming of Poitier and Rod
Steiger as lawmen with very different methodologies
in this Oscar-winning Southern crime drama.
“Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” (1967)
Capping a year that any performer would cherish,
Poitier worked with screen legends Spencer Tracy
and Katharine Hepburn in this comedy-drama about
an interracial marriage-to-be. Katharine Houghton,
Hepburn’s niece, played the intended bride.
“For Love of Ivy” (1968) Though it often isn’t
included on lists of his prime projects, this comedy-
drama features a wonderfully romantic Poitier as
a suitor enlisted to help a family keep their highly
valued maid (Abbey Lincoln).
“Uptown Saturday Night” (1974) Poitier
began a series of successful “buddy comedies”
as both director and – with Bill Cosby and Harry
Belafonte – star of this high-spirited story of the race
to recover a stolen winning lottery ticket.
“Stir Crazy” (1980) If you don’t remember
Poitier appearing in this prison comedy, he didn’t;
instead, he put Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor
through their paces as the film’s director.
“Shoot to Kill” (1988) Drawing on his authority
and sheer star power, Poitier is effective as an FBI
agent who relies on a tracker (Tom Berenger) to find
a lethal villain in the Canadian-American wilderness.