Awww-worthy BEARS entertains and inspires (review and activity freebies)

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I usually save movie reviews for Saturdays, but this one I simply must share with you now as Easter weekend is prime time for enjoying a movie with family. BEARS from Disneynature opens tomorrow, so if you're looking for a film both young and old will enjoy for the holiday (or any day), BEARS just might be the ticket.

Bears movie poster

I had the opportunity to...

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Saturday movie review: 'The Book Thief'

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I'm always a little leery of movies made from books I love. So when I saw that one of my favorite books of the last several years, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, was being filmed, I vacillated between being thrilled thrilled filmmakers loved it as much as I did and being reluctant to watch it when it came out just in case those filmmakers screwed it up.

I'm happy to report screenwriter Michael Petroni...

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Saturday movie review: 'Gravity'

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When GRAVITY, starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, came out in theaters, I wasn't all that sure I wanted to see it. From the initial trailers, it seemed there'd be a few minutes of excitement followed by a very quiet hour or so of Sandra Bullock floating around in outer space.

Gravity on DVD

Even after the film garnered all the positive reviews...

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Saturday movie review: 'Austenland'

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Movies based on the lives of authors or anything remotely related to authors, though often good, tend to be, well, a tad stuffy and serious. That is so very much not the case with AUSTENLAND. And yes, the "Austen" part of the title does indeed relate to the esteemable Jane Austen, author of such classics as Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park and So. Many. More.

Austenland

A comedy about dear Ms. Austen? Well, it's not...

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Saturday movie review: 'About Time'

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I wanted so badly to see ABOUT TIME starring Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams and Bill Nighy when it played in theaters late last year. Unfortunately, time was not on my side, and I ended up having to wait for it to appear on DVD and Blu-ray.

About Time

Which it did, much to my delight, March 4. I immediately had it in my hands — thank you, Netflix! — and playing on my television for my hubby and me.

ABOUT TIME is a romantic...

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Saturday movie review: 'Le Week-End'

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I had the opportunity this week to screen LE WEEK-END from Roger Michell, the director of NOTTING HILL. 

Le Week-EndLE WEEK-END stars Jim Broadbent as Nick and Lindsay Duncan as Meg, a long-married couple visiting Paris to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary.

Celebrate isn't exactly the right word, though. Nick and Meg continually...

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Saturday movie review: 'Dallas Buyers Club'

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Mere minutes into DALLAS BUYERS CLUB, my husband turned to me and said, "You can't review this for the grandmas!" He said that in response to the opening scene, which is a pretty heavy-duty sex scene.

Throughout the entire movie I kept thinking the same thing. "I can't review this for the grandmas." I even decided I wouldn't share my review here — and watched another film the next night so I'd have one for this space.

Dallas Buyers Club

But I didn't really like that one, at least not enough to share it with you. I wanted to...

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