THE WASHINGTON POST.
FRIDAy, MARCH 27, 2020eZ14
debut of screenwriter Bob Nel-
son (“Nebraska”). over the
course of an eventful weekend —
which is supposed to culminate
in the confirmation of his 8-year-
old son — owen’s character
messes up in nearly every way
possible, resulting in what will
surely be a permanent rupture
with everyone he loves... or
redemption. “The Confirmation”
is funny and finely observed,
with lovely supporting perfor-
mances from maria Bello, Patton
oswalt and the late robert forst-
er.
Various platforms.Miss Stevens
Unrated, 86 minutes
Thanks to “A merican Horror
Story,” Lily rabe has enjoyed
something of a heyday lately.
But she should still be better
known. In this offbeat 2016
comedy-drama, rabe plays a
high school theater teacher who
agrees to drive a few of her most
gifted students to a weekend
competition. Conflict, misjudg-
ments and even some high jinks
ensue, but in filmmaker Julia
Hart’s capable hands, they feel
both surprising and grounded.
Bonus: a pre-“Call me By Your
Name” Timothée Chalamet hit-
ting his mark as a talented but
troubled young actor.
Various platforms.Tramps
TV-MA, 82 minutes
You know Callum Turner as
the handsome frank Churchill in
Autumn de Wilde’s a daptation of
“Emma,” but he had a breakout
role in this delightful crime caper
as the son of Polish immigrants
who becomes embroiled in a
scheme gone horribly (and
sometimes hilariously) awry.
Smoothly crafted by writer-di-
rector Adam Leon (“Gimme the
Loot”), this 2016 lovers-on-the-
lam romance also features Grace
Van Patten as Turner’s edgy op-
posite number, who finds outHornaday from 13 that the wrong man can some-
times be the right guy.
Available on Netflix.Exhibition
Unrated, 104 minutes
Joanna Hogg made a bit of a
splash last year with “The Souve-
nir,” which was produced by no
less than martin Scorsese. In t hat
film, Hogg evinced what has be-
come her signature style, which
tends toward observing charac-
ters as bodies in space, with their
environments telling the audi-
ence as much about them as
their dialogue and behavior. In
2013’s “Exhibition,” Hogg ex-
plores that concept with even
more rewarding results, as two
artists (played by conceptual art-
ist Liam Gillick and former Slits
guitarist Viv Albertine) put their
glass-box London house on the
market. Come for the graceful
combination of balletic move-
ment, architecture and medita-
tion on creative practice; stay for
the To m Hiddleston cameo as a
real estate agent.
Various platforms.Mississippi damned
TV-MA, 120 minutes
Tina mabry’s searing semi-
autobiographical family drama
isn’t a feel-good movie. It’s a
feel-everything movie, filled to
the brim with love, pain, betray-
al, sacrifice and self-preserva-
tion — all set against the back-
drop of a working-class commu-
nity in rural mississippi. filmed
with delicacy and nuance by
Bradford Young (“Arrival”),
mabry’s 2009 portrait is un-
sparing but also forgiving, as
her characters try to break the
bonds of poverty, sexual abuse
and addiction with only dis-
hearteningly partial success.
Te ssa Thompson delivers a
breakout performance as a
young woman whose determi-
nation to survive finds its match
in her most steadfast loyalties.
Available via Showtime Any-
time.
[email protected]Movies
netflIx
Grace Van Patten and Callum Turner in 2016’s “Tramps,” a
lovers-on-the-lam romance and crime caper.With the coronavirus causing
the cancellation of the NCAA’s
march madness basketball
tournament and the indefinite
postponement of major League
Baseball’s 2020 season, here are
four classic baseball and
basketball movies — all available
on various streaming services —
that you can enjoy with the
whole family.The Sandlot (pG)
Age 8+
Lighthearted, nostalgic tween
comedy; some language.“The Sandlot” is a lighthearted
baseball comedy that tweens will
love. Set during the early 1960s, it
follows a new kid in town who
makes friends by joining a local
pickup team. The main threat to
the gang’s happiness is “the
beast”: a giant, slavering dog on
the other side of the sandlot fence
(he might briefly scare younger
viewers). Strong language
includes “s---,” “a--hole” and lots of
colorful insults, and there are
some scuffles between the boys.
Adults may raise an eyebrow at
the way the movie treats Wendy,
the much sought-after, slightly
older lifeguard “babe.” T he boys
ogle her with typical preteen
interest (and one tricks her into
kissing him), but it’s the camera
that unnecessarily lingers on her
various body parts. family
relationships are also somewhat
strained (particularly between
one of the boys and his indifferent
stepdad), but friendship plays a
strong role and comes off in a very
positive light. And overall, the
movie has a sun-kissed, nostalgic
tone that both kids and parents
will appreciate. (101 minutes)Hoosiers (pG)
Age 9+
Stirring tale of heroic
sportsmanship will inspire
families.“Hoosiers” focuses on a tiny
farming town’s small high school
basketball team that becomes anunderdog state champion. They
achieve this by learning to play as
a team, as taught by a new coach
(Gene Hackman) who has a past
and obstacles of his own to
overcome. There’s lots of
emotional intensity here, of the
“who will win?” variety. The
movie also deals with alcoholism
but features the redemption of
two adult leads. There’s some
swearing, including “s---” and
“Jesus” (as an exclamation).
Players get into confrontations
during games, including a bench-
clearing brawl at the sectional
championship. one fight results
in a bloody injury that requires
stitches. Strong positive
messages include not judging a
book by its cover, giving people
second chances and the
importance of hard work,
discipline and teamwork. ( 104
minutes)A League of Their
Own (pG)
Age 10+
Terrific story of women’s
baseball has great messages.“A League of Their own” is a
tenderhearted tale of
camaraderie based on the real-
life 1940s All-American Girls
Professional Baseball League.
Starring Geena Davis and To mHanks, it has strong messages of
teamwork, compassion and “girl
power” and offers relatable
female characters who throw
fastballs right through the
gender stereotypes of their day.
Expect some innuendo and sex
talk (madonna’s character is
referred to as “A ll the Way mae”)
and a bit of swearing (“s---,”
“penis with a hat on”), as well as
drinking (Hanks’s character is
often drunk) and smoking. men
admire the girls in their skimpy
uniforms. Some sexual
references: “pickle tickle,” a
comment about girls being better
suited for sex than baseball, a
reference to “the clap.” Shots of
women in their underwear. A
drunk coach urinates in front of
the women (no nudity). Some
sensual dancing. There’s also
some wartime sadness/stress,
but ultimately this is a great story
for teens and up. (128 minutes)Hoop Dreams (pG-13)
Age 13+
Stunning documentary
addresses race and class issues.“Hoop Dreams” is a three-hour-
long documentary film that
features a lot of intense discussion
by two young men about their
experiences with parental
separation and divorce, familial
drug use, extreme poverty, sport-
related injury, urban blight and
violence and teen pregnancy, all
while they’re trying to earn college
basketball scholarships. There’s
some locker-room profanity and
some strong language from
basketball coaches, such as
“bulls---,” and a scene where one of
the characters is listening to music
with particularly strong lyrics.
(170 minutes)common sense
Media helps
families make smart media choices.
Go to commonsensemedia.org for
age-based and educational ratings
and reviews for movies, games, apps,
tV shows, websites and books.©orIon pIctures corp/courtesy eVerett collectIon
In “Hoosiers,” Gene Hackman, center, stars as a new coach for a
tiny farming town’s small high school basketball team.Common Sense Media What parents need to know
ronAld GrAnt ArcHIVe/MAry eVAns
From left, Megan Cavanagh, Geena davis and Bitty Schram in “a
League of Their own,” about 1940s women’s professional baseball.