Run Away to “Moonrise Kingdom”

Movie Review by Jack Silbert
With 2009’s Fantastic Mr. Fox, Wes Anderson unequivocally proved he could make a film for children. (And now that Maurice Sendak has passed, I can comfortably say that Mr. Fox was a superior kids’ movie to that year’s Where the Wild Things Are.) Ah, but can Mr. Anderson make a movie starring children? And can that movie appeal to children? Moonrise Kingdom joyously answers the first question in the affirmative: This film is an absolute delight—inventive, smart, funny, and sweet. As for the second question, eh, it depends on the kid. But I’ll get back to that.

Honey! Help! I’m Stuck!

Our Mother’s Day Tribute to TV Moms Who Are Married to Peter Pans
It’s a familiar plot device: the competent, together mom married to the charming doofus of a “man child.” It’s particularly familiar if you’re under the age of forty. These television moms are more often seen in our post-feminist television culture. Decades ago, you’d often see the opposite pairing: the ditzy mom who’s continually gotten out of scrapes by her wiser, more centered husband. In both cases, the clash of “conservative” verses “wild and free” creates the laughs.