Actress Rosemarie DeWitt (1971)

The Professor (2018) follows the story of Richard Brown, an English professor at a New England college. During a visit to his doctor, he receives devastating news of advanced stage 4 lung cancer that has spread throughout his body and is terminal. Given a life expectancy of six months without treatment, Richard’s hope is renewed when the doctor suggests that cancer treatment could potentially extend it to 12-18 months. After taking a walk through town and into a pond in shock, Richard returns home for dinner where he plans to share the somber news with his wife, Veronica, and their daughter Olivia. However, Richard’s plans are interrupted by Olivia’s ...

Based on Elizabeth Strout’s 2008 novel, Olive Kitteridge (2014) is an American TV miniseries set in Maine. Starring Frances McDormand as the title character and Richard Jenkins as her husband Henry Kitteridge, with Zoe Kazan as Denise Thibodeau and Bill Murray as Jack Kennison. The show is divided into four parts, each depicting a different point in the story. Premiering on HBO on November 2, 2014, the first two episodes ...

Men, Women & Children (2014) is an American comedy-drama film directed by Jason Reitman and co-written with Erin Cressida Wilson. It is based on the novel of the same name by Chad Kultgen, and focuses on online addiction. The movie follows a group of high school teenagers and their parents as they navigate the ways in which the internet has affected their relationships, communication, self-image, and love lives. Social issues such as video game culture, anorexia, infidelity, fame hunting, and access to inappropriate content are explored. As each character’s ...

Gus Van Sant’s drama, Promised Land (2012), follows the journey of Steve Butler as he climbs the ranks at Global Crosspower Solutions, an energy company focused on fracking for natural gas. With a proven record of efficiently and cost-effectively securing mineral rights leases from land owners, Butler catches the attention of top management. Teaming up with his partner Sue Thomason, Butler travels to a struggling farming community in Pennsylvania where residents take great pride in their long-standing family farms. Having grown up in a town similar to this one, Butler is determined to win over the locals on behalf ...

Black Mirror (2011–2024) is a thought-provoking British anthology series, created by Charlie Brooker, that delves into the consequences of technology on society. Originally airing on Channel 4, the show has since found a home on Netflix and has produced six series since its debut in 2011. With a total of 27 episodes and one interactive film called Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, each installment ranges from 40 to 89 minutes and can be viewed in any desired order. While the episodes cover a diverse range of genres, they all share a common theme of the potential future impact of technology, drawing inspiration from ...

The Company Men (2010), an American drama film written and directed by John Wells, follows the story of Bobby Walker. When his employer, the publicly held shipbuilding corporation GTX, undergoes downsizing during the recession, Walker finds himself among the many employees who are let go. As a white-collar worker with a high salary and family to support, he struggles to maintain his lavish lifestyle after losing his job. Despite receiving outplacement services from GTX, Walker is unable to secure another corporate position and gradually has to give up luxuries like his country club membership and Porsche. Eventually, he ...

Antonio Campos’ Afterschool (2008) is a gripping psychological drama starring Ezra Miller in their first film role. While working on a project at a private school, Robert, an internet video-obsessed teen, stumbles upon the tragic death of twin sisters who ingested rat poison-laced drugs. Instead of seeking help, Robert sits with the girls as they pass away, the heartbreaking scene captured by both his camera and another student’s cell phone. Viewers are only shown this from behind Robert’s back, unable to witness the girls’ demise but hearing their ...