Grief

Frontera

By Elisabeth LaMotte / August 6, 2014

Michael Berry’s timely new film, Frontera, is sure to stir controversy and conversation.  The film’s backdrop is the border between Mexico and Arizona where Ed Harris plays a retired Sheriff living on an expansive ranch with his wife (Amy Madigan).  The couple have a deliberately independent and horse-centered life and one of their ongoing conversations…

Read More

The Snow Queen

By Elisabeth LaMotte / July 28, 2014

Michael Cunningham, 2014, 272 pages Intimate relationships are a primary focus in psychotherapy.  Through therapy, people examine their closest relationships in order to determine what aspects of their approach to others work well for them, and what aspects of their approach they might want to change in order to form healthier attachments.  In order to…

Read More

The Fault in our Stars

By Elisabeth LaMotte / July 15, 2014

If you have tween or teen daughters, it is highly likely that you have already heard an earful about John Green’s bestselling novel and subsequently recently released film, The Fault in our Stars.  Even if you do not have teens or tweens, you would have to be living under a rock to have missed the…

Read More

The Broken Circle Breakdown

By Elisabeth LaMotte / May 9, 2014

Director: Felix van Groeningen, Screenwriters: Carl Joes and Felix van Groeningen 2012, 112 minutes, Netherlands, Belgium Many people reach out to a therapist when they are facing a crisis or a tragedy and therefore at their most vulnerable.  While conflicts and challenges related to religious faith are not at the forefront of my daily work…

Read More

The Fitzgerald Family Christmas

By Elisabeth LaMotte / December 20, 2013

THE FITZGERALD FAMILY CHRISTMAS Edward Burns , 2012, 99 minutes  Navigating the holiday season with divorced parents is somewhat like walking a tightrope: at any moment one can plunge into dangerous territory, and it requires tremendous balance, skill and practice to avoid disaster.   People with divorced parents spend countless holidays practicing this precarious act.  Sadly,…

Read More

PIECES OF APRIL

By Elisabeth LaMotte / November 26, 2013

Pieces of April (2003, Peter Hedges, 80 minutes) Thanksgiving is a holiday filled with many traditions — Grandma’s cranberry sauce, mom’s holiday decor and marathon football viewing fall into the category of expected traditions celebrated by the media and popular culture.  A lesser publicized truth is that, for many families, there is an unspoken tradition…

Read More

Broken English

By Elisabeth LaMotte / November 1, 2013

(2007, Zoe Cassavetes,  93 minutes) When you are single, it can seem like absolutely everyone is in a relationship.  It can also seem like everyone expects you to find a relationship.  People can say and do the most hurtful and insensitive things to convey the message that you are somehow less than those who are…

Read More

Subscribe

Search

Recent Posts

Categories

Archives

Archives