#david weissman

[gusvanscant]

'The Cockettes' (dir. by David Weissman & Bill Weber) [2002]

[lisamarie-vee]

[masonskaya]

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Family Man (2000)

Around the holidays, you’re probably sitting around the TV with your loved ones, exchanging gifts and creating warm memories. Your heart is probably a bit mushy - your head might be too from too many glasses of “egg nog”. This makes you the perfect target for The Family Man, which is essentially a retread of other, better Christmas films with a couple of knobs tweaked. It’s got appeal but it’s no classic.

Thirteen years ago, Jack Campbell (Nicolas Cage) said goodbye to Kate Reynolds (Téa Leoni) and swore he’d come back for her after his twelve-month internship with Barclays in London. They never saw each other again. Now a bachelor living as a Wall Street executive, Jack gets to see the life he never got to live when he wakes up one day, married to Kate with two children.

We’ve got a kind of body-switch movie meets a reverse “It’s a Wonderful Life” scenario. Jack was used to lighting his fancy cigars with dollar bills. Now, he’s sleeping next to the same woman every morning, trying in vain to bring his daughter, Annie (Makenzie Vega) to school while keeping an eye on his newborn son. He sells tires at his father-in-law’s business and has a pathetic wardrobe compared to the luxurious suits he used to wear. The scenario is played for comedy until (of course) Jack begins to warm up to his new family. This is where the film wobbles. There’s a reason why body-switch movies usually feature someone at the bottom thrust up. A kid becomes an exec at a toy company, a daughter gets her mother’s body, a woman whose marriage is falling apart goes back in time to when she and her future husband first met. When you have it the other way around, it creates a divide between you and the protagonist. Firstly, Jack is hard to relate to. He went from a luxury suite in New York, working at a job that meant setting up meetings on Christmas day to what most of us would call an ordinary life. No one watching would ever think "This is not an upgrade". Secondly, Jack is an idiot for a large chunk of this movie, unable to handle even simple household tasks. It’s comical for a bit but this film leans heavily on the emotional side and the two should mix… but they just don’t.

A hint of what this picture could’ve been is seen briefly whenever Jack and his daughter interact. She recognizes immediately that something’s amiss - it’s pretty easy to tell but she’s the only one who does - and volunteers to help her “father” get through the day. Those scenes bring a smile to your face. More of those, please!

That said, the film often hits the emotional notes well enough for you to forgive its predictable storyline. For one, Téa Leoni and Nicolas Cage have fantastic chemistry. From their interactions, you’re immediately sold on the new lifestyle that’s been thrust onto Jack’s lap even though most of the movie doesn’t have the two of them properly in love. Maybe its the Christmas sentiments making your heart soft but whenever Jack has a revelation about his new life, you agree with it. In the back of your mind, you know the ending will be big and dramatic, that this glimpse at an alternate reality isn’t going to last, which fills you with sadness. You like this family. You want to see more of them and you want Jack to figure out what you knew from the second you saw him wake up next to Kate.

How you ultimately feel about The Family Man depends on how carefully you scrutinize it. Compared to the films it most closely resembles, it doesn’t hold up. Even without the comparisons, its nature prevents the film from creating the kind of emotional swell that sweeps you away. If you’re watching it with the whole family - the kids are there, your cousin who only watches Steven Seagall movies is there and grandma too - and you don't overthink it, Nicolas Cage and Téa Leoni work together well enough for you to enjoy The Family Man. (On Blu-ray, November 30, 2019)

[kenyatta]

Then came the moment that changed my life in politics and social media. I accused Sarah Silverman and liberals as a whole (since conservative pundits and media do this) of caring more about Illegals than American Veterans. To my surprise, Sarah Silverman replied, and the resulting dialogue was respectful. Months went by and we interacted more on Twitter on issues like gun reform, DACA, and abortion. Not only did I learn from her, but I learned from her followers who showed me why they fight for these rights. I discovered sources with journalistic integrity which debunked the lies and generalizations that conservative media often report. I slowly began reevaluating my principles. During this process, a few high-profile Twitter Trump supporters saw me communicating with (as opposed to bashing) Silverman and other liberals like Andy Lassner and Chelsea Clinton. The Trump train mob turned their vileness toward me, just for talking respectfully to those they thought of as the enemy. I, a U.S. Army war Veteran of 13 years, was being called a traitor to the country. I never realized how hateful this group was until I became the subject of their abuse (which doesn’t make me feel very good). From then on, my eyes were open to the kind of person Trump was — an amoral bully like his base that supported and elected him. There was the MAGA way or the wrong way, and Trump and his followers would use Twitter to bully those who thought differently. Trump’s tweets were both divisive and dishonest, and everything had to be about him personally. I decided to no longer be part of the Trump Train or MAGA team and ended my blind loyal support.

I Used To Be A Trump Troll — Until Sarah Silverman Engaged With Me – The Forward

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With rich detail, keen insight, and astonishing poignancy, Kerby Lauderdale, a man in his late 70s, recounts the major events that shaped his life and identity as a gay man, in this intimate filmed conversation with filmmaker David Weissman (We Were Here, The Cockettes).

Tomorrow the Hormel Center is co-presenting another film with Frameline for #Frameline42! Join us for LGBTQ Documentarian David Weissman's, CONVERSATIONS WITH GAY ELDERS (Kerby Lauderdale) on June 21st at 4 PM at Castro Theater. 

Read more about David's amazing project film and purchase tickets here: https://www.frameline.org/festival/film-guide/conversations-with-gay-elders-kerby-lauderdale

[kenyatta]

While aboard the “Trump Train,” I met many Trump supporters who felt stigmatized or ignored on Twitter. They introduced me to specific Direct Message (DM) groups where they felt their voice could be heard without judgement from “RINOs” or “Liberals.” These DM groups also served as a sort of amplifier, where one would submit their tweets to get many followers and retweets. A top MAGA Twitter account would quote someone they didn’t like, Trump supporters would then swarm in and malign that individual for dissenting thought. At the time, I didn’t think about how vile many of these tweets were, even while sending them out myself. I felt at home, as these Twitter accounts were supposedly conservative, pro-God, pro-guns, pro-flag, and pro-secure borders. For those foolish enough to critique any of those values, there was a Twitter mob eagerly waiting to attack. I was part of that mob.

I Used To Be A Trump Troll — Until Sarah Silverman Engaged With Me – The Forward

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