Family, friends, coffee, a dog’s love, your favorite blue jeans, J.D. Power-award winning cars, ice cream, a warm blanket, duct tape, God, and Denzel Washington. That’s the absolute list of the most dependable and reliable things in this world. The soon-to-be 63-year-old two-time Academy Award winner never gives a bad performance and employs a focus on each role that is second to none. Cloaked inside a frumpy legal savant, Roman J. Israel, Esq. is another exemplary piece of evidence to this man’s range, focus, and presence.

2017, 3 STARS, MOVIE REVIEW, Film FestivalDon ShanahanNovember 23, 201753rd Chicago International Film FestivalComment

MOVIE REVIEW: Coco

Wait until the rest of Coco’s stirring vibrancy awakens even more senses and heartstrings. Softening a setting of gallows humor as few films have, family entries or otherwise, Coco is a divine representation of the human condition rooted respectfully within marvelous cultural heritage. Nearly every pluck of an animated guitar string in Coco strums chords of creativity and compassion.

2017, 4 STARS, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanNovember 22, 2017AMC River East 21 Comments

MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on "E-Man's Movie Reviews" podcast for "Justice League"

Emmanuel Noisette of the newly updated E-Man's Movie Reviews called for a wingman on a team-up movie. He was kind enough to invite me to represent Every Movie Has a Lesson on a recorded SPOILER-FILLED podcast of our immediate reactions after watching the Zack Snyder/Joss Whedon concoction of Justice League. We sit down and discuss what we saw, what we liked, and didn't like.

GUEST CRITICS #27: A Bad Mom's Christmas

In a return engagement for a zany sequel, Every Movie Has a Lesson welcomes back the four fine ladies and working moms of the "TTC" (Terrific Teacher Committee). Say hello again to Donna Ferretti, Kelly Johnson, Manda Torres, and my own wife, Mrs. Thanh Shanahan, the purveyor of this website's "Pillow Rankings" section. Sixteen months ago, they reviewed Bad Moms on this website as "Guest Critics."

MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on "Kicking the Seat" podcast talking "Justice League"

This past week, I was cordially invited and honored to join a panel on the "Kicking the Seat" podcast hosted by Ian Simmons. As always, Ian is joined by his regular wingman David Fowlie of Keeping it Reel. We left a seat warm for mutual friend Emmanuel Noisette of E-Man's Movie Reviews, but he couldn't make it. Ian, David, and I have talked comic book movies before, so it was only proper to get together for Justice League.

STUDENT-FRIENDLY MOVIE REVIEW: Wonder

I do my best to write professional grade film criticism fit for a formal audience, becoming best friends with a thesaurus and using my big boy words. By day, I'm an elementary school educator. At work this year, I've been organizing a special field trip for 5th graders to see Wonder after they've been reading the novel all fall. This second "student-friendly" movie review is for them and other younger readers. Revised, this review scales down my review down from an 11.6 Flesch Kincaid readability level to a comfy 4.4 average.

MOVIE REVIEW: Wonder

Wonder’s buoyant messages are the moving jolt of empathy this generation needs. Even better, its literal and figurative precepts carry an inspiring weight worthy to last many generations more. Directed by the good hands of Stephen Chbosky, Wonder is an instant classic, sure to become a new favorite, for its target audience and a winning (and rare) example of a film taking great care to do justice by the book it is based on.

2017, 5 STARS, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanNovember 16, 2017The Wilmette Theatreelementary educator, Wonder, 2017 Holiday Films, 2017, R.J. Palacio, Cinderella, Auggie Pullman, Room, Jacob Tremblay, Treacher Collins syndrome, Star Wars, Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, Mandy Patinkin, Noah Jupe, Suburbicon, Millie Davis, Elle McKinnon, Bryce Gheisar, Daveed Diggs, Ali Liebert, bullying, empathy, kindness, Steve Conrad, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Jack Thorne, A Long Way Down, Stephen Chbosky, Izabela Vidovic, Danielle Rose Russell, Nadji Jeter, Sonia Braga, medlodrama, coming of age, syrup, Wonder Woman, dictionary, Merriam-Webster Dictionary, movie critic, film critic, movie review, film review, movie commentary, film commentary, life lessons, life lessons from movies, life lessons from film, family films, family drama, family comedy, Donald Shanahan, Don Shanahan, Every Movie Has a LessonComment

MOVIE REVIEW: Justice League

Justice League comes across like attempted course correction done on that Etch-a-Sketch. The artist, or artists in this case, are trying to retrace old paths and smooth over past missteps with redrawn swirls, lighter hues, and a fluffy cover-up we call comedy. That effort on the cinematic Etch-a-Sketch indeed changes the initial picture, but only after unnecessarily tedious effort and some remaining messy results.

2017, ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW, MOVIE REVIEW, 2 STARSDon ShanahanNovember 15, 2017AMC River East 21Justice League, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Blueprint, DCEU, DC Extended Universe, DC Comics, DC Universe, DC, Etch-a-Sketch, 2017, 2017 Holiday Films, Etch A Sketch, Buddy the Elf, Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Ben Affleck, Batman, The Batman, Ciarin Hinds, Steppenwolf, Apokolips, Mother Boxes, Man of Steel, Bruce Wayne, Wonder Woman, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, The Flash, Barry Allen, Arthur Curry, Aquaman, Jason Momoa, Victor Stone, Cyborg, Ray Fisher, Jeremey Irons, Alfred Pennyworth, Lois Lane, Amy Adams, Commissioner Gordon, J.K. Simmons, Suicide Squad, James Wan, Henry Cavill, Victor Frankenstein, Fabian Wagner, Danny Elfman, Spider-Man, Hans Zimmer, reshoots, Zack Snyder, Joss Whedon, movie critic, film critic, movie review, film review, movie commentary, film commentary, life lessons, life lessons from movies, life lessons from film, life lessons from films, Don Shanahan, Donald Shanahan, Every Movie Has a Lesson Comments

MOVIE REVIEW: Lady Bird

In her solo feature directorial debut, Greta Gerwig has stepped in and pushed this cinematic species tremendously forward with the dramedy Lady Bird. The film destroys any notion of the “manic pixie dream girl” fakery. Lady Bird is a cornucopia woven with striking candor and filled with delightful oxymorons artfully composed to challenge taboos and stereotypes. Let’s give each oxymoron a life lesson and a paragraph or two along the way.

2017, 5 STARS, Chicago Film Festival, Film Festival, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanNovember 10, 2017AMC River East 212017, 2017 Fall Movies, Lady Bird, Now and Then, Welcome to the Dollhouse, Thirteen, Catherine Hardwicke, Kelly Fremon Craig, The Edge of Seventeen, John Hughes, Sixteen Candles, manic pixie dream girl, Greta Gerwig, oxymoron, Atonement, Brooklyn, Saoirse Ronan, Sacramento, Dave Matthews Band, Beanie Feldstein, Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea, Goosebumps, Odeya Rush, Timothee Chalamet, Interstellar, Tracy Letts, Laurie Metcalf, Jon Brion, movie review, film review, life lessons, life lessons from film, life lessons from movies, life lessons from films, Coming of Age films, Coming of Age movies, coming of age, Boyhood, movie critic, film critic, Chicago International Film Festival, 53rd Chicago International Film Festival, Festival Centerpiece, Festival review, festival preview, film festival, CIFF, Donald Shanahan, Don Shanahan, Every Movie Has a LessonComment

MOVIE REVIEW: Last Flag Flying

Richard Linklater operates between free-wheeling fun and poignant realism with little middle ground. No matter which parallel, the quality of his romps on one side or his character studies on the other are equally and rightfully celebrated. It has reached the point where you have to ask if we’re getting "Party Linklater" or "Serious Linklater." Contrary to the little middle ground previously mentioned, Last Flag Flying tries both.

2017, 3 STARS, MOVIE REVIEW, Independent FilmDon ShanahanNovember 10, 2017AMC River East 21Comment

GUEST CRITIC #26: Murder on the Orient Express

Fellow Chicago critic Jeff York is a delight to talk to on any and all topics, but our movie chats have become truly special. Jeff was able to view and review Kenneth Branagh's remake of Murder on the Orient Express. He's a self-professed fan and cover-to-cover expert on the Agatha Christie source novel and the previously celebrated 1974 film adaptation. His review will do better informative service than mine ever would.

INFOGRAPHIC: Criminally Good Movie Heists

The crime genre has always been a favorite of Hollywood filmmakers and cinemagoers. Within this niche, there are few things more thrilling than a well-executed heist. Regardless of whether you’re backing law enforcement or a charming crew of thieves, the excitement of the event itself is often worth building an entire film towards. Courtesy of MoneyGuru, here is an infographic of five of the most criminally good heists in modern movies.

2017, Column, Infographic, LIST, Social Media, SPECIALDon ShanahanNovember 8, 2017Comment