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Sailing Along the Life of Single Parenthood

Tag Archives: tcm

31 Days of Oscar

If you like award winning movies – from the old to the new – now is the time to become a regular Turner Classic Movie fan.  Currently TCM is running their 31 Days of Oscar. During this festival, every film that TCM shows has received at least one Academy Award and/or nomination.  These350 movies will be shown unedited and without commercials.  (This would be a great tim to DVR some favorites).  The series started February 1st and will end March 3rd.

TCM chose a really cute theme this year called “TCM University.”  The movies are categorized by Departments and Course Offerings.  How cool is that?  Today’s subject – my favorite – ENGLISH….Today you can view, Intro to Charles Dickens, Shakespeare Tragedies, and British Novelists including Rebecca (one of my favorite books).

Check out the complete movie schedule here.

There’s also a contest going on over at TCM to enter for a chance to win a 31 Days of Oscar Composition Notebook in the TCM 31 Days of Oscar® Sweepstakes.  This is a really handy composition book (I have one) with the schedule in the front and regular composition paper in the back.  I’m using mine for my blogging notes to myself.  Find TCM on your channel line up and check out all the movies that will be airing over the next month – you’re sure to find a few old favorites or great movies you missed seeing.

Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story

Have you seen the previews for this movie (Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story) that will be airing on Turner Classic Movies in conjuction with under the JOHNSON & JOHNSON SPOTLIGHT PRESENTATION® movie banner?  It’s the story of a young boy who has so many obstacles in his life, but somehow overcomes them all to become a world-renowned neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.  It stars one of my favorite actors, Cuba Gooding Jr. and also actress Kimberly Elise.

Ben Carson became even more than the pediatric neurosurgeon. He also became a famous author and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.  According to the press release,

The film opens with Carson’s childhood in Detroit.  The young Bennie struggles in school after his father abandons the family and his mother, who suffers from bouts of depression, is forced to be the family’s sole provider, despite the fact that she can’t read and has only a third-grade education.

Seeing that her son is having problems in school, Sonya soon realizes it is because he has troubles seeing.  With a new pair of glasses and encouragement to spend time at a library, Bennie dives into the world of books.  The joy Bennie gets from reading and the undying love and support he receives from his mother pave the way for him to overcome his impoverished background and graduate from high school, college and medical school.  To fulfill his dream of becoming a doctor, he also must face down racial prejudice and other obstacles that threaten to derail him.

Along the way, Carson gets married and starts a family.  But his home life becomes strained when his work starts to consume his every waking hour, especially as he faces the challenge of becoming the first doctor ever to successfully separate conjoined twins joined at the back of the head.  In the end, however, Carson’s family comes to understand that his work is vital in helping other families, including a young couple whose twins’ lives are saved thanks to Carson’s remarkable skills, knowledge and courage.

I have my DVR set to record this Saturday so that I can make sure to watch it (maybe more than once if it turns out to be classroom appropriate).  If you’d like, watch the preview below:

Gifted Hands will premier on Turner Classic Movies on February 7th at 8PM EST.