Saturday movie review: Queen of Katwe

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I don't know how to play chess. Disney's QUEEN OF KATWE is about chess. Despite my lack of knowledge of the game, I found the film intriguing — even suspenseful at times — but most of all inspiring. Because QUEEN OF KATWE is about much more than excelling at a board game.

Queen of Katwe

QUEEN OF KATWE tells the true tale of a 10-year-old girl living in Katwe (pronounced CAT wee or CAT way), a slum in Kampala, Uganda. Phiona Mutesi (newcomer Madina Nalwanga) and ...

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Weekend movie review: Disney's The Jungle Book

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I bristle a bit when I hear that a beloved film is being remade. So when I saw sometime back that THE JUNGLE BOOK, the fabulous Disney film that was one of the very first Disney films I shared with my oldest grandson (second only to MARY POPPINS), I worried. I worried Mowgli — whom my grandson adored — wouldn't be the same. That the adorable elephant walk scene my grandson and I reenacted again and again wouldn't be the same. That Baloo and his scratchin' while singing Bare Necessities wouldn't be the same.

 the jungle book 2016

And I was right. It's all very different in this new version of THE JUNGLE BOOK. Because it's live action. No colorfully drawn chimps or...

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Saturday movie review: Disney's Zootopia (with printables and other fun stuff!)

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I like comedies. I like crime capers.

I like bunnies and foxes and sloths.

I definitely like sloths!

I like Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, J.K. Simmons, Octavia Spencer, Bonnie Hunt, Tommy Chong, and Shakira, too.

And I like Raymond Persi. As a sloth.

Those are just some of the reasons I liked Disney's ZOOTOPIA. If you like those things, you'll like ZOOTOPIA, too. So will your kids and grandkids — no matter their ages.

zootopia poster

Disney's ZOOTOPIA appeals to all ages, drives home the message for one and all that...

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11 last-minute gift ideas for grandmothers and others to give and get

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Time's ticking and if you still have a few stockings to fill or a few gifts to give, here are some simple gift ideas to consider. I tested out each — free for review — and give an honest thumbs-up to all.

A few are ideal for grandmas to give, a few more ideal for grandmas to get. Bonus: All can be ordered online, so no need to be out and about in the snow. (Note: There are NO affiliate links in this post.)

RING IT GAME ($14.99, BlueOrangeGames.com)

ring it game

Oh my goodness! My four-year-old grandson loves this game, even though it's designed for...

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Saturday movie review: McFarland USA

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My oldest daughter ran cross-country for a bit in high school, and she and her two sisters all enjoy running events of various sorts still as adults. Which means I knew a little something about the cross-country sport going into MCFARLAND USA, based on the true story of one of the most incredible teams in cross-country history. You need not know a single thing about the sport, though, in order to enjoy and appreciate—as well as root for—MCFARLAND USA.

mcfarland usa movie

MCFARLAND USA is set in 1987 and stars Kevin Costner as the real-life Jim White, a down...

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Saturday movie review: 'Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day'

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When I visit my grandsons, we all delight in repeated readings of Judith Viorst's book, "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day." My husband, though, never read the story, never heard me read it to our grandsons. So when I learned we'd be attending a free preview of the film based on the 1972 classic last weekend, I pulled out my picture book and read it to Jim a few days before.

I read my husband the book so he'd know the real story, as even the television commercials promoting the film made it...

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Saturday movie review: 'Million Dollar Arm'

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Sports movies are one of my favorite film genres because they're always so inspirational and uplifting. I had the privilege of attending a free screening the other night with my hubby and two local daughters of one of the most fun sports movies I've seen in quite some time: MILLION DOLLAR ARM.

Million Dollar Arm poster

The movie not only made...

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