Two summer movies to sail you far, far away. đ
Joe Versus the Volcano (1990; Plex, Tubi, YouTube, The Roku Channel)
A harried office worker (Tom Hanks) learns he has a terminal condition, so he quits his job to⌠jump in a volcano. This may not sound great, but hear me out. This is a movie about taking charge of your life. Itâs about leaving the destructive patterns of the rat race and choosing to do some work on your soul. Not that itâs religious (just a glimmer), but a lot of the dialogue resonates with me. Stop being a cog in a machine to live the life you actually want to liveâeven if it is just for a month. Who knows, you might actually save your life once you lose it.
Itâs also just funny. Maybe it sounds like a dark comedy, but it doesnât feel like one. It feels more like a romantic comedy with philosophical undertones. So go fall in love with Meg Ryan (again). Learn with Tom Hanks, I mean, Joe, that you donât have to pretend everythingâs okay. You can start to questionâand the ironies you discover wonât make you despair. Theyâll make you laugh.
For sensitive viewers: Moderate language and suggestive dialogue.
(Admittedly, this may not be as âfamilyâ as most movies I recommend here. I'm thinking about Tom Hanks in preparation for Toy Story 5, and moreover I'm thinking of vacations. I, too, am packing my suitcases. Well, not quite like JoeâI expect to come back!)
The Sundowners (1960; free with ads on Fandango or Amazon)
When the mother and son of a traveling family in Australia want to settle down, it will take several adventures to convince their tough but lovable father. This is an odd movie in all the best ways. Youâve never heard of it. It feels like a western, following cattle drivers, except itâs in the outback, so theyâre being watched by kangaroos. (My only complaint is the Aboriginal absence.) Most of all, the actors are wonderfully odd: Deborah Kerr where her British accent makes sense; Robert Mitchum, off-the-beaten-path, hardy leading man⌠with an Australian accent? And then they meet Peter Ustinov, who is always a delight, to serve as a comedic Mr. French to their Family Affair.
Itâs just a fun time all around, and compelling. I watched it not long after a friend of mine observed that believable dialogue should feature characters talking from different perspectives and goals. These are well-rounded, likeable characters whose conflict is not violent or rude, but a radical difference of preference that their love is strong enough to temper. Wholesome, complex, engaging, and feels like home.
Oh yes, and thereâs also Glynis Johns! I know her best from her role as the âvotes for womenâ mother in Mary Poppins (1964). She also shines in Disneyâs earlier The Sword and the Rose (1953) and briefly in the stunning WWII drama 49th Parallel (1941). One time at my university library there was a whiteboard covered with answers to the public question, âWho is your celebrity crush?â I would have written âGlynis Johns,â but I couldnât remember her name.
Actually, it was a toss-up between her and June Allyson.
I know, theyâre no longer aroundâbut theyâre just so sweet!
For sensitive viewers: Sometimes Mitchumâs character drinks too much. Smoking. Betting on a horse.
(Donât mistake this for the other The Sundowners released in 1960 and set in the Australian outback! Just follow the links to Fandango or Amazon, or at least make sure youâve got the same actors.)
Nathanâs Writing Update
I have finally rewritten the second chapter of my upcoming book. This chapter is about ecological themes in the overlooked Disney film Bolt. I also wrote a short story today, as I can only do on those rare occasions when the Xanadu muse visits. đ
On another note, Iâve been reading a delightful Christian fantasy book called At the Back of the North Wind (George MacDonald, 1871). Turns out MacDonald agrees with the name of my Mind and Heart Movie Blog: âwhen heart and head go together, nothing can stand before them.â This is certainly true of his stories. I hope you are finding it true of these films, as well.