Red’s Reviews in a Nutshell

By Wendy Schadewald

Rating Legend:
(4=Don’t miss, 3=Good, 2=Worth a look, 1=Forget it

 “Admission” (PG-13) (2.5)

[Language and some sexual material.] — An engaging, well-acted, low-key film in which a stern, 16-year veteran, Princeton admissions officer (Tiny Fey), who is estranged from her mother (Lily Tomlin), falls for the manager (Paul Rudd) of an alternate school after breaking up with her cheating, live-in boyfriend (Michael Sheen) and then tries to help a gifted, offbeat student (Nat Wolff) gain admission to her ivy league school despite opposition from her boss (Wallace Shawn) and ambitious rival (Gloria Reuben).

“A Place at the Table” (PG) (3.5)

[Thematic elements and brief mild language.] — An educational, eye-opening, gut-wrenching, inspirational, 90-minute, 2012 documentary that discusses the horrific and rising problem of “food insecurity” (that is, hunger) in the U.S. where 50 million people go hungry everyday and the myriad of factors that contribute to it, including disproportionate and/or limited government subsidies in many arenas, through candid interviews with a seven-member Colorado family barely making ends meet, Pastor Bob Wilson, “Sweet Charity?” author Janet Poppendieck, “Stuffed and Starved” author Raj Patel, End Hunger Network Founder Jeff Bridges, Philadelphia working poor mother of two children Barbie Izquierdo, “Food Politics” author Marion Nestle, Environmental Group President Ken Cook, chef and “Top Chef” host Tom Colicchio, NYC Coalition Against Hunger Executive Director Joel Berg, school cook Ree Harris, Massachusetts Department of Health Director Dr. Alfio Rausa, Massachusetts Representative and Co-Chair of the Congressional Hunger Center James McGovern, “Hidden in America” 1966 film Executive Producer Jeff Bridges, Share Our Strength Chairman and CEO Bill Shore, Witnesses to Hunger Founder Dr. Marion Chilton, teachers Leslie Nichols (5th grade) and Odessa Cherry (2nd grade), “Living Hungry in America” author Dr. J. Larry Brown, renegade lunch lady Ann Cooper, Bread of the World President David Beckmann.

©1986 through 2013 by Wendy Schadewald. The preceding films were reviewed by Wendy Schadewald, who has been a Twin Cities film critic since 1986.  To see more of her film reviews, log on to www.shortredheadreelreviews.com.