When I see something I really enjoy, I like to share with you.
Number one is Mariska Hargitay’s brilliant documentary “My Mom Jayne.” Her mother was the Hollywood icon Jayne Mansfield. She died in a horrible automobile crash when she was only 34. Mariska and two of her siblings were asleep in the back seat of the car and escaped with minor injuries. Mariska was only 3 at the time of the accident. She has no memories of her mother.
Mariska, the star of the great series “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit,” wanted to learn about her mother. She was unhappy about her portrayal as a “dumb bimbo” with platinum blonde hairs and big boobs.
In her archival research through family storage units, she unearthed a very different Jayne, one who played classical music on the violin and on the piano. The men who ran the studio system wanted another Marilyn Monroe, and she was stuck in her stereotype.
Mariska interviews her siblings and her mother’s press agent. She discovers that the man she thought was her father–Mickey Hargitay, Mr. Universe–was not her biological father.
It’s a beautifully made movie about honesty and integrity and confronting the past. And I love Mariska Hargitay for modeling empathy, kindness, love, and the courage to open up her past.
Another movie that I enjoyed is “Queen of the Ring.” It’s the story of the life of a pioneering woman wrestler, Mildred Burke. At the time she started wrestling, most states didn’t allow women to wrestle. Her promoter had her wrestle men at carnivals; she won almost every match. It’s a fascinating story, and what I liked best was that the actress who played Mildred Burke–Emily Bett Rickards– did all her own wrestling. That was impressive! It’s not as powerful as Mariska’s documentary, but worth seeing.
I also recommend the streaming TV series “The Righteous Gemstones.” The first season is hilarious. It’s a portrayal of an evangelical family that has created a huge, profitable church that presents spectacles every Sunday. Their private lives are something else. Their language and behavior are vile. I saw all four seasons but liked the first one best.
I’m a wee bit embarrassed to admit that I never saw a “Mission Impossible” movie until afew weeks ago. Now I have seen the first three. I’m enjoying them, especially Tom Cruise’s daredevil stunts. I hope to see them all.

If you enjoyed Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible movies, you may like Amazon Prime’s Jack Reacher series. I’ve read most of the Jack Reacher books.
Watch Reacher – Season 1 | Prime Video
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+1 on that.
I have all the Reacher novels on my iPad.
Tom Cruise is very good in the movie versions but I like Ritchson better, in the Amazon presentations. Besides the obvious better physical fit for the role, he’s also got that objective laser focus, no matter how tight the situation, down to a T.
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You really should check out the Mission: Impossible tv show that inspired the movies. Totally different tone. Was super popular in its day.
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I will add my rec to those above for an excellent streaming series, similar to Mission Impossible: Day of the Jackal with Eddie Redmayne and Lashanna Lynch, which really highlights the moral ambiguities of the good and bad guys, in all their complexities. Also, similarly, Slow Horses with Gary Oldman.
I have been wanting to watch the Jayne Mansfield movie after seeing some clips – thanks for reminding me that it is worth watching.
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I remember when Jane Mansfield died. Terrible accident. And, yes: the next Marilyn. I had no idea about her musical talents. Or her children. Didn’t know Mariska was one of them. I’ll definitely give it a look.
I like the Mission Impossible movies. Cruise is perfect for the role in many ways. I watched #6 recently. Really good.
Action films are his bread and butter, but my favorite role of his was that of the hustler, Charlie Babbitt, opposite Dustin Hoffman in “Rain Man”. He shows some serious acting skills in that movie. Nice to see that in these Hollywood icons.
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Thanks for the recommendations. My son is a fan of Danny McBride’s crass comedies. The Gemstones are the perfect antidote for our times. With its “low brow” humor, it is a great comedic relief since it lampoons all the self-righteous evangelicals. If you still need a laugh, I recommend McBride’s earlier show, “Vice-Principals,” with the same satiric style that always has a undercurrent of truth to it. Educators can relate to this satire.
Another interesting documentary currently available on Max is “Pee Wee as Himself.” Paul Reubens told his story before his death because he felt the public didn’t really know him. He was known for the persona he invented. While Reubens will be remembered for a stupid lapse of judgment, he was a highly creative, sensitive artist. His story also reminds us that show business is a tough business. My children grew up in the 1980s, and we used to watch “Pee Wee’s Playhouse” together. It was a hilarious assemblage of skits and characters. The humor was designed to entertain children, but it also appealed to adults with some of the “double entendre” jokes as well. Reubens deserves to be remembers for more than public indecency.
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Thank you, Retired Teacher. We watched all of “The Righteous Gemstones.” I thought the first season ended on a perfect note. It helps to explain MAGA.
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Watched Part I of the Pee Wee doc earlier. He was an intelligent & fascinating individual. The doc is excellent & looking forward to seeing Part II tonight (husband likes to draw out a good thing!).
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I LOVE “The Righteous Gemstones;” Vice-Principals” even more. The original “Vice Principals” used The Beach Boys’ (Brian, Dennis & Carl Wilson, o.b.m.) “Be True to Your School” as the opening song/credits closer. (There must have been a copywrite issue, as the episodes as viewed now on Max have other music. (I particularly liked “B.T.t.Y.S.” since I would get off my duff at the beginning & end of each episode for a little exercise to the music!)
Somewhat off-topic, but another great show to watch (so popular that it’s on 2 of Amazon Prime’s {I’m sorry about that} Live TV channels–“Nurse Jackie.” It’s lovely (& sad) to watch how ERs were in the Good Old Days (the series was 2009-15, I think), before Covid & when healthcare was still health…care. The cast is outstanding–Edie Falco, Merrit Wever, Boby Cannavale, Eve Best et.al.–& wonderful episodes w/guest stars Harvey Fierstein, Marion Ross, Judith Ivey & the late, great Marian Seldes (might be my favorite episode). Also great opening/closing exercise music for couch potatoes.
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Another very funny series: Hacks.
Also: The Pitt. About an emergency room in Pittsburgh. The entire series takes place in one day. Each episode is an hour.
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