Hester Street 1975  PG, 90 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Joan Micklin Silver
Cast: Steven Keats, Carol Kane, Mel Howard, Dorrie Kavanaugh, Doris Roberts, Zvee Scooler, Paul Freedman, Martin Garner, Lin Shaye, Mordecai Lawner, Philip Sterling, Joel Wolfe, Ed Crowley, Robert Lesser, Joanna Merlin
Jewish immigrants Gitl (Carol Kane) and her son Yossele (Paul Freedman) arrive in the United States at the turn of the 20th century to join Gitl's husband Jake (Steven Keats). Jake has been in New York for five years and has tried to adapt to the foreign ways of his newly adopted country. Gitl, unlike Jake, clings to her Old World culture, and Jake's effort to modernize her thinking–even trying to change Yoselle's name to Joey–brings problems to their marriage. Kane was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress.
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Network 1976  R, 120 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Sidney Lumet
Cast: Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch, Robert Duvall, Beatrice Straight, Ned Beatty, Wesley Addy, Arthur Burghardt, Darryl Hickman, Lane Smith, Bill Burrows, John Carpenter, Jordan Charney, Kathy Cronkite, Ed Crowley
The United Broadcasting System decides to fire its dean of newscasters, Howard Beale (Peter Finch). His friend, network executive Max Schumacher (William Holden), announces that Beale is being fired, and Beale responds by telling the audience that he will be committing suicide on the next show. The head of the network, Frank Hackett (Robert Duvall), wants to get rid of Beale immediately–until he realizes that the network will have the highest ratings ever when Beale commits suicide on the air–and programming exec Diana Christensen (Faye Dunaway) talks him into airing the show. The show goes on, but Hackett does not commit suicide and, instead, announces, "I'm mad as Hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!" He is suffering a nervous breakdown, but the ratings of his television news show skyrocket, and Hackett becomes a TV icon. This film provides great satire on the greed inherent in television networks as they fight for top ratings. Oscars were won by Faye Dunaway (Best Actress), Peter Finch (Best Actor), and Beatrice Straight (Best Supporting Actress). Six nominations were also received, including Best Picture, Actor (William Holden), Supporting Actor (Ned Beatty) and Director.
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 Running on Empty 1988 PG-13, 116 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Sidney Lumet
Cast: Christine Lahti, River Phoenix, Judd Hirsch, Jonas Arby, Martha Plimpton, Ed Crowley, Steven Hill, David Margulies, Augusta Dabney, Lynne Thigpen
Danny Pope (River Phoenix) has been accepted to the Julliard School of Music. There is one major problem: his parents. It seems that 20 years before, they made an extreme political statement when they bombed a defense research installation. Ever since, they have been running from the FBI, and now the family may have to break up in order for the son to accomplish his dreams. River Phoenix was nominated for an Oscar (Supporting Actor).
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 Witness 1985 R, 114 min.
Genre: Drama / Thriller / Romance
Director: Peter Weir
Cast: Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis, Josef Sommer, Danny Glover, Lukas Haas, Jan Rubes, Alexander Godunov, Patti LuPone, Angus MacInnes, Viggo Mortensen, Brent Jennings, Frederick Rolf, John Garson, Beverly May, Ed Crowley
When an Amish mother Rachel Lapp (Kelly McGillis) is returning home from a trip, her young son Samuel (Lukas Haas) witnesses a brutal murder in a men's room. Police Captain John Book (Harrison Ford) is sent to the family home to protect the boy from the killers, and romance follows. The film won Academy Awards for Best Writing and Film Editing and received six other nominations, including Best Picture, Actor, and Director.
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| 1. Hester Street (1975)
2. Network (1976)
3. Running on Empty (1988)
4. Witness (1985)
In The News
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