Winter's Bone (2010) rating: 8/10

A bit otherworldly, this depiction of rural life in Missouri. There is a whole different code of honor and blood which I've never seen before. In this, we see a 17 year old girl bravely take on the role of breadwinner and head of a household, facing huge dangers because of the possible loss of her family's house and farm.

Patrik, age 1.5 (2008) rating: 7/10

Swedish comedy about a gay couple who moves into a family oriented neighborhood and receives a lukewarm welcome. Still they hope to blend in better when they plan to adopt a baby. Then of course everything goes awry. Entertaining.

Vertavo String Quartet, rating: 8/10

Four strangely exotic Norwegian middle aged women play stringed instruments. They do like to play all sorts: Grieg (also Norwegian), Bartok, Schumann, and Verdi. One looks a bit like Lisbeth Salander (or Noomi Rapace), despite the fact that Salander is Swedish.

the upside of irrationality by dan ariely, rating: 8/10

Another in an almost series by Ariely on the topic of irrationality. It's strange how people act so differently from what you might logically reason they would act. Ariely investigates more or less subtle issues in this field. My short term memory fails me, but certainly if I were to encounter an applicable situation, I would say, "hey, that's just like what that guy said in that book."

Prayers for Bobby (2009) rating: 9/10

Sigourney Weaver stars in this made for TV movie, and she really puts it all out there as a religious mother of several kids, one of which, Bobby, is a gay teenager. At the point that she is aware of his orientation, she oppresses him relentlessly. Bobby is played by Ryan Kelley who hits all the right notes in anger, despair, and happiness. It's a story based on real life, and so made ever more real in the determined portrayals. I think I've never bawled this much recently. LOL.

One Nation Under God (1993) rating: 7/10

It's pretty clear this was produced on a shoestring (back almost 2 decades ago). It exposes the 'ex-gay' movement for its destructiveness, despite it claims of wanting to help gay people. Perhaps most striking is how the religious backed movement picked currently discredited parts of early scientific investigation into homosexuality and took these as the basis for their 'tools' for attempting to convert the gay person to be straight. This YouTube piece gives more background: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2PLPyKmtas .