Holy Unknown

  Best in Show (2000)   is an inspiring comedy directed by Christopher Guest and written by Guest and Eugene Levy. The film follows five couples who travel across the country to compete in the prestigious Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show. Among them are a tightly wound couple, Meg and Hamilton Swan (Parker Posey and Michael Hitchcock), a devoted husband and wife, Gerry and Cookie Fleck (Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara), and a quiet fly fisherman, Harlan Pepper (Christopher Guest). The film follows their interactions and eccentricities as they prepare their dogs for competition, all of them hoping to take home the grand prize. Shot in Vancouver, Canada, the film was entirely improvised from a 15-page outline. The actors didn't know what their scene partners would say until the cameras were rolling. The character of the commentator, Buck Laughlin (played perfectly by Fred Willard), was based on the baseball announcer Joe Garagiola, who was known for his uninformed, off-the-cuff r...

  The Post (2017)   is an outstanding docudrama directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Liz Hannah and Josh Singer. The film follows the unlikely partnership of Katharine Graham (Meryl Streep), the first female publisher of a major American newspaper, and her editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks). In 1971, they race to expose a massive government cover-up spanning three decades and four U.S. presidents. As the Nixon administration attempts to silence them, Graham decides whether to publish the classified Pentagon Papers, risking her family's company and her own freedom to uphold the truth and the public's right to know. The film was shot in Washington D.C. and New York City. For her role as Katharine Graham, Meryl Streep relied heavily on Graham's Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir, "Personal History," listening to an abridged version of the book, which Graham herself narrated. Tom Hanks, for his role as Ben Bradlee, spent time with the real Bradlee's family and visit...

  Copycat (1995)  is a thrilling drama directed by Jon Amiel and written by Ann Biderman. The film follows criminal psychologist Dr. Helen Hudson (Sigourney Weaver), a recluse with severe agoraphobia after a brutal attack by a serial killer, Daryll Lee Cullum (Harry Connick Jr.). When a new murderer begins a crime spree, mimicking the methods of past serial killers, she is pulled back into the world she had sworn off. Paired with tough but compassionate police inspector M.J. Monahan (Holly Hunter), Dr. Hudson must use her knowledge of the criminal mind to help police track down the killer, all while confronting the demons of her past and the very real danger that she is the killer's ultimate target. The film was shot in San Francisco. The on-screen dynamic between Sigourney Weaver and Holly Hunter was a result of their strong professional collaboration. Both actresses were determined to make their characters feel authentic. Hunter spent time with an actual San Francisco homici...

In & Out (1997)   is a delightful comedy directed by Frank Oz and written by Paul Rudnick. The film follows a well-liked high school English teacher, Howard Brackett, played by Kevin Kline, living a quiet life in a small town. Just days before he marries his fiancée, played by Joan Cusack, his life is turned upside down. A former student, now a famous actor, outs Howard as gay during his Oscar acceptance speech on live television, which comes as a shock to everyone, especially Howard. As his life becomes a media circus, Howard must navigate the scrutiny of his small, conservative town, all while trying to prove he is who everyone thinks he is. The film was shot in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey, which provided the picturesque, small-town setting for the story. Frank Oz's direction was noted for balancing the film's humorous romantic-comedy with its heartfelt message. An interesting fact about the film is that the screenplay was inspired by a real-life event: Tom Hanks' Oscar...