The Practice of Film Criticism Podcast 2022: Fran Hughes and Tom Farrell on Twentieth Century Women (Mike Mills, 2016)

Fran Hughes talks to Tom Farrell about Mike Mill’s 20th Century Women, a coming of age film that deals with masculinity from various feminist perspectives. These get explored in the podcast along with considerations of Jimmy Carter’s ‘Crisis of Confidence Speech’ both historically but also in relation to the various characters who share the same house in the film. The conversation recasts the main themes of the film through the lens of other key films by Mike Mills. Fran and Tom also discuss par

Best podcasts of the week: Meghan Markle’s Archetypes makes its right royal entrance

Archetypes Spotify, episodes weekly Meghan Markle’s podcast is one of the most hyped of the year – but that’s not to say it’s the best. Still, the Duchess of Sussex is compelling as she seeks to “live inside and rip apart the boxes that women have been placed into for generations: diva, slut, crazy … ” Her first guest is tennis champion Serena Williams, who talks about “that dirty, dirty word, when it comes to women – ‘ambition’.” And yes, right on cue, Prince Harry pops in to say hi. Hollie R

Best podcasts of the week: The truth about Emiliano Sala’s tragic plane crash

'Eighth Grade' and Puberty with a Divorced Single Dad - Grow Up

Many teen films either depict fathers as absent, unfaithful, or grieving widowers struggling to parent. This trope felt alien to me as a girl raised by a divorced single dad. My experience was much more similar to Kayla’s in Eighth Grade (2018). The film follows Kayla (Elsie Fisher) as she navigates her last year of middle school, growing up online, puberty and struggling to fit in with her peers such as the popular girl Kennedy (Catherine Oliver). My dad was my rock throughout my adolescence,

The One Good Thing About Cinemas Closing

As a wheelchair user, I’ve often found spontaneous cinema trips difficult. My local independent cinema has just one wheelchair space, tucked right on the back row. If another wheelchair user has booked ahead, then my movie plans are quickly scuppered. At the larger chain cinema, the wheelchair spaces are extremely close to the screen. When I went to see Wonder Woman, I had to watch with my neck craned awkwardly upwards. It wasn’t exactly the cinematic experience I’d hoped for. After the film in

Seeking sanctuary

I have Triplegic Cerebral Palsy, which means that even before schools and offices closed due to the pandemic, I was categorised as at higher, moderate risk on the government website. I immediately chose to shield. As a disabled person, I was aware if I contracted the coronavirus, my already limited mobility would deteriorate. For months I stayed indoors and only ventured into my garden. My dad is a healthcare keyworker making specialist dysphagic food, but he has taken every possible precaution

Film Stories "Music makes lives"

I wrote about John Carney's filmography and his unconventional musicals for Film Stories.

Film Stories "Why can't we be friends?"

I explored the lack of young female friendships in teen films for Film Stories

The importance of Ackley Bridge

Teen dramas such as Teen Wolf or The Vampire Diaries that feature fantastical creatures and universes are popular worldwide because they offer a sense of escapism from the struggles of adolescence. However, it saddens me that they have become more common than realistic dramas, which allow young adults to feel, represented and heard. For years the U.S has been producing a variety of teen dramas on various networks and streaming services such as The CW, Freeform, Netflix and Now TV. Some have foc

5 Lessons We Can Learn From a 1940 Bestselling Novel in 2018

A while ago my Uncle recommended the 1940 novel The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers to me and gave me his copy. It sat on my bookshelf for months during the school year, but this Summer I decided to finally read it.The narrative focuses on a deaf-mute man named John Singer who becomes an unlikely confidante to four lonely characters in a small, southern American town in the 1930s: A cafe owner, an ambitious young woman, a misunderstood alcoholic and an exasperated black doctor who d

How Timeless Changed How I View History

Writer’s Note: This article contains some minor episode spoilers for Season One and Two of Timeless. Ever since I was a young child I have always been fascinated by the idea of time travel. I dreamed of experiencing the Victorian era where my favourite period dramas were set, to living in the decade of vibrant change known as the ‘swinging sixties’. However, in reality, I know I would have experienced extreme ableist discrimination in the past. So when I first saw the advertisement for NBC’s Ti