BlackBerry 

Released May 12, 2023
Directed by Matt Johnson
Starring Jay Baruchel, Glenn Howerton, and Matt Johnson
Watch Time: 2 hours

The Plot 

The story of the rise and fall of the first smartphone.

What I Liked About It 

The story behind this comedy docudrama (the factual story) is dramatic, sometimes exciting, and ultimately edifying. It stimulated lots of thoughts about my own experiences as an entrepreneur and made me feel better about my marketing rule: Try to be number two.

What I Didn’t Like 

The denouement, like most stories in life, was half-sad.

Critical Reception 

* “This is one of those whip-smart, character- and story-driven gems that grabs you from the start and never lets go.” (Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times)

* “A corporate comedy of errors – but the film really shines thanks to Howerton, whose towering, shark-like performance makes him a villain for the ages.” (Beth Webb, Empire Magazine)

* “What emerges from the electronic noise and fussy aesthetic of BlackBerry is a compelling portrait of a company that flew too close to the sun.” (Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times)

You can watch the trailer here.

Shucked 

The Broadway production opened April 4, 2023 at the Nederlander Theatre 
Music and lyrics by Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally
Book by Robert Horn
Watch Time: 135 minutes, with one intermission

You’ll need to get to NYC to see Shucked with the Broadway cast before it goes on tour. I saw it last weekend with K and a bunch of the extended family. It was a packed house, and the show got a standing ovation.

The Plot 

What do you get when you pair a semi-neurotic, New York comedy writer with two music superstars from Nashville? A hilarious and audacious farm-to-fable musical about the one thing Americans everywhere can’t get enough of: corn.

What I Liked About It 

Although the theme is corn and the major motif is corny humor, the script and lyrics are very smart. The play works as a musical comedy, but also, somehow, as a feel-good, we’re-all-human dramatic story in the midst of all the hateful culture wars going on outside the theater.

What I Also Liked About It 

My niece, Isabelle McDalla, has one of the leads as an ingenue.

Critical Reception 

Reviews were mixed. Critics tended to praise the comedy and acting but didn’t love the music. Still, the show received nine Tony nominations and won one: Alex Newell for Best Featured Actor in a Musical (which makes Alex one of the first openly non-binary performers to be nominated for and win a Tony).

You can watch an ad for Shucked here.