A manmade boy with scissors for hands finds a troublesome mixture of acceptance and rejection in the outside world. [ Edward Scissorhands credits: Dir: Tim Burton/ Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest, Vincent Price/ 100 min/ SciFi-Fantasy, Comedy, Romance/ Social Tolerance] “This film is a pleasure to watch and its social tolerance message is ageless—as befits a … [Read more...]
Improper Conduct (1984)
WINNER: 12TH INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS FESTIVAL WINNER: TOP 25 LIBERTARIAN DOCUMENTARIES Cuban refugees detail Castro’s persecution of “undesirables” in Improper Conduct. [Dir: Nestor Almendros, Orlando Jimenez Leal/ 112 min/ Documentary-Educational, Foreign Language/ France/ In Spanish with English subtitles/ Anti-Socialism, Sexual Liberty, Social Tolerance/ A.k.a. Conducta … [Read more...]
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967)
ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEE: BEST PICTURE The interracial marriage of a black man and a young white woman tests the boundaries of their parents’ enthusiasm for racial tolerance. [ Guess Who's Coming to Dinner credits: Dir: Stanley Kramer/ Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Sidney Poitier/ 108 min/ Drama/ Social Tolerance] “Guess Who's Coming to Dinner is a cinematic landmark in … [Read more...]
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEE: BEST PICTURE A small-town lawyer defends an innocent black man accused of rape. [ To Kill a Mockingbird credits: Dir: Robert Mulligan/ Gregory Peck, Mary Badham, Phillip Alford/ 131 min/ Drama/ Social Tolerance] “To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the great social tolerance films and one of the best films ever — period. It won three Academy … [Read more...]
Victim (1961)
WINNER: TOP 25 LIBERTARIAN FILMS When a young gay man in 1960s Britain commits suicide rather than face an inquiry regarding (then illegal) homosexual activity, a closeted bisexual barrister avenges his death and fights the law responsible for it. [ Victim credits: Dir: Basil Dearden/ Dirk Bogarde, Sylvia Syms, Dennis Price / 100 min/ Drama, Thriller/ Britain/ Government as … [Read more...]
Harvey (1950)
WINNER: TOP 25 LIBERTARIAN FILMS A woman tries to have her eccentric brother institutionalized. [ Harvey credits: Dir: Henry Koster/ James Stewart, Josephine Hull, Peggy Dow, Charles Drake/ 104 min/ Comedy/ Psychiatry & Force, Social Tolerance] “James Stewart plays his leading role to the hilt and is supported by many wonderful performances in smaller roles, including … [Read more...]
Gentleman’s Agreement (1947)
ACADEMY AWARD WINNER: BEST PICTURE A journalist researches an article on anti-Semitism by pretending to be Jewish. [ Gentleman's Agreement credits: Dir: Elia Kazan/ Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, Celeste Holm/ 118 min/ Drama/ Social Tolerance] “Made just two years after the public revelation of the death camps of the Holocaust, this was part of a broader response by … [Read more...]
Intolerance (1916)
A series of short dramas, recounting instances of intolerance and abuse of power through the ages. [ Intolerance credits: Dir: D.W. Griffith/ Lillian Gish, Robert Harron, Mae Marsh/ 177 min/ Drama-SILENT/ Social Tolerance] Note: the full film can typically be found online. "In each of these minimelodramas, intolerance and meddling lead inevitably to misery. That’s the … [Read more...]