James Stewart Movie Review: **^ The FBI Story

This movie approaches being a commercial for the FBI like Strategic Air Command was and advertisement to promote SAC.  However this movie has some interesting stories, including the trelling of the Osage Indians in Oklahoma, who were being murdered left and right.  This was to get their oil money of which many people were jealous.  Stewart was undercover in this movie.  Another story was that of taking on the mobs and reducing crime in the country in general.  There was also a spy movie section, and the capture of people selling state secrets.  There is also the story of how working in the FBI can effect a marriage.  His wife is portrayed by Vera Miles.  Good action and good stories taken individually; but the movie is definitely too long.  

In Theaters: **** Practical Magic 2 (2026)

 This was a fun and tense movie as Sally Owens' (Sandra Bullock) daughter, Kylie (Joey King) falls in with the wrong crowd and black magic.  Kylie is in England after her boyfriend Gideon (Xolo Maridueña) falls victim to the curse and is in the hospital in a coma.  The curse is that all Owens women if they fall in love their boyfriend or husband will die.  This includes Kylie's sister Antonia (Maisie Williams) and Sally's sister Gillian Owens (Nicole Kidman).  Kylie finds a book on her great aunt's desk which includes a closed section of how to end the curse.  Her great aunt Jet (Dianne West) found the book, and passed away soon after.  Sally and Lillian follow Kylie to England while Kylie's sister Antonia and great aunt, Jet's sister Franny (Stockard Channing) stay to watch Gideon.  Franny told them to seek out Ian Wright (Lee Pace) who can help.  So they are off on an adventure.  First business is helping Sally get her magical powers back as she has been. suppressing them for many years thinking this would protect her daughters.  They are still a bit wary of Ian and drug him and put him to sleep while they chase Kylie and Tom Lockland (Solly McLeod) who she has met looking for her ancestor's home.  Lockland steals Kylie's inherited magical powers and uses them against the family--however the three bonded together are able to make a bond that Lockland cannot escape.  Sisterly love is powerful.  They discover they can break the curse only by giving a life, and Franny does this to rejoin her sister who passed on.  

This is a fun movie.  The struggle with magic and not being truthful with your daughter to protect them all plays out and makes for a good story.

Movie Review: *** How the West Was Won

This is a good western epic following the lives of two sisters, Eve and Lilith Prescott (Carroll Baker and Debbie Reynolds) and their husbands, Linus (James Stewart) and Cleve (Gregory Peck).  This movie is overflowing with famous actors.  Karl Malden portrays the father of the girls.  George Peppard as the son of Eve.  Henry Fonda as Jethro Stuart a mountain man dealing with changing times.  Andy Devine in the Civil War scene as a corporal, Robert Preston as the wagon master who wants to marry Lilith, John Wayne as General Sherman and Harry Morgan as Ulysses S. Grant.  There are some portrayals that are racist--depiction of Native Americans, and no Black people in the west at all.  But it has good action and drama.  And Debbie Reynolds can really sing.  She is the thing that makes this movie move.

Movie Review: *** Shadowheart (2009)

 After his service in the Civil War, James Connors (Justin Ament) returns to his home town to capture the man who murdered his father.  Connors is a bounty hunter and there is a warrant out for Will Tunney (Angus Macfadyen).  Tunney had murdered Connors' father (William Sadler) and claimed self defense.  He went on to force people to sell him every business in town.  He owns the town, and several bad criminals including Spider (Dean Alioto).  However Connors does marry his former girlfriend (Mary Cooper) before Tunney can force her to marry him.  

In the final confrontation he has the help of a couple Native Americans, Miakoda (Tonantzin Carmelo) and Washakie (Michael Spears).  

An OK western movie about revenge vs redemption, and how much do you take before it is acceptable to kill someone.  

James Stewart, John Wayne Movie Review: ****^ The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

 The West is in its last days, and a lawyer, Ransom Stoddard (James Stewart) comes to town.  He meets Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin) on his way to town as Valance beats him with a whip during a hold up of the stage coach.  Tom Doniphon (John Wayne) collects him of the trail and brings him to town.  Doniphon uses a gun for his talking, and Stoddard law books.  Valance also uses guns and violence.  Stoddard has a couple more run ns with Valance.  The sheriff, Link Appleyard (Andy Devine) is ineffectual.  Doniphon has a girl, Hallie (Vera Miles) at least he claims her, but she takes a liking to Stoddard.  Stoddard teaches her to read.  

The territory is going through a struggle for statehood.  Stoddard and Valance are on opposite sides of the issue.  He represents the ranchers who want to keep things open and wild.  Dutton Peabody (Edmond O'Brien) the newspaper editor writes a derogatory story about Valance.  He gets himself a beating for his efforts. Valance issues a challenge for Stoddard.  Something has to give.

Very good movie with an interesting twist at the end.  Different philosophies collide and Doniphon is a dying breed.  Pompey (Woody Strode) is Doniphon's sidekick.  

Movie Review: ****^ Remember the Titans (2000)

 A very good depiction of the 1971 football team for T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria Virginia.  A black school and a white school were ordered to be segregated this year.   In a political move a Black coach, Coach Boone (Denzel Washington) is hired to take over the football program, replacing Coach Yoast (Will Patton).  Yoast's daughter, Sheryl (Hayden Panettiere) is very upset about the move.  She loves football.  Some of the players include Julius Campbell (Wood Harris) and Gerry Bertier (Ryan Hurst).  A very good show of race relations and racial prejudice and how the team helps the community overcome their prejudices.  They go on a camp to come together.  Ryan Gosling has a small role.  

James Stewart Movie: * Strategic Air Command (1955)

 This is by far the least enjoyable James Stewart movie I have ever seen.  Seemed like it was a commercial for the Air Force rather than a movie.  it is like nothing happened and Lt. Col Dutch Holland (James Stewart) and his wife Sally (June Allyson) argue about his career, Air Force vs baseball.  In the end and injury forces Holland out of the Air Force.  Some pretty impressive planes.  The command was in Texas, before coming to Offutt in Bellevue.