The Social Network
This 2010 biographical drama revisits the origin of Facebook through Mark Zuckerberg's journey creating the site and rapidly attaining fame and fortune. Alex drills down on the film's eye-opening truth about the human condition and mimetic desires.
The Intern
We're borrowing from last week's theme with The Intern, about an older man (played by Robert DeNiro) who returns to work at a job populated by younger peers. Alex touches on the relationship between work and love and identifies Freudian theories in the film that carry over into our own lives.
The Internship
This 2013 comedy features Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson as two salesmen grappling for a job at Google. Alex draws parallels between the film's focus on the future of work and how well we adjust to consistent changes in our own lives.
The Da Vinci Code
This week, Alex dives into the 2006 thriller The Da Vinci Code. This book-to-movie adaptation exploded Western intellectual traditions since the time of Jesus and Constantine, and brings up an important question: Where do we go during times of chaos and uncertainty?
King Richard
Alex considers what we can learn from the story of Richard Williams, the father of Venus and Serena Williams. He speaks to the necessity of believing you can do things others believe you cannot. He also relates this story about fatherhood back to the current events that happened in Uvalde, Texas.
American Pie
Alex discusses this major cultural touchstone of the late 1990's and manages to do so in a family-friendly way!
Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Alex steps again into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He draws lessons from both the regular family life of the characters and their fantastical journeys.
Legally Blonde
What can we learn from the example of Elle Woods? This classic 2001 legal thriller holds many lessons. Alex, a lawyer himself, breaks them down.
The Matrix
With interest in the franchise renewed, we look back to the original Matrix to see what we can learn about how to approach our own lives. There's many lessons, much of it centered around how to answer our calls to greatness when they come.
Grease
Come for the songs, stay for the lessons. We're talking about the classic 70's musical about the 50's, Grease. Alex places the movie in historical context before discussing what one can take from it.