National Post (National Edition)
Plus, 14 films for 14 days of isolation.
It’s almost impossible to keep up with the growing list of event cancellations, government-mandated crowd limits, tourist-site closures, delayed movie openings and other cultural fallout from the coronavirus outbreak. But the Internet remains open for business. Here are some streaming options for the self-isolated, social distancers and those with an abundance of caution Chris Knight
SPORTS
Professional basketball,
hockey, soccer and football leagues have all delayed their seasons, as has the Masters golf tournament and the Boston Marathon. We
recommend:
(1) A League of Their
Own (1992), with Tom Hanks (currently battling the virus) managing an all-female team and giving us the immortal quote: “There’s no crying in baseball!” (Available on Amazon and iTunes)
Saint Ralph (2004), a sweet comedy from Canada’s Michael McGowan about a boy who wants to compete in the 1954 Boston Marathon. (Amazon, iTunes)
Space Jam (1996), because nothing else combines basketball’s Michael Jordan, Bill Murray and Bugs Bunny in one place. (Amazon, iTunes)
BOOKS
The London book fair is
only the most highprofile literary gathering to be shuttered by the coronavirus. Here are some movies that celebrate the power of the
written word.
84 Charing Cross Road (1987) features Anthony Hopkins and Anne Bancroft in the true story of a transatlantic correspondence that blossomed into a deep friendship. (Amazon, iTunes)
(3) The Princess Bride (1987) has Fred Savage sick in bed and listening to a rip-roaring story of adventure, romance and a mysterious six-fingered man. A classic! (Amazon, iTunes)
(4) Can You Ever
Forgive Me? (2018) is the true story of writer-turned-autograph-forger Lee Israel, played by Melissa McCarthy, and her rakish partner in crime, a wondrous turn by Richard E. Grant. (Amazon, iTunes)
MUSICALS
Broadway may have gone dark, but so many of its greatest hits have been translated to film. And
no, we’re not talking about Cats! How about:
Fiddler on the Roof
(1971), directed by Norman Jewison and featuring Topol, telling a stirring story of a Jewish family in pre-Revolutionary Russia. (Amazon, iTunes)
(7) Chicago (2002) won six Academy Awards, including best picture, while director Rob Marshall went on to make Into the Woods and writer Bill Condon directed Dreamgirls. (Amazon, iTunes) (2) Mamma Mia! (2008), because you can never have too much ABBA, even if it’s being “sung” by Pierce Brosnan. (Netflix, Amazon, iTunes)
MUSIC
The Junos have been cancelled, and you won’t be seeing any stadium performances for a while, but some filmmakers have captured music on film. Here are some
toe-tappers.
Lightning in a Bottle
(2004) is the aptly named documentary about the blues, shot by Antoine Fuqua at Radio City Music Hall. (Amazon, iTunes)
Amazing Grace (2018)
was Sydney Pollack’s attempt to record Aretha Franklin in the modest venue of the New Bethel Baptist Church in 1972, but technical and legal difficulties delayed its release by 46 years. And you thought Bond was a long delay! Worth the wait though. (Amazon, iTunes)
(5) Once (2007) is one of the great musical romances, featuring Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová making beautiful music together. (Amazon, iTunes)
MOVIES
Premieres of No Time to Die, A Quiet Place 2, Mulan, The New Mutants, F9 and more have been
rescheduled or left unscheduled. But you
can still see:
Moonraker (1979), one of the sillier James Bond outings (Roger Moore in space!), with a plot about a mad industrialist looking to wipe out the human race and start anew. (Amazon, iTunes)
(9) A Quiet Place (2018)
features the fantastic premise of monsters that respond to sound, and a family headed by John Krasinski and Emily Blunt who have one rule of survival: Shhh. (Netflix, Amazon, iTunes)
(10) Mulan (1998) is of course the original animated version of the new live-action release, and came out during the “Disney Renaissance” period that included The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. (Disney Plus, Amazon, iTunes)