Check It Out Category: Staff Picks

Are you feeling separation anxiety from the Library’s extensive DVD collections and need something to watch? Now is the time to explore digital movies and TV available free to you through Hoopla and Kanopy with your library card. Our staff is eager to help with customized suggestions for what you might enjoy watching, and you can begin my taking a look at their first round of personal favorites.

Hearts Beat Loud – available on Kanopy and Hoopla

A personal all-time favorite, ideal if you’re looking for a hopeful story about first love, new love, family, grief, and dreams set on top of a soulful soundtrack. As a bonus you get Nick Offerman playing an endearing dad dedicated to connecting with his very hip teen daughter! ~Jenny

The Illusionist – available on Hoopla

Something to take you far and away from the troubles of today; a captivating blend of romance, mystery, and wonder, with lots of atmosphere; based loosely on a short story by Steven Millhauser. ~Nancy

His Girl Friday – available on Kanopy and Hoopla

When life in this decade seems a little much, I turn to the classics. Watching the dialogue zing between Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell is always a mood-lifter. ~Cathleen

Force Majeur – available on Kanopy and Hoopla

(Swedish) Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Golden Globes, this movie plops a perfect family into an avalanche amid their skiing vacation. Humorous, sad, and poignant. Watch with someone who would save you from a catastrophic event. ~Al

Hunt for the Wilderpeople – available on Kanopy and Hoopla

A heartwarming adventure story featuring a grumpy man and a mischievous foster child who has been thrust into his life. Written and directed by Oscar winner Taika Waititi. ~Chelsea

Ferrante Fever – available on Kanopy

A few years ago Elena Ferrante’s Italian Neapolitan series took the literary world by storm. Interviewing authors, public voices, and booksellers, director Giacomo Durzi explores how the series became a worldwide bestseller and its impact. This documentary also sheds a light on the Italian literary scene. ~Jenny

Bull Durham – available on Hoopla

Susan Sarandon and Kevin Costner are so much fun. Such a fabulous throwback and so totally 80’s! Best line of the movie: ‘”The world is made for people who aren’t cursed with self-awareness” Love it! ~Denise

Still Life: A Three Pines Mystery – available on Hoopla

After listening to the book, I was excited to see it was made into a movie. The author served as an executive producer, and it followed the book pretty closely. Entertaining, and similar in tone to a Hallmark mystery. ~Kelda

Lady Bird – available on Kanopy

Missing your mother-daughter bond during this time of quarantine? Watch Lady Bird for a touching, yet raw, look at a tumultuous and loving mother-daughter relationship during the daughter’s last high school year. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll enjoy. ~Al

Bridget Jones’s Diary – available on Hoopla

A fun, light-hearted movie with a great cast and lots of laughs. ~Nancy

Mandy – available on Hoopla

If you are in the mood for revenge, fury, colorful backdrops, and Nicolas Cage! ~Chelsea

Borgen – available on Hoopla

(Danish) Often characterized as a Danish West Wing, the fascinating arc of a woman who finds herself elected Prime Minister and how she learns to balance her convictions, her family life, her optimism, and her dedication to service. ~Cathleen

Bonus: Did you know that you have at-home access to the Great Courses series?  Here’s a timely staff suggestion to start you on your journey for answers:

The Great Courses: An Introduction to Infectious Diseases – available on Kanopy

Check out this educational opportunity if, amid our current state, you want to know more about the science of infectious diseases. Course taught by a physician specializing in the field. ~Al