Two Recent Movies

I recommend both of them.

The first is The Big Year. It's about birding. As my parents are both avid birders and the movie had two of my favorite comedians, Steve Martin and Jack Black, I was drawn to it. I don't want to give any spoilers, but I'll say that upon first watch I felt it was somewhat contrived and sentimental. However, a few days later, after some reflection and discussion with friends, I don't feel that way anymore. The movie speaks to messy and complex issues involving communication, relationships, sacrifices, and living passionately. In the end I was most impressed by the performance of Owen Wilson.

The second movie was Moneyball, which dealt with the use of statistics in the management of major league baseball teams. Since my Ph.D. dissertation and work involves statistical reasoning, this subject is something I can totally appreciate and nerd-out on, although thankfully the movie doesn't go into technical details. I watched it after a tough day as a guilty indulgence. With the combination of statistics, my childhood love of baseball, and a classic David verses Goliath plot line, it did not disappoint.