"Splitting Heirs" (1993)

It's so enjoyable to watch a roll and think of just how funny it must have been for everyone on set. Also, how enjoyable it must have been to just play this character of the Duchess because man oh man did it look like a lot of fun!

"Splitting Heirs" tells the story of Tommy. A man who grew up thinking he belonged in one place, but learned of his true family and had to try and think of a round about way of telling those involved. This is because Henry, the child Tommy was switched with, was raised to become the next Duke and after the misfortune of the current Duke's death he is made just that. Now in order for Tommy to get his title the current Duke must die.

It's really hard to tell the plot without getting confused but it plays out so well, and is really funny! It's also a plus to see baby face Catherine Zeta Jones running around and being totally side judged by Barbara! Even when Barbara is busy hitting on Tommy, not knowing it's really her son, you can't help but start dying of laughter.

Another plus is that it also had Sadie Frost! Most people will remember her from being Lucy in 1992's Dracula or the first wife to Jude Law. I've been a fan of her's for years... actually, she's one of my very early girl crushes (thank you Dracula). Actually, this is bad because now I think I want to go see what she's been acting in recently but no! Must finish the Hersh's filmography timeline!

Anyways, I hadn't watched this film in a long while, but i now remember how much I really enjoy it!

"Swing Kids" (1993)

I'm sorry it was sort of a stand still for a while, life happened.  Anyways, ON WARD WE GO!

I was introduced to "Swing Kids" by my roommate, and when I first watched it I went in not knowing anything about the film except it involved Christian Bale dancing. I came out loving the story and everything about it.

Peter (Robert Sean Leonard), Tom (Christian Bale) and Arvid (Frank Whaley) play a group of friends living in Germany during the Nazi reign. They are all huge fans of American Swing music and live by their own code for it. When Peter gets caught stealing he is sent to a school where they reeducate you with the "Nazi way". Feeling guilty, Tom joins him. As Germany pushes more and more into war, and becoming more hostile towards the Jews Peter and Tom are pushed into different directions. Both are forced to grow up, but how they chose to be will change their friendship.

Hershey plays Peter's mother Frau Muller, the wife of someone who was convicted of being a Communist. In order to keep her family and herself from being persecuted she does what she can to survive and protect her family. She forms a relationship with a man very close to Hitler (played by Kenneth Branagh), and before that it is suggested that she's done things she's not proud of.

The film itself is great to watch. It flows so well. There are moments where you laugh, cry and even make you think. If you haven't seen this then you really should go check it out!

"Falling Down" (1993)

We all have those days where we feel as though we are going to lose it being stuck in traffic. Well, this film starts off that way, but it quickly escalates to something more.

Michael Douglas portrays D-Fens, the man who begins an odyssey to get home to his wife (Barbara Hershey) and child. It seems simple enough, but soon everything begins to go wrong for him. First, he gets involved in small things such as destruction of property but it grows to murder. He just keeps digging himself deeper and deeper and soon you find yourself wondering if he was always like this.

We learn from his wife why she left him, and that she even has a restraining order against him. She is completely petrified for her and her daughter's safety when it comes to him. It's with good excuse too.

One of the incidences that involve him is in a fast food restaurant. He completely loses it because all he wants is breakfast and sadly the place had stopped serving it. Most people would be angry but just get lunch and go on with their day. Instead, he flips out. Pulls out a gun, hold the entire place hostage until he gets what he wants. Then, he changes his mind and just goes with the lunch menu.

Let me just say, as someone working in this field right now this is probably one of the things I worry about. At first sight this guy appears harmless and he's just being difficult, but it changes so quickly that you're afraid to push him any more.

Robert Duvall plays Prendergast, a detective who is retiring making this his last day of work. He is the complete opposite of D-Fens. He doesn't showcase his anger. Instead it seems as though he bottles it up. Especially when it comes to his wife, who might be depressed among other things. He's a really good contrast to D-Fens.

"Paris Trout" (1991)

Picture this. A small town. In the deep South. In the mid 50's. A tragedy strikes as a young colored child is murdered after trying to protect her brother and mother. As the trial begins the murder's lawyer, the murder's wife, and the murder all have their lives changed and molded.

Paris Trout (Dennis Hopper), the man accused of murdering the young girl, is very disturbing. For the public he puts on a happy, proud, well respected face. He owns the general store where everyone comes for supplies, and the occasional loan. Under it all though, he is cruel and shows no remorse for any of his actions. He verbally and physically abuses his wife (Hershey).

Hannah Trout, is such a strong and smart woman that it really does make you question why she stays with Paris. I found myself asking this question when ever she is on screen because she really does seem like she has no love for this man and just feels sorry for him. Sorry that he feels like he can "get a thrill" off her emotional and physical displeasure.

I found it hard to watch their scenes together because I've seen relationships like that in my own history and I've always question and can't understand why. Why do women (and men) put themselves through this much pain and embarrassment? She was a teacher. She was smart enough to lock herself away to keep him from hurting her; even though the smarter thing would have been to leave and get as far away as possible.

Being conflicted by all of this is Trout's lawyer, Harry Seagraves (Ed Harris). Going in he has no problem with proving what Trout did was completely out of self defense. Yet, as he digs deeper and deeper it becomes a moral conflict upon himself. He knows that Paris is guilty. He's heard him speak of it as if he would do it over and over again because he just doesn't care. Paris lives by his own moral code, and it's a huge conflict to Harry. Also adding to his displeasure is the fact that Harry uncovers what Paris had done to Hannah.

No one is pure in this film. Everyone has such huge flaws, but that's what makes everyone feel so human that by the end of it you learn a little bit more that nothing is black and white. The man that has to protect his guilty client is fighting the same feelings as the guy trying to put the murder away. The battered wife might be too afraid to leave. The crazy social path husband might finally get pushed too far, and for someone who showed no emotion with killing someone before is faced with a chance to do it again he just might.

I will say that I absolutely love that Barbara Hershey has turned towards doing all these deep, strong character roles. She brings a certain strength but frailty that is needed. Like, she is able to be strong but even when she's strong you can sense that there's something deep inside that is second questioning and causing conflict for her to act upon it. I really don't think it would have been the same performance had it been someone else. You just wouldn't have gotten it. It's that little quality that I feel that I am drawn towards. It just makes her characters more natural.

"Tune in Tomorrow" (1990)

How can a movie be completely cheesy but still enjoyable? You have one hell of a cast (except Keanu Reeves, I can never stand him), some really funny moments, and know that you shouldn't be taking yourself too seriously but instead run with it and have fun!

"Tune in Tomorrow" is about a wannabe radio writer (Reeves) who falls head over heels in love with his Aunt Julie. Ok, so apparently she's his Uncle's wives sister through marriage... but still, an aunt of some sorts. Meanwhile, the radio station he's been working at has hired a new writer to boost their ratings. The new writer, Pedro Carmichael, discovers the secret affair and begins to use it in his recent soap.

The soap which starts to take on a life of it's own and adds to the campiness of the entire film. The film starts out straight forward enough but as the plot to Carmichael's soap becomes more and more outlandish so does the plot of out actual main characters.

Like I said, it gets really cheesy at some points and the dialog becomes very laughable, but it really feels like everyone makes the most of it. But, I really can't stand Keanu who just feels so out of place from everyone else. Even Hershey is able to let her hair down and seems like she is able to just be funny. Keanu constantly feels like he's trying to play catch up to everyone.

"Beaches" (1988)

Back in 2003, a girl sat on the bed in her room trying to find something to watch. She continuously flipped through the channels but nothing caught her eye. That was until she landed on Lifetime and caught the last half an hour of a little movie about a longtime friendship between two women. Lucky for me, it played all over again right after and the rest they say is history.

At that point in my life, I didn't fully appreciate how much I really needed this film in my life. I had heard about it constantly from bits on VH1's I Love The 80's but never had I decided to rush out to go track it down. After that first viewing though, I rushed to my public library and located the VHS. I think that tape never saw the light of day from anyone else after that!

I learned the songs. I learned the lines, and I may have even picked up a few of Barbara Hershey's mannerisms from it as well.

From that first viewing I was instantly drawn to Hillary. I don't know why, I still don't. I did know that at the time I was having problems at home and I turned toward strong female fictional characters for guidance. It's difficult to explain but after that first watch, I wish I had Hillary as a mother. I just wanted to be so much like her because I loved how she escaped her life to move in with CC and became a lawyer.

Sure, she has flaws. Sure I still don't agree that she apologizes for whatever CC said even though she was clearly the one who instigated that big outburst in the department store. But, she was still so strong in her own right that I wanted to be so much like her that these flaws only added to how round her character was. So when she gets hit with a giant punch of being terminally ill it hurts even harder because you see the life she's made and the things she's over come.

Over the years as I continuously watch and rewatch this film I keep seeing it with new eyes. When I was younger it only scratched the surface about how friends can last forever and will be there for you always. Now that I'm older though, the themes go a lot deeper. Their individual characters go a lot deeper and you can really see how they balance one another out with their differences. How we all should have that one person who makes us question and challenge ourselves, and doesn't have to be a guy. The bonds we make as women can teach us some pretty powerful things.

I can really go on and on about how much this film has done for my outlook on life, but I'll spare you. I will say, this was the film that introduced me to Barbara Hershey. I went from watching this to tracking down everything else I could get my hands on to see if everything I loved about her portrayal of Hillary could be found in her other work, and in very subtle incidences it could.

As of now, I only have been watching the film when I am in really deep need of "an emotional cleansing"... which is about three times a year. This film really allows me to experience a wide range of feelings, some of which I didn't even know I was feeling. For me I really enjoy taking that journey. I don't think I will ever get tired of this film, and if that day comes then I would truly feel sorry for myself.

I do leave you with one question that I still never got the answer to, "What DOES yodeling got to do with it?"

"The Last Temptation of Christ" (1988)

There are many films about the actual crucifixion of Jesus Christ, but not many about how the man lived. This film is based on a book by the same name.

It begins in the middle of his life, when he worked as a carpenter. It explores him coming into his own as he discovers his destiny from God, travels around preaching, and even his death. You see Jesus not just as the man you learn about in your Sunday school classes, but as a person with his good share of flaws.

Yes, he was a man like everyone else with thoughts and feelings that would cross anyone in the same situation as him. It doesn't belittle the belief in him though, instead I believe it makes him appear stronger as a character.

It has taken me two times watching this to appreciate it a lot more because there is a lot to take in. The entire last 40 minutes is basically one big "what if" moment that I got the first time, but really enjoyed a lot more upon watching it again.