What do they say about being a grandparent?
Something about wishing you’d had your grandchildren first?

Bob and I became grandparents just before we began our “Third Act” and made our move to the Lowcountry. Leaving our children and, at the time, our one grandchild was the only thing that made us hesitate. But we knew we’d be just a few hours away, close enough to visit whenever we wanted.

Are you a dog person? Did you grow up adoring canine characters like Lassie, Old Yeller, Snoopy, Benji or Wishbone? Hollywood’s affection for canine co-stars is as old as time and has never faded—it’s just found new storylines. Once the days of family melodramas and Saturday-matinee heroics, dogs are now popping up as central figures across genres, including survival dramas, apocalyptic thrillers, psychological tension pieces, and even the latest animated blockbusters. Their history is familiar: Rin Tin Tin, Lassie, and even The Wizard of Oz, taught studios that audiences respond viscerally to dogs on screen. This new wave of canine cinema isn’t content to recycle the tearjerker template. Filmmakers are exploring what a dog at the center of a story can reveal about human lives under strain—the bond that gets people through trauma, the ethical ambiguities of survival, and the way loyalty can confront chaos.

I’m so lucky to still have my mom with us. I have so many friends who have lost their parents, and I feel incredibly fortunate not only to still have my mom in my life, but to also have her close to us here in the Lowcountry. Mom was a working mom widowed early in life. There is simply no substitute for the wisdom, life experience and strength I get from her—or that we all get from our parents. (Here’s hoping we’re giving some of that same wisdom to our kids now.)

One thing my mom and I still talk about—and typically joke about—is how and when we learned to say “no.”

There’s a distinct cinematic scent to October (even in South Carolina): damp leaves, long shadows, the steady crunch of footsteps on sidewalks and gusty winds before a storm. Some films wear this season like a costume.

For your October watchlist, here are several films that don’t just happen to be set in autumn, they are October in motion, and most can be streamed on Prime, Netflix or YouTube.



This is my eighth month writing this column, and over time, I’ve come to believe that one consistent ingredient in a successful retirement—if there is such a thing—is building and maintaining social relationships.

Since moving to the Lowcountry, I’ve been fascinated by how many men and women in our social circle have maintained friendships that began decades ago. I love hearing stories about the people I know now from the people who knew them back then. There is something remarkable about a friendship that has survived 40 or 50 years—college, careers, marriages, children, moves, and all the inevitable twists and turns of life.

Greek mythology is a collection of ancient stories that explain the origins of the world, the lives of the gods, and the adventures of heroes. These myths were passed down for centuries by Bards (oral historians) and served to teach moral lessons.

At the center of Greek mythology is Zeus, the king of the Olympian gods. Zeus became ruler of Mount Olympus and was recognized as the god of the sky, thunder, justice, and order.

How the Lowcountry Helps Us
Stay Curious, Connected, and Engaged

Recently, a friend forwarded me a Facebook post featuring a cognitive specialist discussing what often happens during the first two to three years of retirement. The specialist explained that working provides our brains with a steady stream of challenges—making decisions, solving problems, meeting deadlines, maintaining routines, learning new things, and interacting with others. When that structure changes, our brains have to adjust. According to the specialist, this transition may be one of the most significant adjustments our brains will ever make. This certainly caught my attention.

The Reel Corner isn’t forgetting
America’s 250th celebration.

Lately, all kinds of “Top 250” lists have been popping up, like patriotic songs and landmark books about our history and values. So now, it’s time for The Reel Corner to join the party. At last month’s Fourth of July picnic, I checked in my friends Trudy, Diane, Marie, George, Ellen, and Kris to get their picks for their favorite patriotic films. After hearing their suggestions, I put together The Reel Corner’s Top 10 Patriotic Films. Take a look, celebrate your patriotism, and honor the stories that helped shape our nation.

First let’s start with a recent film:

When I started this journey of self-reflection
and self-exploration six months ago,
prepping for and writing this article,
I made what was perhaps the most surprising discovery of all..

 
For as long as I can remember, my expectation of the retirement years—my “Third Act”—was that they represented a kind of finality. A resting place. A hard stop. A chapter where life gradually slowed down and settled into a humdrum routine.

But surprise, surprise—retirement here in the Lowcountry has been anything but final, restful, or boring.

Who Knew Wool, Tentacles, and Flying Saucers could spark so much trouble!

The Sheep Detectives (PG)
Hugh Jackman, Nicolas Braun, Patrick Stewart, voices of Julia Louis Dreyfus, Brett Goldstein, Regina Hall | Director: Kyle Balda

The Sheep Detectives is a delightfully cozy romp that blends broad comedy with a clever whodunnit, making it the sort of film that genuinely has something for everyone. At its heart is a rural charm, the kind that will appeal to anyone who’s ever daydreamed about living on a farm and raising sheep. But the film pairs that pastoral setting with a light, Agatha Christie–style intrigue.

Is there anything more iconic—
or frankly more stereotypical—in retirement
than picking up an activity like tennis?.

 
Life in the Lowcountry put this game squarely in front of me from the word go. And what an experience it has been so far.

I’m not a novice when it comes to tennis. In fact, at the tender age of 40-something—when both of my mid-teen children were driving and becoming amazingly self-sufficient—I started taking lessons at our neighborhood club. It was convenient, available nights and weekends, and I figured I could work off both the stress of the workday and a few of those unnecessary workday calories by smacking a few balls around for an hour or so.

Fashion in film is more than costume; it’s shorthand for identity, mood, and moment. A good costume designer translates character psychology into fabric, and cinema then translates that fabric into cultural desire. Watching films from Breakfast at Tiffany’s to The Matrix, you see outfits leap off the screen and onto the streets—sometimes as subtle inspiration, sometimes as outright viral trends.

Take Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961): The opening image of Audrey Hepburn in Givenchy’s black sheath, layered with pearls and a long cigarette holder, didn’t just define Holly Golightly—it cemented the little black dress as an icon of chic, accessible glamour.

Experiencing the world differently in retirement—
slower, more intentional, and with
deeper appreciation.

As I stood at the bluff of the American Cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach in France last summer, it was impossible not to feel the weight of history. The wind, the vast stretch of sand, the quiet—it all carried a gravity that books and photos have never quite captured. My husband and I had long dreamed of this trip, and with 2025 being the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, we knew there was no better time to finally experience it.

Ryan Gosling goes where hope meets the impossible!

Ryan Gosling is an actor whose range quietly defies easy categorization. He can shift from romantic lead to volatile antihero, from introspective drama to broad self-aware comedy.

He has quietly become one of Hollywood’s most magnetic, versatile actors. He first captured mainstream hearts as the sensitive, romantic lead in The Notebook, but over the years he has shown remarkable range from the brooding antihero energy of Drive to the playful scene-stealing turncoat as Ken in Barbie. Gosling brings an easy charm and a distinct physicality to his roles, with equal parts deadpan humor, emotional honesty, and polished charisma. This combination makes him an actor worth following, someone who can anchor a sweeping love story, carry a sci-fi premise as in Project Hail Mary, or reinvent a genre with subtlety and style.

Building new social circles, nurturing connections,
and learning how to make friends all over
again in life’s later seasons.

When outlining ideas for this column, one avenue I wanted to explore—for myself—was the idea of learning how to be a better friend. A better confidant, a better listener.

The Movie Trifecta —
A war time drama, a classic romance, and a sunny Italian rom-com

The Choral
Ralph Fiennes, Amara Okereke | Director: Nicholas Hytner

The Choral, from a screenplay by Alan Bennett, is a moving historical drama set in 1916 Yorkshire, England, where a local choral society grapples with the human and artistic toll of World War I. Amid the loss of its male singers to the front lines, the society recruits young locals from bars and injured service men who are recuperating and appoints the enigmatic Dr. Henry Guthrie (Fiennes), a conductor recently returned from Germany, to lead them in Sir Edward Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius.

Why the Lowcountry isn’t just a retirement destination
but a canvas for new beginnings—
blending natural beauty, community, and possibility.

Back in Charlotte, I was fortunate to be part of a close-knit group of friends—women juggling careers, raising families, or doing some mix of both. Most of us were new to the city, finding our way—and finding one another at the same time. Our kids were close in age; some attended the same schools or church; others played on the same sports teams. Before long, we became family.

The Movie Trifecta —
A war time drama, a classic romance, and a sunny Italian rom-com

The Choral
Ralph Fiennes, Amara Okereke | Director: Nicholas Hytner

The Choral, from a screenplay by Alan Bennett, is a moving historical drama set in 1916 Yorkshire, England, where a local choral society grapples with the human and artistic toll of World War I. Amid the loss of its male singers to the front lines, the society recruits young locals from bars and injured service men who are recuperating and appoints the enigmatic Dr. Henry Guthrie (Fiennes), a conductor recently returned from Germany, to lead them in Sir Edward Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius.

As I approached retirement,
my number one goal was simple but profound:
to get—and stay—healthy.

That meant finding a good primary care doctor, learning to breathe again, moving my body regularly, and keeping my mind fresh. I began to think about wellness not as a race against time, but as a way to remain vibrant, present, and fully engaged in my life.

I can’t talk about health, movement, and mindset without first mentioning the GLP-1 prescription I was fortunate enough to access. I know these medications can spark polarizing conversations, but for me—at this stage of my life—they have been a true game changer.

Triumph, Obsession and Loss
Three Powerful New Films

SONG SUNG BLUE
Hugh Jackman, Kate Hudson | Director: Craig Brewer

Song Sung Blue is a tender, bittersweet musical that follows a Milwaukee husband-and-wife Neil Diamond tribute act as they ride a sudden wave of success and weather devastating heartbreak. Based on a true story, the film balances showbiz with intimate domestic struggle, using Diamond’s songs to illuminate the couple’s highs and lows. Performances feel lived-in, especially Hudson’s, who did her own singing and recently was nominated for “Best Performance by a Female Actor” by Golden Globe.

David Bowie once said, “Aging is an extraordinary process whereby
you become the person you always should have been.”

I didn’t fully understand those words—until recently when I retired. Retirement, for me, has been less about slowing down and more about waking up. After decades of nine-to-five corporate work, raising children, trying to succeed as a wife, mom, friend, and co-worker—and keeping pace with the big city—I’ve stepped into what I call my Third Act. And to my surprise, it feels less like an ending and more like a brand-new beginning.

The new year often brings a sense of renewal,
motivation, fresh starts, and a chance to reflect on the past.
Whatever the past has brought, The Reel Corner wishes you
a happy, healthy New Year filled with positive energy,
much luck, joy, and great movies.

Streaming on Netflix:
JAY KELLY
George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Billy Crudup, Laura Dern
Directed by Noah Baumbach

It’s hard to feel sorry for someone who has it all—money, fame, and success. But the film everyone is talking about, Jay Kelly, takes us right into that world and shows what lurks underneath the glamour. Jay Kelly (Clooney), a handsome, aging movie star who is starting to realize that the things he gave up on his way to the top were the things that really mattered. This is a story about longing, regret, and the quiet ache of having everything except happiness.

When it comes to Christmas movies, contemporary films like Elf, Love Actually,
Charlie Brown’s Christmas, and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation may immediately spring to mind. But if you really want to embody holiday cheer, nothing beats a nostalgic, old-school, Christmas movie.

Something about the charm of Old Hollywood stars, combined with a vintage sound track, immediately creates a cozy and enchanting holiday vibe. When The Reel Corner asked friends to recall their favorite old holiday films, here’s their picks: It’s a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, The Bells of Saint Mary’s, Miracle on 34th Street, Christmas in Connecticut, and White Christmas.

The holidays are a wonderful time to go to the movies.
It’s so much fun gathering up the family and going
to watch a movie on the big screen.

Over the past 20 years, The Reel Corner has focused on films, both on the big screen and streaming platforms, highlighting actors, directors, major productions, and independent films. While we have covered film festivals and film events, we have not delved into the development of Hollywood as we know it today.

I recently watched a Netflix docudrama, Titans: The Rise of Hollywood, about the history and power of Hollywood and wanted to share some key insights: The story of Hollywood’s evolution into the world’s premier film industry is one shaped by innovation, migration, and transformation. In the early 1900s, the film industry was primarily controlled on the East Coast, notably in New York and New Jersey. 

After viewing F1: The Movie, The Reel Corner tried to analyze what it is about Americans’ love for speed. This enchantment and thrill of going fast seems to be a multifaceted phenomenon that has deep roots in our nation’s culture, history, and entertainment.

This fascination can be traced back to the early days of the automobile, when the invention of the car transformed transportation and symbolized freedom and progress. The open road became a canvas for adventure, and speed was not just a means of getting from point A to point B; it became an exhilarating experience that encapsulated the spirit of exploration and individualism.



If you ever feel too old to continue your passions
think of June Squibb, who, at age 95,
just debuted her latest leading role film
at the Cannes Film Festival

June Squibb is indeed an inspiring figure in the entertainment industry, showcasing that passion and talent can thrive at any age. Born on November 6, 1929, in Vandalia, Illinois, she has had a remarkable career which spans several decades and various mediums, including theater, television, and film.



Four Seasons (1981) (2025)
Love and Friendship over the years.


In 1981, Alan Alda and Carol Burnett brought to life a poignant exploration of love and friendship in Four Seasons, a film that resonated deeply with audiences through its character-driven tale about three couples navigating the complexities of their relationships over the course of a year. Fast forward to 2025, when Tina Fey takes the helm as producer of a modern remake, also titled Four Seasons, now available on Netflix. With a fresh cast, including Tina Fey, Will Forte and Steve Carell, this updated version retains the essence of the original, while introducing contemporary themes relevant to today’s audience.

Mike White’s The White Lotus has evolved into a compelling anthology series that intertwines themes of privilege, morality, and the human condition. After the success of the first two seasons—one set against the lush backdrop of Maui and the other amidst the historical beauty of Sicily—Season 3 transports us to Thailand, offering a fresh, yet familiar, exploration of the dark undercurrents that flow beneath the surface of luxury.

For all the readers of The Reel Corner who may have been feeling the pinch of rising egg prices and the weight of everyday stress, a good dose of comic relief could be just what the doctor ordered. Comedy, much like music or cologne, is a deeply personal choice, but during this season of renewal, as we bid farewell to winter, welcome the beauty of spring, and draw closer to wedding season, it is the perfect time to indulge in some light-hearted entertainment that to do your heart good. Out of the many comedy genres, The Reel Corner’s choice are romantic comedies. Here are a few I recommend: