AN ANGEL AT MY TABLE
Campion, Jane (Director). An Angel at My Table. Australia: Australian Broadcast Corp., 1990.
Starring: Karen Fergusson (Janet Frame as child)
No librarians feature in this picturesque biography of New Zealand author Janet Frame. As a plain, shy, intelligent child, Janet loves reading and we see her carefully select an armful of books from the library shelves. Later, with her family seated around the dinner table in their very small, humble home, she hands each of her parents and sisters a book. One of them is Grimm's Fairy Tales. In the following scene, Janet and her sisters traipse through the forest all dolled up in fanciful, handmade costumes. In the commentary, the director says this is her favorite scene. It's one of the few bright spots in this somber but critically acclaimed film.
BON VOYAGE!
Neilson, James (Director). Bon Voyage!. United States:
Walt Disney Pictures, 1962.
Starring: James Millhollin (Ship's Librarian); Fred MacMurray (Harry Willard); Jane Wyman (Katie Willard)
The Willard family heads to Europe on a cruise ship that features a library smaller than the book collection in your dining room, but it comes with a helpful librarian. Harry Willard (Fred MacMurray) tells him, "I'd like something in the way of a mystery, I guess. I'd like to read about somebody else's troubles for a change." He is offered "stimulating" titles, but chooses to browse the collection. "Good hunting," he's told. Willard's daughter is reading a book on architecture when she gets into conversation with her new boyfriend, with Dad listening while he looks over the books. Later the librarian asks him, "Did you find your mystery, sir?" Willard: "Yes. It's called The Case of the Puzzled Parent Who Can't Understand Why His Children Keep Saying He Doesn't Understand." Librarian: "Hmmm. That's an oddish title." This very dated Disney film features, instead of falling bookcases, domino-ing roulette tables.