Celebrate Spring with Meryl Streep: A Retrospective of One of the Great Actresses of Our Time (virtual film discussions)

View the films at home (check https://www.justwatch.com for options) and join us for a Zoom discussion led by Bob Kagan.

April 3, Kramer vs. Kramer, Directed by Robert Benton, 1977. Streep  and Dustin Hoffman light up the screen as they fight for custody of  their son in a moving family drama. Winner of 5 Oscars, this film is as  riveting today as it was over 40 years ago. Available from the library, and to stream on Amazon Prime.

April 10, Sophie’s Choice, 1982, Directed by Alan Pakula. Based on the  William Styron novel, starring Merle Streep and Kevin Kline. Streep’s  blockbuster performance playing the part of an Auschwitz survivor,  living in Brooklyn, trying to put her life together while harboring a  terrible secret. Available at the library, to stream on Hoopla, or rent from Amazon Prime.

April 17, No film discussion

April 24, The Devil Wears Prada, 2006. Directed by David Frankel. Who among us hasn’t had the “Boss from Hell”? Streep commands  attention in this wickedly funny portrayal as the high priestess of a  fashion magazine, schooling her new assistant played by Anne Hathaway. Available at the library, or to rent on Amazon Prime.

May 1: Out of Africa, 1985, Directed by Sydney Pollack starring  Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. Set in 20th-century colonial Kenya,  a Danish Baroness/plantation owner has a passionate affair with a  free-spirited big-game hunter. Set against spectacular landscapes,  this winner of 7 Oscars is sure to captivate. Available at the library, on Netflix, or rent Amazon Prime.

Bob Kagan was Chair of the Communication Department at Manchester Community College for 30 years. In his “unretirement” he teaches Communication courses at Central Connecticut State University and the University of Hartford. He has been leading film discussions at the Avon Free Public Library for the past 7 years.

Please register once for the series, even if you can’t attend each session. Zoom links will go out before the event.

This series is sponsored by the Friends of the Avon Library.