Avalon

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TAMMY O A beautiful but also a tearful reminder of how some families had/have struggled against family traditions to start over in a new country. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/27/25 Full Review Stephen C Success in 2 hours and 6 minutes!!!!!!!! Happy 35th anniversary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Starring Elizabeth Perkins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/06/25 Full Review Audience Member From the director of ‘Rain Man’ and ‘Good Morning, Vietnam’ comes a story about finding a home for everyone Everybody wants that safe haven and to find a better life The movie like many others focuses on several generations of family immigrants; in this case Russian-Jewish immigrants It starts out in America 1914 in Baltimore then goes through the decades as told by the grandfather of the Tchachinskys Each family member comes from a different generation of rules, traditions, and customs Although it creates a generation gap on several occasions The movie is actually based on director Barry Levinson’s own family history Elizabeth Perkins, Auden Quinn, Joan Plowright, and a very young Elijah Wood Many important lessons are taught here about relatives coming and going, doing things differently as well as adjusting to change It’s actually interesting, there’s a line in here that has stuck with audiences talking about the film but also inserted into sermons and scholarly articles teaching about family rituals Everybody in our family trees works differently and want their own lives, sometimes it’ll bring us together sometimes it’ll divide us This family is so likable with all their distinct personalities even if they don’t always agree with their approaches Sometimes we go from traditional to nuclear to extended The drama is well-rewarded with a collection of believable actors laughing and suffering but doing it together Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/06/23 Full Review Kris C I can't think of a movie that is more annoying than this one. It's just one long family yell session that no one other than the writer cares about. Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 06/05/23 Full Review dave s It's debatable, but Avalon could well be Barry Levinson's finest film. Polish immigrant Sam Krichinsky (Armin Mueller-Stahl) arrives in Baltimore in 1914, reuniting with his three brothers and their families. Covering several decades, the film explores the intricacies of family dynamics and is filled with nostalgia, drama and subtle humor. The dialogue is wonderful ("You carved the turkey without me!!"), the period details are spot on, the score is touching, Levinson's patient direction gives the viewer time to ruminate on events, and the underrated and underappreciated Mueller-Stahl gives the performance of his career as the insightful patriarch of the family. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member I watched the movie for and international relations essay and it did not disappoint. It is an incredible movie depicting the struggles immigrants go through during and after moving to a new country. The movie is shot through the point of view of a a patriarchal figure, Sam, as he he watches his family become "Americans." This film illustrates the switching of value systems and mindsets and its impact on their once close family. A perfect movie to watch in order to educate yourself on what important cultural values one must gives up in order to reach assimilation in a new country. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/19/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Avalon

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