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Movies

Friday

Here are Bob Mondello's picks for the year's best 10 films

In a year when many films didn't even open in theaters, there were still plenty worth talking about. NPR film critic Bob Mondello celebrates the best of 2021.

Here are Bob Mondello's picks for the year's best 10 films

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What's making us happy: What to watch, read and listen to this weekend

Alexander Skarsgård stars as Amleth and Anya Taylor-Joy as Olga in director Robert Eggers' Viking epic The Northman. Aidan Monaghan/© 2021 Focus Features, LLC hide caption

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Aidan Monaghan/© 2021 Focus Features, LLC

What's Making Us Happy: Recommendations From 'Pop Culture Happy Hour'

What's making us happy: What to watch, read and listen to this weekend

Each week, the guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: the trailer for The Northman, the novel The School for Good Mothers and more.

Thursday

Our 2022 Pop Culture Resolutions
Nora Carol Photography/Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Our 2022 Pop Culture Resolutions

It's the end of 2021, and the cusp of a new year — which means we're looking back, and we're looking ahead. It's time to see how we did sticking to our pop culture resolutions we made a year ago. And it's time to make some new ones for 2022.

Our 2022 Pop Culture Resolutions

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Wednesday

Our 2022 Pop Culture Predictions
Nora Carol Photography/Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Our 2022 Pop Culture Predictions

If there's one thing we can tell you about 2021, it's that we didn't see it coming. And we might not see 2022 coming either, but we're going to try — by making some pop culture predictions for next year. And on top of that, we'll look at last year's predictions and see how things turned out.

Our 2022 Pop Culture Predictions

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Tuesday

Pop Culture

Pop Culture Happy Hour team points out 2021's best films and TV shows

The end of the year means it's time to look back on the best films and TV shows of 2021. The hosts of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast share their favorites.

Pop Culture Happy Hour team points out 2021's best films and TV shows

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Maggie Gyllenhaal explores the difficulty of motherhood in her directorial debut

Maggie Gyllenhaal's directorial debut, The Lost Daughter, offers a unique depiction of motherhood. Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images hide caption

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Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Movie Interviews

Maggie Gyllenhaal explores the difficulty of motherhood in her directorial debut

The new movie The Lost Daughter shows a side of motherhood that Hollywood doesn't often depict.

Maggie Gyllenhaal explores the difficulty of motherhood in her directorial debut

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'Don't Look Up' is an environmental satire that squanders its resources

Cate Blanchett, Tyler Perry, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Jennifer Lawrence in Don't Look Up. Niko Tavernise/Netlfix hide caption

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Niko Tavernise/Netlfix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Don't Look Up' is an environmental satire that squanders its resources

The new Netflix film Don't Look Up has a crazy Academy Awards pedigree. Writer-director Adam McKay won an Oscar for The Big Short and the Oscar-studded cast includes Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence as scientists who discover that a massive comet is hurtling toward Earth. The only problem: They can't get the media's attention (represented here by Cate Blanchett and Tyler Perry) or get the president (played by Meryl Streep) to care. But with all these stars in the mix, did Don't Look Up miss the mark?

'Don't Look Up' is an environmental satire that squanders its resources

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Sunday

Kids need to see themselves reflected in media. Here are some recommendations

A page from the book The Me I Choose to Be by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley with photography by Regis and Kahran Bethencourt. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers hide caption

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Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Culture

Kids need to see themselves reflected in media. Here are some recommendations

We asked children's media experts to recommend their favorite new books, TV shows and video games with characters and storylines representing the diversity of the U.S.

Kids need to see themselves reflected in media. Here are some recommendations

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Saturday

Review

Movie Reviews

In 'Parallel Mothers,' Almodóvar hitches unruly passions to women and family

Filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar takes a long, colorful look at motherhood in his melodrama Parallel Mothers, starring Penélope Cruz.

In 'Parallel Mothers,' Almodóvar hitches unruly passions to women and family

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We Hold These Truths

How film has shaped the American image of democracy

For NPR's series, "We Hold These Truths," Scott Simon spoke to film critics Wesley Morris and Mark Harris about movies that have shaped how Americans think of democracy.

How film has shaped the American image of democracy

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Friday

Movie Interviews

Maggie Gyllenhaal explores the honesty of being a mother in her directorial debut

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with actress Maggie Gyllenhaal about her directorial debut The Lost Daughter, which takes a unique look at motherhood. Now in theaters, the film will be on Netflix on Dec. 31.

Maggie Gyllenhaal explores the honesty of being a mother in her directorial debut

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Pop Culture

Filmmaker John Waters puts his own spin on Christmas

Fresh Air

In 2004, Waters shared music from his album A John Waters Christmas, an anthology of catchy, entertaining and ridiculous holiday songs that reflect his fascination with the odd and unusual.

Filmmaker John Waters puts his own spin on Christmas

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The holiday movie machine

Vanessa Hudgens, Vanessa Hudgens, and Vanessa Hudgens starring in The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star. Mark Mainz/NETFLIX © 2021/Mark Mainz/NETFLIX © 2021 hide caption

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Mark Mainz/NETFLIX © 2021/Mark Mainz/NETFLIX © 2021

It's Been a Minute

The holiday movie machine

Do holiday movies actually make money for networks like Hallmark and Netflix? How many Vanessa Hudgens characters is too many Vanessa Hudgens characters? Sam is joined by Pop Culture Happy Hour co-host Linda Holmes and author Kat Chow to discuss the best and worst 2021 holiday movies on TV and talk about the business behind them.

The holiday movie machine

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