Film: If there is a better actor working today than Meryl Streep, I cannot imagine who it would be. Sure, she can transform herself with accents and makeup, but take a look at how terrific she is without much of either in Hope Springs, the tale of a long-married housewife who wants to rekindle the romance in her relationship with a cynical tightwad accountant (Tommy Lee Jones). So against his will, she takes him to a best-selling marriage counselor (Steve Carrell) and they submit to his low-key exercises to put the spark back in their relationship. This is another film aimed at the often-ignored senior market, who should flock to its gentle humor. Undoubtedly, wives will be elbowing husbands with a “See, that’s what you do” nudge. Opening this weekend at area theaters.
If the name Bill W. means nothing to you, chances are you can control your alcohol intake. Bill Wilson, however, was a self-described drunk, crippled by his dependence on booze, who went on to co-found Alcoholics Anonymous. His story and the inner workings of the secretive organization are told in the documentary titled Bill W. Anonymity is the key to its sobriety cure, so members of AA are shown cast in facial shadows, only identified by their first names. First-time directors Kevin Lanlon and Dan Carracino tell Wilson’s story with archival photos, audio of his rousing, confessional lectures and numerous dramatizations of past events. They are not very compelling filmmakers, but Wilson’s history is fascinating and so is this documentary. At Movies of Lake Worth and Mos’Art Theatre, beginning this weekend.
Dance: In the former Loehmann’s over on PGA Boulevard in Palm Beach Gardens, dancers have been rehearsing over the past few weeks in a collaborative dance workshop run by two local companies: O Dance and Reach. They’re coming together tomorrow night for a show called Some Like It Hot at the Eissey Campus Theatre, and you can expect innovative dances by new choreographers and work by O Dance founder Jerry Opdenaker and Reach Dance founder Maria Konrad. Take a break from the Olympics and check it out; it’s good to know that the art of contemporary dance is alive and well in Palm Beach County. Tickets: Tickets for the 8 p.m. show Saturday range from $15 to $20. Call 561-339-3360 or visit www.reachdancecompany.com.