JAG: Each of Us Angels

I have decided to start doing TV posts along with my movie reviews because I am very knowledgeable with TV. For the most part I watch a lot more TV shows than I do movies, and wanted to write about episodes that speak to me, or that need to be written about because they're so good.

Since JAG is a military show, there are episodes that pay tribute to past wars. This particular episode, "Each of Us Angels", does just that by honoring the Navy Nurses during World War II. The episode is told through flashbacks to the time of The Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945. Taking place on a ship offshore, the story is shared by an elderly man to a young girl.




The Navy Nurses would fall for the soldiers that were brought in, and the man whose name is Ron Graham (David James Elliott plays young Lt. Graham) goes to the Arlington National Cemetery to put flowers on the grave of the Nurse who he fell in love with. He sees this young girl there and shows her a picture of the nurses, and that’s when he tells her the story. Ens. Beverly Tromatore (the woman that Ron falls for) takes a particular interest in Ron. She talks to him and tells him to wake up…

When he does, he remembers her. One of the men that was part of his group was severely burned, and ends up dying. Ron feels like he will lose whoever he cares about or tries to protect, which is why he’s hesitant (at first) to be with Beverly. She basically tells him that she is her own person, and doesn't need him to carry her because, as she tells him: "I don't need you to carry me. I can walk with you." Leading into a Luciano De Crescenzo quote that the title of the episode comes from. “We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another.” After Beverly says that quote to Ron, he takes a chance and they kiss.

Then, all of a sudden, a plane crashes right into the deck. They scramble to get people to safety, and while Beverly is turning off the oxygen tanks, a shelf falls on her and she doesn't make it. I think they really captured the essence of war and loss during the time. He is happy that he knew her for the short period that he did, and still comes and pays his respects every year because she meant so much to him. Then his grandaughter comes to the cemetery. She tells the girl who heard the story that she is going to be a military nurse as well.

I am glad that they were able to pay tribute the way that they did for those nurses who were dedicated to saving lives, and being there for the soldiers as well.

Best Picture Winners: You Can't Take It With You

In keeping with the Best Picture movie posts that I do, and with the Oscars coming up, this movie is another Frank Capra great, You Can't Take It With You, telling the story of a man, Tony Kirby (James Stewart), who comes from a rich family. He falls for a girl named Alice Sycamore (Jean Arthur) whose family is very down to earth yet also very eccentric. They fall in love, but Tony’s family doesn’t approve of her family, and are strongly against him marrying Alice.

When Tony introduces his parents to the Sycamores, they’re embarrassed since the Sycamores embrace life and enjoy things, no matter how weird or spontaneous. Like setting off fireworks, which cause them to get arrested for disturbing the peace. Well the Kirby's are taken to jail along with everyone else, and they go on and on about how these people are fools.

 What I tend to like about Frank Capra movies are the way they deal with the everyman, the ordinary people. Alice's family is really eccentric and very sweet people, and don’t have a lot of money but they’re happy being with the people they loved. Martin Vanderhof (played to perfection by Lionel Barrymore) gives a speech to Anthony Kirby (Edward Arnold), saying he’s a fool and he won't have any friends because all he cares about is money. And that these other people have a few friends and that he was a failure as a father.

Tony ends up walking out on his father because of everything that is going with his big business deal, and the rift it caused in his and Alice's relationship. Anthony starts to see what it means to be the way the Sycamore family is, and that they aren't miserable and unhappy like he thought. So he asks Martin Vanderhof what to do. He wants to fix it and be a better father – so Martin tells him that in a situation like this he plays his harmonica. They end up playing "Polly Walla Do La Day" which is kind of the family song, causing everyone to start dancing. Tony and Alice finally get his father's approval. Mr. Kirby realizes that what matters is being with the people that you love, and being a good father is more important than getting the next big business deal.

It was interesting to learn that Jean Arthur left show business at the height of her career in the 1940s because she was a great comedic actress. James Stewart was quoted as saying: "She was the finest actress I ever worked with. No one had her humor, her timing."

It has all the makings of a Best Picture movie. So I am not at all surprised that it did win in 1938. You Can't Take It With You is a feel good movie that shows that being ordinary isn't so bad, and having a lot of money doesn't make you happy. You're more wealthy if you have friends and family that care.