Pope Dreams (2006)

to be truthful, i only watched this film because Marnette Patterson was in it. i was pleased to find out it was really quite a good film.the film was sweet without being too syrupy or cloying and nicely directed and well acted. Marnette Patterson is always good, and it's nice to see her when she isn't being terrorized by giant bugs or having her eyes burnt out with a cigar by a vengeful ghost(i liked both those movies), the lead actor is believable and likable as was most of the cast. the main stand out here was Julie Hagerty as the dieing mother. the dieing martyr role can so often be over played to the point of embarrassing cliché, but Hagerty is believable emotionally and physically. she truly looks and behaves like she is genuinely sick. she's dieing from cancer caused by asbestos poisoning, which reminds us all that there are many other factors harmful to our health than just cigarettes.a really nice film and a good film for young people that isn't surrounded by a lot of hype. sort of an 'Napoleon Dynamite', except that it's more of a serious drama rather than laugh out loud comedy.

I just saw this film on Lifetime and it was titled "Music for My Mother." No matter what the title, this is a very impressive movie detailing a sensitive guy who loves music and is masterful at creating it.A very good film detailing human relations among people. When a young lady can't get permission from her college professor father to go to Florida with her boyfriend, she resorts to chicanery to win her father over. She purposely goes out with a "lowlife" so that her father will give in and be happy that she is back with her regular guy. Of course, the idea is that the "lowlife" turns out to be our musical genius who soon impresses her dad with his uncanny ability to write beautiful music.This is also a story of sadness as the young man's mother is terminally ill with cancer. Julie Hagerty is impressive in the latter role.While the ending is sad, you will be uplifted by the music and that life goes on. A wonderful tribute to life even with its tribulations.

Saw this film at the USA Film Festival in Dallas. It's a very well developed script, with believable characters, behaving in natural ways. In other words, it's an interesting story that's easy and enjoyable to watch. What more could one ask for in a world filled with mediocre writing, poorly directed and acted? The film has a terrific cast of newcomers and veterans, and is technically well made. The title can be a little misleading. It only refers to the fact the the son wants to send his ailing mom on a trip to Italy to see The Pope in-person. This is by no means a "religious" film. It's currently playing the festival circuit.I highly recommend it. Go see it, if it's showing near you...

Hogan crafts a sweet, yet also appropriately sad, tale of late teen desire. The principal actors work well together, with believable dialogue and tenable situations. The characters could have been stereotyped and overemotional, but Hogan and the ensemble infused them with enough sensitivity and humor to allow the pathos to appear naturally.All five of the main characters were firmly defined, and the actors performed with distinction, especially Vaden (Andy) and Patterson (Brady) They made their characters believable. A couple of the side characters were a bit cartoonish (the lyricist partner and Brady's boyfriend come to mind) but for the most part they supplemented the storyline without calling attention to themselves. On the plus side, the characters of the bar owner and Brady's girlfriend were very enjoyable and even stole their scenes.This film is recommended. It will probably get a PG-13 for language, but the salty dialogue did not seem superfluous for either the characters or the storyline. I'm not sure precisely who the intended audience will be - much of the humor seems aimed at 30 to 50 year olds looking back at being teenagers, rather than current teens - but it seems reasonable that it will appeal across a broad spectrum. A solid first effort for both director/ writer Hogan and producer Loh.