Top Picks: James McMurtry's album 'Complicated Game,' the movie 'Little White Lie,' and more
Barnett鈥檚 badinage
Call her the new Lou Reed. Courtney Barnett sings anecdotal stories with a deadpan delivery on . On 鈥淎qua Profunda!,鈥� for example, she recounts trying to impress a handsome swimmer during a lap swim by holding her breath longer. 鈥淪unk like a stone/ like a first owner鈥檚 home loan,鈥� she sighs. The Australian鈥檚 grunge-guitar pop isn鈥檛 all droll wit. The ripple-to-wave anthem 鈥淜im鈥檚 Caravan鈥� crests with an impassioned environmental message.
American bard
Texas songwriter/guitarist extraordinaire James McMurtry is a timeless observer of the small-town American psyche and word-painter of the first rank. His commanding baritone draws you in like only a great storyteller鈥檚 can on . McMurtry sublimates his considerable guitar chops this time out, increasing the impact of lines like 鈥淲e grew up hard, our kids don鈥檛 know what that means/ We turned into our parents before we were out of our teens.鈥�
High school 4ever
The movie often called one of the best high school films ever made is returning to movie theaters to celebrate its 30th anniversary. , the 1985 John Hughes movie about five students serving detention on a Saturday morning, will screen on March 26 and March 31 at various locations through Fathom Events. Check fathomevents.com for theaters.聽
Racial identity
Director Lacey Schwartz shares her experience of finding out the truth about herself in the movie . Schwartz, who is Jewish, believed herself to be the daughter of her parents until she discovered that her real father is an African-American man with whom her mother had an affair. Schwartz tries to adapt to this new information and accept that her parents have faults. Her film premi猫res as part of 鈥淚ndependent Lens鈥� on PBS March 23 at 10 p.m.聽
Political tactician聽
looks at the life of the politician who served as chief of staff to Ronald Reagan and as secretary of State for George H.W. Bush. Baker was involved in ending the cold war and orchestrating the Gulf War; he also created the Madrid Peace Conference. The documentary on this master of compromise premi猫res on PBS March 24 at 8:30 p.m.聽
