My memories of reading The Giver in middle school are vivid, although not because of any particular effect the novel had on me. Lois Lowry’s 1993 novel has a famously ambiguous ending, and our assignment in 7th grade was to write a satisfying conclusion and share it with the class. Ms. Butler&

Rory Kennedy's 'Last Days in Vietnam'

In 1937, Paramount Pictures released “Make Way for Tomorrow,” a drama that documentarian Errol Morris once declared “the most depressing movie ever made, providing reassurance that everything will definitely end badly.” In it, an elderly couple (Victor Young, Beulah Bondi), l

Stark reality meets gentle whimsy. I’d like to think this is a characterization of the Irish temperament and the arts that flow from it; but whether or not that idea has any wider validity, it fits Calvary perfectly.Another offering from John Michael McDonagh, the writer-director who brought u

Richard Linklater's journey through 'Boyhood'

John P. McCarthy reviews Andrew Rossi's 'Ivory Tower,' a documentary film on the uncertain future of American higher education.