Nancy's Reads & Reels: Page One: Inside the New York Times, with David Carr & 13 Conversations, with Alan Arkin

Watched Page One: Inside the New York Times and wondered if only journalists or media junkies would be interested in this documentary. A behind the scenes look at how the newspaper business is coping with the current state of the economy and changes brought on by the Internet. David Carr is the central character of the documentary and is the author of The Night of the Gun, available on Netflix.

Books about addiction that I found worthwhile: In The Night of the Gun, David Carr goes from drug addict on welfare to New York Times’ columnist, and Beautiful Boy by David Shiff writes about his son’s drug addiction.

My daughter recommended 13 Conversations starring Alan Arkin, Matthew McGonaughey, John Tarturro, Amy Irving and Clea Duvall. Alan Arkin is terrific in any movie but this movie gives him a chance to display all of his acting chops. He plays the part of a sour middle manager in an insurance company. The movie is about what people perceive as happiness. Matthew McGonaughey plays the part of a slick lawyer involved in a hit and run accident, John Tarturro is a physics professor looking for an end to his dull routine, Amy Irving is Tarturros’ wife trying to figure out what her husband is up to, and Clea Duvall is an optimistic young cleaning woman.The movie had a tight budget but the actors go all out to portray the characters in a realistic manner. Made in 2001, it’s available on Netflix.