Amber Santman, adult media selector at Abbot Public Library, recommends this list of movies. A lifelong resident of Marblehead, she has worked at the library for almost 10 years and is always happy to chat with patrons about all things movies and media.
“Living”
This film follows a civil servant in London in the 1950s who searches for meaning after receiving a terminal medical diagnosis.
“The Fabelmans”
Young Sammy Fabelman falls in love with movies after his parents take him to see “The Greatest Show on Earth.” Armed with a camera, Sammy starts to make his films at home, much to the delight of his supportive mother.
“A Man Called Otto”
Based on the comical and moving New York Times bestseller, it tells the story of Otto Anderson, a grumpy widower whose only joy comes from criticizing and judging his exasperated neighbors. When a lively young family moves in next door, he meets his match in quick-witted and very pregnant Marisol, leading to an unexpected friendship that will turn his world upside down.
“Top Gun: Maverick”
After more than 30 years of service as one of the navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. Training a detachment of graduates for a special assignment, Maverick must confront the ghosts of his past and his deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who choose to fly it.
“Emily”
Tells the story of Emily Brontë as a young woman struggling within the confines of social expectations and yearning for creative and personal freedom.
“Marlowe”
A gripping noir crime thriller set in late 1930s Bay City centers around a brooding, down-on-his-luck detective, Philip Marlowe, who is hired to find the ex-lover of a glamorous heiress, daughter of a well-known movie star. The disappearance is the first twist in a series of bewildering events, and soon Marlowe is embroiled in a deadly investigation and web of lies that he’s determined to bring to light.
“Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Evelyn Wang, a flustered immigrant mother, is contacted from a parallel universe and told that only she can save the world. The unlikely hero must learn to channel her newfound powers and fight through the splintering timelines of the multiverse to save her home, her family and herself in this big-hearted and irreverent adventure.
“Amsterdam”
In the 1930s, three friends witness a murder, are framed for it and uncover one of the most outrageous plots in American history.
“Armageddon Time”
A deeply personal coming-of-age story about the strength of family and the generational pursuit of the American Dream.
“The Good House”
A successful real-estate broker, mother, and raging alcoholic embarks on a life of denial and loneliness while resenting the intervention of her loved ones and becoming embroiled in a scandal in her New England town. This film is based on a novel by one former Marblehead resident, Ann Leary, and features another former Marblehead resident, Rob Delaney, as a member of the cast.
