As the Takeaway comes to an end, we get one last set of movie prescriptions from Kristen Meinzer, a culture critic and host of the podcast &quot;By The Book&quot; and Rafer Guzman, a film critic for Newsday, and they bring us movie prescriptions about embracing change and fresh starts.
Together Kristen and Rafer are the co-hosts of the podcast, Movie Therapy.
KRISTEN’S PICKS:
Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar, 2021
When middle aged best friends Barb and Star lose their jobs, they decide that a restorative vacation in Vista Del Mar is just what they need to help them ease into the next chapter. But things don&#39;t go quite as planned - with mysterious men, villains, and more throwing monkey wrenches into their getaway. Fortunately their friendship, optimism, and sense of humor keeps them strong and ready for anything that&#39;s thrown their way. The movie stars Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo. 
The lesson: Things in life don&#39;t always go as planned. Sometimes we lose a job, and then things get worse from there. But leaning on our friends, and laughing at the absurdity of life can make it all more manageable. 
Sister Act, 1992
Whoopie Goldberg stars as a nightclub singer who&#39;s forced to go into witness protection in a convent after witnessing a mob hit. While there, she struggles with the regimented life of the nuns. But thanks to her outstanding musical talents and charisma, she&#39;s able to turn the convent choir into a soulful chorus complete with a Motown repertoire.
The lesson: Sometimes we&#39;re thrown into situations that feel wildly out of our purview. But that doesn&#39;t mean we can&#39;t handle them. In fact, those situations combined with our unique skills mean that we might excel in new ways. 
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, 2010
This documentary follows one year in the life of Joan Rivers. It was filmed when Rivers was 75, and coming out of what she considered a down year...after 40+ years of ups and downs as an actor, writer, and comedian. Along the way, she reveals some of her darker moments, biggest struggles, and incredible work ethic...along with lots of her biting wit. 
The lesson: Even a legend like Joan Rivers has had lots of down years...times that could have broken her...but she chose to keep working, evolving, and trying new things. I&#39;ll also add that this film has a special place in my heart because when she was on her press tour for it, Rafer and I got to interview her...and she ended up being our first celebrity interview for the Movie Date podcast.
RAFER’S PICKS:
Harold and Maude, 1971
This is kind of the original cult movie, from 1971 -- before Rocky Horror, before Pink Flamingos, there was Harold and Maude. It’s the story of Harold, played by Bud Cort, and he’s a very rich, very mobrid young man who spends most of his time staging fake suicides to upset his mother. He hangs himself, cuts his throat, immolates himself and so on. For fun he attends random funerals, and that’s where he m

Movie Therapy: Prescriptions for Embracing Change

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