RUSH * THE SESSIONS

Rush - We loved it.  Rush is the story of two Grand Prix race car drivers who were odd and improbable friends and determined rivals in the 1970s.  Nicky Lauda and James Hunt.  The serious Austrian versus the party-boy Brit.  It's based on a true story, and even the race scenes are easy to watch and enjoy knowing the characters.  My uncle Bob used to watch the auto races on ABC's Wide World of Sports, and I wonder if he knew about the rivalries and personalities of the drivers.  And if he did, why he never talked about them.  He probably didn't find that part of the story as interesting as I do.  It brings humanity to the competition that otherwise would be just another race.  I wonder if I ever saw Nicky Lauda and James Hunt race?

The Sessions - I'd avoided this movie for ages, and finally watched it the other night while multitasking with a pile of paper and magazine cutouts that I'd been meaning to go through and organize.  It turns out that I needn't have worried - the story is carried by the amazing personality of Mark, a California man living his difficult life with humor and honesty.  He meets wonderful human beings on his journey and they protect him and make it possible for him to live life to the fullest.  The story, the acting, the situations - it's all so good.