Movie of the Month for April 2017: Lion

Title: Lion
Year: 2016
Director: Garth Davis
Starring: Dev Patel, Nicole Kidman, Rooney Mara, David Wenham

When I mentioned earlier this month that my wife Kim and I had seen this movie, all I said at that point was “Just see it.” However, now that I’m selecting this as my first Movie of the Month for April, I guess I should say something a little more about it so here’s a little more than “Just see it.”

The movie is based on the true story of Saroo Brierley, an Indian orphan adopted by an Australian couple, who 20 years after leaving his native India, decides to seek out his family in India, using Google Earth. Through a series of flashbacks, we see how Saroo got lost and then eventually was adopted. Without giving any spoilers, this one is a tearjerker, but overall, it is a good cry as Saroo seeks and (slight spoiler alert) finds his childhood home. What makes this one transcend beyond a movie of the week on Lifetime and become nominated for six Oscars are the performances of the actors, especially Patel, the cinematography, and the story which could be cliché if told by others but as told by screenwriter Luke Davies based on Brierley’s book never does.

So what movie that you saw this past month would you select as your Movie of the Month?

Each month, I will select a Movie of the Month, an Album of the Month, and a Book of the Month. This Friday, I will share my pick for Album of the Month, then on Sunday, my pick for Book of the Month. Check back on both days to see what they are.