Video Picks Archive

October 13, 1999
This Week's Video Picks
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This week my picks are This Is My Father (1998 - Paul Quinn - ) and Back to the Future (1985 - ).

In the first film, Kieran Johnson (James Caan) is a Chicago schoolteacher whose mother is comatose from a stroke. After he finds an old love letter of hers, he goes to Ireland to find out if the Kiernan who wrote the letter was his father. From an old woman (Moira Deady), he hears the story of the controversial romance between his mother (Moya Farrelly, making her debut) and his father (Aidan Quinn). Paul Quinn wrote and directed this film, with brothers Aidan and Paul also producing. It's a beautiful, if familiar, story of love and faith. Also starring in the film are Irish regulars Stephen Rea, Colm Meaney, and Brendan Gleeson (Gabriel Byrne and Liam Neeson must have been busy).

By now you're probably wondering what This is My Father has to so with the second film. Well, work with me here. Michael J. Fox stars as a teenage time traveller who finds himself caught between his parents when they first meet in high school. His pilgrimage isn't intentional, like Caan's, but it fits if you look at it sideways. Robert Zemeckis created the film that stands as the best of the 1980's teen comedies. With the help of producer and mentor Steven Spielberg, every detail of the production creates a whimsical and energetic atmosphere that makes watching Back to the Future a wonderful experience. It was an Academy Award winner for sound effects editing, and spawned two very successful sequels.

Here's some merchandise for sale at

This Is My Father (1999)	-- VHS
This Is My Father (1999)	-- DVD
Back To The Future (1985)	-- VHS
Back To The Future: Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack	-- Compact Disc

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