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Banana Split brings us back to the messy world of high school relationships when a love triangle forms between April (Hannah Marks), Clara (Liana Liberato) and Nick (Dylan Sprouse). After the two girls bond at a party, they must walk a fine line to keep their delicate friendship intact.
Co-writers Hannah Marks and Joey Power sprinkle in moments that bring out the best and the worst in their characters, giving this film a life of its own.
“Power and Marks clearly have a facility with dialogue,” says Justin Lowe from The Hollywood Reporter. “The two elevate scene after scene with imaginative insults and witty banter among the characters.”
If you’re looking for a familiar story with some new flavors, this is the film for you.
Read
The Library of Congress has announced its prize winners for 2020, selecting members who are at the peak of their careers. To help celebrate the occasion, check out some of the more recent works produced by these amazing people and storytellers who continue to leave their mark on American society.
Winner of the 2020 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction, Colson Whitehead has delivered powerful tales over the years, and his newest novel The Nickel Boys is no exception. The book follows two Black boys, Elwood and Turner, who must survive the brutal practices of a reform school known as the Nickel Academy. Whitehead models his tale off of the real-life Dozier School for Boys, connecting the pain of the present to the horrors of the past.
“In a mass culture where there is no shortage of fiction, nonfiction, movies and documentaries dramatizing slavery and its sequels under other names (whether Jim Crow or mass incarceration or ‘I can’t breathe’), Whitehead is implicitly asking why so much of this output has so little effect or staying power,” says Frank Rich from The New York Times.
Be sure to explore the works of other recipients of prizes and honors, both past and present:
- Cuz: The Life and Times of Michael A by Danielle Allen, 2020 Kluge Prize
- The Anthology: Part 1 – The First Five Years by Garth Brooks, 2020 Gershwin Prize
- Barkskins by Annie Proulx, 2018 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction
- An American Sunrise: Poems by Joy Harjo, current U.S. Poet Laureate
- The Source of Self-Regard: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations by Toni Morrison, 2011 Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award
Eat
Earlier this month, G. Michael’s Bistro and Bar announced its new summer menu, which includes gluten-free options. This relaxed-upscale restaurant’s seasonal menus are inspired by the South’s low-country flair. Curbside pick up and dine-in options are available.
Matthew Urwin is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.