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ASIN: 0782006795
ID #107989
Penny Serenade   (Rated: ASR)
Product Type: DVD
Reviewer: AJ wants U 2 meet The CanMan! Author Icon
Review Rated: ASR
Amazon's Price: $ 4.99
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Summary of this DVD...
Sometimes, when my favorite oldies station does its station identification it says that it's the station where there's a memory in every song.

That is so true! I hear a song and I can get taken back to remembering that I was ga-ga over a certain guy when the song was popular or even back to a family vacation before I was even in school.

This movie opens with a thirtysomething lady named Julie going through some records--records that she and her soon-to-be-ex-husband, Roger, had collected through the years.

Roger isn't there, and Julie is trying to figure out who should get custody of which record.

A teddy bear of a family friend who is fondly known as Applejack looks on. He and a very perceptive and kindhearted lady who supervises adoptions of orphans have always been in Roger & Julie's corner--Would one (or both) of them have what it takes to keep this very-much-in-love couple from doing something they'd regret?

Julie removes the first record from its jacket and puts it on the victrola (old-fashioned record-player), and she's taken back to how she and Roger first met--how he had come into the record store where she worked and had listened to a lot of records there just to be able to spend time with her. To top that off, he had bought the records--even though he had nothing at home on which to play them.

Subsequent records take her through their courtship, marriage, and how an injury during a sudden earthquake caused her not only to miscarry but, also, to be unable to carry a child to term.

There was a record that reminded her of when she and Roger first met tiny Trina and how she became a part of their lives. Other songs followed.

This is a couple who had been, as the movie will show you, through lots of ups and downs with their love seeming to get stronger and stronger.

So what had led them to this place where they were on the verge of divorce--and would something happen to make them decide not to continue down that tragic path?

Watch the movie to find out. You won't be sorry.
This type of DVD is good for...
This is a movie for you if you love romance, kids, and the American Dream--and if you enjoy returning to a more simple time like one that Normal Rockwell might have decided to paint. And, of course, it's a real plus for fellow music-lovers who love to take sentimental journeys.
I especially liked...
There is so much to like about this movie that it's hard to put your finger on one thing in particular. But I will say that what made this movie really unique is how this love story is told via the playing of a record collection.
When I finished viewing this DVD I wanted to...
Whenever I finish watching this wonderful movie, I can hardly wait to watch it again, because it's such a "comfort food" sort of movie--even considering its more tragic moments.
This DVD made me feel...
This video made me feel as if I were a friend of this precious family and I could feel their emotions.
The cast of this DVD...
Cary Grant and Irene Dunne are simply perfect as Roger and Julie, and the various, little actresses playing Trina from babyhood through six or seven years old are all heartmelting. Edgar Buchanan as Applejack and Beulah Bondi as the social worker are a comforting duo, as well.
I recommend this DVD because...
I recommend this video because it's sweet, sentimental, and unique. Also, if you enjoy the music of the late 1920s through the start of the 1940s, this movie is just your ticket for that, too.
Further Comments...
Some things to think about while watching this movie:

1. The orphanage director described Trina to Roger and Julie as being "like no other baby." Do you think she was telling the truth? Why or why not?

2. Did you agree with what Roger said about how much more difficult it was for adoptive parents to prove their worth when it came to having a child than it was for blood parents?

3. Which parts of this movie did you find to be comical?

4. Were the songs effective in moving the story along?
Created Mar 05, 2005 at 3:23am • Submit your own review...

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