<p>I have a flight to the midwest next week & am looking for movies/tv shows to put on my iphone to distract me. ( I am a nervous traveler- do they make you put it away during takeoff/landing even if on flight mode?)
Films with great cinematography are going to be wasted on my iphone 
( they should rent ipads cause I really didn’t want to bring my laptop)
I am picky unfortunately- but not as much with comedies ( if they are actually funny- I like Burn After Reading & A fish called Wanda better than Will Ferrell or Jim Carrey)
But I have to have believable characters in dramas to keep my attention.
I like the West Wing, 30 Rock, Bones & good films with music
( never seen Dreamgirls- is that a possibility? Also thinking of* Once* as I will be seeing Glen Hansard open for Eddie Vedder @ the Fox theatre)</p>
<p>The Station Agent (with the wonderful Peter Dinklage)
I just watched this again last night. A great under rated movie.</p>
<p>another oldie, but worth watching again and again:</p>
<p>Bottle Rocket (Wes Andersons first film)</p>
<p>That was a nice movie- never understood why it was rated R.</p>
<p>Did you watch Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip? Created by Aaron Sorkin, lasted one season, very clever dialogue, well written and acted. That would be my first choice.</p>
<p>My son has me watciing Firefly, another short lived series. It is good, but Studio 60 is better.</p>
<p>An oldie but a goodie: the “Roots” miniseries. We started watching it with the kids on break one afternoon, and they begged us to stay up until 2 a.m. to watch the whole thingG</p>
<p>Have you seen Downton Abbey yet?</p>
<p>sorry EK4, but you will be asked to “turn off all electrical devices” during and for a little while after takeoff and before landing.</p>
<p>Youve probably already seen these…but I had fun watching the Truffaut’s entire Antoine Doinel series front to back a few weeks ago while I was home sick. [The</a> Adventures of Antoine Doinel - The Criterion Collection](<a href=“The Adventures of Antoine Doinel | The Criterion Collection”>The Adventures of Antoine Doinel | The Criterion Collection)</p>
<p>And I don’t know if it’s available yet, but HBO’s movie “Cinema Verite” (about the Loud family) was pretty darn good.</p>
<p>If you haven’t seen Hannah it will keep your attention. Same for Black Swan</p>
<p>I just saw ‘Infamous’ about Truman Capote. Riveting, and amazing performances from some of the best actors around. Movie covers roughly the same ground as ‘Capote’ with Phillip Seymour Hoffman – both are mainly about Capote writing In Cold Blood – so they’re great to compare. Hoffman and Toby Jones (who stars in Infamous) are different – but BOTH are truly superb in how they portray Capote.</p>
<p>Crazy Heart
The Ghost Writer
Away We Go
The Blind Side
Outsourced
The Dancer Upstairs</p>
<p>Another one I’d recommend is the film “Michael Clayton” if you haven’t seen it.</p>
<p>I take engrossing to mean a thriller, crime drama, or mystery.</p>
<p>pretty much any drama with Phillip Seymour Hoffman ([Philip</a> Seymour Hoffman - IMDb](<a href=“http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000450/]Philip”>Philip Seymour Hoffman - IMDb)). I especially recommend “Before the Devil Knows Your Dead”. “The Savages” where he teams with Laura Linney is good too.</p>
<p>Other George Clooney movies in addition to “Michael Clayton” would fit the bill. I would go for “Syriana”</p>
<p>I’ve been mainlining British TV on netflix. “Touch of Frost” ran for 14 years, so plenty of episodes to keep you busy.</p>
<p>You mention Burn After Reading. If you have not already seen them, other Coen brothers films such as Fargo, last year’s True Grit, or O Brother, Where Art Thou? might be possibilities. There’s a wonderfully bizarre movie featuring John Cusack called War, Inc. which you might enjoy. A sometimes overlooked sci-fi/fantasy movie, featuring strong story and acting rather than special effects, is Gattaca. Just watched A Single Man, starring Colin Firth – it’s a small, quiet but intense drama that might present well on a small screen. I found Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist a pleasant surprise. Oh, and Juno was a delight.</p>
<p>For television shows, you could join us in the Whedon universe where strong storytelling, character development, and frequent humorous dialogue rule the day. Plus you might run across David Boreanz, in his pre-Bones days. Or you could go for Bones’ little sister Zooey Deschanel in her television miniseries, Tin Man, a rather fun re-telling of the Wizard of Oz.</p>
<p>Good luck on your trip.</p>
<p>^^^Second the rec for Touch of Frost. Loved that series. Also, Prime Suspect, with Helen Mirren.</p>
<p>One movie I absolutely loved and finally ordered for myself along with the Father’s Day gifts is The Namesake. I am looking forward to watching it again and again.</p>
<p>My son is a big Coen Brothers fan. He and I recently watched A Serious Man. We loved it and have been recommending it to everyone since. </p>
<p>Enjoy your trip!</p>
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<p>It’s based on altitude. Per FAA regulations you can operate electronic devices in the cabin only when the plane is above 10,000 feet.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the suggestions!
I found Studio 60 on netflix & have been enjoying it immensely.
( I will try to save a few episodes for the trip)</p>
<p>( re: packing- I take about 10-15 different medications & supplements for my fibromyalgia/arthritis- I know to have my meds in original containers, but do I have to bring all my costco sized bottles or can I put them in a day-of-the-week dispenser?)</p>
<p>“Once” is a wonderful film, but if I could make a suggestion that features a much younger Glen Hansard, check out Alan Parker’s “The Commitments.” If you aren’t familiar with it, it’s the story of a wanna-be music promotor who creates a soul band from young blue collar people in Dublin. Fantastic music (Andrew Strong, who plays lead vocalist Deco Cuffe, was only 16 when this movie filmed. He is AMAZING!). It’s my favorite film of all time.</p>
<p>I’m so glad you found Studio 60. We’re so sorry the show didn’t last, but there something to be said for a single terrific season. (We loved the first season of *Heroes *and bought it on DVD. None of the remaining seasons made us want to watch episodes again, much less own them.)</p>
<p>I bet that if you looked on some official (airline or TSA?) website they would say to keep drugs in their original containers. But I never do. I don’t look like anyone they would profile to look for drugs and I bet you don’t either. I wonder if there is a letter or printout the doctor or pharmacist could give you on the off chance someone asked.</p>
<p>I was engrossed by “127 hours” this weekend. It’s rather short, too, which is nice for a change.</p>