Justin Hayward and Leigh Jones of production house BoomThrift directed this video for the Illinois Office of Tourism introducing us to the Livingston County War Museum in Pontiac, Illinois.
Appropriately enough during this week kicked off by Veterans Day, this short from JWT Chicago encourages travelers to experience history from the perspective of veterans who volunteer at the Livingston Museum. In fact, this is the only museum of its kind that is staffed entirely by volunteer war vets.
We hear inspiring tales from war veterans hailing from the Land of Lincoln who now work at the museum–and each have a candid recollection of patriotism and sacrifice for love of country and freedom. One notes that the museum doesn't glorify war but rather it glorifies the people who served.
Each empty uniform on display tells a story, including one of a 16-year-old lad who lied about his age to become a sailor and was killed early on in his tour of duty. The proper military decorations and medals are affixed to each uniform along with the story of the person who wore it and made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our freedom.
Review: Director Ben Taylor’s “Joy”
Toward the end of Netflix's "Joy," the muffled cry of a newborn baby prompts a man and woman in a hospital to embrace out of pure bliss. They aren't the parents, but they had as much to do with the birth as the mom and dad.
This charming and winning movie charts the decade-long true story of how the world's first IVF baby was born in England in 1978 — a 5-pound, 12-ounce girl who paved the way for millions more. It's an upbeat, very English affair, mixing sober discussion of endometriosis with chocolate biscuits.
The couple embracing that day were pioneering scientist Robert Edwards and Jean Purdy, a young nurse and embryologist. Together with surgeon Patrick Steptoe, the trio succeeded with in vitro fertilization, a method of treating infertility. Edwards would go on to win the Nobel Prize.
"Joy" has been birthed at a time when science is under threat in America — even IVF — so it's downright inspiring to see plucky, smart scientists working hard to change the world. "What we're doing, it matters," says Steptoe, played with quiet economy by Bill Nighy.
"Joy" is the personal stories of the three scientists — mostly through the eyes of Purdy, a polite lab-coated warrior. "If I hear a commotion, I'm not very good at staying out of it," she says. Perfectly played by Thomasin McKenzie, Purdy is both vulnerable and strong, learning through the process to be a better human. James Norton plays Edwards with charm, self-doubt and calm spirit.
Jack Thorne's script nicely explains the massive pressure the trio faced. IVF may have become common and uncontroversial over the last decades, but back in the late '70s it was experimental and shunned. The Anglican church called it a sin, the newspapers labeled it Frankenstein-ish and other... Read More