Word: mensch
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...satiric power of Dixon's stories springs from his reversals of sexual stereotypes. His women tend to be aggressive, and his standard male character is at best foolishly romantic. Yet the final cycle of stories in this collection suggests that a wimp can turn into a mensch. For the first time in the Dixon canon his male character gets the girl. In the title story he actually marries her, in spite of an imagined, ironic commentary on his courtship by his late father. The story Wheels lovingly tells of the baby that is born of the marriage...
...Right Moves a hit on date nights this fall. Today's teen-agers may talk hip and move fast, but when it comes to movies, they still like their coal dust leavened with fairy dust. Stefan's dream comes true; the coach turns out to be a mensch; Lisa stands by her man. With Tom Cruise luring the girls into the theater, and high school machismo hooking the boys, this naive little movie hopes to prove itself the Flashdance of football...
...guess who'll win the elections. The Kennedy race doesn't merit an inch of newsprint; Dukakis over Sears by three percentage points; Weicker over Moflett: Moynihan by a landslide--it's pick 'em who'll do better. Kennedy of stormin' Pat--and my burn knee says Mario "the Mensch" Cuomo will down Law "my-suspenders-are-sewn-to-my-body' Lehman. In a week or two I'll put a out a line whether the Democrats can snag a Senate majority. The Greek is nodding...
...CENTER IS Gere's version of a schmuck making the transition to a mensch Unlike most of his previous performances, and especially his role in the laughable American Gigolo, Gere's Mayo has definition and direction. First, he seeks the pride the could never have achieved living above a cat house with his degenerate father. Second he learns about the price of integrity, avoiding false emotionalism in his early relationship with Paula. Third, he discovers that he can combine these with true friendship and generosity. In a subplot that could have become hokey, but somehow doesn't Mayo provides...
Another key aspect of mensch-hood is a certain degree of ambition: it's not enough merely to be a good guy. This is where An Officer and a Gentleman raises some legitimate ambiguities about the pursuit of military glory. Unfortunately, the film's creators do not take the time to explore them thoroughly...