Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'dysfunctional'

The Joy Of Watching Dysfunctional Families On Film

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 14:50:00 EST

The holidays are a time to celebrate family — and for them to spend with each other. Murray Horwitz, director of The American Film Institute Silver Theater and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, Md., discusses celebrating the dysfunctional family on film.

A Wonderful Life... Not In Every Holiday Classic

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 22:00:00 EST

Not thrilled about the annual viewing of Frank Capra's family favorite? Here are eight alternatives — not "holiday movies" per se, but films with timeless scenes set at the holidays. That, and some classic family dysfunction, too.

Beyonce, 'Nobel Son' Or Nixon...

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST

Take a trip through reviews of three new films: Cadillac Records, a movie about the rise of R&B label Chess Records starring Beyonce, Nobel Son, a film about a Nobel Prize-winning scientist and his relationship with his dysfunctional family and Frost/Nixon, Ron Howard's adaption of a successful stage play.

Prize Cast Comes Up Short In 'Nobel Son'

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 17:00:00 EST

The Michaelsons are already a superbly dysfunctional family before their son is kidnapped and held for ransom. And though Nobel Son boasts an all-star cast, Bob Mondello says it's ultimately a goofy tale of dysfunction and revenge.

Deadly Dysfunction: Strauss's 'Elektra'

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST

Strauss's lurid, yet sumptuous one-act opera tells the story of Elektra and her decidedly dysfuntional family — her murdered father Agamemnon, her frantic sister Chrysothemis, and their homicidal mother, Klytaemnestra. The production is from the Washington National Opera.

For Catherine Deneuve, A Chilly Family 'Christmas'

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 12:17:00 EST

Her five-decade career continues with a dark comedy about a deeply dysfunctional family, gathered for the holidays with baggage in tow. Deneuve talks to Jacki Lyden about her career, her daughter and aging — gracefully, of course.

Study On Viagra For Depressed Women Scrutinized

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:00:00 EDT

A new study suggests that Viagra may help women who experience sexual dysfunction as a side effect of drug treatment for depression. Some researchers doubt the study's findings and say more work needs to be done.

A Sane Sister: Gluck's 'IphigÃ©nie En Tauride'

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:33:00 EDT

Poor Iphigeneia. She comes from Greek drama's most dysfunctional family — matricide, patricide and madness. It's all in her past, but somehow she triumphs in Christoph Willibald Gluck's emotional drama, Iphigénie en Tauride, from the stage of the Paris Opéra.

Security Progress in Baghdad Draws Entrepreneurs

Thu, 01 May 2008 07:53:00 EDT

A small but growing number of what you might call American adventure capitalists are going to Baghdad. They're defying ongoing insurgent attacks, the country's dysfunctional government ministries and the skeptics.

Anne Enright Offers a Bleak Tale in 'The Gathering'

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 01:41:00 EDT

Irish author Anne Enright heads for the familiar terrain of the dysfunctional family in The Gathering. Last fall, the novel was awarded Britain's highest literary honor, the Man Booker Prize.

Progress of Iraq's Army, Police Inspires Optimism

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 01:00:00 EST

Last year, President Bush sent more U.S. troops to Iraq, hoping the move would help Iraq's army and police take over their own security. In September, a report concluded that Iraqi forces were still dysfunctional. Now, some on the ground say the security forces are improving.

Family Discord a Hit in 'August: Osage County'

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 17:10:00 EST

The hit Broadway show August: Osage County is a comic-tragic take on family. It's set in the county where playwright Tracy Letts grew up. His father, Dennis Letts, plays the patriarch of a large dysfunctional family. But the Lettses say it's not about their own family.

Have NBA's Knicks Lost the Knack for Success...

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 07:13:00 EST

The New York Knicks were once one of the proudest franchises in the National Basketball Association. Today, the team is dysfunctional on the court and in the front office.

Domenici Says He Won't Seek Another Senate Term

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 08:03:00 EDT

Pete Domenici, 75, is expected to formally make the announcement later Thursday, citing a progressive disease that can cause dysfunction in the parts of the brain.

Post-Katrina Trailer Parks: Examining Solutions

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 16:00:00 EDT

What is the source of the dysfunction in the FEMA trailer parks, and what can possibly be done to help? In the second part of the Scenic Trails story, reporter Alix Spiegel talks to government officials, mental health counselors, church volunteers and others.

Matt Groening, Grabbing for Laughs in the Darkness

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 00:01:00 EDT

After 18 years of The Simpsons, creator Matt Groening is bringing America's favorite dysfunctional family to the multiplex. Why does the show still work? Groening says, "People really, really resonate to the idea of darker emotions in something that is considered a very light medium."

Debate over Immigration Policy at an Impasse

Mon, 14 May 2007 08:03:00 EDT

After months of negotiations, Congress appears no closer to a consensus on an overhaul of immigration policy. But competing interests are starting to agree that leaving the dysfunctional system unchanged for now might not be the worst idea.

Oscar Levant: Hollywood's First Celebrity Meltdown

Sun, 24 Dec 2006 12:55:00 EST

A century ago this week, pianist, actor, writer and wit Oscar Levant was born. We remember the man some have called America's first publicly dysfunctional celebrity.

'The Office' as Management Training Tool

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 06:00:00 EDT

The dysfunctional workplace portrayed in the TV show The Office rings true to many viewers. It also provides a roadmap of how not to manage a workplace.

'On the Couch': Cartoonists Aim Ink at Shrinks

Fri, 22 Sep 2006 08:10:00 EDT

Passive-aggressive, dysfunctional, in denial -- these phrases were once uttered only in the sanctuary of a psychotherapist's office. Now they're often the punch line of a good joke, and a new book showcases some of the best psychiatry-related cartoons.

Picks from the Sundance Film Festival

Fri, 27 Jan 2006 00:00:00 EST

Renee Montagne talks to film critic Kenneth Turan at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Turan calls it an up-and-down year, with some strong commercial film entries. One pick: Little Miss Sunshine, a bleak comedy about a dysfunctional family that showed out of competition.

'Family Stone': Wake Up and Smell the Dysfunction

Fri, 16 Dec 2005 00:00:00 EST

'Family Stone': Wake Up and Smell the Dysfunction December 16, 2005 · If you want to escape the holiday fantasies in theaters for a dose of realistic dysfunction, The Family Stone may be for you. The film, starring Diane Keaton, Sarah Jessica Parker and Dermont Mulroney, is an offbeat mixture of comic crises and the bite of the real.

'The Tender Bar': Life Down at the Local

Thu, 08 Sep 2005 00:00:00 EDT

'The Tender Bar': Life Down at the Local September 8, 2005 · Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews the new memoir The Tender Bar by Los Angeles Times reporter J.R. Moehringer. It tells the tale of his dysfunctional family on Long Island -- and the community's center, the local bar.

Director Don Roos Seeks 'Happy Endings'

Tue, 12 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EDT

Don Roos wrote and directed the new film Happy Endings, starring Tom Arnold, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Lisa Kudrow and Laura Dern. Roos, who also directed The Opposite of Sex and Bounce, is known for creating dysfunctional characters who bump into one another in unpredictable ways.

Labels on Erectile Dysfunction Drugs to Contain New Warnings

Sat, 09 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EDT

The FDA has reports of the development of a rare eye disease in several dozen men taking erectile dyfunction drugs such as Viagra, Levitra and Cialis. The disease -- which can be caused by high blood pressure and diabetes -- can result in blindness. Although the FDA isn't sure how many -- if any -- of these cases are linked to the drugs, it has approved the new labeling.