Gena Rowlands, the widow of maverick filmmaker John Cassavetes (he died in 1989), is a sublime, one-of-a-kind actress who deserves to have movies created just for her, as her husband did with brilliant results in A Woman Under the Influence and Gloria. It is especially satisfying that this sweetly funny and touching film about a widow trying to build a new life for herself is directed and co-written by Nick Cassavetes, Rowlands' son.

Mildred is a suburban widow who tries hard to please her rebellious teenage daughter (Moira Kelly) and her controlling, married son (David Sherrill). Monica (a brassy Marisa Tomei), the young mother next door, hooks up Mildred with Big Tommy (Gerard Depardieu), a Canadian trucker who stirs long-dormant feelings. As Mildred heads for the future, Cassavetes lets the camera watch her stride off as Rowlands expresses the fear and exhilaration of a woman who has lost her bearings but not her courage. That's more than acting, partner; that's class.

“1999”

“I don’t consider myself a great poet,” Prince told Rolling Stone. “I just know I’m here to say what’s on my mind.” In the case of the apocalyptic party anthem “1999,” he was worried about then-president Ronald Reagan’s foreign policies. The song’s melody is based on a riff borrowed from the Mamas and Papas’ “Monday, Monday,” and Prince originally envisioned the first verse with three-part harmony but later split the vocals between himself and members of the Revolution. Because Warner Bros., with whom Prince was locked in a contractual battle, owned the original’s masters, Prince rerecorded the song and appropriately released that version in 1999.