TV/FILM Q&A

Q: Can you tell me the name of the song on the commercial for Travelers Insurance. Something like “Trouble,” where a cute dog is worried about his bone and can't rest till he gets it insured. I love that commercial and the dog.

A: The song is called “Trouble” and is performed by Ray LaMontagne. You can learn more about him at http://www.rayla- montagne.com.

Q: I was a big fan of the “Ally McBeal” series. Nobody seems to show reruns of it, nor can I find it in the video stores. How come?

A: While it took some time to get to DVD, the complete series has been released in a single package, and there is a separate DVD release of the show's first season.

Q: Two of my favorite movies are “Humoresque” with Joan Crawford and John Garfield, and “Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Are these available on DVD? I haven't seen them lately on TCM or AMC.

A: Both films have been released on DVD. If your local video retailer will not get or order either title, try an online seller like Amazon.com.

Q: I am trying to find a Sally Field movie — with Judy Davis, I think — where Sally is hired as a maid in a difficult New England household. Might it be on DVD and/or available from Netflix?

A: The movie is “A Cooler Climate,” which first aired on Showtime in 1999. It was released on VHS, and I have seen old copies in that format for sale, but I do not know of an authorized DVD version.

Q: I was in Sweden this summer and watched an episode of “Huff” with Hank Azaria and Blythe Danner. It was awesome! When I returned to the States I was able to locate the complete first season and am hooked. Unfortunately, the episode I saw in Sweden was not on the DVD. How many seasons were there? Can I buy them? How can it be I never heard of this show?

A: I cannot really answer that last question. “Huff,” starring Azaria as a troubled psychiatrist, aired on Showtime for two seasons in 2004-06, with a total of 26 episodes. It won three Emmys, including two for Danner as best supporting actress in a drama. But so far only the first season has been released on DVD.

Q: One of my all-time favorite movies is “The World According to Garp.” It starred Robin Williams, John Lithgow, Glenn Close, etc. Yet you never hear these stars mention this movie in their credits. I know the critics were not crazy about this film, but I was. Why isn't it ever mentioned?

A: I like the movie, too. But you overstate its neglect. Robin Williams' bio, for example, lists it. And this is from Glenn Close's bio for the FX series “Damages”: “Glenn Close made her feature film debut in George Roy Hill's ‘The World According to Garp.' Her performance in the film earned her awards from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the National Board of Review as well as an Academy Award nomination.” If you don't hear the actors talking about the movie, maybe it's just that — considering all the other things they have done — they don't get asked about it.

Contact the writer:

rheldenfels@thebeaconjournal.com