‘American Pastoral’ marks Ewan McGregor’s directorial debut

Adapting “American Pastoral” (2016, Lionsgate, R, $20), Philip Roth’s Pulitzer Prize-winning tome about a splintering family chasing the American Dream, would be a challenge for any filmmaker, let alone a first-timer.

But debuting director Ewan McGregor, who also stars as the novel’s hero Swede Levov, manages to pare the book down to its essence, which is a bittersweet saga of a father who refuses to give up on his troubled daughter (Dakota Fanning).

McGregor can’t make an awkward framing device work but he elicits remarkable performances from his cast, particularly Fanning and Jennifer Connelly as the Swede’s wife. Extras: McGregor commentary and featurette.

Also New To DVD

Come What May (2016, Cohen, R, $30): Set during the Nazi occupation of France, this old-fashioned drama beautifully captures the plight of everyday villagers forced to leave their homes behind in hopes of evading the Germans. The action pivots on a man named Hans (August Diehl) who struggles to re-connect with his son Max (Laurent Gerra) after they are separated. Hans hits the road with a Scottish soldier (Matthew Rhys) while Max is given safe haven by a young woman (Mathilde Seigner.) “Come What May” makes the argument that, in wartime, bravery has many faces. It’s not only the men on the battlefield who deserve to be celebrated but also the citizens forced to fight Fascism in their own backyards. Extras: featurettes and commentary by director Christian Carion.

Little Sister (2016, Kino,

unrated, $25): Here’s a wonderfully rich comedy about a prodigal daughter (Addison Timlin) returning home and trying to make peace with her parents (Ally Sheedy, Peter Hedges) and damaged brother (Keith Poulson). Director Zach Clark’s characters are so unique that you can’t help but be blown away by his extraordinary vision. Timlin plays Colleen, a former Goth girl-turned-nun who’s about to take her final vows. Her parents are druggies and her brother is a recluse following a horrific accident in Iraq. Without a hint of schmaltz but with plenty of wit, imagination and honesty, Clark delivers a humane look at a family that stays alive by staying together. Extras: featurettes and deleted scenes.

Life On The Line (2016,

Lionsgate, R, $20): Seemingly conceived as a tribute to linemen who brave all kinds of nasty conditions to keep our electricity flowing, this movie descends into potboiler territory very quickly. John Travolta plays a Texas lineman who’s raising his niece (Kate Bosworth) after the death of her parents. The resulting action, which includes bar fights, home invasions, accidents and, of course, a raging storm, will make your head will spin. A few jolts of authenticity would have helped turn “Life On The Line” into a watchable disaster epic. As it is, the movie is continually short-circuited by too many clichés and too much melodrama. Extras: music video and featurette.

Cheers For Miss Bishop (1940, Olive, unrated,

$25): Have you ever noticed that movies about schoolteachers tend to overdo the corn? But, like “To Sir, With Love” and “Goodbye, Mr. Chips,” this decadespanning effort earns its tears. Martha Scott stars as a Midwestern college professor whose life is told through flashbacks as she recalls her college days, teaching years and forced retirement. She falls in love with a number of men and is not-so-secretly loved by a longtime friend (William Gargan) even as she finds fulfillment helping transform the lives of her students. Yes, it gets a bit heavy-handed in spots but “Cheers” also manages to tap into some real, messy emotions. Extras: none.

The Barefoot Contessa (1954, Twilight Time, unrated, $30): When a movie stars Humphrey Bogart and Ava Gardner, you might expect that it will deliver an explosive romance. But writer/ director Joseph Mankiewicz (“All About Eve”) has something else on his mind entirely as he offers up witty and occasionally devastating episodes from the life of a Spanish dancer (Gardner) discovered in Madrid and brought to Hollywood by a writer/director (Bogart). That the relationship between Bogie and Ava remains platonic is just one of many surprises of a movie determined to upend expectations with its caustic wit and cynical take on the Hollywood jet set. Underrated at the time of its release, the new-to-Blu “Barefoot Contessa” captures the glittering world of movie-making and the fear that festers underneath. Extras: commentaries.

Sabotage (1939, Olive,

unrated, $20): Here’s a fast-moving B-movie from Republic Pictures that centers on an elderly watchman (“Wizard of Oz’s’ Charley Grapewin) at a plane factory who must figure out who is framing his son (Gordon Oliver) for corporate sabotage. Grapewin gets some assistance from his son’s fiancé (Arleen Whelan) but it’s his old Civil War buddies who provide the most assistance. While “Sabotage” is little more than a featherweight yarn, it does provide the rare pleasure of watching a senior citizen use his smarts to solve a mystery. Extras: none.

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