Classic Film Featuring Iowa Congresswoman Airs This Week
Iowa movie fans have a rare chance to see their home state represented on the silver screen this week. The classic Hollywood film A Foreign Affair, featuring Jean Arthur as an Iowa congresswoman, heads up a lineup of notable films airing on television. From family loyalty adventures to timeless vampire classics, here are the films worth your time this week.
Which Classic Film Features an Iowa Congresswoman?
A Foreign Affair stands out as the must-watch pick for Iowa viewers this week. The 1948 satirical comedy, directed by the legendary Billy Wilder, tells the story of an Iowa congresswoman, played by Jean Arthur, who travels to postwar Berlin on a fact-finding mission. What she finds there tests her heart and her principles, as she witnesses an American GI, Captain Pringle (John Lund), taking up with a former Nazi cabaret singer played by Marlene Dietrich.
Arthur's portrayal of a principled Midwestern lawmaker stands in sharp contrast to the moral chaos of postwar Berlin. Her character represents the kind of grounded, common-sense leadership that Iowa voters have long valued in their own representatives. The film is a reminder that Hollywood once celebrated, rather than mocked, the values of heartland America.
A Foreign Affair airs Monday, June 29, at 12:55pm on Film4.
What Family Adventure Film Premieres This Week?
Enola Holmes 3 brings the popular Victorian-era teen detective back to the screen. Millie Bobby Brown returns as Enola, the younger sister of Sherlock Holmes (Henry Cavill), in this third installment of the franchise.
This time, Enola's destination wedding to Lord Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge) is interrupted when Dr. Watson (Himesh Patel) arrives with urgent news. Sherlock has been kidnapped, and their mother, played by Helena Bonham Carter, trusts only Enola to rescue him. The story puts family loyalty above personal comfort, a theme that resonates with viewers who value strong family bonds.
Screenwriter Jack Thorne reunites with director Philip Barantini for the project. The two previously collaborated on the Netflix hit Adolescence, which bodes well for this latest chapter.
Enola Holmes 3 premieres Wednesday, July 1, on Netflix.
Which 1990s Comedy Celebrates Standing Up for Yourself?
The First Wives Club remains a satisfying watch nearly three decades later. Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, and Diane Keaton star as college friends who reunite after their fourth friend, played by Stockard Channing, is driven to her death by a cruel ex-husband.
Recognizing the same patterns in their own lives, the three divorcees take action. The film delivers a straightforward message about accountability and refusing to be a victim. Its climactic scene, set to Lesley Gore's classic anthem You Don't Own Me, remains one of the most memorable moments in 1990s comedy.
The First Wives Club airs Tuesday, June 30, at 11:15pm on Sky Cinema Greats.
What British Comedy Kicked Off a Beloved Franchise?
A Cock and Bull Story holds a special place in British comedy history. The 2005 film is a wild, semi-adaptation of Laurence Sterne's 18th-century novel The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, a book ranked 19th on the Guardian's list of the 100 Best Novels of All Time.
More importantly for comedy fans, this film marked the first time Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan co-starred as exaggerated versions of themselves under director Michael Winterbottom. That pairing led directly to four acclaimed series of The Trip. The film's legacy as the starting point for one of British comedy's best collaborations makes it well worth a watch.
A Cock and Bull Story airs Wednesday, June 30, at 9pm on BBC Three.
What Independent Film Showcases British Talent?
The Last Tree is a coming-of-age story that earned critical praise upon its release. Sam Adewunmi stars as Femi, a British Nigerian who moves from Lincolnshire to London and then to Lagos, searching for a more stable sense of identity. Comedian Gbemisola Ikumelo delivers a standout performance as Femi's birth mother.
Writer-director Shola Amoo established himself as a major talent with this film. The visuals draw clear inspiration from Terrence Malick, but the emotional depth belongs entirely to Amoo. It is a quiet, powerful film that rewards patient viewers.
The Last Tree airs Wednesday, June 30, at 1:25am on Film4.
Which Classic Horror Film Still Holds Up?
Nosferatu the Vampyre, Werner Herzog's 1979 tribute to F.W. Murnau's 1922 silent masterpiece, remains one of the most haunting vampire films ever made. While Robert Eggers' 2024 remake drew recent attention, this earlier version deserves its own recognition.
Klaus Kinski plays the undead count with an unusual depth of pathos. Isabelle Adjani is perfectly cast as his victim, torn between revulsion and desire. The film's imagery stays with you long after the credits roll, from the 11,000 live rats on set to the mummified corpses from an 1833 cholera epidemic. Herzog created a horror film that doubles as a work of art.
Nosferatu the Vampyre airs Friday at 12:40am on Talking Pictures TV.
Frequently Asked Questions About This Week's Film Lineup
Why should Iowa viewers watch A Foreign Affair?
The film features Jean Arthur as an Iowa congresswoman who brings Midwestern common sense to postwar Berlin. It is one of the few classic Hollywood films that puts an Iowa character at the center of the story.
Is Enola Holmes 3 appropriate for family viewing?
The Enola Holmes series is generally suitable for teen audiences and older. The third film focuses on family loyalty and rescuing a loved one, themes that align well with family viewing.
What makes Nosferatu the Vampyre different from other vampire films?
Herzog's version emphasizes atmosphere and psychological depth over jump scares. Kinski's portrayal of the vampire as a tragic, lonely figure sets it apart from typical horror fare.