Staying Apart, Together: A whole new kind of September in 2020

Editor's Note: This is a preview of Paste BN's newsletter Staying Apart, Together, a guide to help us all cope with a world changed by coronavirus. If you would like it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Saturdays, subscribe here. 

September is usually a pretty great time of year for me. 

My birthday is in September, which automatically makes it a good month. I'm a wimp with heat and a mosquito magnet, so I always cheer the arrival of fall and sweater weather. Plus, fall is apple and pumpkin season, and fall colors are some of my favorite hues. I got married in September. September is when the Emmys hand out awards and new TV arrives, which is a busy but exciting time to be a TV critic. September is when school starts and when the year begins to wind down before the crash of Halloween, Thanksgiving and December holidays, and the world feels full of possibilities. 

This year, September is obviously very different. There aren't too many new TV shows and back-to-school isn't particularly fun for anyone. But I am still so appreciative that the weather will (eventually) cool down, the leaves will change into gorgeous shades of red and orange, and I'll still get a birthday cake and an anniversary present. Apples will still make delicious pies and pumpkin-flavored everything will still hit grocery store shelves. 

The pandemic has altered so much of our lives, but there is some comfort in the fact that it can't stop the seasons changing. 

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Today's movies (at home)

While some movie theaters around the country and the globe are cautiously reopening, many high profile films are still either delayed or going to streaming. If you're a film fan and still not ready or able to get to a theater, you can enjoy some great new Hollywood films this fall. Film critic Brian Truitt picked the 10 movies he's most excited to stream this fall, and here are a few of his selections:

• "Mulan" (Sept. 4, Disney+) Disney's live-action remake is finally here and promises an action-packed historical epic for the family. Yifei Liu stars in the title role of a young girl who takes the place of her ailing father (Tzi Ma) when he's drafted into the Chinese imperial army and passes herself off as a male warrior. 
• "Antebellum" (Sept. 18, video-on-demand platforms like Vudu): In the twisty film that looks at racism through different lenses, Janelle Monae plays a slave on a Southern plantation forced to deal with Confederate masters, and also as a modern-day sociologist who studies the historical disenfranchisement of Blacks. You'll have to see for yourself how the different Monaes connect.
• "On the Rocks" (October, Apple TV+): "Lost in Translation" collaborators Sofia Coppola and Bill Murray reunite for a comedy that stars Rashida Jones as a New York mother who wonders where her supposedly busy husband (Marlon Wayans) is spending his time, and her extroverted playboy dad (Murray) suggests they follow him to see what's up.

See all 10 films on Brian's list here. 

Our Chadwick Boseman coverage

How are you guys doing since the death of the "Black Panther" star? I watched "42" with my in-laws and my husband on Saturday night and cried. There have been so many beautiful tributes and stories about the actor, and my colleagues have done wonderful work honoring him.

• Here is "Black Panther" director Ryan Coogler's tribute. It is long, and 100% worth the read. 
• My coworker Cydney Henderson wrote about what the actor, and his portrayal of a Black superhero, meant to her. 
• His best film roles, according to Brian.
• Another co-worker, Rasha Ali, listed Boseman's most touching off-screen moments, including his rousing commencement speech at alma mater Howard University in 2018. 

Today's other reads

• If you need more TV recommendations than I usually offer (and don't we all these days), I picked the 50 best shows currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video. 
• Our Money Team continues to dispense wisdom on pandemic personal finance including a question many homeowners are facing: To refinance or not to refinance?
• It's not all Zoom! The low-down on other video chatting apps if you want an alternative. 
• There is a dumbbell shortage. Seriously! You're all working out at home too much. Our friends at Reviewed.com lay out where you can still buy them. 

Today's pet

Fall doesn't technically start until September 22, and this furball is getting the most out of the summer heat. 

Ollie is a one-year-old Irish Keel Terrier, according to his human Karen Campbell. He is also one of the most comfortable, relaxed pups I've ever seen. Good for you, Ollie.