{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Echoes Podcast","title":"The Stories That Form Us | with NYT film critic Alissa Wilkinson","html":"<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https://share.transistor.fm/e/545feb6c\"></iframe>","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2645,"description":"Movies don’t just entertain us—they train our imaginations. In this episode, New York Times film critic Alissa Wilkinson helps us think about Hollywood, media, AI, and the stories shaping our shared reality. It’s a thoughtful conversation about truth, criticism, and how to choose better narratives in a fractured age.\n\nIn this episode\nHollywood is an American “dream machine”\nMovies shape both personal identity and national self-understanding\nWhat happens when shared cultural stories fragment\nThe bright side of film: friendship, representation, and moral imagination\nJoan Didion on truth, spin, nostalgia, and storytelling\nWhy criticism matters and how it can model civil disagreement\nHow advertising, lifestyle branding, and media shape our picture of the good life\nWhy AI-generated video poses a serious challenge to truth\nPractical habits for becoming a more discerning viewer\nAlyssa’s thoughts on the 2026 Oscar nominees and a few films worth seeking out\nBooks mentioned\nWe Tell Ourselves Stories by Alissa Wilkinson\nSalty by Alissa Wilkinson\nHow to Survive the Apocalypse by Alissa Wilkinson and Doug Joustra\nAn Experiment in Criticism by C. S. Lewis\nFilms mentioned\nThe Truman Show (1998)\nThe General (1926)\nRatatouille (2007)\nE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)\nSinners (2025)\nThe Testament of Ann Lee (2025)\nTrain Dreams (2025)\nHidden Figures (2016)\nThe Lord of the Rings (2001 - 2003)\nMy Girl (1991)\nTron (1982)","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/6Eotx3BgFj8dDshzTJrinC8ofahO8kcvqmuHPfEVOF8/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9hYTRj/Nzk1YjQ2YjkwZDYy/MDhiYzJjNGFlZTQy/NjU0Zi5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}