Lisa Birnbach with the team from the new documentary “Born into the Gig”

I’ve been reading a bit here and there about gratitude, and it’s got so many physiological benefits. I mean, selfishly one should be grateful, as it gives one energy, empathy, and a good boost of endorphins. That’s what this blog and podcast are all about. And don’t get me started on kindness!

With today’s guests, we tried something new. We invited 4 of the creative team from the new film“Born into the Gig” to join us. Three filmmakers - Tamara Weiss, the producer, David Heilbroner and Kate Davis the co-directors are in the studio, and one of their subjects: Chris Stills, the son of Stephen Stills and Veronique Sanson - by phone. Listen to the PODCAST for their interview, it’s a good one! I promise.

NOTE: If you are reading this, this is my written Blog. To listen to the podcast goto: Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio – or wherever you get your podcasts.

The five things that made my life better this week are:

1 & 2. Will be a two parter. I got to see “Marriage Story” on Sunday. What a powerful, powerful movie about marriage and divorce and responsibility and family. Oh brother. “Marriage Story” is on Netflix, so you can all see it at home. I saw it at the Paris Theater, New York’s last single screen cinema. The Paris, a 71 years old theater has been home of my best and most resonant movie memories. And the real estate company that owns the building announced in August that they were closing the theater down. It was a fait accompli and nothing could be done. Stealthily the Netflix people, led by Ted Sarandos, rescued the movie house – at least for now. Sitting in the storied room I appreciated the swooping Deco details as never before, as it could be my last time there.

But the movie is gentle, with an emphasis on the tiny almost irrelevant details that are so telling in a character study. It will be compared to the 1970s’ “Kramer vs. Kramer,” another boundary-breaking movie of its time. (Note to self: Re watch Kramer vs. Kramer.). As someone who has suffered through divorce with children, this movie was painful and funny in turns. Adam Driver, Julie Hagerty, Alan Alda, Merritt Weaver, Laura Dern, Scarlett Johanson….all wonderfully believable and touching.

3. This one is an oldie but goodie, and it’s my morning coffee. A lot of us – no let’s say pretty much all of us recognize that our morning routine has a lot to do with how we set up our days. Coffee is the most frequently mentioned great thing that my guests have mentioned in the past 70 episodes (followed by dogs, by the way). Now I know that I pretty much fetishize my coffee, but I am going to admit that looking forward to a cup of coffee made by me is part of my daily routine. Two days ago my brew lacked oomph and the day suffered as a result.

4. “Billy on the Street”. If you have never heard or seen Billy Eichner before, I need to remedy it. His eponymous show, “Billy on the Street” is rude, surprising, and always gives me a lift. You can find excerpts all over the internet, though his official home is now Netflix. Billy’s persona is that of a cruel show business obsessive, who wants innocent bystanders to have the same opinions as he does. He screams, he insults, he says dangerously provocative and silly things. He makes me laugh.

5. A documentary that I saw the other day also gave me a long-lasting wave of pleasure. It’s called “Born Into the Gig”, and it’s about the privileges and hardships borne by the children of James Taylor, Carly Simon, Stephen Stills, Bill Withers, and the grandson of Bob Marley. The filmmakers spend a good amount of time with all their subjects – and some of their parents. And there’s such wonderful music to enjoy! I forgot how much I loved Bill Withers’ songs. “Born Into the Gig” also delves into the fact that these children of stars had a complicated love/hate relationship with the music business that forced their parents to go on tour and be away for much of their growing up. In the end the decisions they make as adults are pretty triumphant. We root for their successes.

It’s a great treat to welcome the“Born into the Gig”’s filmmakers this week, joined by musician Chris Stills by phone.

Here are the 5 things that make their collective lives better:

Born Into The Gig’s 5 Things:

1. Tamara loves massaging her home-grown Lacinato Kale,

2. David enjoys playing classical guitar,

3. Kate loves playing with her dog,

4, 5, 6, 7.: Chris loves being with his kids, finishing a song, taking a 20 minute nap and doing something for somebody without them knowing.