Parenting

30-Second Review of "Unbroken"

Our publisher’s quick take on the hot holiday movie.

Photograph by Kate Warren Photograph by Kate Warren Photograph by Getty Images. Illustrations by Paul Dickinson. Photograph by Shutterstock/Blend Images. Image via Shutterstock. Photographs by Kip Dawkins. Styling by Marcie Blough. Image via Shutterstock. Illustration by Ryan Snook. Photograph by Jamie Grill/Corbis. Photograph of Thomas by Roy Cox Photography. Photograph of Jones by Andrew Propp. Our publisher’s quick take on the hot holiday movie.

Saw an advanced screening of Unbroken last night. My movie review: not nearly as good as the incredible book but worth seeing. Angelina Jolie does great job directing, and Jack O’Connell as Louis Zamperini is fantastic. Book readers need to adjust their expectations as one contrived scene takes away from the overall feeling.

But I’ll say this: I didn’t look at my watch once. The movie flew by. (Thank goodness it’s not another three-hour movie—it’s only 2 hours, 17 minutes.) It is NOT appropriate for kids under 15—lots of violence. I definitely covered my eyes many times.

CEO & President

Since 2006 Catherine Merrill has been the CEO and Owner of Washingtonian Media, a media company that includes the flagship 59-year-old, Washingtonian — the national capital region’s leading magazine with more than 400,000 readers and winner of five National Magazine Awards. She oversees the award-winning website, Washingtonian.com which garners over 3 million page views per month and provides the platform for Washingtonian\’s 650,000+ social media followers. Ms. Merrill also created Washingtonian Weddings, Washingtonian Welcome Guide; as well as launched Washingtonian Events which produces national award-winning events, and Washingtonian Custom Media, a content marketing agency. She is proud to be a certified women-owned small business.

From 2002 to 2007, Ms. Merrill served as Director of Operations for Affiliated Computer Services (ACS), where she helped manage and collect 60 percent of the nation’s tolls—$2.7 billion a year—including the majority of the E-ZPass network. Prior to joining ACS, from 1995 to 2002, she was a partner in the worldwide management consulting firm Oliver Wyman.

Ms. Merrill is very active in the community and serves on the board of trustees of multiple organizations including the University of Maryland College Park (where she also chairs the Board of Visitors for the School of Journalism), Cornell University’s College of Arts and Sciences, the City and Regional Magazine Association, Ford’s Theater, the Greater Washington Board of Trade, and The Merrill Family Foundation. She is on the Board of Advisors and is a founding member of the Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation and sits on the National Advisory Council for the Trust for the National Mall. She is a member and former chapter chair of YPO (Young President’s Organization) as well as an active member in the Economics Club of Washington and the Federal City Council. She has appeared on CNN, the Today Show, CNN Headline News, FOX, MSNBC, as well as other local Washington stations.

She holds a B.A. from Cornell University and an M.Sc. from the London School of Economics.

Ms. Merrill resides in Washington, D.C. with her two sons. She enjoys sailing, skiing, and travel.