STREAM TIP

Saturdays in the South

Hulu

I chalk it up to being raised in the northeast, but I’ve never been a big college football fan. Not that I can’t appreciate and enjoy some games here and there, but my fandom is mostly saved for baseball and college basketball. Again, the northeast. This eight-part docuseries on the history of the Southeastern Conference goes back to the aftermath of the Civil War. Although it’s an SEC Network production, I’ll take it over the recent Netflix docs on Johnny Manziel and the Tim Tebow-era University of Florida teams, which are glorified and glossy PR, not to mention a major disappointment. It comes off somewhat self-absorbed at times (the music and the narration can be a little much) but I was hooked on the pageantry and tradition the schools, fans and teams hold dear. The producers did a good job interviewing not only coaches and stars, but historians, professors and lesser-known players who have a deep connection to the schools and the league. It’s a unique way to tell a uniquely American story.

— Owen Poole

DRINK TIP

Sip Saybrook

85 Main St., Old Saybrook

If you enjoy wine, you really need to go to Sip Saybrook. This wine bar is a cool but comfortable space. I’m always a fan of sampling multiple items, so I went with the flight of wines on a recent visit. I got three 2-ounce samples of different wines. And letting the knowledgeable wait staff recommend your wines, based on the flavor profiles you prefer, is probably the way to go. A friend and I shared a sip board, for $25, consisting of three cheeses — again, letting the wait staff lead you is a wise option — and one side. So various cheeses, crackers and a baguette accompanying great wine? What’s not to like?

— Kristina Dorsey

MOVIE TIP

The Causeway

Apple+ TV

No superheroes. No explosions. No animated franchises. No super spies or hired killers or dragons or martial arts experts. This is a quietly and increasingly engrossing film about two lonely people who have been physically and mentally damaged by respective tragedies. Lynsey (Jennifer Lawrence), who suffered an IED-induced traumatic brain injury in Afghanistan, reluctantly returns home to New Orleans to heal — even though her mother is continually distracted by the latest in a series of come-and-go men. After Lynsey’s truck breaks down, she meets James (Brian Tyree Henry), a mechanic struggling with his own despair: he lost his beloved nephew and part of his leg in a car accident. Both are terribly fearful of sharing or revealing and, perhaps predictably, start to slowly bond and trust each other. But expected and easy resolution doesn’t necessarily happen — at least not how we expect. The magic comes in stunningly wonderful performances from the two leads, who spin worlds with the slightest gestures or delivery of spare dialogue.

— Rick Koster