October Sky (1999) [PG] ****

A film review by James Berardinelli for ReelViews.net.

There are a number of ways one can categorize October Sky. My preference is to call it Varsity Blues for those who don't like athletics. And, while such a facile description threatens to reduce this movie to a plateau far below its worth, it nevertheless captures October Sky's essence: that no path in life which leads to something rewarding is easily traversed. However, while the two films display certain key similarities, the differences define the gulf between their relative quality levels Varsity Blues is cartoonish, obvious, and only occasionally smart. October Sky, on the other hand, is believable, subtle, and consistently intelligent. The over-the-top villain played by John Voight is replaced by a three-dimensional character essayed by Lone Star's Chris Cooper. In short, October Sky is perfect fare for those who crave the ideas presented in Varsity Blues without the baggage.

There has always been a distinction between high school nerds and jocks. Those in the former category are on the chess club, play Dungeons & Dragons, and participate in academic contests, while those in the latter are guided by testosterone, muscles, and not much else. Jocks look forward to winning the big championship game and being scouted by college coaches. Nerds hope to score a 1600 on their SATs or take first prize at a national science fair, thereby attracting a university's attention. Things haven't changed much since the late '50s, the era in which October Sky is set. There's has always been a social dividing line between the grunts and the geeks, and it's very much in evidence here.

October Sky is based on the book by Homer Hickam, and relates the true story of four boys who experimented with home-made rockets during the autumn of 1957, the year that the Soviet satellite Sputnik blasted into orbit. Set in the coal mining town of Coalwood, West Virginia, this movie is about one boy's struggles to escape from a lifestyle that he views as an unsafe and unhealthy prison, and to pursue a dream that is born on the night when he gazes at a star-filled sky and sees the moving object that man put there. There's a wonder in that scene designed to remind us how majestic the idea of going into space once was.

Homer (Jake Gyllenhaal), along with his three friends, Quentin (Chris Owen), Roy Lee (William Lee Scott), and O'Dell (Chad Lindberg), is determined to make a rocket that will soar. His primary adult ally in the endeavor is his teacher, Miss Riley (Laura Dern), who supports and encourages his dream. But his father, John (Chris Cooper), who runs the local coal mine, dismisses his son's avocation as foolish. He wants Homer to follow in his footsteps. Football and mining are acceptable; hoping to get into college by winning a national science fair is a waste of time and effort. Indeed, for a while, it looks like all of Homer's efforts are doomed to failure as rocket after rocket explodes on the launch pad, but, when the four boys discover the secret to success, they become local celebrities - until one of their rockets is suspected of starting a forest fire. And, when an accident at the mine threatens to ruin Homer's family, the idealist must choose between preserving his dream and working to allow his parents to keep their home.

There are a lot of reasons to like October Sky, but the most compelling is the multi-faceted, complex relationship between Homer and John. This isn't the kind of one-dimensional interaction we have come to expect from movie fathers and sons; it's characterized on both sides by anger, jealousy, resentment, bitterness, respect, pride, and love. These two individuals act and react in a convincing fashion, not the way a screenwriter's constructs often do. While at first it appears that the rocket building lies at the movie's heart, we gradually realize that the connection between Homer and his father is more important.

October Sky gets a lot of the details right. With its use of period costumes and accessories, the film has the proper look for the late-1950s, and the soundtrack contains numerous pop hits from the time. The pervasive atmosphere of grimy grayness emphasizes that the action is taking place in a coal mining town. And, in a nice touch, at the end of the movie, during the where are they now segment, we are shown home movies of the real individuals whose lives are portrayed here (some of the actors are surprisingly close matches). Aside from Chris Cooper, who is excellent, and Laura Dern, who doesn't have a large role, the cast is largely comprised of lesser-known performers. The one with the most exposure is Jake Gyllenhaal, a relative newcomer who proves himself more than capable of handling the emotional complexity of this role. He is ably supported by Chris Owen (She's All That), William Lee Scott (The Opposite of Sex), and Chad Lindberg.

As good as it is, October Sky will likely prove to be a hard sell for Universal Pictures. It's one of those movies that doesn't lend itself to making a good trailer. With its lack of car chases, fist fights, and over-the-top melodrama, the film has to rely on solid acting, an intelligent script, and capable directing (by Joe Johnston, whose last outing was Jumanji), and those things don't come across in a 2-minute compilation of quick clips. By sneak previewing the film over three weekends, Universal is hoping to build a strong word-of-mouth. The strategy may work, but, if it doesn't, it will be because American audiences are unwilling to take a chance on an unknown. October Sky deserves that chance, and will not disappoint those who take it. [Berardinelli’s rating: ***½ out of 4 stars = 88]

Labels: biography, drama, family, Fifties, teenager

Internet Movie Database 7.8/10 

Metacritic 71/100 

RottenTomatoes Averages (critics=76, viewers=74) 

Blu-ray 

Picture Perfect (1997) [PG-13] ***

A film review by James Berardinelli for ReelViews.net, August, 1997.

As I've said before, predictability can often be a great asset for a romantic comedy. So far this summer, we've had three very atypical entries: 'Til There Was You (where the man and woman don't meet until the end), Addicted to Love (a revenge fantasy), and My Best Friend's Wedding (where not everything goes as expected). Now, August ushers in Picture Perfect, a harmless movie intent upon restoring formulaic comfort to the genre. There's nothing remotely surprising about this movie, unless it's how embarrassingly bad the resolution is.

For eighty minutes of Picture Perfect's one-hundred minute running time, I found myself smiling quite often. As obvious and unambitious as the film was, I actually liked it, and was prepared to file it in the guilty pleasures category. Then came the horrible one-two punch of the climax. I was flabbergasted. My smile turned into a cringe. There are times when a bad ending doesn't seriously damage a motion picture. This is not one of those. All of the goodwill I had built up during the bulk of the film was replaced by irritation at the silly, contrived conclusion. And the worst part is that the movie could easily have achieved the same resolution in a far more satisfactory manner. Apparently, director and co-screenwriter Glenn Gordon Caron prefers high melodrama to something more low-key.

It's a shame, because the ill-advised finale puts a damper on Jennifer Aniston's first starring role in a major motion picture (we'll ignore Leprechaun, which is probably what she'd prefer that we do). I've never been a big fan of Aniston in her TV series, Friends, but she's very good in the role of Picture Perfect's protagonist. As Kate, she's smart, witty, and appealing, yet manages to convey a degree of vulnerability, uncertainty, and downright nastiness. In short, she shows the beginnings of three dimensionality.

Kate is a junior agent for Mercer Advertising. She has a quick mind, but, even after she devises the tag line for a major ad campaign, she is passed over as a member of the account team. The reason: she's too much of a free spirit. The boss, Mr. Mercer (Kevin Dunn), wants someone who's married with children and a mortgage and is not likely to move to another agency, taking a client with them, not a single woman whose lifestyle mirrors the one she had when she was in college. So, while Kate is venting her frustration in the lavatory (this one scene single-handedly earns the movie a PG-13 rating), her best friend, Darcy (Illeana Douglas), concocts a story to advance Kate's career. Using a photo of Kate with a guy named Nick (Jay Mohr), whom she only met once – at a wedding, Darcy spins a tale to her boss about Kate's impending nuptials. Mercer immediately softens his stance and puts Kate on the team.

Although Kate is initially horrified by Darcy's fabrication, she soon learns to appreciate its advantages. A co-worker, Sam (Kevin Bacon), who will only sleep with married or engaged women, suddenly finds Kate irresistible. Everything seems to be going right until Mercer has to meet Nick, who’s become a hero after saving a child from a burning building. Unable to string her boss along any longer, Kate travels to Boston, finds Nick and offers him a proposition: she'll pay him $1000 if he comes to New York with her, takes her to dinner, and then stages a public break-up. Nick, who’s attracted to Kate and willing to jump at any chance to spend time with her, agrees.

For the most part, Picture Perfect has a nice, light romantic mood. Caron, who wrote for the TV series Moonlighting and directed the Warren Beatty/Annette Bening remake of Love Affair, clearly has a feel for love stories. Early in the film, during a wedding sequence, the camera subtly captures the bliss of being in a couple and the loneliness of being single. This idealized view of romance is then used as the springboard to the movie's central plot. The movie ends with another wedding, but the less said about that, the better.

Aniston is ably supported by a group of fine actors. Kevin Bacon is delightful as Sam, a man who enjoys one-night stands with unavailable women, then finds that he may be falling for Kate. Olympia Dukakis has a few amusing scenes as Kate's overprotective mother. Illeana Douglas is delightful as the effervescent Darcy. And Jay Mohr is solid, if unspectacular, as Nick (some viewers may have difficulty erasing the memory of him as the oily agent from Jerry Maguire).

In general, I consider myself to be a defender of romantic comedies, even if they're not terribly original. There's something refreshing about that kind of pure escapism. Unfortunately, Picture Perfect uses embarrassing contrivances to sabotage what should have been a pleasant excursion down a familiar road. Still, even considering its flaws, I think a certain percentage of die-hard romantics will derive some satisfaction from this movie. I wish I had been in that category, but Picture Perfect makes a few too many missteps to earn my recommendation. [Berardinelli’s rating: **½ out of 4 stars]

Labels: comedy, drama, romance

Internet Movie Database 5.5/10 

Metacritic 44/100 

RottenTomatoes Averages (critics=54, viewers=54) 

Tin Cup (1996) [R] ****

A film review by James Berardinelli for RealViews.net.

Saying that Tin Cup may be the best-ever golf motion picture isn’t exactly high praise, considering the competition (Caddyshack, Happy Gilmore), but it’s true nonetheless. In fact, as sports movies go (regardless of the sport), this one turns in a respectable showing, injecting some intelligence and maturity into a story that easily could have succumbed to a flood of struggling underdog clichés. That's not to say that elements of the formula aren’t here, but they rarely threaten to overwhelm Tin Cup’s better aspects.

When it comes to making sports movies, no one has shown more aptitude than Ron Shelton, whose writing and directing credits include films about baseball (Bull Durham, Cobb), basketball (Blue Chips, White Men Can't Jump), football (The Best of Times), boxing (The Great White Hype), and now golf. Shelton has structured Tin Cup a little like Bull Durham, interweaving an adult romance with the story of a man struggling to find self-respect through the sport he loves. However, while romantic subplots are frequently used as side dishes for motion picture athletic contests, Shelton keeps the two disparate elements of his movie on equal footing, which lends a sense of balance to the finished product.

One of the most laudable characteristics of Tin Cup is that the script never condescends to either of the main characters. These aren’t two mismatched caricatures engaging in a series of familiar romantic moves. Crisp, thoughtful dialogue replaces the empty banter we’ve become accustomed to in screen love stories. There’s a believability and depth to both Kevin Costner’s Roy Tin Cup McAvoy and Rene Russo’s Molly Griswold, and the understated manner in which they relate to each other is a welcome change of pace during this season of loud, ostentatious explosions. And, while the chemistry between Costner and Russo doesn’t sizzle, they work together in a comfortable, relaxed manner. As Roy puts it, they fit like a pair of old shoes.

The story centers on the title character, an aging club pro who lives in a Winnebago in the lonely west Texas town of Salome. He spends his day in the company of his best friend, Romeo (Cheech Marin), working for $7 an hour at a deserted driving range. Once upon a time, Roy had a bright golfing future ahead of him, but he blew his cool on the links, went for the trick shot instead of the smart one, and failed to qualify for the tour. Since then, he has been hiding out in obscurity, picking up cash where he can, and watching bitterly as his old college partner, David Simms (Don Johnson), a rich, happy, soulless man, rises through the PGA ranks.

One day, Roy’s marginal existence is turned upside down by the arrival of a woman psychologist named Molly Griswold. She wants to take golf lessons to impress her boyfriend. To the men of Salome, the concept of a female doctor is a revelation, and, in one of the film’s more slyly amusing scenes, they watch eagerly as Roy teaches her the basics of hitting a golf ball, wondering how such a pretty girl can have such an ugly swing. It doesn’t take long for Roy to fall in love with Molly, so it comes as a blow when she reveals that her boyfriend is none other than David Simms. Roy then decides that a grand gesture is needed to win her -- something like qualifying for the U.S. Open and beating David in front of a national TV audience.

Although this may sound like a very familiar, traditional sports movie, don’t worry -- Shelton applies enough tweaks and twists to the formulaic story to keep us interested and a little unsure of the outcome. The experience is akin to following an often-traveled road then suddenly taking a detour onto a parallel, but nevertheless different, course. Tin Cup isn’t concerned with blazing new trails – that’s beyond its scope or ambition. Instead, it’s content to offer a pleasantly likable, gently comic two hours of simple life lessons, with golf as the obvious metaphor.

As the saying goes, you don’t have to appreciate the sport to enjoy the movie. Undoubtedly, however, the film makers are hoping that the burgeoning popularity of golf will help at the box office. This is the first such movie to boast cameos by top-notch players, including Corey Pavin, Fred Couples, and Lee Janzen. Still, Tin Cup has a broad enough appeal that intimate knowledge of the joys and frustrations of playing 18 holes isn’t necessary. This movie ranks as better-than-par entertainment. [Berardinelli's rating: 3 stars out of 4]

Labels: comedy, drama, romance, sport

IMDb 64/100

MetaScore (critics=60, viewers=86)

Tomatometer (critics=66, viewers=72) 

Blu-ray
Berardinelli's review

Independence Day (1996) [PG-13] ****

Independence Day, along with Godzilla and The Day After Tomorrow are big-budget, special-effects-laden action/sci-fi/thrillers written and directed by Roland Emmerich. All three films contain a similar plot structure: (1) the Earth and all of humanity are threatened with extinction by an alien intelligence, our own shortsightedness, or both; (2) a single scientist clearly understands the threat and uses his knowledge to help neutralize it; (3) humankind recognizes the threat in time and acts to prevent its own extinction. Emmerich has successfully used this formula in the three films to rescue humanity from being exterminated by: an alien invasion, a huge, prehistoric sea creature and catastrophic abrupt climate change.

The alien invasion story in Independence Day is exciting entertainment with a great screenplay, thrilling soundtrack, amazing special effects and an outstanding cast, including Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Judd Hirsch, Margaret Colin, Mary McDonnell, Randy Quaid, Robert Loggia and Viveca A. Fox. However the film also contains a subtle message that we should not ignore. In a pivotal scene the U.S. President, played by Bill Pullman, describes his experience of thought transference from the captured alien: I saw... its thoughts. I saw what they're planning to do. They're like locusts. They're moving from planet to planet... their whole civilization. After they've consumed every natural resource they move on... and we're next.

Emmerich's point is that this is what the developed nations of Earth are doing. We're using the tools of globalization - multinational corporations, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Trade Organization - to drill, deforest and strip mine the remaining natural resources of the world to feed the voracious appetite of our consumer culture. In a very real sense we are the aliens, and we are destroying our own world. 

Labels: action, adventure, alien-invasion, flying, sci-fi, thriller, tragedy
Internet Movie Database
Metacritic 59/100
RottenTomatoes Averages (critics=63, viewers=70)
Blu-ray
An oral history of Independence Day

Stealing Beauty (1996) [R] ***

A film review by James Berardinelli, for ReelViews.net.

What do you call a character study with shallow, sketchily-drawn characters, but a gorgeous setting? A scenery study, perhaps. Or an atmosphere study. Either would be appropriate for Stealing Beauty, a stylish, sensual motion picture that's hollow where it should have a heart. This film is aesthetically pleasing but not emotionally satisfying. It's occasionally erotic but rarely dynamic. While these aren't unforgivable traits, I somehow expected more from a Bernardo Bertolucci (Last Tango in Paris) film.

The central theme of the movie is the attempt of the lead character, Lucy Harmon (Liv Tyler), to lose her virginity. At age 19, she's never slept with a man -- a revelation that causes a great stir among the residents of the Tuscany villa where she is spending the summer. Everyone is sympathetic to her situation, and they begin to consider who might best be able to accommodate her.

There is no shortage of candidates. Stealing Beauty presents them one-by-one, then dismisses them in the same manner. There's Richard (D.W. Moffett) the American boyfriend of Miranda (Rachel Weisz) the jewelry-maker daughter of Lucy's hostess, Diana (Sinead Cusack). There's Diana's son, Christopher (Joseph Fiennes), or one of his friends, including Nicolo (Roberto Zibetti), with whom Lucy shared her first kiss four long years ago on her last visit to Italy. Then there's Nicolo's shy, sensitive friend Osvaldo Donati (Ignazio Oliva), who turns away from the sight of an exposed female breast. And, it doesn't take a genius to weed through the choices to determine who will get the opportunity to deflower Lucy.

As the story, such as it is, develops, a mystery subplot is introduced: who is Lucy's real father? There are three apparent possibilities: Alex Barnes (Jeremy Irons), a dying writer; Ian Grayson (Donal McCann), the sculptor husband of Lucy's hostess; and Carlo Lisca (Carlo Cecchi), a mysterious ex-military man. We know the truth long before Lucy does, but Stealing Beauty is never surprise-oriented. 

Despite all the screen time accorded to Tyler, her character shows little development. Events seem to swirl around her, only briefly touching her shallow emotional center. Fundamentally, she's no different at the end than at the beginning (except that her hymen is no longer intact). Several of the supporting characters show greater depth. Most notable of these is Jeremy Irons' terminally ill author, who becomes Lucy's confidante and vicariously lives out his last days through her.

There's very little comic relief in this too-serious film, which makes for a rather grim movie-going experience. Stealing Beauty is long, but doesn't really go anywhere. It is most remarkable for its excellent sense of time and place. The Italian countryside becomes as vital a supporting character as Alex, and when Lucy dives into a swimming pool, you can almost feel the cool, clear water. Stealing Beauty functions as a two-hour, surrogate holiday -- diverting and visually captivating, but far from a cinematic landmark. [Berardinelli's rating: ** 1/2 out of 4]

Labels: drama, romance

Internet Movie Database 

Metacritic 60/100 

Tomatometer (critics=53, viewers=76) 

Twister (1996) [PG-13] ****

Dr. Jo Harding (Helen Hunt) has been obsessed with tornadoes ever since she was a child and saw her father sucked out of the family storm shelter by a deadly twister. Now she leads a rag-tag team of researchers from Muskogee College, Oklahoma, who've developed an instrument pack that can place hundreds of tiny airborne sensors within the tornado's funnel, to report velocity, barometric pressure, etc. The team hopes that the knowledge they gain will help them build a better early warning system, to save more lives.

On the day Jo plans to deploy the pack, her husband Bill (Bill Paxton) shows up with his new fiancée Melissa (Jami Gertz), expecting Jo to have signed their divorce papers. Melissa is a reproductive (sex) therapist who thinks chasing tornadoes is just a metaphor, and is she in for a surprise! Bill is also in for a surprise as another team led by Dr. Jonas Miller (Cary Elwes) has developed a similar instrument pack, and now the race is on to see who can gain first glory by defying danger, placing their instrument pack in the tornado's damage path and then getting safely out of the way.

This is a great action adventure thriller, and the special effects showing tornadoes and their destructive power are very realistic. There are several scenes inside the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) and of the various instruments used to track storms. There's great chemistry between Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton as they come to understand how similar they really are, both professionally and personally. The supporting cast is excellent, especially Jami Gertz as an intuitive, emotional therapist who realizes that she can't compete with the adrenalin rush of chasing real tornadoes; Lois Smith as Jo's Aunt Meg, who survives a direct tornado strike on her home; and Philip Seymour Hoffman as Dusty, a slightly unhinged member of Jo's team who idolizes Bill, but whose tornado-chasing stories terrify Melissa. Twister was co-written by Michael Crichton (Jurassic Park), and was directed by Jan de Bont (Speed, Speed 2: Cruise Control). The soundtrack is incredible, including tracks by Van Halen, Eric Clapton and Deep Purple. Twister will suck you in!

Watching the scenes with Bill Paxton and Philip Seymour Hoffman together, it's hard to accept that 22 years after filming, they are both gone, Hoffman in 2014 and Paxton in 2017.

Labels: action, adventure, disaster, drama, thriller, tragedy
Internet Movie Database 6.3/10
Metacritic 68/100
RottenTomatoes Averages (critics=60, viewers=64)
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Blu-ray2

Phenomenon (1996) [PG] ***/****

George Malley (John Travolta) has lived his whole life in a small California town, and now, at thirty-seven, he owns an auto service station. George is a little slow, intellectually, but his friends all love him... including his farmer friend Nate Pope (Forest Whitaker) and Doc Brunder (Robert Duvall).

Every year they all gather at the local pub to celebrate George's birthday, and this year, when George steps outside for some fresh air, he's dazzled by a brilliant white light and falls unconscious. When he wakes and returns to the party, George discovers that he's smart enough to beat Doc at chess. Over the next week, George discovers that he has a new thirst for knowledge... he's reading two books a day. Also, he has renewed energy and needs very little sleep.

Something happened to George when he experienced the white light, and now he has the intellectual capacity of a genius. But he doesn't become concerned until he discovers that he's developed telekinesis - the ability to move objects with his mind. Did George have an encounter with an alien intelligence, or is there another possibility, perhaps a more tragic one? While Doc searches for the answer, George's supernormal mental capacity allows him to perceive ultra low frequency compression waves and predict a local earthquake. It also enables him to decipher a military communications code, and the FBI is now investigating him for espionage. And, at the same time, George finds himself falling in love with Lace Pennamin (Kyra Sedgwick), a divorced mother of two pre-teen children, who's been burned before by love and is very cautious.

This is a wonderful film, straight out of the human potential movement, that explores what our lives might be like if we could somehow develop our full mental potential, rather than just the ten percent we typically use. The screenplay is inspired with some memorable dialogue. Casting, direction and soundtrack are excellent. If you enjoyed Starman and Michael - the latter also starring John Travolta - then you probably will really enjoy Phenomenon.

Labels: drama, fantasy, romance, rom-drama-faves, tragedy
IMDb 64/100
MetaScore (critics=41, viewers=80)
RottenTomatoes Averages (critics=59, viewers=70)
Blu-ray

James Berardinelli's review, rated 2 stars out of 4

Bed of Roses (1996) [PG] **** (updated August 5, 2023)

Lewis was a promising young investment banker at Goldman Sachs, married and blissfully in love. Then one night his pregnant wife went into premature labor and he lost everything in one moment. Utterly despondent, he cashed out and quit. Eventually, he bought a flower shop and started delivering flowers, because he enjoyed seeing the happy smiles on people's faces. Then, late one night while out for a walk, Lewis looked up, and saw Lisa standing at her apartment window, crying. Innocently curious, he waited outside her apartment building the following morning, followed her to work and found out who she was. Lisa, by coincidence, was a newly-promoted vice-president at a small private equity investment company, but unlike Lewis who had a large loving family, Lisa had been a foundling, raised by foster parents who were now gone. Lisa's only real girlfriend is Kim, a compassionate elementary school teacher; her current boyfriend, Danny, is the romantic equivalent of a nightlight. Captivated by Lisa, Lewis delivers a lovely bouquet of flowers to her, claiming they're an anonymous gift, but Lisa is skeptical; she tracks Lewis down at his florist shop and discovers the truth.

This is a warm, tender, truly memorable love story, with a happy ending, about two people who are afraid to reach out and take a chance on love because they've been scarred by personal loss in the past. Christian Slater and Mary Stuart Masterson are wonderful in their roles as Lewis and Lisa, two people who wake up to love and realize they've been sleepwalking through life. Pamela [Segall] Adlon provides light humor as Kim, Ally Walker is Lewis' sympathetic sister Wendy, and Josh Brolin is romantically clueless as Danny. The soundtrack is terrific, and the DVD includes Jann Arden's music video Insensitive. If you enjoy romantic drama like The Lake House (2006) I predict you will really enjoy Bed of Roses. 

Labels: christmas, drama, rom-drama-faves, romance
IMDb 60/100
RottenTomatoes Averages (critics=52, viewers=76)
Blu-ray

James Berardinelli's review (3 stars out of 4)

Beautiful Girls (1996) [R] ****

It’s the dead of winter, and NYC- based jazz pianist Willie Conway (Timothy Hutton) arrives home in Knights Ridge, Massachusetts for his tenth high school reunion. The reunion is really just an excuse to see his old friends – none of whom left town after graduation – and to get away from his current life. He’s barely scraping by playing piano, and he’s not sure if he’s ready to take a job as an office equipment salesman, or to marry his girlfriend Tracy (Annabeth Gish), who’s an attractive, successful lawyer.

Most of Willie’s high school friends have blue-collar jobs, and their best days were long ago. Only Michael (Noah Emmerich) is happily married with a wife Sarah (Anne Bobby) and daughter. Paul (Michael Rapaport) rents a room in Willie’s dad’s home; his room is decorated with semi-nude supermodels and he has a very sexist attitude toward women. He wants his waitress ex-girlfriend Jan (Martha Plimpton) back only because he knows that she’s moved on. Tommy (Matt Dillon) drives a snowplow truck. His steady, patient girlfriend Sharon (Mira Sorvino) knows he’s sleeping with his now-married, former high school sweetheart Darian (Lauren Holly), while Gina (Rosie O'Donnell) and Sarah try to convince Sharon it’s time to dump Tommy. And to complicate matters, Andera (Uma Thurman), the lovely niece of a local tavern owner arrives from Chicago, and, at the same time, Willie finds himself growing fascinated by his next-door neighbor, 13-year-old Marty (Natalie Portman), who is observant and wise far beyond her years.

This character-driven romantic comedy-drama was written by Scott Rosenberg (High Fidelity, Gone in Sixty Seconds) and directed by the late Ted Demme (Blow). While costumes, sets and production values are mediocre, the cast is incredible and some of the dialogue is quite memorable. In one of the film’s highlights, Gina (O'Donnell), who fancies herself a feminist counselor, delivers a diatribe against men’s magazines, and the way they present unrealistic images of women. In another scene, as Marty (Portman) compares herself with Tracy (Gish), she poignantly observes to Willie: Two words not in her vocabulary... lunch money.

If Beautiful Girls feels dated, it is probably because so many of the cast members have gone on to illustrious film careers and they now appear so much older. On the other hand, if you’d like to watch the luminous Natalie Portman in an early film role, and you don’t care for the violence of Léon: The Professional (1994) or Heat (1995), Beautiful Girls is the film to see.

Labels: comedy, drama, reunion, romance, teenager
Internet Movie Database 71/100
MetaScore (critics=64, viewers=86)
RottenTomatoes Averages (critics=70, viewers=79)
Blu-ray

Fly Away Home (1996) [PG] ****

Amy Alden (Anna Paquin) is a sweet, normal thirteen-year-old girl, living with her divorced mother in Auckland, New Zealand. Then tragedy strikes in the form of a fatal auto accident.

When Amy awakens in the hospital, she finds only her dad Tom (Jeff Daniels) at her bedside. One month later the two of them arrive at Tom's rural Ontario, Canada home, which Amy had left with her mother ten years earlier. It's springtime and Tom is consumed with his work as an inventor-sculptor and with his hobby as a glider pilot. Amy is lonely, withdrawn, grieving for her lost mother, and resentful of her dad's close friendship with his girlfriend Susan (Dana Delany).

Then a developer's bulldozer destroys the nearby wetlands home of a flock of nesting Canada Geese. Amy finds sixteen eggs, and suddenly she has a purpose in life. She carries the eggs home and builds a makeshift nest. In time the eggs hatch and the goslings imprint on Amy as their mother. They follow her everywhere. Caring for her sixteen baby geese gives Amy a positive new outlook. Then she and Tom learn that the geese are migratory, but need to be shown the way south for the winter... and Tom proposes a novel solution to the problem.

The story of how he teaches Amy to fly an ultralight that looks like an enormous Canada Goose, and how Amy teaches the geese to follow her, forms the core of this incredibly inspirational, uplifting, heart-warming family drama. Screenplay, direction, acting, editing, sets, costumes and soundtrack are all excellent. Jeff Daniels and Anna Paquin are especially believable as a father and daughter, estranged by divorce and ten years of separation, who find one another again through a shared goal. If you have preteen or teen-aged children at home, or if you just like a good family drama with a happy ending, don't miss Fly Away Home.

Labels: adventure, drama, family, flying, reunion, teenager
Internet Movie Database 68/100
RottenTomatoes Averages (critics=72, viewers=75)
Blu-ray
Fly Away Home - 10,000 Miles - by Mary Chapin Carpenter

It Happened One Night (1934) [Approved] *****

A film review by James Berardinelli for ReelViews.net on Jan. 23, 2010.

Frank Capra's It Happened One Night represents one of the great romantic comedy "templates." Although the film has officially been remade a handful of times (most not in English), its opposites-attract melding of screwball comedy and the road trip elements has become one of about a half-dozen standard love story formulas. Most years, there's at least one theatrical release that owes a debt to this film.

The movie, as originally conceived by Capra and screenwriter Robert Riskin (adapting from a short story by Samuel Hopkins Adams), was never intended to be more than an ephemeral, lighthearted romance with comedic elements. In fact, the screenplay was deemed so uninspired that several actors and actresses turned down the opportunity to appear in it and the eventual leads expressed reservations. Despite such concerns and a widespread belief that It Happened One Night was "nothing special," it went on to win all the Oscars for which it was nominated, becoming one of three films in history (to-date) to capture a victory in each of the five major categories (Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Screenplay). Only One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and The Silence of the Lambs equaled that feat. Although It Happened One Night initially did mediocre business at the box office, word-of-mouth was strong and it eventually became a hit. From an Oscar standpoint, this was easily Capra's most successful motion picture, and it arrived during a decade when the Academy Awards loved him.

As the film opens, we learn that heiress Ellie Andrews (Claudette Colbert) has eloped with adventurer King Westley (Jameson Thomas). However, before the marriage can be consummated, her father, Alexander (Walter Connolly), separates the bride from the groom. Ellie is virtually held hostage on a boat off the Florida coast, but she escapes by doing the unthinkable - jumping overboard and swimming for shore. There, incognito, she boards a bus bound for New York City, where Westley is located. She catches the attention of out-of-work newspaperman Peter Warne (Clark Gable), who's on the bus with her. The two form a pact: he'll get her to her husband so they can have a "proper" wedding if she gives him an exclusive story. Thus begins a legendary love/hate relationship.

Neither Gable nor Colbert was a first choice. Capra initially approached Robert Montgomery to play Peter, but the actor turned him down after reading the script. Claudette Colbert, who harbored ill-will toward Capra dating back to her film debut, For the Love of Mike (which Capra directed), was offered the part only after it had been rejected by Myrna Loy, Margaret Sullivan, Carole Lombard (who was involved with Robert Riskin at the time and would later marry Gable), and Loretta Young, among others. As with Casablanca, this is an instance of serendipity resulting in the best possible casting. Gable and Colbert exhibit perfect chemistry, the screenplay turned out to have more substance than either initially expected, and the resulting production was magical. Gable, who was nominated three times in the Best Actor category (also for Mutiny on the Bounty and Gone with the Wind), won his only Oscar for It Happened One Night. This was likewise Colbert's lone citation by the Academy (also out of three nominations). Gable displayed a playfulness here that was not often evident in his work and Colbert managed to make her spoilt brat character endearing.

The dual love affair of the public and the Academy with Frank Capra began a year before It Happened One Night's Oscar sweep; the director was nominated for his efforts on 1933's Lady for a Day. After that, three of Capra's next five movies earned him not only Best Director nominations, but Best Director wins. He remains the only filmmaker to have had that degree of success in such a short span. (Recall the Oscar trials of Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg.) Capra capped off a hugely successful decade with a nomination for his final movie of the '30s, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. (He would receive one more Best Director nomination during his career - for 1946's It's a Wonderful Life.) His Oscar resume for the seven-year period between 1933 and 1939: five nominations, three wins. His films, which eventually earned the somewhat derogatory nickname of "Capra-corn," were beloved by the public. His sentimental outlook, the optimism with which his protagonists were presented, and his penchant for crowd-pleasing endings were welcome during the grim years of the Depression and the lead-up to World War II.

It Happened One Night was the sixth collaboration between Capra and screenwriter Robert Riskin. They would work together six more times, including on Capra's other Best Picture winner, You Can't Take It with You. A thirteenth "collaboration," 1961's A Pocketful of Miracles, which was the filmmaker's final outing behind the camera, was a remake of Lady for a Day (it was adapted from the original screenplay but featured no new contributions from the writer, who had died several years earlier). Riskin's five Oscar nominations, including his one win (for It Happened One Night), were for Capra films.

It Happened One Night did not invent the romantic comedy, but it added new layers to it. In 1985, Rob Reiner showed that, under the guidance of someone who understood the formula and could extract the best from it, the passage of time did not diminish its capacity to enthrall audiences. The Sure Thing was not a direct remake of It Happened One Night, but it owes such a debt to Capra's film that it's surprising the credits don't acknowledge Riskin.

One touchstone to emerge from the production is the "Walls of Jericho." Initially conceived because the growing influence of the Hays Code enforced a degree of morality on films, the concept of a privacy blanket draped between Peter and Ellie's sides of motel rooms would be referenced in movies and television projects for years to come. Perhaps the most offbeat instance was General Hospital's appropriation of the device as part of the now-infamous Luke & Laura romance during the summer of 1980. The conceit the same; the blanket was referred to as the "Walls of Jericho" and "an old movie" (obviously It Happened One Night) was cited as the inspiration. In the film, the consummation of the romance, which occurs during the final scene, is noted by the blowing of a horn. It's a wonder Riskin didn't name Gable's character Joshua.

Seen today, It Happened One Night feels more familiar than it did 75 years ago, but that's a case of a movie being victimized by its popularity. The number of copycat stories to have arrived over the decades with similar plots have diminished the freshness and spontaneity associated with Capra's production. Nevertheless, nothing can take away from the strength of Gable and Colbert's performances, the illusion of romance in their interaction, and Capra's deftness in crafting this kind of feel-good narrative. The screwball comedy elements work as effectively as the love story, which is a rarity for romantic comedies. The picture's success with the Academy bolsters its argument as one of the best of its kind. It is only one of five pure (non-musical) romantic comedies to win the top Oscar. (The others: You Can't Take It with You, The Apartment, Tom Jones, Annie Hall, Shakespeare in Love.)

[Berardinelli's rating: 3.5 stars out of 4]

Labels: comedy, romance

IMDb 81/100 

MetaScore (critics=87, viewers=81) 

RottenTomatoes Averages (critics=88, viewers=88) 

Berardinelli's original review 

To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday (1996) [PG-13] ***

David (Peter Gallagher) is a literature professor. He's been living on Nantucket Island with his sixteen year old daughter Rachel (Claire Danes) since his wife Gillian (Michelle Pfeiffer) died tragically on her birthday, exactly two years earlier, when she fell from the mast of their sailboat. Since then, David's dealt with his grief by becoming a recluse; he continues to have night beach walks and conversations with his dead wife, and has grown distant from Rachel.

Now it's the end of the summer, and David's preparing to celebrate Gillian's 37th birthday. Rachel is back after having spent the summer on the mainland with her Aunt Esther (Kathy Baker) and Uncle Paul (Bruce Altman). And this weekend, Esther and Paul arrive on the island to be with David and Rachel on Gillian's Day - and Esther has brought a female friend Kevin (Wendy Crewson) as a surprise date for David. While the fantasy-world time David spends with Gillian is blissful and soft-focused, the real-world time he spends with her older sister Esther is harsh and painful. Esther wants David to get a grip on reality, and while her female friend Kevin represents the carrot, Esther also has a stick; she's prepared to take legal action to get custody of Rachel. The contrast between tall, gorgeous Michelle Pfeiffer and short, homely Kathy Baker could not be greater, so it's easy to sympathize with David and demonize Esther. However, the situation is not black and white, and Esther can make a strong case, as the viewer will discover.

The fundamental question is: what's best for Rachel? The screenplay was written by David E. Kelley (Michelle Pfeiffer's real-life husband), from a stage play, and it's an exercise in exploring human desires for love and companionship, and how we satisfy those desires. While the script, direction and acting are all excellent, this is an unusual romantic drama, and it will be best appreciated by fans of the cast members, especially Peter Gallagher and Michelle Pfeiffer. The supporting cast includes Laurie Fortier, in her first film role, playing Cindy Bayles, Rachel's friend, and Freddie Prinze Jr., as Joey, who takes Rachel to a beach party, gets her drunk and incurs the wrath of her father.

Labels: drama, romance, teenager, tragedy
IMDb 58/100
RottenTomatoes Averages (critics=49, viewers=62)

James Berardinelli's review (2.5 stars out of 4)

That Thing You Do! (1996) [PG] ****

It's 1964 in Erie, PA, and Guy Patterson (Tom Everett Scott), back home after military service in West Germany, is attempting to adjust to his new life as an appliance salesman in his parents' retail store, while developing his budding skills as a drummer. His friends include singer/guitarist Leonard Haise (Steve Zahn) and songwriter/singer/guitarist James Mattingly II (Johnathon Schaech) who have formed a band and are playing James' compositions. When the band's drummer breaks his arm, Guy is invited to join the band for a competition, and when Guy's up-tempo arrangement of James' song That Thing You Do! helps the band win the competition, the band comes to the attention of local talent scout Phil Horace (Chris Ellis).

As the song's success grows, Phil turns the group over to Mr. White (Tom Hanks) and Playtone Records, and as the song climbs the charts, the group, now called The Wonders and including James' girlfriend Faye (Liv Tyler) as costume mistress, finds themselves in Los Angeles, enjoying the glitz and glamour of the film, TV and music industries, where the realities of the music business inevitably take their toll on the group. This is a wonderfully creative and refreshing film about being young and in a band in the Sixties. The casting is perfect, the screenplay is tight and innovative, Hanks' direction is sensitive, and the music is original and sparkling, with just the right hint of the Beatles. If you're from the Sixties, you will definitely not want to miss That Thing You Do!

Blogger's note: The Blu-ray contains both the Theatrical Release (1:48:00) and the Extended Release (2:22:33). The extra 34 minutes explore the backstory of the group and relationships like Guy's girlfriend Tina (Charlize Theron) and her dentist.

Labels: comedy, drama, music, rom-com-faves, romance, Sixties, Tom Hanks
IMDb 69/100
MetaScore (critics=71, viewers=79)
RottenTomatoes Averages (critics=73, viewers=78)
Blu-ray

James Berardinelli's film review

Jerry Maguire (1996) [R] ****

A film review by James Berardinelli for ReelViews.net.

Every time I think Hollywood has slipped beyond redemption, someone in the system produces a film like Jerry Maguire that renews my faith. Apparently, creativity is not dead in the mainstream movie market -- not entirely, at least. This is the kind of movie that reminds me why I started reviewing in the first place. Jerry Maguire is magic on celluloid -- fresh, funny, romantic, and upbeat. You'll leave the theater with a smile on your face and perhaps a tear in your eye.

Personally, I never really bought Tom Cruise as the action lead in Mission Impossible. Here, however, the actor is playing to his strength, which lies in an arena that demands less testosterone. Leave the stunts and explosions to Schwarzenegger and Stallone. Cruise is best when he stays low key and flashes the occasional smile. And, in this picture, surrounded by a superlative supporting cast, his ability shines. Jerry Maguire works because we root for the title character, and it's Cruise's performance that forges the link between his screen personae and the audience.

As the movie opens, super sports agent Jerry Maguire is facing a crisis of conscience (that he still possesses one after working in such a cynical, materialistic business is something of a miracle). He wonders what he has become -- Just another shark in a suit? He realizes that he hates himself and his place in the world, and laments that, although he has a lot to say, no one will listen. So, late one night, he writes a Mission Statement called The Things We Think and Do Not Say: The Future of Our Business. The essay attacks the sports agency business, advocating a more humane approach. The next day, a copy is distributed to everyone in the office. And, although Jerry's co-workers applaud his courage (Somebody finally said what had to be said), his bosses are offended, and he loses his job. Only one client, unremarkable Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.), elects to remain with Jerry as he strikes out on his own. Also joining him is a 26-year old single mother, Dorothy Boyd (Renee Zellweger), who is so moved by Jerry's Mission Statement that she's willing to throw away a safe job to be part of his new venture.

In an era of downsizing and force reductions, it's easy to understand what happens to Jerry. He speaks his mind, crying out for compassion and caring, only to be slapped down. He is branded as a loser because he dares to swim against the heartless, prevalent business currents. Jerry finds himself in deep, uncertain waters, but his indefatigable spirit, bolstered by tireless support from Rod and Dorothy, helps him navigate the most dangerous eddies.

Jerry Maguire is about redemption and love. It's about finding one's heart and soul in a business climate that attempts to rip both away. Writer/director Cameron Crowe, [who also wrote and directed Say Anything… (1989), Singles (1992), Almost Famous (2000), Elizabethtown (2005) and We Bought a Zoo (2011)], brings both a strong sense of verisimilitude and a lively wit to his film. Even as Jerry Maguire reaches out to the heart, it tickles the funny bone. Not only does Crowe have a knack for creating multi-dimensional personalities for secondary characters with minimal screen time, but he uses traditional formulas in unique ways to serve his themes. For example, a common sports cliché is integrated into Jerry Maguire in such a way that it doesn't seem cheap or overdone. It's not the point of the movie; it's just another piece in the overall puzzle.

Cruise, always a popular box-office draw, shows why he got to the top. With a fine performance, he forms the glue that holds the production together. Of course, it helps that the cast includes three stupendous supporting actors (Gooding Jr., Zellweger and Kelly Preston playing Jerry’s ex-fiancée Avery), not to mention a child performer (Jonathan Lipnicki, playing Dorothy's son Ray) who threatens to steal several scenes on cuteness alone.

Cuba Gooding Jr., who was excellent years ago in his Boyz 'N the Hood debut, but hasn't done much since, invests Rod with a remarkable level of energy and enthusiasm. And, although his favorite phrase is Show me the money! we recognize quickly that a love of family, not greed, is what motivates this athlete. Regina King (A Thin Line Between Love and Hate) is wonderful as Rod's fanatically supportive wife. With a standout performance, she transforms what could have been a minor role into something noteworthy.

Then there's Renee Zellweger (The Whole Wide World), who will undoubtedly receive raves for her portrayal of Dorothy, a determined woman following her own vision of the yellow brick road. Zellweger displays an appealing blend of strength and vulnerability, and her chemistry with Cruise is nearly perfect. Their first romantic scene is charged with a playful, but undeniable, eroticism. If there's one downside to the actress' appearance in Jerry Maguire, it's that she's not on screen enough. And, even if Jerry isn't immediately smitten, we are.

While the budding romance between Jerry and Dorothy is Jerry Maguire's most enchanting element, the remainder of the film has the necessary appeal to keep our attention when Zellweger isn't around (Cruise, on the other hand, is in just about every scene). Crowe, who doesn't have a subpar entry on his short resume, has crafted another winner here. In fact, with its attention to detail, top-notch performances, and universal themes, Jerry Maguire marks his most successful movie to date. For anyone who has forgotten the feelings that a wonderful movie can trigger, Jerry Maguire provides a welcome reminder. [Berardinelli’s rating: ***½ out of 4 stars]

Labels: comedy, drama, football, romance, sport

Internet Movie Database 7.3/10 

Metacritic 77/100 

RottenTomatoes Averages (critics=76, viewers=77) 

Blu-ray