Holiday movies are a cultural tradition in America. This is one of the rare film genres the viewer can rely on. Christmas movies are nearly always rather innocent with happy endings. The Hollywood trend of removing Baby Jesus started long ago. Remember Holiday Inn, The Miracle on 34th Street, and White Christmas? But all of these show rediscovered hope and wonder in humanity's goodness. It's A Wonderful Life never mentions Jesus Christ either, but it's theme of sacrifice hearkens to why Christ was born in the first place. More recent holiday films, like Home Alone and A Christmas Story, while light comedies, celebrate the love within families along with the challenges of those bonds. While there are so many favorites for Christmas, new holiday movies come out every year. I've found a few new ones, one classic and another released just last year.
I'll Be Seeing You stars Ginger Rogers and Joseph Cotton. Rogers plays a woman on furlough from prison. On her way to see family for Christmas, she meets a soldier (Cotton). He's recovering from battle in the pacific, with wounds both physical and mental. In black and white, the casting and acting is superb. The sadness and self-awareness in Ginger Roger's performance is matched by Joseph Cotton's unease and vulnerability. As the two fall in love over Christmas vacation, the tension grows. How long can Ginger Rogers keep her secret? What will happen when her soldier finds out? This movie is set during WWII, and the bittersweetness of that time comes through. Having already faced the fragile nature of life, you believe these two deserve some happiness with each other.
Fred Claus is an unusual look at Santa Claus. In most Santa Claus movies, there are all kinds of convoluted devices to explain how Santa works, how he's real. In this film, Santa is from the typical dysfunctional family, with Santa's brother Fred being overshadowed by and eventually resenting his famous, sainted brother. Fred is played by Vince Vaughn, with his usual fast-talking bad boy persona to hide his unhappiness. With a stellar cast featuring Paul Giamatti as Santa, Miranda Richardson as Mrs. Claus (in addition to Kevin Spacey and Kathy Bates), Fred Claus is at it's best with Vaughn's glib wit and lots of slapstick. It's not G, so parents should watch first to decide if it's right for their kids.
One of the little twists in Fred Claus is how it breaks Hollywood's rule about being immortal: one of the prices for everlasting life is that everyone you love dies, while you live on. As Santa is immortal here, so is his family and wife. So merry everlasting Christmas!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Sex and the Single Girl
It may be hard to believe, but some girls don't want anonymous sex with lots of guys. While this life may make Candace Bushnell, like Erica Jong of days of yore, deliriously happy, there are girls who find promiscuity rather tricky. Considering the glamour of genital warts and unexpected pregnancy, one can see the pitfalls. I've found three movies that show an alternative to our Sex in the City world of meaningless sex that has no consequences.
The Best of Everything is a luxurious look at late 1950's
In People Will Talk, superstar Cary Grant finds himself caught up in a young woman's unplanned pregnancy. Grant plays a gynecologist and famed healer in this 1951 film. He remarks about his female patients being pregnant and unhappy, or desiring pregnancy and being unable to achieve it. Then as now, fertility was an issue fraught with joy and heartbreak. Abortion is alluded to when Grant and a young woman discuss "peace of mind." An abortion may bring her peace of mind, but at the cost of his, the doctor's. Deborah Crain plays this unmarried mother. Crain is lovely, but not a great actress. The romance between these two is only part of the story. The most riveting part of the plot centers around accusations about Grant's past and his friend, Mr. Shunderson. This forgotten classic should be rediscovered. Along with thoughtful discussion, it's full of playful wit and plot twists.
In Come September, Rock Hudson visits his Italian sex kitten, played by Gina Lollabrigida, each September. Who would ever expect Gina Lollabrigida, international bombshell, to be jealous of virginal Sandra Dee? That's the sweet surprise of this film, where Bobby Darin and Sandra Dee first met (they eloped two weeks after the film wrapped). Sandra Dee and her girlfriends, traveling abroad for the summer, end up in the care of Rock Hudson. He takes his responsibility as chaperon very seriously; after all, he knows quite well how lecherous men can be. So when Bobby Darin and his pals show up,
All three of these films resonate with the real experiences girls have, that we are just now admitting, namely that casual sex can be ruinous to a young woman's health, physical and otherwise. What's so crazy is that when these movies were made, everyone already knew that. A woman's natural reticence to unmarried sex protected her from unplanned pregnancy, disease, and, most importantly, from being used by men. What protects girls now?
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Older Women Make Great Movies
We've come a long way, baby - all the way to 1974. That's the conclusion I've come to after seeing The Women, the 2008 re-make of the 1939 classic. But this movie, supposedly celebrating women, just drags out the same old tired rant I've been hearing since I was 4 years old: don't invest your life in love, marriage, and family. That sentimental cliche is just a trap devised by the patriarchy. Talk about an old movie!
1939's film The Women was rich with sharp observations, sly dialogue, and fun-to-watch bad girl behavior. With Joan Crawford and Rosalind Russell in a sparkling Anita Loos screenplay, this classic is still hysterical. If you love vintage fashion and art nouveau design, you won't be disappointed. So the new version with Meg Ryan, Annette Benning, Eva Mendez, and Debra Messing, seemed to offer wit, dishy insults, and plush Manhattan views. But these Women miss the whole point of the classic Women, with its focus on female relationships, and then add insult to injury by adding a dated feminist slant complete with self-esteem jargon.
The original film's trailer said, "it's all about women." And it was - their real behavior, good and bad. I'm rather tired of the martyred heroine in so many movies. You know the one, the good and dutiful wife dumped by her husband who somehow rises above the mess to be an amazing mother and a career success. At the end of the movie she falls in love with Harry Connick, Jr. There are other stories out there, and the original Women showed the story of relationships women form with each other. Norma Shearer, Paulette Goddard, and Joan Fontaine showed us the prudent advice women give each other, the self-serving help that they offer, the delusions women have, and how they "get wise" to themselves. While the original movie's storyline does follow a marriage's demise due to infidelity, that's not the focus of the film.
What bothers me most of all about 2008's The Women isn't how it misses the big point of the original, which was a realistic portrayal of women, as daughters, mothers, and friends. It's how dated and untrue this movie's central theme is: that men and marriage limit women, keep women from the only success that matters, success in the workplace. Because according to Candace Bergen being a mother makes a woman "a failure." Devoting yourself to your family and eschewing a career shortchanges you and your children. This attitude along with the self-esteem touched on in the film really sets us back. For all the lip service to "female empowerment" and positive body image, this movies gives us the typical Hollywood ideal of supermodel-thin bodies and fashion. One of the characters, a darling little twelve-year-old says she "hates her body," so she gets the pep talks about valuing her true self. Then we see her grandma go in for a facelift. Meg Ryan, don't you see the irony?
The Women, from 1939, shows us what women really are with style and wit. The latest version re-made with a tired feminist agenda is doomed. It's far more out-of-fashion than the original.
1939's film The Women was rich with sharp observations, sly dialogue, and fun-to-watch bad girl behavior. With Joan Crawford and Rosalind Russell in a sparkling Anita Loos screenplay, this classic is still hysterical. If you love vintage fashion and art nouveau design, you won't be disappointed. So the new version with Meg Ryan, Annette Benning, Eva Mendez, and Debra Messing, seemed to offer wit, dishy insults, and plush Manhattan views. But these Women miss the whole point of the classic Women, with its focus on female relationships, and then add insult to injury by adding a dated feminist slant complete with self-esteem jargon.
The original film's trailer said, "it's all about women." And it was - their real behavior, good and bad. I'm rather tired of the martyred heroine in so many movies. You know the one, the good and dutiful wife dumped by her husband who somehow rises above the mess to be an amazing mother and a career success. At the end of the movie she falls in love with Harry Connick, Jr. There are other stories out there, and the original Women showed the story of relationships women form with each other. Norma Shearer, Paulette Goddard, and Joan Fontaine showed us the prudent advice women give each other, the self-serving help that they offer, the delusions women have, and how they "get wise" to themselves. While the original movie's storyline does follow a marriage's demise due to infidelity, that's not the focus of the film.
What bothers me most of all about 2008's The Women isn't how it misses the big point of the original, which was a realistic portrayal of women, as daughters, mothers, and friends. It's how dated and untrue this movie's central theme is: that men and marriage limit women, keep women from the only success that matters, success in the workplace. Because according to Candace Bergen being a mother makes a woman "a failure." Devoting yourself to your family and eschewing a career shortchanges you and your children. This attitude along with the self-esteem touched on in the film really sets us back. For all the lip service to "female empowerment" and positive body image, this movies gives us the typical Hollywood ideal of supermodel-thin bodies and fashion. One of the characters, a darling little twelve-year-old says she "hates her body," so she gets the pep talks about valuing her true self. Then we see her grandma go in for a facelift. Meg Ryan, don't you see the irony?
The Women, from 1939, shows us what women really are with style and wit. The latest version re-made with a tired feminist agenda is doomed. It's far more out-of-fashion than the original.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Pessimism in the Movies and How to Stop It
Okay, I made a big, big, BIG mistake. I watched the movie Blindness. It's one of those disaster-style movies, but these days the disasters, like in The Hot Zone or 28 Days Later, are deadly diseases. This disaster's in the title. For no apparent reason, people start going blind, instantly. So all the blind people are quarantined by the terrified public and helpless medical community. Then it turns into a concentration camp-style movie, where we get to see how depraved people really are. Ugh. Dreadful movie.
But what do you do when you get this garbage in your head? How do erase the images? You watch a better movie, something clever, with humor and style. Watch a movie that you make you glad you watch movies. I have a couple of suggestions: The Young Visiters and My Family and Other Animals. Both of these are charming, funny, but with sincere sympathy for the human being. These are movies about beauty and love.
The Young Visiters is a story written by a young English girl. It recounts the adventures of Mr. Salteena as he falls in love and seeks to win the hand of Miss Ethel. With Hugh Laurie, Jim Broadbent, and Bill Nighy, this Victorian fairy tale pokes fun at English social-climbing. Mr. Salteena knows he must "better" himself, put himself "on the right side of the blanket," to impress the pretty and snobby Miss Ethel. Try as he might, he may never succeed. Presented as a children's story, the film keeps all the innocence of its nine-year-old writer, while sweetly demonstrating the shallowness and injustice of that world.
My Family and Other Animals recounts the biography of Gerald Durrell, a zoologist. His English family relocated to Corfu, a Greek isle, for a short time in his childhood. Young Gerald spends all his time exploring the countryside, collecting a wide and varied zoo of creatures of all kinds. His eccentric family of his widowed mother, two brothers, and his sister all pursue their interests as well. One brother writes, another hunts, and his sister collects boys as Gerald does animals. This all occurs in the brief happy days before World War II, when Greece was invaded by Mussolini's fascists, then the Nazi's, then the Marxists. But what an idyll they spent, of sun washed beaches, warm, welcoming neighbors, and enough adventure for a lifetime.
While it may seem as though I am encouraging movie lovers to watch only sweet, pleasant movies and avoid the harsh reality of gritty truth, make no mistake. Films based on horrific historical events can be amazing and thrilling, while also being compassionate to humanity. And when there are already so many real-life examples of man's horror to his fellow man, why would a movie-maker make up a dreadful, new scenario that demonstrates how evil humans can be to each other? It seems to all be part of a world view, be it pessimistic and hateful or confident and sympathetic. I know which side of that comparison I'm on. Which side are you on?
But what do you do when you get this garbage in your head? How do erase the images? You watch a better movie, something clever, with humor and style. Watch a movie that you make you glad you watch movies. I have a couple of suggestions: The Young Visiters and My Family and Other Animals. Both of these are charming, funny, but with sincere sympathy for the human being. These are movies about beauty and love.
The Young Visiters is a story written by a young English girl. It recounts the adventures of Mr. Salteena as he falls in love and seeks to win the hand of Miss Ethel. With Hugh Laurie, Jim Broadbent, and Bill Nighy, this Victorian fairy tale pokes fun at English social-climbing. Mr. Salteena knows he must "better" himself, put himself "on the right side of the blanket," to impress the pretty and snobby Miss Ethel. Try as he might, he may never succeed. Presented as a children's story, the film keeps all the innocence of its nine-year-old writer, while sweetly demonstrating the shallowness and injustice of that world.
My Family and Other Animals recounts the biography of Gerald Durrell, a zoologist. His English family relocated to Corfu, a Greek isle, for a short time in his childhood. Young Gerald spends all his time exploring the countryside, collecting a wide and varied zoo of creatures of all kinds. His eccentric family of his widowed mother, two brothers, and his sister all pursue their interests as well. One brother writes, another hunts, and his sister collects boys as Gerald does animals. This all occurs in the brief happy days before World War II, when Greece was invaded by Mussolini's fascists, then the Nazi's, then the Marxists. But what an idyll they spent, of sun washed beaches, warm, welcoming neighbors, and enough adventure for a lifetime.
While it may seem as though I am encouraging movie lovers to watch only sweet, pleasant movies and avoid the harsh reality of gritty truth, make no mistake. Films based on horrific historical events can be amazing and thrilling, while also being compassionate to humanity. And when there are already so many real-life examples of man's horror to his fellow man, why would a movie-maker make up a dreadful, new scenario that demonstrates how evil humans can be to each other? It seems to all be part of a world view, be it pessimistic and hateful or confident and sympathetic. I know which side of that comparison I'm on. Which side are you on?
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Everything I Know, I Learned From Movie Trailers
This summer's movies stretch as far down the block as the local multiplex. You've got the fun family flicks (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs); blockbuster action movies (Transformers 2 and GI Joe); and lots of comedy (Easy Virtue and The Invention of Lying). Here's a look at a few of our choices.
Pixar's latest, Up, was one of the first children's movies released this summer. It hasn't lived up to the reputation of its predecessors, but it promises eye-popping graphics and child-friendly humor. Based loosely on the children's book, Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs promises even better graphics and, as seen in the title, an attractive whimsy. The latest in the Harry Potter franchise is released this week. The hype is amazing - almost makes me want to see the movie. But after seeing the first one and most of the second, I couldn't figure it out. Why is this so popular? You can tell me about the Half-Blood Prince.
Transformers 2, continuing last summer's surprise success, has raked in lots of dough. I hope this one is as good as the last one. A simple, yet compelling story, excellent casting, and those Michael Bay-trademark special effects are a must. But little things mean a lot. Small touches, such as patriotism, devoted parents, and smart girls, bring the brainless action movie into the area of great movie, memorable movie. The newest Star Trek, for example, fell short of this. It seems hard to believe that another movie starring a favorite toy is also out this summer. GI Joe looks quite fantastic, according to the trailer, but it doesn't seem quite faithful to the old ideal. This new GI Joe becomes government issue with a super-soldier suit. Does this sound like fun to you?
Easy Virtue, set in the roaring 1920's, is based on an Oscar Wilde play. Jessica Biel plays a glamorous, reckless American who impetuously marries into British nobility. Kristen Scott Thomas and Colin Firth, as her in-laws, show her the error of her ways. Looks like a great cast, but I am a sucker for witty costume dramas. What would life be like if everyone told the truth right to your face? The Invention of Lying will let us in on that world. The Office co-creator Ricky Gervais wrote and starred in this comedy. With Jennifer Garner, Tina Fey, and Rob Lowe in the mix, looks like Gervais is finally getting somewhere. His brand of comedy, while hysterical, is tough for some to see.
Hope this short look at what's coming up helps you sort out your entertainment. Have a great summer going to the movies!
Monday, May 25, 2009
Star Trek Revisited
Recently released as a summer action blockbuster, Star Trek has a lot to live up to. It's famous fictional characters, it's conflicts, and fake aliens created a culture that has entertained several generations of fans. Star Trek was such an iconic show that became it's own genre, generating countless sequels and copies. But remaking it all over again - should we really?
In this new movie, the characters of Spock, Captain Kirk, and Uhura are filled out with very attractive new actors. The casting of Simon Pegg as engineer Scotty was inspired. The venerable Sulu and McCoy were also cast well, but Anton Yelchin's Chekhov was a disappointment. Eric Bana plays the Romulan bad guy, Nero, which is perfect. Something about that guy makes him suitable only for being disliked.
Having only a passing knowledge of the original series, this new version of an old T.V. show worked well for me. For die-hard Trekkies or Trekkers, I suspect it has too many holes. The plot is rather flimsy. But the movie has an great, glitzy look. It seems bright, shiny, and wide-open. Unlike the claustrophobic, overly carpeted stage set from the original show, this movie looks like outer space. The lighting is so unusual, with flashes, reflections, and varying colors of roaming beams of light.
Star Trek is almost good, close to perfect for the brainless summer action movie. But the movie, like it's plot, doesn't leave you with anything really memorable. Blockbuster action, glamorous cast, and good effects - these only get you so far. The story ended with the sequel set-up, so maybe that will take us all the way there, all the way to perfect summer movie land. So far, this Star Trek doesn't take us "where no man has gone before."
In this new movie, the characters of Spock, Captain Kirk, and Uhura are filled out with very attractive new actors. The casting of Simon Pegg as engineer Scotty was inspired. The venerable Sulu and McCoy were also cast well, but Anton Yelchin's Chekhov was a disappointment. Eric Bana plays the Romulan bad guy, Nero, which is perfect. Something about that guy makes him suitable only for being disliked.
Having only a passing knowledge of the original series, this new version of an old T.V. show worked well for me. For die-hard Trekkies or Trekkers, I suspect it has too many holes. The plot is rather flimsy. But the movie has an great, glitzy look. It seems bright, shiny, and wide-open. Unlike the claustrophobic, overly carpeted stage set from the original show, this movie looks like outer space. The lighting is so unusual, with flashes, reflections, and varying colors of roaming beams of light.
Star Trek is almost good, close to perfect for the brainless summer action movie. But the movie, like it's plot, doesn't leave you with anything really memorable. Blockbuster action, glamorous cast, and good effects - these only get you so far. The story ended with the sequel set-up, so maybe that will take us all the way there, all the way to perfect summer movie land. So far, this Star Trek doesn't take us "where no man has gone before."
Sunday, May 17, 2009
17 Again
Zac Efron was made into a white-hot movie star by Disney in the assorted High School Musical movies. His latest film, 17 Again, was primarily aimed at his 'tween fans, but was surely seeking the approval of older teens and parents. As far as the teen crowd, I doubt it worked too well. But with parents, I imagine this sweet, squeaky-clean depiction of high school and family life scores highly.
17 Again focuses on the long-term effects of teen sex and unplanned pregnancy. Matthew Perry, aged 35 or so, resents his family commitments and has become estranged from his wife and kids. His life was ruined, he thinks, when he married his high school sweetheart because she was pregnant. Zac Efron plays the teenaged Matthew Perry when Perry gets his wish to be 17 Again. I wasn't sure what to expect from cutie-pie Efron. But he can actually act, and this movie was pretty funny. Thanks to Thomas Lennon (from cable comedy show Reno 911), there's a lot of laughs.
Actually, adult Perry's life isn't that bad: mid-level corporate job, nice house, pretty wife, and healthy kids. So another twist in this movie is that teen pregnancy doesn't look that bad from the distance of a decade or so. Watching this movie, one might even conclude that teens getting married when they're in love and pregnant isn't the worst fate in the world. Considering the general acceptance of abortion in these cases, I'm surprised this movie came together like it did. Considering all the outrage aimed at young Bristol Palin, isn't the politically correct choice an abortion?
By taking a traditional look at teens and marriage, 17 Again offers an alternative take on the subject. Thankfully, Zac Efron makes it pretty hip. After all, this movie was #1 for several weeks, wasn't it? Looks like being traditional is back with Zac.
17 Again focuses on the long-term effects of teen sex and unplanned pregnancy. Matthew Perry, aged 35 or so, resents his family commitments and has become estranged from his wife and kids. His life was ruined, he thinks, when he married his high school sweetheart because she was pregnant. Zac Efron plays the teenaged Matthew Perry when Perry gets his wish to be 17 Again. I wasn't sure what to expect from cutie-pie Efron. But he can actually act, and this movie was pretty funny. Thanks to Thomas Lennon (from cable comedy show Reno 911), there's a lot of laughs.
The big surprise in this film is the connection made between sex and babies. When he's in health class on condom day, Efron's character gives a speech about love, sex, and having a family. The movie Juno made a splash with it's teen character dealing realistically with pregnancy, but did anyone ever use the word "love?" I can't think of any movie aimed at teens in recent years that mentions love, sex, and babies together in the whole script, let alone one monologue. Efron's speech is so touching that several teen classmates refuse the offered condoms.
Actually, adult Perry's life isn't that bad: mid-level corporate job, nice house, pretty wife, and healthy kids. So another twist in this movie is that teen pregnancy doesn't look that bad from the distance of a decade or so. Watching this movie, one might even conclude that teens getting married when they're in love and pregnant isn't the worst fate in the world. Considering the general acceptance of abortion in these cases, I'm surprised this movie came together like it did. Considering all the outrage aimed at young Bristol Palin, isn't the politically correct choice an abortion?
By taking a traditional look at teens and marriage, 17 Again offers an alternative take on the subject. Thankfully, Zac Efron makes it pretty hip. After all, this movie was #1 for several weeks, wasn't it? Looks like being traditional is back with Zac.
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