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!

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."

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.

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.

Duplicity

Duplicity, with Clive Owen and Julia Roberts, is a fun thriller masquerading as a romantic comedy. With such smart dialogue, amazing plot twists, and real chemistry between the leads, this is better than anything starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. Throw in corporate intrigue and steal-the-show supporting acting by Paul Giamatti, and you have one of the best date movies in a long while.

Together with a truly unpredictable story line, there is the unforeseeable romantic dilemma: international spies have troubled relationships. One of the nice little surprises in Duplicity is seeing how secret agents manage being a dual career couple. Just like the typical ambitious couple, they have to commute between New York and...Cleveland. Those marital negotiations, along the lines of, "but I thought we would discuss it before you took the job," are mixed right in with the champagne and espionage. All of the trust issues normal couples have are magnified here, since this man and woman are trained in deception and charm. None of it would work, however, if Clive Owen and Julia Roberts fell flat. They don't. Their flirting and playfulness generate real heat, which is strangely rare in many romantic movies.

Another surprise in this film is the peek into corporate intrigue, with ex-CIA agents and hackers filling out the security staff. The business here is the personal care industry, with secret toothpaste recipes and guarded shampoo formulas. Do you know the difference between hand lotion and hand cream? Because they're really very different, according to the CEO played by Paul Giamatti. This apparently cut-throat industry requires not only anti-perspirant conferences and lipstick presentations, but bodyguards, doubles, and moles. Giamatti's glee in this role is obvious, and his portrayal of this confrontational executive is lots of fun to watch.

After dragging your guy to recent date movies, he may refuse to ever go again. Ask him to give you one more chance. Take him to see Duplicity, a romantic comedy that guys can bear to watch.

The New Ferris Bueller

This is the way it works: parents are always such a mess, the kids are raising themselves and there's no one to help when you feel depressed, get pounded by the school bully, become suicidal, sexually active, and need help to quit smoking, too. Considering how dreadful life is as a teen, how fraught with disaster family life is, how miserable school culture is, it's no wonder teens need Prozac, Ritalin, Xanax, Paxil, or even a few beers now and then. Along comes Charlie Bartlett, kicked out of most of New England's prep schools, to the local public high school. Charlie's wealthy family has a psychiatrist on call, so Charlie knows more than most about your general psychological troubles and is willing to prescribe drugs from his own medicine chest, well-supplied by his own doctors.

More than anything Charlie wants to be popular, to fit in, to be accepted. And apparently this is just one scheme in a long line of schemes to be well-liked by his peers. This one only lasts until the first overdose. But it does get Charlie the popularity he's dreamed of. The young and appealing actor, Anton Yelchin, plays Charlie quite well, just a touch short of annoying child star. Whether Yelchin was a child star, I don't know. But he is very talented here, and it's refreshing to see this generation-next Ferris Bueller played by an obvious teenager, not a 22-year-old. Robert Downey, Jr., plays the principal you really feel pity for, especially as Charlie does him the favor of keeping his school in order. For the first time I can remember, this film makes the teenager's worst enemy, the high school principal, one of the most sympathetic characters you'll ever meet.

Now that we've mentioned the famous Mr. Bueller, we might as well go into the parallels here. Although the original had a great deal of style and whimsy, we were all in on the joke. Charlie Bartlett comes across as a more realistic Ferris Bueller, with more realistic problems than just wanting a nicer car to drive. And real life is never so clean as suburban Ferris was: on occasion, real kids have divorced parents with alcoholism. Remember now how sweet Ferris and his family were? I remember the adults hating Ferris Bueller, because let's face it, he was an annoying snot of a kid. And his Day Off made parents look like idiots, teachers like droning bores, and turned principals into sadistic fools. But think of how innocent it was: no booze, no drugs, no sex. Ferris had a happy family life with two happily married parents who adored him. And what did Ferris do when he skipped school? He went to an art museum, a baseball game, and joined a parade.

Charlie Bartlett is in many ways the typical American high school-themed movie. The misfit teenager desperate to find popularity, clueless parents, bullies, jocks, the sexy smart girl as the love interest - how to sort them all out? But this funny movie manages to make it through, manages to make sense of it a little bit.

Life and Loss in the Suburbs

Henry Poole decides to give up. He moves into his old neighborhood and drinks himself unconscious. Even though it seems that Henry has no reason left to try, God is not finished with Henry yet. One of Henry's neighbors, a devout woman named Esperanza, discovers the face of Christ in a water stain on Henry's stucco wall.

At first, this is just exasperating to Henry, played by Luke Wilson. But this is just the crack God needs to squeeze back into Henry's world. First Henry meets the little girl next door, Millie, who suffers from abandonment and has stopped speaking. The parallels drawn between Henry and Millie reveal the crux of Henry's problem. He, too, suffered loss as a child and has never been quite whole since. You feel that the diagnosis that causes him to withdraw is just part of the same story of life letting him down, of God forgetting about him. Henry even has a safe space he created as a child, just like little Millie with the same kind of childish scribblings. But you find out that God hasn't forgotten about Henry, as much as Henry has tried to deny God and His power. Henry was drawn back to this neighborhood for a reason: here he meets people who care more about him than he cares about himself.

While a bit slow-moving and uneven, the subtle sweetness of this movie along with the charming cast save it. I enjoyed the sun-drenched California suburban location. It added to the reality of the characters and the story. Real lives are like this, with stories of loss and healing. The soundtrack is great, too, being rather alternative and folksy. I think there's even a new Bob Dylan recording in this film.

This film wasn't a big release and would never have been a big money-maker. Still, with a little help, it could have found a receptive audience, an audience that knows faith makes a difference and God leads us to healing.

A Feminine War

Why, oh why, do guys go to see obvious chick movies? I read a review of Bride Wars written by a man, and he got it sooo wrong. Bride Wars is the story of two best friends played by Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson. Friends since childhood, they have both long dreamed of the same version of a perfect wedding: at New York's Plaza in June. But this movie isn't really about the weddings these two girls plan. All the wedding details, just like the clothes and shoes in Sex & the City, are just set dressing for a movie about women.

The male reviewer griped and groaned about how this movie makes women look bad by stereotyping them. But the funny thing is, girls do act this way. They freak out when old resentments bubble up and they can't contain them anymore. They know each other's sore spots and try to hit them. They people-please and have a hard time saying no to requests, even if they don't like the person making the request. Look, I'm not saying girls have only bad qualities. I'm a girl, too. But girls act more like girls because they're girls.

This film is really about the way women relate to each other. The contrast between the girls' fiances is telling: neither guy can figure out what the problem is. But one guy is exasperated by it, and the other guy just lets it go. So the second guy is the smart one. I only wish the reviewer I read had been so smart.