Grace is Gone (2007)

Last night I stayed up late to watch “Grace is Gone.” I have to say, it’s been awhile since a film touched me so very deeply. John Cusack brilliantly portrays Stanley Phillips, a man who wanted to serve in the military so badly, he cheated on the vision test so he could get into the Army. When his doctor on base discovers that his eyesight is terrible, he kicks Stanley out, but Stanley has already met Grace, a beautiful cadet, and they are married. They have two daughters, Heidi and Dawn, and they’ve built a life together. When Grace is … Continue reading →

My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)

This is going to be a very conditional movie review. “My Best Friend’s Wedding” had its good points, it had its bad points, and I think the good outweighed the bad, but that’s a matter of personal preference and you might find it otherwise. Let’s examine the evidence. Julia Roberts plays Julianne Potter, a woman who has just learned that her best friend, Michael (Dermot Mulroney) is engaged to be married. They’ve had a long-standing agreement that if they aren’t married to anyone else by the time they’re thirty, they’ll marry each other, and Julianne has just always taken it … Continue reading →

13 Going on 30 (2004)

When I first saw the ads for “13 Going on 30,” I thought, “Oh, it’s just a girl version of ‘Big.’” You can read my concerns about “Big” here, but to summarize, I felt that the boy had been put into situations he couldn’t possibly have handled well and come out unscathed, including a sexual relationship. How do you go back to being a child after having experienced adult physical relationships? So as I sat down to watch “13 Going on 30,” I was understandably concerned. I’m so delighted to say, though, that I was unnecessarily worried. Jenna Rink is … Continue reading →

Monster-in-Law (2005)

Your enjoyment of “Monster-in-Law” will be in direct proportion to your ability to tolerate some language. Charlotte, known as Charlie to her friends (Jennifer Lopez) is a free-spirited, genuinely kind girl who keeps herself busy with several different odd jobs, including walking dogs. She isn’t living her dreams, but she’s content with what she has and makes the most of every day, joyfully. When she meets handsome doctor Kevin (Michael Vartan) he’s attracted to this sense of peace she exudes. It’s something he’s never known, growing up with the emotionally-charged Viola Fields (Jane Fonda) talk-show host, activist, woman on the … Continue reading →

Never Been Kissed (1999)

“Never Been Kissed” is a romantic comedy starring Drew Barrymore as Josi Gellar, a young woman who’s intelligent and studious and good at her job . . . but not very stylish or “with it.” She doesn’t pay any attention to her clothes or her hair, just her work for the newspaper. When the idea strikes to send a journalist into the local high school to investigate what life is really like for today’s youth, Josi is chosen to be the one. At twenty-five, she still looks young. She registers for high school, but she feels really dumb about the … Continue reading →

The Majestic (2001)

Jim Carrey is a phenomenal actor. It doesn’t seem to matter whether he’s doing a goofy or a serious role—he takes it to the limit and doesn’t back off. I think one of his best performances is in “The Majestic,” a PG-rated film set in 1951. Peter Appleton is a screenplay writer. He’s been creating B movies for most of his career and has just finished the script for a film he believes will get him on the A list at last. But just as the film is getting ready for production, Peter is blacklisted—Congress wants him to admit to … Continue reading →

The Ugly Dachshund (1966)

In addition to producing countless animated classics over the years, Disney has produced many great live action films, as well. One of these, a classic, is called “The Ugly Dachshund” and stars Dean Jones and Suzanne Pleshette as married couple Mark and Fran Garrison. Fran has a champion Dachshund named Danke, a spoiled little doggie who only gets the best food, bed, and overall royal treatment. Well, that’s what you have to do to raise a champion, and now Fran is delighted to learn that Danke is having puppies. She’ll be able to raise those puppies to be champions as … Continue reading →

Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008)

Apologies for being a little late with this review, but we’ve been battling a rotavirus all week. That said; let’s talk about the basic, cheesy good fun that is Journey to the Center of the Earth. This film is hardly the first version of Jules Verne’s novel to be delivered to the big or the small screen. The classic science fiction novel transported readers to a land of the lost (yes, pun intended) deep within the Earth where man-eating plants, dinosaurs and other dangers await intrepid travelers. The film is also available in 3-D and if you have that option … Continue reading →

The Dark Knight – PG-13 (2008)

Last night at 12:01 a.m. I sat down in a packed theater to watch The Dark Knight, the latest Batman film directed by Christopher Nolan and featuring Christian Bale in the titular role. The Dark Knight is an amazing cinematic feat that I will do my best to cover, but I honestly do not believe any review will do it justice. Heath Ledger Heath Ledger died shortly before the film was completed. His fellow actors have been lobbying to get him an Oscar nomination for his work as the penultimate Batman villain: Joker. It needs to be said that their … Continue reading →

Courage Mountain (1990)

I love the book “Heidi.” I’ve probably read it eight times and would read it again right now, if I was sure where my copy was. When I saw the movie “Courage Mountain” at the video rental store, I was curious, but also apprehensive. As a “Heidi” fan, I wondered – would this movie, based on a sequel that doesn’t exist, do justice to the original, or would I be disappointed? Juliette Caton stars as Heidi, now fifteen. Clara’s grandmother passed away and left Heidi some money. Grandfather thinks Heidi should use the money to pay for her education, but … Continue reading →