Chaplin

Happy June!  Since it is my birth month, I am being self-indulgent and writing about all of my favourite movies.  For some of the more well-known movies out there, I will be mostly reflecting on the why it is one of my favourites, as opposed to the usual format of a plot rundown and a wee little bit of reflection.  Not all of my favourite movies are classics – some fall into the guilty pleasure category – but whatever.  It’s my birthday month, deal with it.  OK, disclaimer out of the way, let us begin…

#331: Chaplin (1992).  This is a biopic, and really, I don’t want to give you a history lesson here, so this will be a slightly different style of posting.  Let’s get down to it:

The Players:

Charlie Chaplin: Played by Robert Downey, Jr. He’s Charlie Fucking Chaplin.  *Sigh* ok, I get that some of you are all “who?”, since there were a couple of teenagers I work with who didn’t know who Judy Garland was, so quickly: Charlie Chaplin was a silent movie star who pretty much invented slapstick style comedy and political satire in film.  He was also extremely complex, had issues galore, and was a bit of a man-whore. 

 

Hetty Kelly/Oona O’Neill: Played by Moira Kelly.  Hetty Kelly was Charlie’s first love, and an inspiration for many of his leading ladies.  In the film, she is nicely bookended with Oona, who was Charlie’s final wife (he had a few) and had her played by the same actress.  Well done.

Hannah Chaplin: Played by Geraldine Chaplin.  Yes, Charlie Chaplin’s mother was played by his daughter.  Awesome.  Hannah was batshit crazy, and Charlie spent the better part of his life trying to help her, even though he didn't know how to deal with her most of the time.

Sydney Chaplin: Played by Paul Rhys.  Sydney is Charlie’s half brother, is  half Jewish (which explains the support Charlie had for the Jews and why he was so against the Nazis before most Americans realized Hitler was truly evil) and is his manager/business partner.  He is a grounding presence throughout the film.

Douglas Fairbanks: Played by Kevin Klein.  Again, a lot of you are probably all “who?!” so, ok… Fairbanks was the biggest action star of early Hollywood.  He was married to America’s sweetheart Mary Pickford, and along with Chaplin and a couple of others helped to form United Artists.  I am not explaining anymore.  Google it or something… anyway, Fairbanks was Chaplin’s best friend, and had a profound influence on him.

 

George Hayden: Played by Anthony Hopkins.  He is a completely fictional character.  He’s the editor working with Chaplin on his autobiography, so he’s probably not so much fiction as an amalgam of various editors he worked with.  He is the person to whom Charlie is telling his story throughout the film, so he’s kind of important.

There are a bunch of other people (Dan Aykroyd, Marisa Thomei, and others) who pop up as important people to Chaplin and to the film industry as well.  Including all his wives. 

So, this is a really well-done movie.  There are theatrical/fictional elements to it, but then again the same could be said for Chaplin’s life.  Even the main book it is based on, My Autobiography by Chaplin himself has been proven to contain a lot of exaggerated truths and outright fiction.  So, it works.  Because no matter how much of an expert on the man anyone claims to be, no one, not even his closest friends and lovers, really knew who the hell Chaplin was. 

The best thing truly about this movie is Robert Downey, Jr.  So many comedic actors were considered for the role, but thankfully the powers that be realized that this was not a movie about being funny, it was looking at the man behind the tramp.  The opening scene is of a grown Chaplin washing away his famous Little Tramp makeup, revealing the man underneath it, stating that this movie is not about his hilarious on-screen persona, but the complex man behind him. 

Now, obviously Downey can handle the comedy as witnessed here:

orhere

But he truly excels at playing him as a real person, and the cinematic innovator he was.  Chaplin understood so much about his persona, that he pushed his brother to find a different way to use sound without the Tramp talking.  Great scene:

Chaplin was a workhorse, and it was what killed his otherwise solid relationship with third wife Paulette Goddard.  Again, portrayed brilliantly by Downey.  He was totally robbed of an Oscar that year, but then again he was up against Pacino, was in the middle of his drug-addict years, and apparently pissed off the Academy with some choice words that year. 

There are a few little moments that he does so well, one of them being when he first falls in love with movies.  He wanders into a little tent in Butte, Montana, which is where the Vaudeville show he works for was playing.  There’s a silly little slapstick comedy playing, and he stops and looks at the projector with wonder.  Then he sits down, and it cuts to him being the only one there, asking the projeciotnist to play the movies over and over.  I know that feeling.  And it is played very understated and with joy by Downey here. 

This is a well-done biopic.  It’s long, but you hardly notice it, as it goes along at a pretty good pace.  All of the performances are great, and it really makes you appreciate all of the hard work and effort that Chaplin put into his movies.  He really did set a lot of Hollywood standards, and even some of his work today holds up beautifully.  Seriously, there is so much on YouTube, you really need to check it out!

It is beautifully shot, and the score is stunning.  Truly.  John Barry did an outstanding job here. 

This is a nice little history lesson, but don’t believe everything you see, especially about Chaplin’s personal life.  But it is a wonderful glimpse into early Hollywood, so if that interests you, check it out!

 And as an added treat, I give you Robert Downey, jr. singing that famous song written by Chaplin, "Smile":

That’s a Wrap!  Tomorrow: It’s my birthday!  So, a little Disney is in order!

Parenthood

Happy June!  Since it is my birth month, I am being self-indulgent and writing about all of my favourite movies.  For some of the more well-known movies out there, I will be mostly reflecting on the why it is one of my favourites, as opposed to the usual format of a plot rundown and a wee little bit of reflection.  Not all of my favourite movies are classics – some fall into the guilty pleasure category – but whatever.  It’s my birthday month, deal with it.  OK, disclaimer out of the way, let us begin…

#332: Parenthood (1989).  When I first started this blog, I started with the Ron Howard movie The Paper, stating that Ron Howard really does his best with ensemble, character driven stories.  This is no exception, and in fact may be the best example of this.  I love this movie, and am psyched to be writing about it for this, but damn there are a lot of people and a lot going on here.  So, let’s get started, shall we?

The Players:

Gil Buckman: Played by Steve Martin.  He’s sort of the main character.  He has a wonderful wife, a gaggle of kids (one of whom is a neurotic mess) and is always twitching around, hoping that his life will just get easier for him.

 

Karen Buckman: Played by the lovely Mary Steenburgen.  Karen is married to Gil, and is the heart of the film.  She is the seemingly perfect mom, but she has her bad days, too.  She just keeps on pushing through them with grace and poise.

Helen Buckman: Played by Dianne Wiest.  Helen is Gil’s sister.  She’s a single mom having to deal with a surly teenage daughter, a monosyllabic son, and a less than desirable son in law.  She is stressed to the hilt, but loves her children a lot, and it shows.

Julie Buckman: Played by Martha Plimpton.  Julie is Helen’s surly teenager.  She has a lot of angst, and is “deeply in looooove” with her boyfriend, so much so that they get married.  She eventually starts to come around a little, but can be very overbearing and doesn’t handle the stress as well as her mom.

Garry Buckman-Lampkin: Played by Juaquin Phoenex (at the time, he went by Leaf).  At first, he just kind of lurks around, has a padlock on his bedroom door, and an ever-present brown paper bag with him.  Is he into drugs?  Turns out no, but he also just really needs a man around the house.  He misses his dad.

Tod Higgins: Played by Keanu Reeves.  Tod is, at first glance, Ted from Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.  But there is more to him than that, and actually Keanu plays him very nice and subtle at times.  He is married to Julie, and manages to make her mom like him by the end.  He also becomes a good male role model for Garry.

Nathan Huffner: Played by Rick Moranis.  Yeah, him again.  Nathan is one of those assholes that were mostly prominent in the ‘80s and ‘90s – obsessed with intellect, pushing his preschool daughter to be a mini-Mensa.  Yeah, that kind.  He’s Gil’s brother in law, and passes judgment every where he goes, even with his wife sometimes.  He redeems himself in the end, but throughout he’s just a big meanie.  And as stated before, Rick Moranis being an asshole is always a rare treat!

 

Susan Huffner: Played by Harley Jane Kozac.  Susan is Gil’s sister, and Nathan’s wife.  She goes along with all of Nathan’s crazy, but is starting to get more and more frustrated.  She’s a tough cookie, and a smart one, too.  She also has a fun side to her, and is a pretty decent human being.  Harley really sells it beautifully, and is a real treat to watch. 

Larry Buckman: Played by Tom Hulce.  Larry is the baby of the Buckman family.  He’s all about making it big quickly, and always gets a pass from his dad.  He shows up with a son named Cool, the product of a one-night fling with a showgirl in Vegas.  His dad tries to teach him a few important life lessons, but poor Larry never learns.

Frank Buckman: Played by Jason Robards.  He is the Patriarch of the Buckman clan, and he’s an old-school tough guy.  Jason Robards is just so freaking brilliant, I can’t even…  Anyway, he’s tough on all of his kids (except for Larry) and interferes the most with Gil and his parenting skills.  He means well, he loves his family, but he realizes by the end that he never did Larry any favors by cutting him yards of slack, and that maybe he should lighten up a little with Gil.

Marilyn Buckman: Played by Eileen Ryan.  A pretty thankless role, here.  She’s married to Frank, and pretty much just looks after Cool and keeps pretty quiet.  But there is some affection between her and Frank – just not a whole heck of a lot.

Grandma: Played by Helen Shaw.  Grandma is the slightly crazy old lady I think we all want to become.  She gets moved around from family to family (remember when families actually gave a shit about their elders and didn’t just toss them in a sub-par nursing home?) and along the way gives out little bits of wisdom, the most famous of which is the roller coaster scene, which I will share later.  Most people kind of write her off as a loon, but they also really love her.  She’s awesome.

Wow.  OK.  Ummm… time for a stretch, because this is gonna be a doozy. 

I have been trying to keep up with this movie, but it moves pretty fast, and there is so much going on.  So, here is a slightly condensed rundown:

The movie’s main focus is on Gil and Karen’s family.  Their oldest, Kevin, has some issues.  He’s neurotic and high-stressed.  Wonder where he gets it from?  Gil is so obsessed with having happy, confident, well-adjusted kids that he feels like a major failure as a parent because he passed all his crazy genes down to one kid.  The other kids are pretty normal, even the youngest (who is adorable) who likes to butt things with his head and put random stuff in his mouth.  You say weird, I say normal 4 year old. 

Karen puts up with a lot, and keeps her cool most of the time.  Mary Steenburgen just knocks it out of the park with this performance.  She exudes warmth and love and light, and is just beautiful and radiant.  Anyway, she just wants her family to be happy and together, and likes being a stay at home mom.  A rare thing these days, and refreshing, to be honest.  She has a lot on her plate throughout, what with her crazed husband and son.  She finds out towards the end that she is pregnant again, and wants to keep the baby, despite the insanity of their family already.  Gil isn’t so sure, but finally decides to enjoy the ride on the roller coaster of life.  His family is not perfect, but they are a lovable chaos.

Over at the casa de dysfunction, we have Helen and her family.  There’s Garry, who just walks through scenes with his brown paper bag, Julie who is kind of a bitch, but then again she’s 17, so ok, and Tod, Julie’s boyfriend-turned-husband.  Poor Helen has a jerk of an ex who won’t spend any time with the kids, leaving her to do all the heavy lifting.  She has no life of her own, and works hard to keep the peace.  When Garry goes crazy and vandalizes his dad’s office after being shut down again for more time with him, Helen breaks into his room, and finds the paper bag.  Convinced her son is on drugs, she opens the bag to reveal a bunch of video tapes.  Sighing with relief, she picks one up, and when the tape falls out, she discovers that her son is not a drug addict, but rather a porn addict.  Or, ya know, a normal teenage boy.  Ah, the days before the internet, when boys had to sneak porn in the house…

So, Helen realizes that Garry needs someone to talk to about sex, and asks if Tod will do it.  Afterwards, Tod speaks open and honestly with Helen about Garry, saying that he is “one messed up little dude”.  See, he got his first boner, and freaked, and didn’t know how to handle it, and was masturbating a whole lot, and thought there was something wrong with him.  Tod: “I said, that’s what little dudes do”.  Preach it, Tod!  We also learn a little about Tod’s background: abusive father, etc.  But he just keeps on being Tod, and for that we love him.  As does Helen.  

Tod and Julie fight constantly, mostly because Tod drag races and really, there’s enough brain damage going on there, why add potential for more?  I side with Julie here.  Oh, and Helen is dating Garry’s biology teacher, and Julie is pregnant.  Three-ringed circus over here! 

At the Mensa Mansion, we have Nathan and Susan.  Nathan is trying to mold his daughter into being the perfect little brainiac.  He is an intellectual snob.  Susan goes along with all of his bullshit, but slowly is getting frustrated.  When she tells him they can afford to go on vacation in Mexico, he balks at sending Patti to Gil’s house (because obviously Gil is an idiot, as are his children) and suggests they bring her along!  Susan tells him she thought it would be nice if it was just the two of them (someone wants her sexytime!) and instead of jumping all over that, Nathan says it’ll be ok – they’ll get two rooms!  Susan: “Which one will I be in?”  Valid question, Susan, valid question.  She retaliates by digging into her closet and pulling out a shoebox of junkfood.  You go, girl.

Later, we discover that Susan has been poking holes in her diaphragm.  She wants more kids, but Nathan says there needs to be “five years between sibs”.  Ha!  She freaks out on him about it, and they fight.  Harley Jane Kozac looks gorgeous in this scene, by the way.  She’s wearing this dark blue satin and lace thing that is tasteful yet sexy as hell.  Damn, Nathan, get on that!

Fed up, eventually Susan leaves Nathan.  Woo-hoo!  Oh, but then he goes and does this:

I love Susan's reactions and little comments throughout.  Also, I love how all the guys are like "WTF?!" and the girls get all dreamy over it.  

We also see him being all cute and playful with Patti at the end, so he gets a nice little redemptive storyline. 

And then there’s the storyline I always tend to forget about: Frank and Larry.  Basically, Larry is a little shit, Frank realizes the error of his ways, and agrees to take Cool while Larry runs away to South America for some stupid deal that will most likely get him killed.  Frank finally understands that the macho bullshit he forces on his family may not have been the best route to go. 

At the end of the movie, we are treated to Grandma (who is now at Gil and Karen’s) who gives a wonderful little speech about roller coasters as a metaphor for life:

Can I also just reiterate how radiant and in the moment Mary Steenburgen is here?  She is such an underrated actress!  This scene also is a good sample of life over at Gil and Karen’s house.  Dude, you need to lighten up!

So, we end with every generation and family member at the hospital as babies are born.  It is a very touching end scene. 

Wow.  That was the condensed version. 

So, why do I love this movie?  I’m not a parent, and there isn’t really a character I identify with here.  But, there are some I aspire to be like (a combo of Helen and Karen is kinda who I want to be) and some I know I would avoid (Nathan – I hate people like him!).  But it is compelling and heartwarming and frustrating and hilarious and heartbreaking throughout.  The movie is a rollercoaster, and a satisfying one at that.  Ron did a wonderful job here, and really needs to make another movie like this.  Is it any wonder that he returned to the material twice to adapt it for TV.  The first attempt bombed, the second one is going into its third season this fall.  It all comes down to family dynamics, and that is what is universal about this.  We may not have exactly the same as this family, but we all have some kind of weird dynamic in our families. 

The cast is a dream team of brilliant actors.  I mean, holy crap, you’ve got Jason Robards, Steve Martin, Mary Steenburgen, Tom Hulce (fresh off of Amadeus, no less!).  And I really do have to give a shout-out to my man Rick Moranis for not being afraid to be the asshole here.  He does it brilliantly, and it is probably my favourite of all his roles.  Steve Martin is so great as a dad here, it amazes me that he has never had any kids of his own!  He really is a tremendously talented actor.  Please stop with the Pink Panther bullshit, Steve, and go back to dramedy stuff.  A Simple Twist of Fate was glorious, this was brilliant!  You are an amazing actor!

Harley Jane Kozac is also worth mentioning here, as she is also a very underrated actress.  She also has books out, and they are hilarious, and you should all read them.  

I adore this movie, I love the TV show… Ron Howard, you are so great at this stuff, can you please make more like this?  Pretty please?

And that’s a wrap for today!  Tomorrow: some Hollywood History for y’all!

That Thing You Do!

Happy June!  Since it is my birth month, I am being self-indulgent and writing about all of my favourite movies.  For some of the more well-known movies out there, I will be mostly reflecting on the why it is one of my favourites, as opposed to the usual format of a plot rundown and a wee little bit of reflection.  Not all of my favourite movies are classics – some fall into the guilty pleasure category – but whatever.  It’s my birthday month, deal with it.  OK, disclaimer out of the way, let us begin…

#333: That Thing You Do! (1996).  Tom Hanks made the leap from actor to writer-director with this, and he did one hell of a job.  So, let’s get to it, eh?

The Players:

Guy Patterson: Played by Tom Everett Scott.  Guy is a hipster (uber hipster, really, because he was one before they were cool) drummer who just wants to play with a band.  He loves jazz, and is obsessed with the fictional jazz artist Del Paxton.  He also refers to himself as “Sparticus”.  He’s a little odd, but endearing.

Mr. White: Played by Tom Hanks.  Not only did Hanks write and direct this baby, he gave himself a supporting role as well.  Mr. White is the manager for the band when they sign with Play-Tone records.  He’s slick and pretty much full of shit, but knows his stuff.

Jimmy Mattingly: Played by Jonathan Schaech.  Jimmy is the leader of the Wonders in every way.  He’s the lead singer, the main writer, and basically in charge.  Until Guy joins the band… he’s really smart, and all about being an artist, which in turn makes him kind of a dick.

Faye Dolan: Liv Tyler.  Faye is Jimmy’s girlfriend, but you totally know she’s going to wind up with Guy.  She’s sweet and adorable, and a typical early 1960s girlfriend. 

The Bass Player: Played by Ethan Embry.  He’s not too bright, but enthusiastic like a puppy and just as adorable.

Lenny Haise: Played by Steve Zahn.  Lenny plays guitar in the band, and occasionally has a lead vocal.  He’s silly and goofy.  I love him.

All of the supporting people: A.K.A. Tom Hanks’ friends.  There are people from Apollo 13, A League of their Own, and other various Tom Hanks flicks.  They are what have now come to be known as the Hanks regulars.  Not to be confused with the Ron Howard regulars.  There’s some venn action going on there…

The Rundown:

OK, there really isn’t a whole heck of a lot going on here.  The film follows the rise of a garage band from Erie, PA called The Wonders (as in “One Hit”).  The main focus is on Guy.  When the band’s drummer breaks his arm by jumping parking meters, the band turns to Guy.  He helps them come up with their band name (initially spelled “The Oneders”, leading to a lot of funny mispronunciation gags) and takes their ballad, “That Thing You Do” to a new tempo, helping them win the Mercyherst college talent show.  Woah.  Wait.  I just realized today that none of the guys in the band attend this college.  They are all slightly older than college aged.  Why are they competing in a college talent ‘60s thing?  Oh, right, don’t overthink this movie…

So, at the talent show, we meet Tina, played by none other than Charlize Theron, who is Guy’s girlfriend.  She couldn’t be less interested, until they win and land a gig at the pizza place down by the airport…

The guys have a little fan – it’s a “Hey, it’s that guy!” who looks like Steve Buscemi’s slightly less creepy little brother.  He asks about a record, and they get the brilliant idea to record their now signature song.

I should stop here and warn you that if you have not seen this movie, be prepared to hear every possible rendition of “That Thing You Do!” possible performed throughout the movie.  There are other songs, but you will hear this again. And again. And again.  AND YOU WILL LIKE IT!  More about the music later…

So, they make a record and sell it for a dollar at the pizza place.  Some old dude buys the record (hey!  It’s Deke Slayton from Apollo 13!).  Turns out this guy is a local band manager who works out of “a really nice camper!” (so says Lenny).  He gets them to sign a contract with them, and promises to get their song played on the radio within a week.  Just when you think they might be taken for a ride in that really nice camper…

I love this so much.  Look at how happy they are!

So, this results in getting a gig in Pittsburgh (HOLLA!!) which is where Mr. White enters the scene.  Mr. Really Nice Camper bows out gracefully, and sells his contract to Play-Tone Records.  The boys are going on the road!

They head off on a State Fair tour, and meet other stars from the Play-Tone Galaxy, including Diane Dane.  She has one song, is jaded, and might have something fishy going on with Jimmy.  Uh-Oh…

“That Thing You Do” takes off like a rocket, and the Wonders (re-named by Mr. White) take off for California.  They appear as Captain Geech and the Shrimp Shack Shooters in a hilariously bad beach monster movie (Hey!  Betty Spaghetti!)  and give a couple of radio interviews (CLINT HOWARD!  Your brother loaned you out?!) and meet the head of Play-Tone, who is a total dick.  Jimmy is very disenfranchised.

There is dissention in the ranks as poor Faye is all but forgotten about (she’s been traveling with them as their “costume mistress”).  She tries to defend Jimmy, saying that he’s a genius or some crap, and having a cold, heads off to bed.  Lenny hit it off with the receptionist at Play-Tone, so he heads out on a date with her, and The Bass Player meets some Marines, who take him under their wing.  Leaving poor Guy all by himself.

He heads off to a jazz club, where a waitress (aaaand, it’s RITA WILSON, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!  I wondered how long that was going to take) named Marguerite is all hitting on him, but he’s all about the music, man.

Turns out that Del Paxton frequents the club, so Marguerite introduces them.  Resulting in the best drunken fanboy word vomit ever (I tried to find a video, but no luck.  Here’s the transcript off of IMDb.com):

I'm Guy Patterson, I'm from Erie, Pennsylvania, I'm in a band called The Wonders and we just cut a record, we're out here on the coast and I play the drums and I have all your records well not all of them but a lot of them but ah at least I did until some of them got swiped when I was stationed in Germany and you were playing in Germany at the time that I was stationed there, but you know what I couldn't see you because you were playing in Hamburg and I was stationed in Munich but I listen to your records and I think you're great. 

[takes a breath] 

You are my biggest fan. 

You really need to see how he does it, it is wonderful, and I think we all have said something similar.  Lord knows if I ever met my boyfriend Rick Moranis, I’d do the same thing.  Moving along…

Del gives Guy some tips, reminding him that bands come and go, but always remember that it’s all about the music, man…

The next day, Guy gets a phone call from a very excited/angry Mr. White.  He’s pumped because The Wonders are going to be on “The Hollywood Showcase”! Yay!  But… their bass player is missing.  Oops!  Turns out he’s off living it up with the Marines at Disneyland.  He was going to be leaving at the end of the summer to join up, anyway, so they get a studio bass player to fill in named “Wolf Man”.  I do not make this shit up. 

The show is hosted by another buddy of Tom Hanks, one Peter Scolari from their “Bosom Buddies” days.  Nice of Tom to give you some much needed work, dude!

Faye has been treated to a day of pampering, and looks stunning for the show.  She sits in the audience, proud as can be of her boyfriend and his band.  When they play, the audience is going nuts, and during the music bridge, the production crew goes in for close-ups with the guys’ names, complete with “Careful girls, he’s engaged!” under Jimmy’s.  Jimmy is shocked, Faye is genuinely happy, and the band is totally about to break up.

They have it out in the dressing room, Faye dumps Jimmy’s sorry genius ass, and Lenny and his date head out for a big road trip to Vegas. 

The next day, they are supposed to be recording new stuff, but see Jimmy doesn’t understand how the whole record label thing works, so he quits.  Lenny is still in Vegas, having married his secretary on a whim, and Wolf Man heads out to collect his social security check.  Yeah, he’s kinda old, by the way.  This leaves Guy and Mr. White.

Mr. White assures Guy they aren’t in any sort of legal trouble, that the whole “One hit Wonder” thing is nothing new, and wishes him the best.  He lets him stay in the recording studio for the day if he wants, but they gotta be out of the hotel (Oh, The Ambassador!  Fuck you, California, for letting it be torn down!) tonight.

While he’s playing his drums, who walks in but Del Paxton!  They jam together, and it’s super cool and sweet.

Guy runs to the hotel, ready to get his stuff and find some new digs, ‘cause he’s staying in LA.  He runs into Faye in the coffee shop, and she tells him she’s going back to Erie, and that he should call her if he’s ever in town.  Of course, he can’t let her leave without giving her one hell of a kiss, and of course they wind up together.  The end.

Wow.  That was a lot.  OK, so why do I love this movie?  Let’s begin with the obvious: The music.

I love the soundtrack.  It’s so dead-on with the early 1960s sound, it is just so much fun to listen to.  The title song.  OK.  So, I remember when this movie came out, and somewhere in an interview Tom Hanks said that the title song had to be something he could hear over and over and not get sick of it.  Guess what?  He got it.  I have yet to be sick of this song.  It’s peppy, “snappy” as Mr. White says, and catchy as hell.  The rest of The Wonders songs are good, as is Diane Dane’s one song, and the other Play-Tone Galaxy of Stars songs are good.  It’s just happy music, and perfect for the movie.  Well done, music director.

I adore Tom Hanks in this.  It’s a character we’d never really seen before.  Sure, in A League of their Own, he played an ass, but this is suave and slick.  He is absolutely what you would expect of a 1960s record label band manager.  He’s not a total jerk, either.  He is a pretty cool guy, just a tough nut to crack.

Tom Everett Scott.  The movie kind of depends on whether or not Guy is likable.  By making him kind of a dork at times, he is very likable.  Yes, he does tend to act all beatnicky-hipster at times, but underneath it all, he’s just a big music lovin’ nerd.  It also helps that he is easy on the eyes…

This is not a perfect movie by any means.  Guy and Tina break up, it is implied that she left him for her dentist, but there’s no closure to that relationship.  And they were so obviously not meant for each other, it was too obvious.  Same with the chemistry between Guy and Faye.  It was slightly rushed. 

Jimmy is too much of a dick at times.  So, overall, you could say a lot of the character stuff is a little heavy-handed.  But it works.

Overall, this is a really fun movie.  There is an extended “Director’s Cut” version, but really it doesn’t add much.  It does go into Tina and Guy’s relationship a little more, and there’s a few missing pieces that are filled in, but nothing so major that the film feels more complete with the added scenes.  But hey, if you’re a film geek like me, you’ll check it out anyway!  But I recommend watching the theatrical version first.

I love this movie, and you will too.  Now, try to get that song out of your head.  I dare you…

And that’s a wrap!  Tomorrow: some family drama!

Another Round of Catch-up!

Y’all, this is hard.  I have fallen too far behind to do full-on entries at this point, so another game of catch up.  Here are some of my favourite movies:

#339: Finding Neverland (2004).

Who’s in it?  Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet, and a whole cast of awesome supporting characters. 

What’s it about?  J.M. Barrie, the man who wrote Peter Pan, and his relationship with Sylvia Llewelyn Davies and her family, who were the inspiration for Peter Pan. 

Why do I love it?  Most people swoon all over Johnny Depp, or coo over the kids, but me?  I love this for a myriad of reasons.  One, the story and the setting.  I love hearing about how great works were created, and turn of the century London is gorgeous.  Also, Kate Winslet.  I have a huge lady crush on Kate Winslet.  She is beautiful, talented, and dead-on in this role.  She plays Sylvia with a great amount of joy and strength, and playfulness and love.  The portrayal of Sylvia is crucial – if she wasn’t played just right, she would have come off as either pitiful or a homewrecker, and she is neither. 

This is definitely a teer-jerker movie, so have your tissues handy!

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#338: The Day After Tomorrow (2004).

Who’s in it? Lord, who isn’t in it?  You’ve got Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhall, my Emmy Rossum (so much hotness in one sentence…) and a whole bunch of “Hey! It’s that guy!” and people we know, like Ian freaking Holm. 

What’s it about?  The end of the world, this time with frost!  Yep, the climate is changing, and the world is about meet its cold, cold demise.

Why do I love it?  I have no freaking clue.  I have these movies that I call “Sunday afternoon movies”.  They are the ones that I pop in when I just want to chill out on a lazy Sunday afternoon.  This is one of them.  As a rule, I think disaster movies are a hoot, and this one is especially fun.  They have to out run frost.  And wolves.  So much win.  The plot isn’t anything really new, the effects are pretty damn impressive, and the characters are likable enough that you’re ok with them surviving.  Go into it with low expectations, and you enjoy it.

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#337: Snakes on a Plane (2006).

Who’s in it?  Samuel L. Jackson.  A bunch of other people, too, but mostly just Samuel L. Jackson.

What’s it about?  Ummm… see, there are snakes.  They’re on this plane.  They wreak havoc.  The end.

Why do I love it?  Like most people, my interest was piqued by the title.  And the fact that Samuel L. Jackson was not only starring in it, but he himself was sold on the title.  It’s so absurd, you can’t not love it.  The movie tries to give us a viable explanation for why the snakes are on the plane, but really nobody cares.  It is a roller coaster ride, it doesn’t really take itself too seriously, and you’ve got the now infamous line “I am tired of these motherfuckin’ snakes on these motherfuckin’ plane!”  The best part about that line?  There was a fan video made with that line before the movie came out.  They went back and added that line to appease the fans.  Motherfuckin’ awesome.  If you don’t mind horror or snakes, watch it.  Just don’t expect too much!

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 #336: Calamity Jane (1953).

Who’s in it?  Doris Day, Howard Keel, and a bunch of other people.

What’s it about? Calamity Jane and her life in the wild west.  Set to music.  Mostly, it’s about Doris Day being awesome.

Why do I love it?  Doris Day.  Doris Day.  Oh, and Doris Day.  OK, no seriously.  The music is great, the production value is on the low side, but it still looks good, and it is an overall fun movie.  This was one of my favourite movies growing up, the first I ever saw Doris Day in, and is the film that I most associate her with.  It really is weird seeing her all dolled up in a dress sometimes… Don’t expect an accurate history lesson here, folks, just go with the fun!

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#335: Annie (1982).

Who’s in it? Aileen Quinn, Albert Finney, Ann Reinking, Bernadette Peters, Tim Curry and Carol Burnett.  Like, wow.

What’s it about?  Based on the Broadway musical which is based on Depression-era comic books about a little red haired orphan who gets adopted by a billionaire.  That’s really all you need to know.

Why do I love it?  Well, for starters, look at the freaking cast.  This movie is what started my life-long adoration of Carol Burnett, and every time I see Ann Reinking I see her as Grace.  This is also one of the movies I watched non-stop when I was a kid.  I had the little red dress Annie wears at the end.  It is why I wanted to be a redhead.  I insisted that people call me Annie at one point.  The music is great, the performances amazing, and on its own it is a great movie.  Just don’t compare it to the stage play, because then you’re in for a world of hurt, because truly the stage play is kind of superior, inserting more about the Depression and whatnot.  But still, watch and enjoy.

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#334: Eurotrip (2004). 

Who’s in it? A bunch of people I’d never heard of, or from since, and Michelle Trachtenberg.  Looking ridiculously hot.

What’s it about?  Scotty gets dumped (awesomely, I might add), he goes on a wild trip through Europe to hook up with his German pen-pal. 

Why do I love it?  It is hilarious and pretty harmless.  It’s another one of those “Sunday afternoon movies” that I can just pop in and relax the brain for a little while.  The humor is crude, but not to the point that it feels like it’s crude just for the sake of it.  Also, did I mention that Michelle Trachtenberg is really hot in this movie?  Little Dawn Summers, all grown up! 

Aaaaand, we’re caught up!  There will be another full post tonight, and I will hopefully be able to get a little ahead over the next day or two that I have off.  These long hours are killin’ my bloggin’, y’all.  That’s a wrap for now!