Tag Archives: Comedy

The Philadelphia Story (1940)

12 Sunday Apr 2015

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Two years since the big divorce,
And Tracy Lord has no remorse.
The wealthy heiress soon will wed,
And tabloids, wanting to be read,
Will stop at nothing to inveigle
For what news they can finagle.
 
Macaulay Connor’s sent by Spy
To get the story none can buy,
Accompanied by pressured Dex,
Miss Lord’s both sore and spiteful ex.
To Lord’s dismay, she lets them stay,
Despite her coming wedding day.
 
Their presence tends to complicate
And spark unusual debate,
Which makes the vain Miss Tracy Lord,
That goddess always so adored,
To wonder of her selfish life
And who she’ll choose to call her wife.
______________________
 

The Philadelphia Story is just one of the many old black-and-white films lauded by the AFI, which I’ve only begun to check out. It made #51 on their original top 100 list, and the 2007 update raised it to #44, since it’s supposedly such a classic. It’s said to be the best example of the comedy of remarriage, a genre popular at the time; if that’s true, I have little hope for any others. As much as I hate to dissent from the critical consensus, I was not impressed and consider this an example of a film undeserving of its classic status.

With such famous actors involved, I had expected more. I love Jimmy Stewart, who earned a Best Actor Oscar for his role as writer Macaulay “Mike” Connor. I like Katharine Hepburn too. I have no feelings whatsoever about Cary Grant. Yet I did not enjoy this film, because of that lynchpin of any good film: the script. While the critically lauded, Oscar-winning screenplay was clever at times and had some humor, mainly from Stewart, such as his encounter with a linguistically old-fashioned librarian, the script was, shall I say, too flowery. Many call it elegant; I call it pretentious. The work of famed dialogue writers like Aaron Sorkin and Nora Ephron may be idealized beyond the typical limitations of ordinary speech, but as I was watching The Philadelphia Story, my VC and I kept thinking, “No one talks like this!” I don’t even think wealthy people in 1940 spoke like this. Flowery language can be cheesily poetic, such as in It’s a Wonderful Life when George Bailey says he’ll give Mary the moon: “Well, then you can swallow it, and it’ll all dissolve, see… and the moonbeams would shoot out of your fingers and your toes and the ends of your hair…. Am I talking too much?” When lines like that make up the bulk of a film, though, the answer to that question is a resounding “Yes!” A protracted and rather awkward exchange between Stewart and Hepburn in a night garden prompted my VC to call it one of the worst romantic scenes she’d ever seen. I wouldn’t go that far, but she disliked the film more than I.

On top of the dialogue issue, I didn’t care for any of the characters, particularly Hepburn’s impudent Tracy Lord. As various people pile on the accusations of her considering herself a “goddess,” I found it hard to believe that no one had called her that before and was unsure why it would suddenly bother her now. I didn’t really feel sorry for this controlling bride-to-be, with her “poor little rich girl” mentality. Anticipating the popularity of reality shows and inside looks at the rich and famous, Stewart muses, “The prettiest sight in this fine pretty world is the privileged class enjoying its privileges.” I, for one, can think of much more entertaining sights.

Best line: (Margaret Lord) “The course of true love…”   (Macaulay Connor) “…gathers no moss.”

 
Rank: Dishonorable Mention
 

© 2015 S. G. Liput

292 Followers and Counting

Ernest and Celestine (2012)

09 Thursday Apr 2015

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   A mouse and a bear                                      could never be friends
 Or could they?                   Well, maybe,                   but that all depends.
On whether                                                                               the bear
Would dare                                                                                to share
  And not                                                                                        ingest
 The cute                                                                                   young pest
(Who lives                                                                                   beneath
And steals                                                                                  bear teeth),
  And if                                                                                        the mouse
Could stay in                                                                             his house
 And share                                                                                   her art
 And melt                                                                                   his heart,
   And if                             the couple                               could convince
The mice and             bears                 to leave                    such pairs
 And not                   insist                      they not                  persist,
 For most               hate this                     in prej-                 -udice.
The mouse         and bear                       with fond         -ness rare
 Might prove     their point                        on what’s          unfair
    And form a sweet                                             unlikely pair.
________________

 

(Today’s NaPoWriMo prompt is a calligram, a poem written in the shape of its subject, so I decided to go with reviewing Ernest and Celestine, in which teeth play an important role.)

Say what you will for the Academy’s Oscar choices, but every now and then they bring to light a rare gem. People scanning the nominees for Best Animated Feature in 2013 most likely read the name Ernest and Celestine and wondered where the heck that came from (not unlike The Secret of Kells in 2009 and A Cat in Paris or Chico and Rita in 2011). Though Frozen won that year, and The Wind Rises should have won, Ernest and Celestine was a worthy nomination, as cute and charming a tale as viewers are likely to find on either side of the Atlantic. Based on a series of Belgian children’s books by Gabrielle Vincent (pseudonym of Monique Martin), this French-language film follows the misadventures of the orphan mouse Celestine and the vagrant bear Ernest.

Celestine has always been taught to fear “the big bad bear” (not unlike the mice in The Tale of Despereaux) and to steal their teeth in order to support the mice’s incisor-centric society (a play on the Tooth Fairy, who is often a mouse in Europe). Likewise, Ernest is only interested in his next meal and agrees with all other bears that mice are mere pests who must stay below ground where they belong. Yet when the two meet and alternately have pity on the other, the subsequent budding friendship is undeniably heartwarming.

Adding to the charm of the story and its gentle humor is the lovely art style. This isn’t just a cartoon; it’s an illustration come to life. Certain scenes are gradually sketched from nothing, and, as detailed as much of the film is, at times the outer edges of a scene blur and fade into a blank margin, like the impressionistic pictures of a children’s book. (My VC and I had a debate over the quality of the different animation; she seems to pre-judge anything of non-Disney-style animation to be inferior, while I recognize the skill and beauty of different kinds of artwork, to a point. The fluidity of the animation is the biggest factor for me in judging its quality.) Though the film was originally in French, the English dub is excellent, with Forest Whitaker as gruff Ernest and a perfectly cast Mackenzie Foy (Interstellar) as cute and persuasive Celestine. It was also one of Lauren Bacall’s last film roles.

One note for families, though:  Both Ernest and Celestine partake in burglary, and though they are punished somewhat, they never show any remorse, like Remy did in Ratatouille. Thus, neither is necessarily a good moral role model, which might prompt some discussion between parents and children. Even so, the film lends hope that the two have moved on from their crimes and are happier for it. Ernest and Celestine is utterly sweet and a guaranteed children’s classic for those families lucky enough to discover it.

 
Rank: List-Worthy
 

© 2015 S. G. Liput

291 Followers and Counting

VC Pick: The Lost Boys (1987)

08 Wednesday Apr 2015

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Do you enjoy some boardwalk fun
Where music pleases everyone
After the setting of the sun,
Where there resides a hidden fright,
Where teens go out to grab a bite
And murky murder plagues the night?
Then move to Santa Carla!
 
That’s where both Sam and Michael found
That teenage vampires abound
In coastal towns that bum around.
The elder learned to not imbibe
The blood of some vampire tribe
That sends a vague and creepy vibe.
 
If that should happen, it is best
To not be overly distressed
But stake the suckers through the chest.
Beware the bikers you befriend
Who look like Kiefer Sutherland.
There’s evil eager to descend
If you move to Santa Carla.
______________
 

For over a year now, I’ve indulged in my movie list, and though some films were chosen more for their appeal to my Viewing Companion than to myself (such as The Horse Whisperer and The Hunt for Red October), the list is primarily films I personally enjoy. While she shares many of the same tastes with me, there are a number of movies that would qualify for her personal list and wouldn’t come close to mine. In all fairness, since she has accompanied me for most of this film-viewing odyssey, I’ll be reviewing some of her favorites, whether I like them or not. The Lost Boys is my first VC Pick.

While I’m not usually one to endorse films with spewing blood (nor is my VC), I’ll admit I do enjoy The Lost Boys, an ‘80s cult classic if there ever was one. Directed by Batman’s greatest foe Joel Schumacher, it’s a blend of teen comedy and vampiric horror that balances the two surprisingly well, managing both big laughs and gruesome scares. Not being a horror fan, it’s not my preferred kind of movie, but my VC has a special love for the way it alternates between frights and fun, with giddy dedication to both. She enjoys its ‘80s-ness, such as the adolescent importance of MTV and comic books and a soundtrack full of well-chosen but less recognizable musical staples, such as covers of The Doors and Elton John. She loves the charm of the young actors; as she says, Corey Haim is just “so cute” as younger brother Sam, particularly in his reactions to the weirdness of Santa Carla, and cuteness turns to hotness when it comes to his older brother Michael (Jason Patric) and vampire gang leader David (Kiefer Sutherland), who fits the now-popular mold of a dark sexy bloodsucker. She also loves the film’s choral rock theme song “Cry, Little Sister,” as well as that hunky saxophone guy Tim Cappello, who shows off his ample muscles during an early seaside performance. (Like I said, this is one of her movies.)

While some early scenes drag on a bit, there’s much to entertain. The early antics of Haim and Patric make them believable brothers, while Corey Feldman and Jamison Newlander deserve some kind of iconic vampire hunter status as the artificially fearless Frog Brothers. Much of the humor comes from them, and by the time of the over-the-top climax (which reminded me of the later Spiderwick Chronicles), the Frogs are spouting self-teasing one-liners, as if they had watched too much Mystery Science Theater 3000. Other comedic moments come from the eccentric grandfather (Barnard Hughes) or even some subliminally funny lines (“Where’s Star, David?”). Plus, though it’s not an official Lost alert, I always get a kick out of David’s invitation, “Michael Emerson, come on down!” since Michael Emerson the actor played Ben Linus on that show.

Compared with the modern trend toward long majestically filmed continuous shots, The Lost Boys is a good example of the quick, skillful editing of yesteryear to lend more excitement to the action and to somewhat cover up the faked violence. It’s an appealing modern vampire tale, though it’s a shame they changed names (John to Sam, Peter to David, Wendy to Lucy the mother) to distance the story from its intended connection with Peter Pan, leaving only the title and Michael. For vampire fans and my VC, it’s a bloody treat that never fails to entertain.

Best line: (Sam, after a particularly rocking kill) “Death by stereo!”

 
Rank: List Runner-Up
 

© 2015 S. G. Liput

290 Followers and Counting

Nebraska (2013)

07 Tuesday Apr 2015

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One million dollars—I won it! It’s mine.
I’ve got here a letter to prove that I’m right;
It says I’m a winner in plain black and white.
My son says I’m not, but I’ll never decline.
I’ll walk if I must to make good on my claim
In Lincoln, Nebraska, for fortune and fame.
 
He finally yielded to drive me the distance,
But here we are now in my boring hometown
To visit old kin whose default is to frown.
My wife is here too, though she hates my persistence.
I’m old and I’ll die and there’s no use in bragging,
But if I go soon it will be from her nagging.
 
My son doesn’t get it, but I must have won.
Now money’s a mutt with no loyalty due,
But when you’re its master, no need to pursue,
There’s deep satisfaction that something you’ve done
Succeeded. At last I can meet kith and kin
And know that they’re seeing a man who can win.
 
My son says I’m wrong, but he’ll know soon enough
That I can earn something deserving of pride.
I do want that truck, though I only can ride,
And that new compressor, just trivial stuff.
I won a grand prize, and perhaps that will be
Enough to redeem an old codger like me.
_________________
 

Based on NaPoWriMo’s poetry prompt of money, I decided to review Oscar nominee Nebraska, a uniquely matter-of-fact film whose eccentricity derives from its ordinariness. Bruce Dern won acclaim and a Best Actor nomination for playing Woody Grant, whose self-delusion about a sweepstakes letter sends his family back home to Hawthorne, Nebraska, while he and son David are en route to “collect the prize.” I’m not familiar with Alexander Payne’s films, but I quite liked this one (and thought it should have been PG-13 rather than R). Filmed in black-and-white, Nebraska might seem dull in its true-to-life approach, but it derives unusual humor and drama, much of it verbal, from the down-to-earth performances. In some ways, the film is a testament to the American family of yesteryear, full of distant cousins and less-than-warm reunions. My VC was tickled by the silent assembly of relatives, watching TV with sparse, intermittent fragments of conversation among themselves, because she remembers old family reunions that were exactly so, sometimes even without the TV involved.

Also celebrated is the affable friendliness of small-town America. Hawthorne has a certain warmth to it, the kind that some will pity and some will envy. Woody’s supposed win electrifies the town, where a visiting former resident’s good fortune is apparently front page news. Unfortunately, it also attracts family and friends eager to cash in on old debts, such as old rival Ed Pegram (Stacy Keach) and cousins Cole and Bart. (Did anyone notice that Cole is Devin Ratray, otherwise known as Buzz, Kevin’s older brother in Home Alone?!) Yet for every fortune-seeker, there are several genuine friends who merely congratulate Woody with no sense of entitlement to his winnings, offering the perfect balance to the greed of others.

Though Bruce Dern’s scraggly, no-nonsense portrayal of Woody earned the most critical praise and an Oscar nomination, it was so subdued and laconic that it failed to stand out for me. It was a very good performance, but not a great one worthy of an Oscar. Thus, I tend to consider his nomination a nod to his entire career, similar to the comparable performance of Richard Farnsworth in The Straight Story, which was also nominated for Best Actor. The surprise for me was Will Forte as David, shedding his SNL roots for a sincere, conflicted role that balanced comedy with drama (the compressor thief scene easily the funniest part). While David’s life is far from perfect, he proves to be a far more likable character than drunk Woody or his irritable and crude wife Kate (June Squibb), who reminded me of a harsher version of Grandma from The Waltons (compare her final line “You idiot!” with Ellen Corby’s “You old fool!”) While David is flustered by Woody’s brusqueness and misconceptions, he wishes to humor him for as long as they still have together, going to great lengths in the end to comfort his ailing father. Woody could hardly be considered a good father, but David proves himself as a good son.

Best line: (Bart, the speed demon) “We could get you to Lincoln in an hour.”   (David) “Lincoln is over 200 miles.”   (Bart) “Okay, hour-and-a-half.”

 
Rank: List Runner-Up
 

© 2015 S. G. Liput

290 Followers and Counting

#3: Forrest Gump (1994)

10 Tuesday Feb 2015

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His name is Forrest, Forrest Gump,
And he has quite a tale to tell,
A decade-spanning epic life
That no one else could tell as well.
 
Although he never has been smart,
His mother told him from his youth
That he could still do anything,
Which he took as God’s honest truth.
 
He didn’t have too many friends,
Just lovely Jenny by his side.
He loved her dearly from the start,
But college kept her occupied.
 
Their paths diverged as Forrest Gump
Enlisted in the Army corps
And told his girl he soon would go
To Vietnam to fight a war.
 
His heroism rescued lives,
Including his Lieutenant Dan.
As Forrest met with Ping-Pong fame,
His friend was left as half a man.
 
When Army life was done with him,
Gump bought himself a shrimping boat
To celebrate a fallen friend
Whose life to shrimp he would devote.
 
Assisted by Lieutenant Dan,
He built himself a shrimp empire,
But a loss returned him home
To Alabama to retire.
 
Beloved Jenny’s wayward path
Of drugs, abuse, and love thought free
At last brings her to Forrest’s house
To milk his hospitality.
 
A lengthy run across the land
Brings fame to Forrest once again,
But what more strongly speeds his step
Is Jenny’s now inviting pen.
 
Though soon he loses one he loves,
He gains another suddenly,
For Forrest Gump is talented
At drifting to his destiny.
________________
 

While not the first, Robert Zemeckis’s Forrest Gump is the greatest example of the “meet-‘em-and-move-on” film, following one character throughout his life as he touches and is touched by countless others, often in ways he doesn’t even comprehend. In this case, it’s set against the backdrop of late 20th-century America, and even if Forrest doesn’t fathom the influence of his adventures, we the audience do, laughing, crying, and remembering along the way.

Tom Hanks most definitely deserved his Best Actor Academy Award for his simple yet profound portrayal of Forrest, Forrest Gump. Rather than being some caricature of the mentally handicapped, his folksy candor creates a memorable paragon of innocent observation. His unbiased impressions of some painfully turbulent years in US history act as a neutral lens through which we can view events like the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal, and the hippie movement without any potentially alienating political opinions. They just were, and Forrest was there. It’s a simple idea, but much care and effort were made in pulling it off successfully. The Oscar-winning effects team placed Forrest into archive footage, allowing him to seamlessly interact with Presidents and celebrities. Yet through all of his adventures, he remains the same lovable mama’s boy, harboring (as the writer Eric Roth has stated) an unshakeable faith in only three things: God, his wise mother (Sally Field), and his sweetheart Jenny (Robin Wright). It’s funny, though, that Field plays Hanks’s mother here when she played his love interest in Punchline just six years earlier.

Jenny chooses the opposite approach of Forrest’s clean-cut journey through the decades. Whereas his homespun values preserve Forrest unsullied for the most part, in the world but not of the world, Jenny embraces the sex, drugs, and destructive lifestyle that captured so many in the 1960s, all the while keeping her would-be suitor at a distance. Her “spoiled goods” mentality is frustrating because of her own foolish choices, and tragic because of Forrest’s unrequited love for her, at least until the end. Forrest Gump is a prime example of how an opinion can make a 360 over time; my VC disliked the film’s ending at first, mainly due to how Jenny used Forrest’s affection for her to sneak a one-night stand and then did not contact him again until she was dying. Over time, she’s come to love the film as much as I do and to recognize more authenticity in Jenny’s deathbed declaration of love. As disheartening as their degrading lifestyles became, the eventual turnaround for Jenny and for Lieutenant Dan (a fantastic Gary Sinise) is what provides the satisfying, tear-worthy conclusion that “meet-‘em-and-move-on” films do so well. (By the way, did anyone else notice that Jenny’s abusive boyfriend in Washington, D.C., was named Wesley? Robin Wright must love that name.)

Despite the language and some sexual awakenings for Forrest, the film is a redemptive and unforgettable odyssey in which the good and decent are proven more prosperous than the edgy and bitter. The soundtrack is one of the best, providing pitch-perfect musical accompaniment for every decade Forrest encounters (the Doors are well represented), and the three-year running sequence features a spectacular blend of rocking road anthems and stunning cinematography. The quirky narration is one of my favorite elements, with sentences often being repeated by an actor right after they’ve been spoken. Sometimes narration is an unnecessary distraction, but for “meet-‘em-and-move-on” films, it often strengthens the effect of the story, as with Life of Pi and The Shawshank Redemption. Many people doubtless consider Shawshank a better film, which was overshadowed by the popularity of Tom Hanks’ best role in 1994, but though Shawshank is more mature in tone and subject, and I still love it, Forrest Gump holds a greater variety of incident, special effects, and storytelling and is just more appealing in general. It’s a special film that some may dismiss as glossing over history, but I find more reasons to love it on every viewing. (Did you notice that Forrest’s eyes are closed in every picture he takes? I didn’t till this latest time.)

Best line (a less obvious one):  (Bubba) “Anyway, like I was sayin’, shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, sauté it. Dey’s uh, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There’s pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich. That- that’s about it.”

 
Rank: 60 out of 60
 

© 2015 S. G. Liput

284 Followers and Counting

#7: Finding Nemo (2003)

02 Monday Feb 2015

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Though Marlin was once a free-spirited fish,
A tragedy filled him with fears.
For Nemo, his son, he has one simple wish,
To save him from risky frontiers.
 
One overprotective trip out from the reef
Sees Nemo abducted by men,
And Marlin is stricken with panic and grief
At sudden disaster again.
 
He’s met by a very forgetful blue tang
Named Dory, who joins Marlin’s quest.
After fish-loving sharks and an overdue bang,
They head out for Sydney southwest.
 
While Nemo is ushered to life in a tank
With fish-killing nieces expected,
His father and Dory, still drawing a blank,
Are challenged and helped and respected.
 
At last, they reach Sydney (from inside a whale)
And find Nemo after a flight.
Though Marlin considers his rescue a fail,
Both father and son reunite.
 
Employing the newest of fish common sense,
They save fellow fishes nearby,
And Marlin can now be less worried and tense
About his beloved small fry.
_________________
 

Pixar made a name for itself with the Toy Story films, but Finding Nemo truly solidified it as the premier animation studio. DreamWorks, Blue Sky, and even Studio Ghibli can’t compare with the consistent high quality of Pixar, which has only had one real dud (Cars 2), but out of an abundance of hits, my personal favorite animated film has to be Finding Nemo, for multiple reasons.

First of all, as a kid, I always insisted I’d be a marine biologist, and though my goals have changed over time, I still harbor affection for the fascinating denizens of the deep. The film also holds the record for bringing me to tears the fastest. Sure, I was under twelve when I first saw it, but I was deeply touched and invested within the first five minutes, an example of loss from a parent’s perspective rather than the usual child’s point of view.

Despite the heartbreaking beginning, Finding Nemo is arguably Pixar’s funniest film too, thanks to Ellen DeGeneres’s hilariously scatterbrained Dory, who suffers from short-term memory loss. That speaking-whale scene cracks my family up every time. Albert Brooks as Marlin is the perfect straight man to Dory’s lunacy, as well as a loving father, whose overprotective concern is revealed as true devotion in his quest to find Nemo. One more reason for me to love this film: it’s a meet-‘em-and-move-on, as many “quest” movies are. The myriad fish that Marlin and Dory encounter range from misunderstood to genuinely helpful to downright frightening, and it’s amazing how many sea creatures Pixar packed into this film, many of them with unique and comical personalities. Pixar has always excelled at introducing a large number of memorable characters in a way that seems rich and prolific rather than overstuffed, whether the toys in Andy’s room, the residents of Radiator Springs, or the colorful inmates of P. Sherman’s fish tank. (Note how the fish sound off where they were each bought, just as Andy’s toys named their respective manufacturers in Toy Story; also, I noticed that both this film and Disney’s Brother Bear that same year featured a similar joke involving a very limited game of “I Spy.” In addition, I wonder if a SpongeBob reference was intended in the naming of Sandy Plankton or Sheldon.)

The characters truly are brought to life with some of the most visually beautiful animation I’ve seen. The world of the coral reef teems with life and color, and the expressive character designs display deeply felt emotions without making them into cartoony human-fish (like DreamWorks’ paltry Shark Tale, released the following year). Most animated films take for granted the air around the characters, but Pixar outdid themselves with the underwater environment. Everything is moving, from the plants and dust around the sea floor to the realistic light and shadows filtering down from above.

With the heartfelt father-son relationship at its core, Finding Nemo is among the best animated films ever. Rather than an undeveloped dictatorial patriarch, Marlin is given clear motivation to protect his son, as well as clear reason to let go of his extreme caution in favor of trust. Before Toy Story 3, it was Pixar’s highest-grossing masterpiece, of course earning the Best Animated Feature Academy Award. With exceptional visuals and humor, Finding Nemo finds a well-deserved spot in my top ten; I’ve got my fins crossed for Finding Dory next year.

Best line: (Crush the sea turtle, voiced by director Andrew Stanton, after Marlin’s escape from the jellyfish) “Saw the whole thing, dude. First, you were all like, “Whoa”, and then we were like, “WHOA” and then you were like, “whoa….” (It’s better heard than read.)

 
Rank: 60 out of 60
 

© 2015 S. G. Liput

283 Followers and Counting

#9: Toy Story Trilogy (1995, 1999, 2010)

31 Saturday Jan 2015

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(Spoilers ahead)
 
In Andy’s bedroom, where imaginings thrive,
When he’s not around, all his toys come alive.
Potato Head, Slinky, Bo Peep, Hamm, and Rex
Are always afraid of what toy he’ll get next,
But cowboy doll Woody insists that they stay
Collected and calm on their owner’s birthday.
 
When Andy arrives with his new Buzz Lightyear,
The other toys welcome their space ranger peer,
But Buzz doesn’t know he’s a child’s plaything,
And Woody’s annoyed by his self-deluding.
As Andy snubs Woody in favor of Buzz,
The cowboy grows bitter with thoughts of what was.
 
A misunderstanding at terrible cost
Leaves Woody and Buzz isolated and lost,
And soon they are caught by the sick neighbor kid,
The evil, sadistic, toy-torturing Sid.
As Andy is wondering where his toys are,
Both Woody and Buzz meet with mutants bizarre.
 
When Buzz at last realizes he is a toy,
It’s Woody who cheers him to strive for their boy.
A frightening warning puts Sid on the run,
But now they must rush; Andy’s move has begun.
Some chasing and launching and falling with style
Bring both to their kid, and to Andy a smile.
_________________
 
As Cowboy Camp beckons, there’s sudden alarm
When ol’ Woody suffers a rip in the arm.
A rescue attempt for a playmate in need
Lets Woody fall victim to one villain’s greed.
A nasty collector abducts the old doll,
Who enters a world that he knew not at all.
 
He meets Jessie, Bullseye, and old Stinky Pete,
Who welcome him since he makes their set complete.
He sees he is famous and rare merchandise
And soon to be sold in Japan at great price.
Though Woody insists at first he must return,
He changes his mind out of care and concern.
 
Meanwhile, his friends from the bedroom are out
To rescue him, taking a dangerous route.
Despite some setbacks and a Buzz Lightyear clone,
They locate the cowboy to take him back home.
While Woody is torn on the choice of his fate,
True colors are shown until it is too late.
 
The toys are packed up by the covetous man
And head to the airport, en route to Japan.
Deciding that Andy will value them all,
They swing from the plane with a very close call.
The toys journey home for fun playdates anew,
Until Andy grows up, as all children do.
_________________
 
The time has arrived: Andy’s finally grown,
Less likely to play than to chat on his phone.
Though toys have diminished in number and note,
They wait for their owner, however remote.
Some misunderstandings, which happen a lot,
Leave most of them feeling unloved and distraught.
 
They donate themselves to a nearby day care,
Where there reigns a strawberry-scented stuffed bear.
This Lotso presents them to quaint Sunnyside,
But playtime is brutal for those who don’t hide.
Though Woody escapes to go home, he is found
By Bonnie, whose penchant for play is profound.
 
The other toys learn Sunnyside is unfair
For new toys and those that don’t please the big bear.
When Buzz is brainwashed to imprison his friends,
They follow the plan Woody then recommends.
The prison break seems to go just as they planned,
But Lotso arrives when escape’s close at hand.
 
The tables are turned with a trip to the dump,
Where deus ex machina saves in a slump.
Though Woody would gladly be Andy’s forever,
He hints at the best way for their ties to sever.
The toys find themselves in a new home to dwell
After one last playdate and a poignant farewell.
_______________________
 

The first computer-generated feature film could have been any number of lackluster productions, but as luck would have it, the pioneering feat was accomplished by the most skilled storytellers in the animation business, the folks at Pixar. Toy Story was an intrinsic part of my childhood; with the exception of Hamm, Jessie, and Bullseye, I owned all of the main characters. Woody and Buzz Lightyear are among the most beloved animated characters ever created, and they were introduced at the perfect time in my youth for me to become attached to them as more than just throwaway kiddie entertainment.

The first Toy Story may look dated in its animation compared with Pixar’s more recent endeavors, but even if the humans are lacking, the CGI is ideal for the plastic residents of Andy’s room. With the unique look at suburbia from a toy’s perspective, it was the first glimpse of the immense imagination at work at Pixar, able to introduce an ensemble of characters and make everyone both lovable in their own way and wisely merchandisable. Almost everybody has owned a toy and can thus appreciate the characters’ obvious desire to be loved and valued by their owner. While this connection to the heart allows these inanimate objects to become as real as any animated human or talking animal, the sly humor keeps the entertainment value at a 10, thanks largely to the sterling voice cast. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen were in their heyday in 1995, fresh from dual Oscar wins for Hanks and the success of “Home Improvement” and The Santa Clause for Allen, but, unlike some more recent celebrity voiceovers, both were undoubtedly the best choice. Their progression from rivals to buddies is both hilarious and convincing, supplemented by a host of golden supporting characters, like Wallace Shawn’s timid Rex, John Ratzenberger’s clever Hamm, and Don Rickles’ belligerent Mr. Potato Head. The film won a special Academy Award, predating the creation of the Best Animated Feature Oscar by six years.

As perfect as the original film is, Toy Story 2 is even better. The first film took its core concept (that toys come to life when we’re not looking) and ran with it, giving them real emotions of affection, envy, betrayal, and dejection; the sequel further explores the expansive possibilities of toydom: being broken, being forgotten and abandoned, being just one of countless doppelgangers, being valued as a collectible rather than a child’s plaything. The imagination keeps coming, with greater danger, more memorable characters (Joan Cusack’s Jessie, Kelsey Grammer’s Stinky Pete), and some unexpected laugh-out-loud references to Jurassic Park and Star Wars. Jessie’s backstory, in particular, still wets my eyes and instilled in me what I call “toy guilt,” a reluctance to give up old toys for fear of traumatizing them (I’ve since gotten over it, mostly). The fact that the film was essentially a rush job due to over-optimistic scheduling makes its achievement even more impressive. Since I consider it the best of the trilogy, it’s a shame it’s the only one that didn’t win an Oscar.

I was skeptical about Toy Story 3, a sequel released a full decade after its predecessor, but it delivered the Pixar goods against all odds. While it’s not quite on par with the first two, the improved animation is worlds away and the same unbridled imagination is at work in the creation of a prison camp day care ruled by a plush bear (a grandfatherly Ned Beatty). The film supposedly introduces at least 150 new characters, and I believe it; from the teeming playroom at Sunnyside, full of under-utilized voice talent, to Bonnie’s room (including a Totoro, courtesy of John Lasseter’s fascination with Miyazaki), the new faces are abundant and diverse, though not all quite as memorable. The film’s heart and action are plentiful, though the humor isn’t quite as generous (I didn’t find Buzz’s Spanish mode as funny as the filmmakers seemed to think it is). This threequel is a source of some contention between my VC and me. She was rather depressed at the loveless situation at the beginning and was left unsatisfied with Andy giving up his toys in the end, feeling that they should have awaited his children in the attic, like my Buzz and Woody currently are. Yet deep down, I think Andy knew that toys are meant to be played with, and children are their core happiness. As mentioned in Corinthians, he “put away childish things,” but not with the cold indifference of Emily in Toy Story 2; he took the time and effort to give them a fitting home and one last playtime to bid them goodbye. This was also important because he was able to pass on their names to Bonnie; without knowing the titles of Woody and Buzz, she might have called them Mrs. Nesbitt or some such moniker. As frighteningly dramatic as the dump sequence is, the final scenes are equally bittersweet, a near-perfect tear-inducing conclusion for these beloved characters. As much faith as I have in the creative minds at Pixar, I almost wish they would leave Toy Story 4 alone and avoid the potential stumble of fourth movies, which are even harder to pull off than threequels, as evidenced by the Pirates and Indiana Jones series.

Rotten Tomatoes indicates that the Toy Story films form the most acclaimed trilogy ever, with 100% for the first and second and a 99% for the third. I’ve enjoyed every one, as well as Buzz’s spinoff TV series Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, a fun and imaginative sci-fi show from my youth. Though I’ve grown up parallel to Andy and outgrown my own childhood companions, at least I’ll never outgrow these beloved toy stories.

Best line from Toy Story: (Woody) “YOU ARE A TOY! You aren’t the real Buzz Lightyear! You’re – you’re an action figure! You are a child’s plaything!”   (Buzz) “You are a sad, strange little man, and you have my pity. Farewell.”
 
Best line from Toy Story 2: (2nd Buzz, to Zurg) “I’ll never give in. You killed my father.”   (Zurg) “No, Buzz, I am your father.”   (2nd Buzz) “Noooooooo!”   (a great line in any movie)
 
Best line from Toy Story 3: (Jessie) “Woody, we were wrong to leave Andy. I—I was wrong….”   (Mr. Potato Head) “Jessie’s right, Woody. She was wrong.”
 
 
Rank: 60 out of 60
 

© 2015 S. G. Liput

283 Followers and Counting

#11: The Princess Bride (1987)

27 Tuesday Jan 2015

Posted by in Movies, Poetry, Reviews, Writing

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Listen, dear viewers, and you shall be read
A story just like a sick child in bed,
About miracles, fencing, escapes, and true love,
Promises made and the efforts thereof
And a farm boy named Westley thought to be dead.
 
He said to his love that he would return
And not a thing could keep him away,
But Buttercup is upset to learn
That the Dread Pirate Roberts came to slay.
Burdened by grief, she catches the eye
Of Prince Humperdinck, a duplicitous guy.
Ere they are wed, she is caught by three
Colorful, talented killers-to-be,
Vizzini, Montoya, and Fezzik, who flee.
 
They are followed, though, by a man in black,
Coming to kidnap their prisoner back,
Facing the three of them, one by one,
Defeating each, and once he has won,
From Buttercup, Westley gets a smack.
The two through the Fire Swamp take their track
And fight when enormous rats attack.
Catching them, Prince Humperdinck won’t share
That he’s locked Westley in the Pit of Despair.
 
Meanwhile, Montoya and Fezzik unite,
Planning revenge for a family crime,
But they need Westley to plan it this time.
The two of them free him, though mostly dead,
Revive him with a miracle bite,
And before the wedding bells can chime,
Help him inside ere the couple can wed.
 
When he finds the man he’s been hunting for,
Montoya takes revenge at last,
And because true love is unsurpassed,
When Westley challenges pain galore,
Prince Humperdinck will not compete
Against a man death can’t defeat.
When Buttercup and the trio of men
Depart for safer hill and glen,
The two lovers kiss as never before.
You wouldn’t mind hearing the tale once more?
As you wish; I’ll come again.
______________________
 

The Princess Bride is one of the most perfect films around, not in any grand or profound way, but in its timeless, endlessly amusing creation of a modern fairy tale, based off the book by William Goldman, who also wrote the screenplay. I know I’m not alone in saying that this is a film I could watch any day of the week, while quoting much of the ingenious dialogue. It never ceases to entertain, and I think everyone involved in its production realized what a special film they produced.

The cast is a treasure trove of comedic talent, from Wallace Shawn as disdainful Vizzini to Andre the Giant as strong but gentle “land mass” Fezzik to Billy Crystal’s hilarious cameo as Miracle Max, who proves that chocolate does indeed have life-giving properties. Cary Elwes as Westley and Robin Wright as Buttercup (one of her first roles) are ideal starry-eyed lovers, the one gallant and dashingly British and the other beautiful, though rather helpless. The film is well-recognized for its abundance of potent quotables, and every character gets a memorable line, often several. Who can forget Mandy Patinkin as Inigo Montoya spouting his rehearsed threat to his father’s killer, or Wallace Shawn’s “Inconceivable,” said as only he can? Some droll moments are also given to the villains, Chris Sarandon as self-assured Prince Humperdinck (I wonder if his first name is Engelbert) and Christopher Guest as soft-spoken sadist Count Rugen. Even small roles like Mel Smith as the Albino and Peter Cook as the Impressive Clergyman get some Monte Python-style humor from their unexpected voices.

Though The Princess Bride parodies typical fairy tale tropes, it embraces them as well, like a more sincere version of a Mel Brooks comedy. Consider when Vizzini calls out “Behold, the Cliffs of Insanity!” followed by some overly dramatic music, yet the cliffs themselves do play a role in the tale, and their pretentious name doesn’t preclude real danger. The film’s depicted framework of a bedtime story, read by Peter Falk, lends the film a detached fascination, so that the audience can laugh while also becoming invested in the characters’ struggles. Quite a lot of work went into the filming as well, particularly the expert duel between Elwes and Patinkin, who did all but the somersaults themselves. Moments of whimsy alternate with moments of genuine passion to create a family film for all ages (though a single profanity from Fred Savage as the boy was unnecessary). The Oscar-nominated song “Storybook Love,” sung by Willy DeVille, is also worthy of a place in my End Credits Song Hall of Fame.

As I said, I can watch this film forever, but it was only recently that my attention was brought to a small but important detail. The Princess Bride is a Christmas movie! I didn’t believe it at first, but at the very beginning, there are lights and snow outside and a small lighted tree out in the hall, as well as a Santa hanging behind Peter Falk the whole time. I always assumed the book was a get-well-soon gift, but it’s a Christmas present. Now we all have one more reason to watch it, as if we needed another excuse. It’s got everything a good fairy tale needs and a great deal more besides.

Best lines (I wish I could just say the whole movie): (Vizzini, when Westley doesn’t fall from the Cliffs) “He didn’t fall? Inconceivable!”  (Inigo) “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”
 
(Inigo Montoya) “Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”
 
(Miracle Max, when he lifts and drops Westley’s lifeless arm) “I’ve seen worse.”
 
(Westley, after knocking out the giant Fezzik) “I do not envy you the headache you will have when you awake. But for now, rest well and dream of large women.”
 
(Westley, after returning from almost-death) “Who are you? Are we enemies? Why am I on this wall? Where is Buttercup?”   (Inigo) “Let me explain. [pauses]  No, there is too much. Let me sum up.”
 
(Westley and the Grandfather) “As you wish.”
 
 
Rank: 60 out of 60
 

© 2015 S. G. Liput

283 Followers and Counting

#12: Beauty and the Beast (1991)

27 Tuesday Jan 2015

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(Best sung to “The Mob Song”)
 
In the countryside of France,
Where the bakers say “Bonjour,”
Lives a lovely mademoiselle who’s always reading books galore.
Belle just doesn’t quite fit in,
But still that doesn’t stop Gaston
From insisting that she marry him for his conceited brawn.
 
Through the mist, through the woods,
When Belle’s father tries to travel,
He ends up inside a castle dark and grim.
Belle protests and suggests
That the castle’s beastly owner
Make her stay his prisoner instead of him.
 
She’s afraid of her host and his temper,
And alarmed but then charmed and impressed
By the servants and shows
And a spellbinding rose,
Till the beast makes her flee,
Too oppressed.
 
While en route, though, the brute
Saves her life, and so from then on,
Their relationship begins to slowly grow.
When the Beast comes to love
And Belle sees her father needs her,
Her detainer has the heart to let her go.
 
But Gaston has a plan to coerce her
To be his, but she will not be played.
When she speaks of the Beast,
Gaston’s rage is increased,
And he rallies best and least
To invade.
 
Servants fight and defend;
As the raiders are assaulted,
Bold Gaston will not be halted from his prey.
Both engage, and both fall,
But true love will conquer all,
And thus without a curse’s thrall,
Love will stay.
_____________________
 

Beauty and the Beast is the epitome of a Disney fairy tale musical, complete with magic mirror, enchanted castle, magical rose, bleak curse, stunning animation, and Oscar-winning music of the highest order. Though preceded by The Little Mermaid, this was the undeniable sign that the Disney Renaissance was well under way and that animated musicals could be taken seriously, even nominated for Best Picture.

First off, the animation is gorgeous, a combination of traditionally animated characters and certain CGI backgrounds that allow for some astoundingly beautiful moments, like the famous ballroom dance beneath the chandelier. While Hunchback and Tarzan had similarly striking visuals, Beauty and the Beast was one of the first Disney films to possess a smoothness of line and motion unseen in strictly hand-drawn features thanks to a new CAPS technology (technically, The Rescuers Down Under was the first).

The beauty of the animation is matched only by the music, which garnered two of Alan Menken’s well-deserved Oscars for Best Score and Best Song. From the very first musical number incorporating Belle, Gaston, and the entire village, my VC could tell that this was not a typical cartoon with tunes, but a new breed of Broadway-quality musical that was sure to be adapted to the stage, which it was. Her favorite song, though, is Gaston’s clever tavern chantey, one of the few villain songs to not be or even sound villainous. Though “Be Our Guest” and the Oscar-winning title song are more well-known, I’ve always preferred the dark, rhythmic “Mob Song” right before the castle siege.

The film is also notable for its moral themes. For once, the heroine is not a rebellious girl eager to disobey silly rules, but a noble daughter sacrificing herself for her father. The lesson of “beauty lies within” is established from the initial prologue, but rather than being a generic villain, Gaston illustrates the opposite, that evil can also lie within even with outward beauty. The romance between Belle and the Beast is not rushed, and even though its growth is depicted through the typical musical montage, the sudden sacrifice preceding it allowed a solid starting point for the Beast’s sudden change of heart and manner.

Beauty and the Beast is the purest example of a fairy tale adaptation I can imagine, created when they could be light-hearted or dark on their own terms without the grim revisionism of nowadays. Disney hit its stride with this musical masterpiece, a film in which music, characters, and animation seem to converge effortlessly into enjoyable entertainment for kids and adults alike.

Best line: (Gaston’s admirers, during his song) “For there’s no one as burly or brawny/ [Gaston] As you see, I’ve got biceps to spare,/ [Lefou] “Not a bit of him scraggly or scrawny,/ [Gaston] That’s right, and every last inch of me’s covered with hair!” and (Gaston) “I use antlers in all of my decorating!”

 
Rank: 60 out of 60
 

© 2015 S. G. Liput

283 Followers and Counting

#13: Groundhog Day (1993)

25 Sunday Jan 2015

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Little interest has Phil Connors in the mirth of Groundhog Day,
But as Pittsburgh’s weatherman, another visit he must pay.
Punxsutawney welcomes him and his producer, lovely Rita,
But, remaining misanthropic, he would not want to repeat a
Day within this backwards town enthralled by shadows and a rat.
Keen on February 3rd, he finds the 2nd back at bat.
 
Every day, he wakens to the same old song and same old day,
And the shortest of the months becomes the lengthiest replay.
Unsure what to do at first, he soon finds things to break and borrow,
Loving, eating, then repeating, living like there’s no tomorrow.
Yet his sanity breaks down from all the pointless repetition,
Since his goal of wooing Rita never once comes to fruition.
 
Further tries to end the cycle get him nowhere, till the day
When he vents his own fatigue and Rita tries to help and stay.
Now his wiser, better goal is to improve himself, no scheme,
Helping with his near-omniscience, rising in the town’s esteem.
By the time he’s nearly perfect for the girl he’s come to love,
Groundhog Day releases Phil with sudden snowfall from above.
_____________________
 

Harold Ramis’s Groundhog Day is an astounding comedy, because it constantly repeats itself and yet is endlessly watchable. While not the first instance of a time loop in fiction (Star Trek: The Next Generation did such an episode the previous year called ”Cause and Effect,” and there have been books and stories that came long before), but it depicts a 24-hour loop so fully and entertainingly that it is now the go-to example of time repetition. The recent Edge of Tomorrow was always compared with Groundhog Day, not with its lesser-known predecessors.

Easily Bill Murray’s best role, Phil Connors is the kind of cynical jerk he plays so well, condescending, sarcastic, the perfect candidate for an unexplained time paradox makeover. Over the course of his many Groundhog Days, he displays the full spectrum of reactions to his helpless situation: confusion, revelry, manipulation, depression, suicide, self-progress, and eventual altruism. The way he responds to the quirky townspeople of Punxsutawney, at first with disdain, then with fond geniality and authentic concern, clearly reveals his change of heart, as does his relationship with Rita, a down-to-earth Andie McDowall. All the repetition makes for certain scenes to be easily memorable, such as that buoyant polka music, the alarm clock’s Sonny and Cher theme, and Phil’s run-in with Stephen Tobolowsky’s geekily weird Ned…Ryerson! Bing! I especially love that groundhog gnawing the air at the steering wheel. Plus, George Fenton’s song “Weatherman” at the beginning is repeated at the end, thus making it eligible for my End Credits Song Hall of Fame.

Critics have discussed the film’s deeper themes, like Buddhist transcendence and Catholic purgatory, evidence that a good comedy is not simply a string of jokes but contains the potential for profound questions and intelligent discussion. While I prefer to just watch the film for its own hilarious sake, small details reveal divine presence, such as when Phil’s claim of being a god is contradicted by his futile efforts at saving a life. One does wonder whether Phil’s situation is intended as a blessing or a curse, since I can see myself being exasperated at the constant déjà vu and delighted with all the time at my disposal, but I suppose it is mainly an opportunity, to improve himself, assist the town, and become the perfect man for Rita. Whether for the delightful humor or the more profound messages, one can enjoy Groundhog Day time after time after time.

Best lines (so many): (Phil Connors) “Well, what if there is no tomorrow? There wasn’t one today.”
 
[my VC’s favorite]  (Phil) “Do you ever have déjà vu, Mrs. Lancaster?”  (Mrs. Lancaster) “I don’t think so, but I could check with the kitchen.”
 
(Phil’s piano teacher, as he is playing for her) “Not bad… Mr. Connors, you say this is your first lesson?” (Phil) “Yes, but my father was a piano mover, so…”
 
 
Rank: 60 out of 60
 

© 2015 S. G. Liput

283 Followers and Counting