Julia Child loved to eat, at home in her beloved France.

Julie Powell enjoyed her cooking, which she gave a second glance.

Stuck within a headache job in which she was a willing cog,

The modern-day home cook decided she would write a cooking blog.

Since the kitchen was her outlet, her preferred assuring nook,

She could build each recipe from Julia’s eminent cookbook.

 

Day by day, she baked and brewed and braised and blanched and fricasseed,

Poached and stewed and boiled over, but she would not dare concede.

Though her husband felt ignored as cooking kept her mind obsessed,

He supported her sincerely in her culinary quest.

Julia was her cherished idol, patron saint of food and pluck,

But the actual Julia once did not know how to bone a duck.

 

She was just a normal housewife, married to a diplomat,

Who resolved to learn to cook instead of idle and get fat.

With two friends, she worked for years upon her culinary tome,

And, although she had to move, she felt that Paris was her home.

Finally, an editor at Knopf approved her manuscript,

Filling Julia with elation when the first edition shipped.

 

Decades later, Julie Powell completed her demanding mission,

Having garnered her fulfillment and life-changing recognition.

She became an actual writer, on whom tasteful fortune smiled,

And she credited success to her exemplar Julia Child.

__________________

 

In many ways, Julie and Julia was the reason I began this blog. I already had my personal favorite movie list compiled, but I never thought to do anything with it. Then one day, just going about our business, my VC posited the idea of a blog, just as unexpectedly as the concept dawned on Julie Powell. There are plenty of scenes in which I can identify with Julie, in her obsessive schedule trying to keep up with self-imposed deadlines, in the way it threatens to alienate those closest to her, in the satisfied glee she exhibits when she receives an encouraging comment.

After a few duds, Nora Ephron returned to form in this, her last film before her death. Here, she creates not just one, but two perfectly cast couples. Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci are outstanding as Julia Child and her husband Paul, as are Amy Adams and Chris Messina as Julie and Eric Powell. I don’t know if I’m allowed to say this as a guy, but both make utterly “cute” couples. Though Streep received most of the praise for her pitch-perfect impersonation of cooking legend Julia Child (better even than Dan Aykroyd’s), all four actors fill the movie with such down-to-earth vitality, highlighted by Ephron’s script, that Julie and Julia ranks among Ephron’s best. The men in particular are among the sweetest onscreen husbands imaginable. The transitions between the two storylines are adeptly handled, and both are permeated with endearing incidents, realistic conflict in which neither side is completely in the wrong, and culinary adventures that manifest a true passion for cuisine.

While the film doesn’t end as strongly as I would have liked, indicating that Julia Child herself did not approve of Julie’s blog and then ignoring that seemingly significant point, Julie and Julia is a lighthearted visit with four captivating, relatable people that will make you want to head for the kitchen…or at least the nearest restaurant.

Best line: (Paul Child) “What is it you REALLY like to do?”

(Julia) “Eat!”

[They laugh.]

(Paul) “And you’re so good at it. Look at you!”

 

Artistry: 9

Characters/Actors: 10

Entertainment: 10

Visual Effects: N/A

Originality: 8

Watchability: 10

Other (deft script and endearing, episodic plot): +3

Other (brief language): -1

 

TOTAL: 49 out of 60

 

Next: #135 – Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

© 2014 S. G. Liput

190 Followers and Counting

 

Walter is used to his mom’s many lies

And isn’t too thrilled with her latest surprise,

A stay with his uncles, two old, surly guys.

 

The two McCann brothers are said to be rich

But live all alone in their ramshackle niche

And like shooting salesmen before they can pitch.

 

Both Hub and Garth let Walter share their address,

Because they enjoy other relatives less,

And such money-grubbers just serve to depress.

 

When Walter sees Hub out sleep-walking at night,

Garth tells him their past, full of romance and fight,

Such colorful tales that amuse and excite.

 

Garth tells him of Jasmine, of whom Hub won’t speak,

And how Hub enthralled her, so fair and unique,

And how he defended against a mean sheik.

 

Hub has no delusions about getting old

And seeks out new methods to prove himself bold,

Things all of those salesmen are glad to see sold.

 

When they buy a lioness too tame to kill,

It’s Walter that cares for her out of goodwill

And lets her live out in a cornfield they till.

 

He learns from old Hub of his fabled love’s fate

And gets him to not be so risky but wait

And give him a lecture at some future date.

 

When Walter’s mom shows up with her latest flame,

The uncles’ stashed cash as their ultimate aim,

The lioness makes the beau sorry he came.

 

Since Walter’s mom can’t stop the lies she’s used to,

He stays with his uncles, who raise him and who,

As he confirms later, are reckless but true.

______________________

 

Secondhand Lions is not quite a “meet ‘em and move on” movie, but it’s as close as you can get, complete with quirky scenarios, flashbacks, and a heartwarming ending. In many ways, it is a counterpart to the Tim Burton film Big Fish from the same year, which was also about eccentric stories that strained credulity. Unlike that film, in which a son was sick of his narcissistic father’s oft-repeated yarns (which is certainly relatable for many people), here Walter has never heard his uncles’ anecdotes and has to coax them to reveal their colorful pasts, making them more humble and likable than Albert Finney’s character in Big Fish.

The two uncles are brilliantly portrayed by Robert Duvall (Hub) and Michael Caine (Garth), and the latter covers his distinctive British accent amazingly well. The duo play off each other expertly, and their gradual embracing of Walter as their ward is a pleasure to watch. Walter himself, played by the formerly great Haley Joel Osment, is entirely sympathetic, though it’s puzzling why he has any fondness for his cheating, lying, egocentric mother (Kyra Sedgwick).

The film makes the rather wishy-washy statement, “Sometimes the things that may or may not be true are the things a man needs to believe in the most,” but, after years of his mother’s infidelity, Walter needs something to believe in and trust. His mother lies constantly yet somehow assumes he’ll believe her, though she’s given him plenty of reasons to not trust a word she says. In contrast, his uncles don’t expect him to accept their tales of the glory days but have never given him cause to doubt them. By the end, when he is forced to decide which narrative to believe, both of which are certainly plausible, he chooses right, a determination that shapes the rest of his life.

The secluded desert location causes the main plot to feel small and withdrawn, making the swash-buckling flashbacks carry a completely different tone that captures the audience’s imaginations along with Walter’s. Secondhand Lions was somewhat of a sleeper film that didn’t get the attention it deserved upon its release, but it holds a wealth of humor, drama, and heart that few films offer nowadays. (The reversed meaning of a sign as Walter leaves his uncles’ property is a good example of the understated poignancy the film conjures.) While Big Fish had too many fanciful elements that bordered on lies themselves, Secondhand Lions is grounded mostly in reality, a reality in which two cantankerous old men turn out to be surprising role models.

Best line: (Hub, when a young punk doesn’t show him due respect) “I’m Hub McCann. I’ve fought in two World Wars and countless smaller ones on three continents. I led thousands of men into battle with everything from horses and swords to artillery and tanks. I’ve seen the headwaters of the Nile, and tribes of natives no white man had ever seen before. I’ve won and lost a dozen fortunes, killed many men, and loved only one woman with a passion a flea like you could never begin to understand. That’s who I am. NOW, GO HOME, BOY!”

 

Artistry: 7

Characters/Actors: 9

Entertainment: 9

Visual Effects: 7

Originality: 8

Watchability: 8

 

TOTAL: 48 out of 60

 

Next: #138 – Extraordinary Measures

© 2014 S. G. Liput

189 Followers and Counting

 

Daniel Hillard loves his son

And both his daughters, every one,

Perhaps a bit too much.

When wife Miranda seeks divorce,

He must be near his kids, of course,

Through trickery and such.

 

His make-up artist brother molds

A new persona Dan upholds,

A nanny Mrs. Doubtfire.

As Daniel acts his chosen role,

He fools his family on the whole,

Though Dan is still an outlier.

 

Enforcing rules he used to flout,

At first he makes his children pout,

But he/she proves proactive.

He’s sad to see Miranda dating

Some Bond type named Stu he’s hating

Since he’s so attractive.

 

Meanwhile, Daniel gets a job

And makes himself no more a slob,

A point he gets across.

By accident, he earns a chance

At his own show, but, in advance,

He must impress the boss.

 

Miranda’s birthday’s that same night,

At that same restaurant! Awkward, quite.

So he goes forth and back

Between the tables, switching roles,

But things spin out of his controls,

And he starts losing track.

 

Thanks to a snafu of his own,

His Mrs. Doubtfire cover’s blown,

Which shocks his former wife.

But as in court, he pleads his case,

She sees the passion in his face;

To spare him separation’s knife,

She lets the kids stay in his life.

____________________

 

There must be something inherently funny about cross-dressing, since AFI’s top two comedies were Tootsie and Some Like It Hot. Though neither one featured sexual reasons behind the masquerade, Mrs. Doubtfire has the best, a father’s love for his children. This film is an excellent example of the inimitable skill of the late Robin Williams. It features some of his manic delivery, his quick-thinking dialogue, his talent for impressions, and his capacity for unforeseen sincerity. Just as Dustin Hoffman wowed audiences by convincingly portraying a woman in Tootsie, Williams does an outstanding job in the title role, and, thanks to Oscar-winning make-up, there’s no doubt about why his family didn’t recognize him.

The film is rife with outstanding one-liners, a self-aware soundtrack, and many now-classic comedic moments, such as Daniel trying to hide his alter ego from a court liaison in his apartment (as well as his rapid-fire impressions trying to make her laugh), his initial fooling of Miranda over the phone, and his/her rocking out with a broom. The sequence at the end, in which Daniel must alternate between engagements, is now an all-too-familiar routine in animated shows (an episode of Hey, Arnold! comes to mind), but it’s the hilarious highlight of the film. Sally Field and Pierce Brosnan also shine as Miranda and Stuart, and Field’s reaction to Daniel’s subterfuge recalls her memorable personality switches in Sybil.

Overall, Mrs. Doubtfire not only has humor in spades, but it showcases the heart with which Robin Williams could fill his performances. His behavior throughout the film is indeed cause for concern, but his heartfelt speech before the judge at the end makes it completely understandable, at least to the audience and to Miranda. It was just a coincidence that this film came on my list so soon after his death, but it’s one of his most enduring comedies and, like all his films, will now include a touch of sadness at the loss of a legend.

Best lines (I couldn’t choose): (Daniel, dressed as Mrs. Doubtfire, after catching on fire) “My first day as a woman and I’m getting hot flashes.”

 

(Daniel, as Mrs. Doubtfire) “Oh, I thought I saw Clint Eastwood; that would make my day! He is such a stud muffin!”

 

(Mrs. Doubtfire, when told God made her as she is) “Well, He broke the mold when He made me.”

 

(Mrs. Doubtfire, speaking of her fake husband) “He was quite fond of the drink. It was the drink that killed him.”

(Miranda) “How awful. He was an alcoholic?”

(Mrs. Doubtfire) “No, he was hit by a Guinness truck. So it was quite literally the drink that killed him.”

 

Artistry: 9

Characters/Actors: 10

Entertainment: 10

Visual Effects: N/A (not counting make-up)

Originality: 9

Watchability: 10

 

TOTAL: 48 out of 60

 

Next: #142 – Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home

© 2014 S. G. Liput

186 Followers and Counting

 

P.S. It doesn’t compare to the testimonies of those who knew him personally, but below is a short tribute to Robin Williams and his career. May he rest in peace.

 

He charmed as an alien hatched from an egg,

A naïve observer, a fun powder keg.

Endearing and funny and mentally quick,

He made every film he was in. Take your pick.

 

A radio DJ, a nutty professor,

A nanny pretending so no one will guess “her,”

A seller of cars, and a feverish genie,

A rain forest bat, and a shrewd Arctic meanie,

An android, and Theodore Roosevelt too,

A player who learns what a board game can do,

A doctor who helps patients frozen in time,

A therapist aiding a lad in his prime,

A heavenly soul mate, a tap-dancing creature,

A Fagin musician, a wise English teacher,

A weird photo maker, a manic gay man,

A Holy Grail seeker, a grown Peter Pan.

I doubt any other like him shall exist.

Farewell, Robin Williams, for you shall be missed.