Tag Archives: Drama

Fireproof (2008)

31 Monday Mar 2014

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Caleb Holt’s a firefighter
Choosing work and overnighters
Over Catherine, his own wife,
Who seems to him a cross backbiter.
Quick to nag him and berate,
She seems to not appreciate
That every day he risks his life.
He’s sick of having still to fight her.
 
She in turn believes him rude,
Quick to scorn her and exclude.
Plus, he has a porn addiction
And a surly attitude.
Every time they both are present,
Both can’t help but be unpleasant.
Marriage offers naught but friction
And a never-ending feud.
 
Both agree that their best course
Would be to file for divorce,
But Caleb’s father tells his son
To wait, or there will be remorse.
He hawks a forty-day affair,
The marriage-salvaging Love Dare.
He says to follow it till done,
And it may be a changing force.
 
Caleb does it, day by day,
Resisting nasty things to say,
Buying flowers, doing chores,
And hating it in every way.
His sudden change may be too late.
Again, she can’t appreciate
His “loving” work, which she ignores,
Assuming it’s a greedy play.
 
Caleb’s soon prepared to quit,
Not seeing any point to it.
He’s simply going through the motions,
Which his dad helps him admit.
His father’s counsel brings him toward
A closer friendship with the Lord,
Which changes Caleb’s selfish notions,
Helping him to now commit.
 
Still fighting every risky blaze,
He tries for real for several days.
He kicks his nightly porn obsession,
Proving this is not a phase.
He tells off Catherine’s friend at work,
A suitor and potential jerk.
As kindness comes in quick succession,
Catherine’s floored by Caleb’s ways.
 
When she learns he paid a price
To offer her a sacrifice,
She chooses not to push divorce.
Instead, she hugs and seeks advice.
They both affirm fidelity,
Renewing vows for all to see.
They’ve learned that God is love’s true source,
Who helped them fall in love now twice.
____________________
 

I said at the beginning of this blog that, despite my faith, my list would not be full of usual Christian fare, and Fireproof is the first film so far that could be considered a strictly Christian movie, though A Walk to Remember featured a young girl unashamed of her faith who helped bring a troubled lad closer to God. Still, while that film was more romance with some language to spice it up for secular audiences, Fireproof is a movie made by Christians for Christians, with a soundtrack of current Christian songs and a clear evangelistic message. Those who cannot stand such films may not enjoy Fireproof, but it remains one of the best independent Christian films to date, with some powerful themes and lessons that even non-Christians should be able to appreciate.

I’ll be honest: the acting is not the best. The everyday interactions with people, particularly on the part of Erin Bethea as Catherine Holt, just seem stilted, like they’re all reading a script. On the other hand, the moments between Catherine and Caleb (played by Christian all-star Kirk Cameron) are the most compelling scenes, whether for good or bad. Their arguments sound like real marital strife with both at fault to some extent, and their reconciliation is believably slow to develop, with the final scenes admittedly touching (my parents couldn’t help but tear up). The best character development involves Caleb’s true change, from trashing his porn habit by massacring his computer (I hope there weren’t any important files on there) to admitting he’s on day 43 of his 40-day challenge.

One thing that makes Fireproof impressive is the intense firefighter scenes, including a train barreling toward a crushed car and a close shave in a burning house. The production values are quite high, considering this film was made predominately by volunteers of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. Because it is church-sponsored, it has the typical evangelical message that some don’t like, but it’s handled pretty well and doesn’t take up a lot of screen time. Also, considering how many marriages fail each year, the film offers some important messages: a relationship with Jesus can help other relationships too, never leave your partner behind, pornography is destructive, and love is not about feeling but commitment. Thus, even if people out there are wary of overtly Christian films, Fireproof is well-worth seeing.

Best line: (Caleb) “Marriage isn’t fireproof.” (Caleb’s friend Michael) “Fireproof doesn’t mean the fire will never come. It means when the fire comes that you will be able to withstand it.”

 
Artistry: 4
Characters/Actors: 4
Entertainment: 5
Visual Effects: 5
Originality: 7
Watchability: 5
Other (moral value): +3
 
TOTAL: 33 out of 60
 

Next: #281: We Are Marshall

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

The Impossible (2012)

20 Thursday Mar 2014

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The Bennetts spend their Christmas in a Thailand beach resort
And enjoy their seaside holiday until it is cut short.
A massive wave of water strikes, and they are in its path.
The five are separated in the vicious aftermath.
 
Maria and her eldest son named Lucas are together,
And endure the vast tsunami many others could not weather.
The two survive the terrible and unrelenting flood,
And, once they get out, both are smeared with mud and dirt and blood.
 
They climb a tree with effort, but Maria’s badly hurt.
Thai villagers arrive and drag her through debris and dirt.
They take her to a hospital where death and pain are rife,
And overburdened doctors try to save Maria’s life.
 
When Lucas helps some folks, he reunites a dad and son.
Returning to his mother, though, he finds that she is gone.
Maria was mislabeled when her surgery arrived,
And Lucas is relieved when he is shown that she survived.
 
Meanwhile, Henry Bennett sifts through wreckage and debris,
As he searches for his wife and Lucas, parted by the sea.
His other children, Simon and young Thomas, are all right,
But Henry sends them off so he can search for one more night.
 
He starts to inspect hospitals and staggering mass graves,
Assisted by another who lost family to the waves.
He checks Maria’s hospital and thinks she isn’t there,
When Lucas finds his brothers and embraces the lost pair.
 
The family’s reunited, yet Maria’s fading fast.
In surgery, she dreams about the fierce tsunami’s blast.
Just as she reached the surface, she survives the surgery,
And the five fly home together o’er the vast and violent sea.
___________________________
 

The Impossible is a powerful film and, as emphasized at the very beginning, a true story. In my review for The Day after Tomorrow, I said the outlandish catastrophes depicted in that movie were entertaining because they were fictional. That was a popcorn movie; The Impossible is not. Film about actual disasters are always more affecting because they happened to real people and changed countless lives, offering examples of both pain and heroism that are much more deeply felt than, say, CGI tornadoes ripping through impersonal skyscrapers.

The Impossible is often painful to watch, particularly the scenes featuring Maria’s cringe-worthy leg wound. Yet, amid all the agony and death, there are moments of light: a presumably orphaned child being seen with a loving parent, a hopeless father hugging the lost son that a stranger found for him, and of course the tear-jerking reunion of Henry and his children. Other details, such as a nonchalant note left by a survivor’s missing family before the wave hit, illustrate how swiftly life can change for the worse.

The acting is superb across the board. Though Naomi Watts received the only Oscar nomination for her pain-filled role as Maria, Ewan McGregor as Henry and Tom Holland as Lucas also give Oscar-worthy performances that connect the audience to this family that’s been torn apart. My VC felt that the technique of muting the sound to evoke the passage of time was overused, but overall the direction is also excellent.

While the scenes of suffering are devastating to watch, I appreciate that the filmmakers didn’t make it as violent as they could have. There are still some brief scenes of female nudity and some wincing injuries that could have been left out. The main issue I have, however, is the fact that God is not mentioned at all. I understand if the family was not religious, but events like these tend to bring people to a realization of divine power and aid. Considering the astounding coincidences that took place to bring the family back together, some religious references would have been appropriate. Even so, when the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami hit, many in the U.S. could easily ignore it at the time since it was on the other side of the world; The Impossible brings this terrible tragedy home in a very powerful way.

Best line: (Henry, to his sons) “But you know the most scary bit for me?”
(Thomas) “When the water hit?”
(Henry) “No. After that, when I came up, I was on my own. That was the scariest part. And when I saw the two of you clinging to the tree, I didn’t feel so scared anymore. I knew I wasn’t on my own. You see?”

 

Artistry: 8
Characters/Actors: 10
Entertainment: 3
Visual Effects: 8
Originality: 7
Watchability: 2
Other (nudity, violence, and lack of religious awareness): -6
 
TOTAL: 32 out of 60
 

Next: #291: The Secret World of Arrietty

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

Apollo 13 (1995)

18 Tuesday Mar 2014

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When astronaut Jim Lovell sees us landing on the moon,
He dreams of going there himself and gets his chance quite soon.
His lunar mission is moved up to lucky one, thirteen,
And he and Mattingly and Haise all practice their routine.
But days before the launch, they learn that Mattingly’s exposed
To measles, so he must be barred or else nobody goes.
 
He is replaced by ladies’ man Jack Swigert, and the three
All work together fine, although he’s no Ken Mattingly.
While Lovell’s wife is worried sick about this risky mission,
She sees him off, supporting his celestial ambition.
Lovell, Swigert, and Fred Haise at last launch into space,
And, over days, fly to the moon at just the proper pace.
 
All seems to go just as it should until they hear a bang,
And Lovell notices a leak that threatens their whole gang.
Their oxygen is leaking fast, and it becomes quite clear:
They cannot land upon the moon, although it is so near.
They get into Aquarius, the module used for landing,
And use it as a lifeboat, which will keep their vessel standing.
 
Returning to the Earth right through the shadow of the moon,
Jim dreams about how close he’s come, how it’s inopportune,
But now they have to get back home, and NASA’s engineers
Are pushed to solve the problems, and each person perseveres.
From saving the ship’s power to reducing CO2,
The scientists and Mattingly (who’s healthy still) pull through.
 
Though Haise gets sick and tension’s high, the crew continues on,
Eventually preparing to return from whence they’d gone.
The heat shield’s strength is still in doubt, but Lovell and the rest
Fly in the planet’s atmosphere, and everyone is stressed.
Four minutes later, Lovell’s voice alleviates concern,
And everybody celebrates the astronauts’ return.
__________________________
 

Apollo 13 is one of the most authentic and meticulously researched films about manned space flight ever made. The film is of particular interest to my family because my grandfather was himself involved with NASA’s Apollo missions (as well as Mercury and Gemini) and worked straight through several days and nights to assist in bringing those three astronauts home. My mom also participated in the Space Shuttle program and recognized various real names used in the film like engineer Guenter Wendt. The resourcefulness of these unsung heroes is laudably extolled as they come up with solutions that kept the astronauts alive.

Ron Howard’s almost documentary-like direction of the structured proceedings makes the viewer feel like he’s watching actual events, though this effect is tempered by the star presence of Tom Hanks as Lovell, Kevin Bacon as Swigert, and Bill Paxton as Haise. All fill their roles quite well, as does Ed Harris as Flight Director Gene Kranz, inexplicably the only one to earn a Best Actor Oscar nomination. (It was nice to hear his voice in the same kind of role in the recent Gravity.)

While the main characters are well-developed as a rule, particularly Oscar nominee Kathleen Quinlan as the long-suffering Marilyn Lovell, the best parts are the moments of space travel, whether the simple floating of the astronauts (achieved through putting the actors in a plummeting aircraft) to the grandeur of Apollo 13’s spectacular launch. The weightlessness is particularly well-done, and the way it was created is hidden surprisingly well. The film also has some effective moments of poignancy (Lovell dreaming of his lost moon landing) and tension (the Odyssey’s reentry, which manages to be nail-biting even though most probably know the outcome).

The main issue is, of course, the unnecessary profanity, but I also felt that the last half-hour of the astronauts being stranded could have been shortened. I realize that time dragged for the three spacefarers as they waited for NASA’s directions, but, by the time they came back to Earth, I was definitely ready for the film to be over. Nevertheless, Apollo 13 brings to life a nerve-racking time in American history, and Lovell’s ending monologue questioning when we will return to the moon remains as timely now as it was then.

Best line: (Blanche, Jim Lovell’s mother, as she is introduced to Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin) “Are you boys in the space program too?”

VC’s best line: (Jim Lovell, using German accent) “Ah, Guenter Wendt! I wonder where Guenter Wendt?”

 
Artistry: 7
Characters/Actors: 7
Entertainment: 6
Visual Effects: 8
Originality: 5
Watchability: 5
Other (language and length): -6
 
TOTAL: 32 out of 60
 

Next: #293: Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

#300: The Godfather (1972)

11 Tuesday Mar 2014

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Vito Corleone is a New York City don
Who is loved by his large family but feared by everyone.
When Vito’s godson wants a film role, it is his, of course,
Once the film director wakes up to the head of some poor horse.
 
Some lowlife named Salozzo tries to promise compensation
In the hopes the don will guard his new narcotics operation.
The don says “No” to drugs and brushes off his sons’ advice;
He prefers that mainly gambling remain the family vice.
 
Salozzo won’t accept a “No” and uses power and pelf
To knock off Vito’s chief hit man and shoot the don himself.
Surviving, Vito’s threatened by his many vengeful foes
But protected by son Michael who repels the lethal pros.
 
When Michael wants to kill the drug lord, finishing this feud,
Salozzo and his bodyguard are shot while eating food.
Then Michael, who until then had eschewed his father’s ways,
Goes off to hide in Sicily and that is where he stays.
 
When his son Sonny is gunned down, the don then sues for peace
Among the warring families and calls for strife to cease.
Mike meets a girl and marries her but soon she’s murdered too.
He goes back home and marries Kay, from whom he once withdrew.
 
Soon Michael is the family head and tries to move them west;
He tells his wife they’ll soon be legal so she won’t protest.
The aging don keels over while he plays with Michael’s son,
And Michael knows betrayal is near so something must be done.
 
While Michael sees his nephew christened and gives vows in vain,
He has the rival family heads and every traitor slain.
He kills his sister’s husband and denies the fact to Kay;
He’s now the new Don Corleone and Godfather this day.
____________________________
 

This is it, the moment when it becomes absolutely clear that this is my list and no one else’s. It may seem unbelievable that this film that populates so many top 5 film lists is only #300 on mine, but I will try to qualify that choice. I will state right up front that The Godfather is a great film but not necessarily a great movie. That is to say, it is nearly flawless in its artistic presentation of fine actors and a skilled director creating a story full of nuance and intrigue, but, as an enjoyable entertainment experience that I, as a viewer, want to repeatedly watch, it falls short.

The superb acting, the impeccable costumes and period details, the instantly recognizable score, and its many iconic scenes are downright perfect, and, by the end, one feels saturated by this mafia world of Italian dons and murder as a necessary evil. While the opening conversations with Best Actor winner Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone and the horse head scene have attracted the most attention and parody, the part that stuck out to me was the tense hospital scene in which Michael tries to hide his father as echoing footsteps approach. Also, the bloodbath near the end that takes place as Michael “renounces Satan” is extremely effective in both its shock value and its confirmation that Michael has indeed gone to the dark side.

I suppose that is the problem: as impressive and compelling as the film is, I can’t get past the subject matter. I’ve already stated my dislike for most caper films, and gangster movies like this are not much different. They glorify crime and violence, and, while the final scenes affirm that Michael is evil now, he essentially gets away with all those murders. (The same thing happened in Part II, which I basically hold on the same level as the first; I’ll write a poem for it someday.) Considering that the Corleone family is the centerpiece of the film, it’s just a shame that I can’t really root for them; I suppose it’s sad when some of them are gunned down, but ultimately they bring it on themselves. As I said, the film does a wonderful job immersing the audience in another way of life, but, unlike Witness or The Horse Whisperer, it is a lifestyle I neither envy nor admire.

The violence and language are frequent, and, though the horse head scene has comparatively more blood, Michael’s shooting of Salozzo and McCluskey really shocked me with its stark realism, even if there was a lot of buildup to it. All this is not to detract from The Godfather’s truly iconic status; I definitely see why it’s so high on other people’s lists. It’s just not my preferred kind of movie.

Best line (predictable, I know): “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.”

 
Artistry: 10
Characters/Actors: 10
Entertainment: 5
Visual Effects (overly realistic shootings): 5
Originality: 7
Watchability: 2
Other (language, violence, subject matter): -8
 
TOTAL: 31 out of 60
 

Next: #299: The Time Traveler’s Wife

© 2014 S. G. Liput

A Walk to Remember (2002)

08 Saturday Mar 2014

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When Landon Carter and his friends
Decide to pull a high school trick
Upon a fellow kid, it ends
With that lad hurt, but in one piece.
Then all the cool kids run off quick,
But Landon’s captured by police.
 
He’s sentenced to do work at school
And tutors kids each Saturday,
He acts as if he’s way too cool
To deal with penance for his crime.
He also helps the school’s spring play,
But treats it as a waste of time.
 
A girl named Jamie in his class
Does all these things as well, for fun!
A preacher’s kid and lovely lass,
She’s kind and quiet, pure as snow.
Her ways are mocked by everyone
That Landon Carter cares to know.
 
But when his “friends” can’t help him much,
He begs her help to learn his lines.
She offers Christian aid and such,
But is disheartened by the fact
That, out in public, he declines.
Around his friends, he’s just an act.
 
The two of them still play the leads,
Who fall in love within the play,
And Jamie’s character succeeds
In winning over Landon Carter.
Her voice blows everyone away,
And, after that, the lad is smarter.
 
But Landon’s friends do something cruel,
To shame poor Jamie just for sport,
But he stands up for her at school,
Which brings them close but galls his friends.
He asks her dad if they can court,
And, though he’s skeptical, he bends.
 
But Jamie soon admits she’s sick,
Leukemia will claim her life.
But Landon has the nerve to stick
And woos her every chance he gets
Till Jamie says she’ll be his wife.
He loves her till her bright star sets.
 
His time with Jamie made him better;
It gave him dreams and lifelong goals.
He’s never sorry that he met her,
Although she vanished like a wraith.
Their love fulfilled their youthful souls
And helped him understand her faith.
______________________
 

A Walk to Remember is a high school love story that, on the surface, may seem formulaic and weepy, but, upon a closer look, becomes a beautiful romance and tale of transformation that is more touching than most. I particularly like this Nicholas Sparks adaptation over his other more well-known one The Notebook because of the morality central to the story. Unlike the out-of-control preacher’s kids in movies such as Footloose, Jamie Sullivan exemplifies so many virtues that anyone who values faithfulness and authenticity should find her attractive, beyond Mandy Moore’s physical beauty.

Landon’s redemption and love for her are also made more genuine by the fact that he shows his love. In contrast to love-at-first-sight stories like The Notebook, he brushes her off at first, but, by the end, his growth as a person is evident. He piles flowers on her porch, respectfully asks her stern father for permission to date, builds her a new telescope, tries to grant her list of wishes, and spends every moment proving his undying affection for her. Even after she’s gone, he remains an upstanding citizen, holding her memory as his inspiration in life. (Compare this with the way Ryan Gosling’s character went sharply downhill without the love of his life in The Notebook.)

The acting is shaky at first, but everyone grows into their characters nicely, and Shane West and Mandy Moore have undeniable chemistry by the end. Plus, it was nice to see Darryl Hannah and Peter Coyote in a different kind of role for them. Nicholas Sparks’s ability as a writer shines with the quirks he builds into the characters, such as Jamie’s list of things to do before she dies, an event that comes too soon. The end is bittersweet but much more uplifting than other films with similar outcomes, such as 1998’s City of Angels.

While the filmmakers had to add in some obscenities in order to make it more than a Hallmark movie or a low-budget Christian film, Jamie’s laudable faith and Landon’s satisfying turn-around make it a movie that’s a tad corny but well worth seeing. Plus, though I don’t care for Landon’s preferred music at the beginning, the film has a pretty good soundtrack, highlighted by Mandy Moore’s performance of Switchfoot’s “Only Hope.” Also, according to Wikipedia, most critics panned the film, but it is the 28th most liked film on Facebook, with good reason.

Best line: (Landon, reading a quote to Jamie from her book) “‘What is a friend? It’s a single soul dwelling in two bodies.’ -Aristotle.”

 
Artistry: 6
Characters/Actors: 6
Entertainment: 5
Visual Effects: N/A
Originality: 5
Watchability: 5
Other (moral value): +6
Other (language): -2
 
TOTAL: 31 out of 60
 

Tomorrow: #301: Independence Day

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005)

05 Wednesday Mar 2014

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Francis Ouimet is a caddy
At a Massachusetts club,
Where he’s used to high-brow members
Giving him a haughty snub.
 
Francis witnessed Harry Vardon
When the caddy was a boy.
Meeting such a famous golfer
Made golf something to enjoy.
 
Over years, the lad has practiced;
Now it seems he has a chance
For a coming tournament,
But he’s scorned at in advance.
 
Even Francis’ father makes him
Swear to stop golf if he fails.
When he doesn’t qualify,
Francis sadly enters sales.
 
Two years later, he again
Is offered up a chance to play.
This time it’s the U.S. Open,
But he answers with a nay.
 
Yet, when Francis quickly hears
That Harry Vardon will compete,
He decides to break his promise
And to challenge the elite.
 
When his caddy cannot come,
Young Eddie Lowery volunteers.
Though he’s just a chubby kid,
He pep-talks Francis through his fears.
 
Harry Vardon quickly moves
With friend Ted Ray into the lead.
Many people think, with them,
A win for England’s guaranteed.
 
But the snobs who watch and judge
Are soon surprised by Francis’ gains.
In the end, he does quite well;
In fact, a three-way tie remains!
 
Vardon calms his own unease
Of being good enough to play.
Ray thereafter “drops the ball,”
And two will putt the final day.
 
Francis and his hero vie
To win the title, calm the dread,
And, upon the final hole,
Francis wins one stroke ahead.
 
Everybody’s shocked but cheered;
An amateur has won such fame!
Francis’ father now respects
His son’s success and love of the game.
______________________
 

The Greatest Game Ever Played is typical underdog sports fare, which manages to still be quite unique because, rather than the usual football or basketball or baseball story, it’s about everyone’s favorite sport, golf. Directed by Bill Paxton, this film offers an interesting view of the game, often using different camera angles, such as presenting a putt through the “eyes” of the ball. Plus, the production values and cinematography recreate 1913 much more convincingly than the effects-laden past of Peter Jackson’s King Kong.

The acting is also wonderful, particularly Shia LaBeouf as Francis Ouimet, proving that, yes, he can indeed act. His relationships with his parents, Eddie, his wealthy girlfriend Sarah, and his hero/rival Harry Vardon are all well-developed and touching in different ways. While his father’s disparagement of his talent is disconcerting (I guess he thought only things that make money are worthwhile), his final come-around at the end is utterly touching and brought a tear to my VC’s eye. While the continual arrogance of the aristocrats who insist golf is strictly a “gentlemen’s game” gets old fast, I appreciate the way the filmmakers humanized Francis’ opponents Harry Vardon and Ted Ray. They could have easily been made unlikable competitors, but both were given their own eccentricities and troubles that make the audience root for them as well.

It isn’t the most exciting film, but golf isn’t the most exciting game either. This, along with Tin Cup, makes up pretty much the entirety of The Golf Channel’s movie lineup, but Greatest Game is not just a great golf movie; it’s a great movie, period.

Best line: (Harry Vardon, to the head pompous “gentleman”) “Let me tell you something. I came here to win a trophy. And on the face of it Ted Ray or I should carry it off. Not for you, not for England, but for sheer bloody pride at being the best, that’s why we do this. And if Mr. Ouimet wins tomorrow, it’s because he’s the best, because of who he is. Not who his father was, not how much money he’s got, because of who he bloody is! And I’ll thank you to remember that. And I’ll thank you to show the respect a gentleman gives as a matter of course.”

 
Artistry: 7
Characters/Actors: 6
Entertainment: 6
Visual Effects: 5
Originality: 4
Watchability: 6
Other (brief language and early slowness): -3
 
TOTAL: 31 out of 60
 

Tomorrow: #304: The Castle of Cagliostro

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

The Horse Whisperer (1998)

04 Tuesday Mar 2014

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When Judith and Grace
Try to go for a ride
Astride Pilgrim and Gulliver out in the snow,
They climb up a hill,
But the horses just slide.
Then a truck comes along going too fast to slow.
 
Judith and her horse
Are killed upon impact,
But Pilgrim and Grace are both injured and sore.
Grace loses a leg,
And a vet says, in fact,
That it’s better for Pilgrim to suffer no more.
 
But Grace’s mom Annie
Refuses consent,
For she can’t make that choice when her daughter’s so hurt.
But Grace soon becomes
A depressed malcontent,
And they each think the other one treats them like dirt.
 
Meanwhile, poor Pilgrim
Is savage and scarred,
And the sight of young Grace only fills him with fear.
So Annie decides,
Though the trip will be hard,
She must go to a pro on Montana’s frontier.
 
Forsaking her husband,
With whom she’s at odds,
Annie drives both the horse and her daughter out west
To horseman Tom Booker,
Whom a magazine lauds
As a “horse whisperer” who can calm the distressed.
 
He doesn’t expect her,
But, seeing the horse,
He says Grace must help out before he proceeds.
The therapy starts,
And Tom doesn’t use force;
He gives Pilgrim the distance and love that he needs.
 
Tom’s brother invites
The New Yorkers to stay
In the ranch’s guest quarters while Tom does his work.
So little by little,
Tom’s efforts do pay,
And soon Pilgrim’s no longer going berserk.
 
But little by little,
It seems Annie’s growing
More closely attached to this handsome cowboy.
And Grace also lets
Her own smile start showing.
They find that this new way of life they enjoy.
 
It’s still difficult
For both Pilgrim and Grace
To get over the trauma that brought them so low,
And yet, with Tom’s help,
They both learn to face
All the fears and distress that they couldn’t let go.
 
Though Annie is torn
By her love for dear Tom,
Who returns her emotion but doubts it’s enough,
She decides to depart
And remain wife and mom,
And Tom watches her leave from a large grassy bluff.
___________________________
 

Since today is my VC’s birthday, I felt it only appropriate to include one of her favorite movies on this day of my film countdown. Honestly, she loves this movie way more than I do, probably putting it in her top 50. I’m more cool toward it, but I’ll still admit that Robert Redford is as charming as ever as Tom Booker and actually does a nice job as both actor and director.

I don’t love, love, love this movie like my VC, simply because it is somewhat of a chick flick and a long and slow-paced one at that. Still, there is much to admire, mainly in the acting and cinematography. Kristin Scott Thomas as Annie gets more likable as the film goes on, and Scarlett Johansson shines in one of her early roles as the traumatized Grace. The scenery of the Montana ranch is breathtaking and truly glorious. Plus, the birds-eye views of the highway snaking through the countryside during Annie’s road trip across America offer unique perspectives I haven’t seen elsewhere.

I also appreciate the moral ending. I mentioned in my post on Witness that the end of that film was unsatisfying since the Amish woman had already slept with John Book, acting on her passions, before deciding to remain Amish as if nothing had happened. Here, Annie is clearly tempted by Tom, and he by her, but neither does anything to really put the other over the edge. In the end, her leaving is sad but more understandable since she was essentially stopping herself before their romance went too far. This decision wasn’t popular with some critics, but it’s one that I respect much more than the one in Witness.

Overall, The Horse Whisperer is a well-made film with magnificent vistas and an interesting view of a way of life foreign to most, one that, like the Amish lifestyle, I do not envy for myself but I certainly admire. I will say, though, that this romance will mainly appeal to Robert Redford fans and horse enthusiasts, like my VC.

Best line: (Annie) “I don’t jog, Mr. Booker, I run.”  (Tom) “Well that’s lucky for you. The grizzlies around here mostly go for the joggers.”

 
Artistry: 7
Characters/Actors: 8
Entertainment: 4
Visual Effects: 5
Originality: 5
Watchability: 4
Other (language): -3
 
TOTAL: 30 out of 60
 

Tomorrow: #306: King Kong (2005)

© 2014 S. G. Liput

The African Queen (1951)

03 Monday Mar 2014

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When World War I had scarce begun
The Germans were superior
In Africa’s interior,
Where they assumed that they had won.
Their killing spree makes natives flee
Away from the Ulanga stream
And from a missionary team,
Two British siblings, scared but free.
 
The foes’ control does take its toll
On Samuel, who gets sick and goes
To God and leaves his sister Rose,
Who hates the Germans as a whole.
And yet Rose soon receives a boon
When Charlie Allnut joins the scene
Aboard his boat the African Queen
And rescues her that afternoon.
 
This British pair are quite aware
They’re in unfriendly territory,
But their steamboat’s inventory
Gives to Rose a plan to share.
Rose tells her host what matters most
Is, in this land of tropic beauty,
To do their patriotic duty,
And fight the Germans near the coast.
 
Her forceful vote is to devote
The ship to be a bomb of sorts,
In hopes their crazy mission thwarts
The Queen Louisa, a big gunboat.
Though Allnut doubts what she’s about,
He does agree to aid her quest,
And, with some coaxing, he is pressed
To sail down by a risky route.
 
They steam on fast and sail right past
The German guns at Shona’s fort
With minor damage to report,
And, after that, are not harassed.
The next speed bump for them to trump
Is rapids, three whitewater falls,
And, by the end, the paddle stalls,
Which throws their plan into a slump.
 
While they are stayed to fix a blade,
A romance clearly has begun.
The rapids turned out to be fun,
And they grow close in their crusade.
They next get stuck within some muck
Around the river’s delta mouth,
And their whole enterprise goes south,
As they are lost and out of luck.
 
A quick downpour saves them before
They meet their end, so Charlie then
Creates their planned torpedo when
They’re ready to engage the war.
Their plan embarks that night, but hark!
Their launch becomes a big mistake;
A storm blows up upon the lake
And sinks the Queen in rain and dark.
 
Charlie, then Rose are saved by foes
Aboard the target ship Louisa.
So Rose decides to quickly seize a
Chance to tell, so someone knows.
The girl’s harangue confirms they’ll hang.
The couple beg the captain to
First marry them before they do;
They then are ready, but then BANG!
 
The sunken Queen does intervene.
The two ships luckily collide,
And their bomb strikes Louisa’s side
And helps them get away unseen.
As Rose had vowed, they stood unbowed,
Prepared to die, but each survives
And they both plan to share their lives,
Now having done their country proud.
_______________________
 

The African Queen is a wartime adventure starring Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart in roles perfectly suited for them. While I like Katherine Hepburn on the whole, I’m not a big fan of Bogie, finding his typical presence so “iconic” that it’s rather boring. But his performance as Charlie Allnut here is out of type, rough and uncouth but still attempting to be a gentleman in his own way. Perhaps that’s why he won his only Oscar for The African Queen.

The two’s romance is well-handled, developing gradually from initial distant uneasiness to excited camaraderie as they share in the toils of their trek. I also admire the difficulties endured by the cast and crew as they withstood sickness and much difficulty shooting many parts of the film on location in central Africa. While the climax involving the African Queen’s “vengeance” of sorts is different from the ending of the book on which the film is based, I actually think it was a nice touch that helped compress several events, such as the couple’s marriage and the sinking of the Queen Louisa. Still, as with many old movies from the 1950s and earlier, I thought the film ended rather abruptly and could have used some additional scene, perhaps of Rose and Charlie making it to shore.

All in all, while it’s not quite as exciting as a description makes it sound, The African Queen nonetheless offers a wonderful blend of humor, action, and romance that the whole family can enjoy.

Best line: (the Louisa’s captain as he marries Rose and Charlie) “By the authority vested in me by Kaiser William II, I pronounce you man and wife. Proceed with the execution.”

 
Artistry: 5
Characters/Actors: 7
Entertainment: 5
Visual Effects: 3
Originality: 5
Watchability: 5
 
TOTAL: 30 out of 60
 

Tomorrow: #307: The Horse Whisperer

© 2014 S. G. Liput

#310: The Karate Kid (1984)

02 Sunday Mar 2014

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When Daniel LaRusso moves to the west coast
From New Jersey because of his mom,
He isn’t too pleased with the run-down apartment
And shows it and yet remains calm.
 
His feelings start changing when kids his own age
Invite Daniel to beach party fun.
Attracted to Ali, who’s lovely and rich,
He thinks a good thing has begun.
 
But then her ex-boyfriend named Johnny shows up
And pummels poor Dan to the ground.
From then on, our hero is picked on and bullied
Whenever adults aren’t around.
 
But Daniel begins to befriend a repairman
At home by the name of Miyagi.
He knows of karate and thrashes Dan’s foes
When the boy is all battered and groggy.
 
While Daniel is eager to learn how to fight,
Miyagi insists he be smart
And talk to the bullies’ karate instructor,
Who’s ruthless in his martial art.
 
Miyagi suggests that all fighting be done
In a tournament two months away.
The teacher agrees that the violence should stop
But only to train for that day.
 
The next several weeks, Daniel feels like a slave
As he’s told to do chore after chore,
Like waxing and painting and sanding and such,
Which turn out to be something more.
 
These tiresome tasks may at first have seemed dull,
But they train Daniel’s arms and his hands.
With time, Daniel’s balance and technique improve,
And he fathoms Miyagi’s demands.
 
He learns that Miyagi was in World War II
And lost both his wife and his son.
When Dan has a birthday and need of a car,
His caring sensei gives him one.
 
His friendship with Ali, meanwhile, seesaws
Since he fears that he’s too poor for her.
He overreacts but admits his mistake,
And they’re soon just as close as they were.
 
The tournament comes, and the boy does quite well,
And both Daniel and Johnny advance,
But Johnny’s sensei tries to get Daniel hurt,
And he thinks that he’s ruined Dan’s chance.
 
Miyagi, however, helps Daniel recover,
And, back in the ring, Daniel tries
A kick that he noticed Miyagi once doing
And wins both respect and the prize.
______________________
 

The Karate Kid is a typical 1980s underdog tale that is essentially a martial arts version of Rocky set in high school, even sharing the same director as the 1976 boxing classic. Nonetheless, it rises above its overfamiliar plot elements (the newbie in town, the “cool” bullies, etc.) to become an inspiring classic in its own right with a unique young/old friendship found in only a few other movies, such as Up. (I will say that the beginning bears much resemblance to 1987’s The Lost Boys, minus the vampires—one of my VC’s personal favorites.) Many scenes are time-honored favorites, from Miyagi’s “wax on, wax off” lesson to the iconic crane kick that ends the film on an undeniably uplifting note. I also like the way it deepened Mr. Miyagi’s character, pointing an oblique spotlight on the afflictions of the Japanese Americans at Manzanar, as well as the heroism of the Nisei soldiers in Europe. Plus, the soundtrack is pretty good too, featuring hits like “Cruel Summer” and “You’re the Best.”

Despite brief language and some cruel high school antics, The Karate Kid is one of the great underdog stories on film, and, though I have not seen the remake with Jackie Chan, between “Pat” Morita’s quiet portrayal of Mr. Miyagi and Ralph Macchio’s likable if immature Daniel, I doubt it can be done better.

 

P.S.  Sorry for the recent hiatus last week. I had to focus on my taxes, but I hope to make up for it in the (hopefully near) future.

 

Best line: (Daniel) “I’m not by myself. I’m with you.”  (Miyagi) “To make honey, young bee need young flower, not old prune.”

 
Artistry: 6
Characters/Actors: 7
Entertainment: 7
Visual Effects: N/A
Originality: 4
Watchability: 7
Other (language): -1
 

Tomorrow: #309: Moonstruck

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

Where the Wild Things Are (2009)

23 Sunday Feb 2014

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Max is feral; Max is free,
As wild as he wants to be.
He much prefers his fantasy
To real-world life and pain.
He’s jealous of his sister’s friends,
Who crush the igloo he defends.
He wrecks her room but then he mends
The mess he made in vain.
 
His mother has a handsome guest,
But Max’s rage won’t be suppressed.
He screams and runs and is a pest
And bites his mom as well.
Alarmed, he flees and yells a while.
He sees a boat, sails to an isle,
Finds some natives to beguile,
And thinks of lies to tell.
 
These Wild Things are in conflict,
But Max insists he can evict
All loneliness and has them tricked.
They make the boy their king.
His first directive to impart
Is that the wild rumpus start,
And everybody plays their part
In one big wild fling.
 
His first friend Carol’s feeling blue
For some girl named KW,
Who’s left her old friends for some new,
And Carol now is jealous.
But Max insists they build a fort,
And so they do; they then cavort
In one big dirt clod-throwing sport,
And some are overzealous.
 
KW gets Carol hurt,
A joke that stings much more than dirt.
The fighting tends to just subvert
What ought to bring them closer.
They all are sullen once they’ve played,
And their respect for Max degrades.
The worried Carol feels betrayed
When Max is called a poser.
 
Then Carol rips off someone’s arm
And tries to do the young king harm.
Max flees the monster in alarm.
KW protects him.
Max sees himself in Carol’s rage,
And chooses then to disengage
From his unstable island stage
Where everyone suspects him.
 
They mourn their loss while he’s in sight,
Including Carol, who’s contrite,
And Max sails on into the night
Upon the ocean’s foam.
When he returns, Mom can relax
And with a hug forgives his acts.
She gives him dinner warm, and Max
Is glad to be back home.
____________________
 

Where the Wild Things Are is a rather odd movie. It’s based off the classic children’s picture book by Maurice Sendak (which my mom read to me growing up), but the tone of the entire film has a distinctly adult sensibility. Except for a few scenes, I can’t really see a kid enjoying it, since even my VC couldn’t hang with it and disliked the dysfunctional family and out-of-control kid (whose behavior probably stems from too little parenting). The film is often boring and wordy and is honestly pretty depressing, what with all the talk about the sun dying and the messed-up relationships that aren’t really resolved.

From this film and what I’ve heard of his others, I would say that director Spike Jonze tends to take seemingly outlandish plotlines and turn them into artistic films that can be taken seriously. He certainly has done just that in Where the Wild Things Are, which may not be meant for young kids but at least avoids the adult content of his other films, like Being John Malkovich and the recent Her.

The appeal of this movie is in its depth and insight into Max’s psyche, which is broken down and given life in the form of the Wild Things he meets. Ira represents his desire to be appreciated; pessimistic Judith is his angry insistence to be taken on his own terms, accepting only love and understanding as an answer; Alexander is his fear of him being ignored and his pain not understood; and Carol is his jealous selfishness and his ferocious temper. Seeing the Wild Things’ relationships break down and particularly Carol’s going “out of control” (as Max did in the beginning) is like Max looking in a mirror and resolving to change. His goodbyes and departure from the Wild Things were actually surprisingly touching.

Unfortunately, Max’s “change” only goes so far. In the final moments with his mom, I kept expecting him to say “I’m sorry,” but those magic words are left unsaid, with only knowing and sympathetic looks to take their place. However, the CGI-enhanced puppets from the Jim Henson Creature Shop are some of the most life-like puppets I’ve ever seen, making the film notable for its visual effects as well. All in all, it’s a well-made but divisive film that is worthy of a much more detailed analysis than I’ve given and one that will only appeal to those who “get” its underlying message.

Best line: (Douglas, when his arm is pulled off during Carol’s vicious tantrum) “That was my favorite arm!”

 
Artistry: 7
Characters/Actors: 6
Entertainment: 3
Visual Effects: 8
Originality: 5
Watchability: 3
Other (slow parts): -2
 
TOTAL: 30 out of 60
 

Tomorrow: #311: The Sword in the Stone

© 2014 S. G. Liput