Tag Archives: Romance

Cinderella (1950)

11 Monday Aug 2014

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(This one’s best sung to the tune of ”Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo”)
 
A dad with bad taste
Re-wed and replaced
His dead wife with someone much worse.
When he too died, his own daughter was faced
With a stepmother and curse.
 
This sweet little lass
Endured all the sass
And cruelty from stepsisters too.
Poor Cinderella was now second class
With all the housework to do.
 
The king of the land
Then plotted and planned
To get his son smitten and wed,
So he decided to throw a ball grand
With a desirable spread.
 
Though Stepmother tried
To keep her hands tied
And have Cinderella not go,
Her mousy friends made her fair as a bride,
Ready to leave even so.
 
The stepsisters, sore,
Then ranted and tore
Her beautiful dress and then left,
Sure she would not be ideal anymore,
Crying, depressed, and bereft.
 
A fairy (no price)
Then fixed her up nice,
With beautiful carriage and dress,
Making the horses from regular mice,
Happy to favor and bless.
 
That night at the ball,
When she came to call,
The prince and she danced through the night,
But the spell ended when midnight did fall,
So she abruptly took flight.
 
Almost an impasse,
A slipper of glass
Was all the prince had to find her.
So they just tried it on every young lass,
Only one way to be sure.
 
Though Stepmother tried
To lock up and hide
The fair Cinderella from this,
Hers was the slipper that she could provide,
Hers was the wedding and bliss.
__________________
 

Here we have a Disney fairy tale at its most classic, complete with evil stepmother, fairy godmother, handsome prince, a midnight deadline, cute talking animal sidekicks, and storybook ending. Though Shrek and Enchanted would riff and parody these elements, Cinderella made them defining aspects of the genre, at least in film.

A staple for young audiences everywhere (and one of my VC’s childhood favorites), Cinderella is entirely sincere but doesn’t get overly saccharine. While it remained in the same mold, Cinderella was a huge improvement over Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, particularly in casting a female lead who could sing without breaking glass. The mice, who must have escaped from NIMH, are surprisingly helpful, and much of the film’s visual interest stems from seeing ordinary rooms and objects from a Borrower-like perspective, not to mention the Tom-and-Jerry-style antics with Lucifer. (Seriously, what kind of person would name their cat Lucifer?!) The rodents’ squeaky voices are more endearing than annoying and far less irritating than, say, the Minions from Despicable Me.

The animation never gets quite as impressive as some scenes in Pinocchio, but it’s still a lovely reminder of the beauty of hand-drawn animation. The music perhaps isn’t the type to get stuck in one’s head, but “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes” recalls the wistfulness of “Someday My Prince Will Come,” as does the waltzing “So This Is Love.” The mice’s song “Cinderelly” and the bouncing ”Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo” are the most memorable and fun, the kind to which kids (such as my VC in former years) love to sing along.

Writing this, I’ve found it difficult to not use “classic” for every other word, but that is the best term for the entire film. It’s more modern and entertaining than Snow White but would still never be made nowadays. (I’m waiting to see how Disney modernizes the live-action version next year.) It’s a snapshot of Disney earnestness, a cute, inspiring, ultimately satisfying fairy tale that adults can wax nostalgic for even as they introduce it to their own children.

Best line: (Cinderella, singing; sometimes we need a little of this to balance out contemporary cynicism) “A dream is a wish your heart makes when you’re fast asleep. In dreams you will lose your heartaches. Whatever you wish for, you keep. Have faith in your dreams, and someday, your rainbow will come smiling through. No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dream that you wish will come true.”

 
Artistry: 8
Characters/Actors: 8
Entertainment: 7
Visual Effects: 10
Originality: 8
Watchability: 6
 
TOTAL: 47 out of 60
 

Next: #150 – The Nativity Story

© 2014 S. G. Liput

181 Followers and Counting

 

As Good As It Gets (1997)

06 Wednesday Aug 2014

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The gruff Melvin Udall has clear OCD
And acts like a jerk, as the world can agree.
He relocks his door and wastes way too much soap
And proves he’s a prejudiced, vain misanthrope.
He won’t step on cracks and is hooked on routine
And mistreats his neighbor’s dog just to be mean.
 
This neighbor named Simon is artsy and gay
And bears Melvin’s insults with patient dismay.
One day, after painting, his subject’s own chums
Beat Simon and rob him and run for the slums.
While Simon recovers, old Melvin is pressed
To care for his dog as an unwanted guest.
 
He deals with this change with unspoken objection,
But soon he can’t hide from the dog his affection.
Yet he’s at a loss and almost goes berserk
When his favorite waitress can’t come into work.
He pulls many strings so she’ll come and be done
With worrying for her young asthmatic son.
 
His reasons for helping her seem oh so strange,
And his jerk-ish tendencies still do not change.
Though Carol is flustered, unsure what to think,
She gives him her thanks, while refusing to sink.
He ends up agreeing to drive Simon out
To speak to his parents for money, no doubt.
 
Convincing poor Carol to join the stiff pair,
He plans out the trip, and they somehow get there.
An unforeseen date doesn’t go quite as planned,
Thanks mostly to how Melvin’s mouth should be banned,
But Simon is given a new lease on life
When Carol’s nude poses help banish his strife.
 
Back home, Melvin lets Simon move in with him;
The dog sure seems happy, though friendship’s still slim.
While Carol mulls leaving mean Melvin behind,
He proves that there’s hope, since she’s such a great find.
Though Melvin’s not perfect and often remiss,
The two of them go out for rolls and a kiss.
______________________
 

As Good As It Gets is not your typical romantic comedy. All three of the main characters have some definite problems that persist through most of the film and threaten to give it “too much reality” for a film meant to make us smile and laugh. The main character Melvin Udall is far from likable and spends almost the entire movie giving the audience new reasons to scream “What a jerk!”

This Triple A film largely depends on the actors’ performances, and they don’t disappoint. Jack Nicholson was perfectly cast as Melvin, and he has that selfish, get-out-of-my-face attitude down pat. The idiosyncrasies he embraces, such as avoiding cracks on the ground and using plastic silverware, make his obsessive-compulsive disorder remarkably believable. Since he’s a writer, his barbed insults possess dumbfounding eloquence that make it hard for anyone to respond as robustly. Though he’s a bigot and the kind of person who causes people to cheer when he’s kicked out of a restaurant, he still retains some degree of humanity that we as the audience can see better than the characters can. His growing relationship with Verdell, Simon’s adorable Brussels Griffon, illustrates how pets can fill a vacuum in someone’s life and is practically a romance in itself. Helen Hunt is also amazingly persuasive as Carol the waitress, whose seemingly superficial interactions with the misanthrope literally make his day. Her mixed feelings about Melvin’s assistance for her son aren’t fully elaborated on, but that’s obviously because she herself does not know how to put them into words, even in an 18-page letter. Both of them definitely deserved the Best Actor and Best Actress Oscars that year, making this the most recent film to earn both major acting awards. Greg Kinnear is also excellent as Simon, whose life implodes in a most pitiful way. He was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor that year, but his performance was dwarfed by that of Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting. Cuba Gooding, Jr., Shirley Knight, and the late Harold Ramis also fill memorable supporting roles.

While the script is exceptional, there’s some unfortunate language, mostly from Helen Hunt, and quite a bit of rude and sexual dialogue, but the filmmakers could have made it much worse. I find it interesting that both this film and Titanic (which won most of the awards that year) shared a nude portrait scene, though this one hid it a bit better. Despite all the realism, As Good As It Gets manages some natural, awkward humor which lightens the mood but never turns it into a laugh-fest. Most of it stems from Melvin’s own rudeness and his “willingness to humiliate himself.” By the end, no one’s sure if he’s come far enough to begin a real relationship, but he’s begun spouting actual compliments so he’s at least trying. In a film that brings such real personal problems to the screen, that’s enough to leave me smiling.

Best line: (Simon, describing how he paints) “If you stare at someone long enough, you discover their humanity.”

VC’s best line: (Melvin’s inaugural compliment) “You make me want to be a better man.”

 
Artistry: 9
Characters/Actors: 10
Entertainment: 8
Visual Effects: N/A
Originality: 9
Watchability: 9
Other (Nicholson’s spot-on delivery): +4
Other (language, sexual dialogue, near-nudity): -2
 
TOTAL: 47 out of 60
 

Next: #155 – Tangled

© 2014 S. G. Liput

175 Followers and Counting

 

Ella Enchanted (2004)

04 Monday Aug 2014

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When Ella of Frell was first born,
She’s given a gift that’s a thorn.
She’s forced to obey
Every word others say,
Which makes her the object of scorn.
 
She gets a new stepmother too
With two new stepsisters, who view
The girl with disdain;
When they notice her chain,
They tell her some bad things to do.
 
Once Ella encounters Prince Char,
Whom she thought was vain and subpar,
She chooses to leave
And to seek a reprieve
From Lucinda, a fairy afar.
 
A talking book off of a shelf,
As well as a law-leaning elf,
Assist Ella’s quest
To no longer be “blessed”
To obey with no choice for herself.
 
With help from Prince Char, the small band
Enjoy a stop in giant land,
Where Char is distressed
To see how they’re oppressed
By Edgar, his uncle who’s panned.
 
When Edgar learns Ella must do
Whatever someone tells her to,
He tells her to kill
Char, against her own will,
So he’ll keep the crown that he’s due.
 
Although she attempts to resist
And Lucinda won’t help her desist,
She nears the dark deed
Till, with firmness, she’s freed,
But Edgar makes sure she’s dismissed.
 
With help from her friends, Ella tries
To tell Char about Edgar’s lies.
At last, the truth’s out,
Leaving very small doubt,
And Edgar does something unwise.
 
Since Ella is freed from her curse,
Her stepsisters cannot coerce.
With charm and romance
And a song and a dance,
Both Ella and Char sing a verse.
______________________
 

As a kid, I attended a summer day camp at a church, and in addition to games both physical and electronic, there were plenty of movies to watch as well. One day, I was given the choice to join two groups; I could either go with the majority of boys and watch the classic that is The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie or I could side with the girls for some new film called Ella Enchanted. I decided to break out of the box and try something different, even if it did have that girl from The Princess Diaries. I was pleasantly surprised to find it was not just a girly fairy tale but a creative and enjoyable adventure perhaps most akin to Rob Reiner’s beloved The Princess Bride. In a world of elves that sing and ogres with familiarly deep voices, Ella Enchanted is not as subversive as the likes of Shrek, but it’s humorously aware of its own fairy tale conventions, such as Eric Idle’s rhyming narration.

Anne Hathaway was still relatively unknown when she played the spunky Ella of Frell, and though the film was less than a hit, it and The Princess Diaries films strengthened her appeal and gave her more exposure for future roles. Hugh Dancy is appropriately dreamy as Prince Char, one of the only recent movie princes to be both genuinely heroic and likable (compared with Shrek’s Prince Charming, Enchanted’s Prince Edward, and Frozen’s Prince Hans). Having previously starred with Hathaway in Studio Ghibli’s The Cat Returns, Cary Elwes gets in touch with his villainous side as evil Uncle Edgar, and does so with such wicked glee as to make the farmboy-formerly-known-as-Westley almost unrecognizable. The rest of the cast is uniformly funny, including Minnie Driver, Vivica A. Fox, and Aidan McArdle as the grouchy Slannen, who dreams of becoming a lawyer.

Much of the humor derives from Shrek-y anachronisms, such as a fairy’s FWI (Flying While Intoxicated), as well as classic songs that seemingly come out of nowhere. Long before Tom Hooper’s Les Miserables, Anne Hathaway proved her singing chops with her hilarious rendition of Queen’s “Somebody to Love.” The final song and dance number is also a hoot and ends the whole film on a high note.

While the whole idea of obedience being a curse has potential for being a less-than-ideal lesson for kids, Ella herself is a good role model, showing concern for the underprivileged of the kingdom and not seeking freedom from the curse for any particularly selfish or rebellious reason. Despite a bit of crude humor, Ella Enchanted is an appealing, kid-friendly fantasy that made me glad that I picked the “girly” choice. (P.S. It’s not all that girly.)

Best line: (Benny, who was accidentally turned into a book by his fairy girlfriend) “I would have left her ages ago, except I love her so darn much. Plus, I have no legs.”

 
Artistry: 5
Characters/Actors: 8
Entertainment: 9
Visual Effects: 7
Originality: 8
Watchability: 10
 
TOTAL: 47 out of 60
 

Next: #157 – Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron

© 2014 S. G. Liput

172 Followers and Counting

 

Splash (1984)

03 Sunday Aug 2014

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When he was a little boy,
Allen met a little joy
When he jumped into the sea
To see a thing that couldn’t be.
 
When he’s grown and in a suit,
Making money selling fruit,
He bemoans the fact that he
Can’t seem to love, and girls agree.
 
When he’s dumped, he’s acting odd
And feels attracted to Cape Cod.
Falling in the sea again,
He’s rescued by a woman then.
 
Back in New York, he is down
Till that nude girl comes to town.
Though she seems a little dim,
She can’t keep her hands off him.
 
She’s a mermaid, on the sly,
Growing legs when she is dry.
Learning English in a day,
She and Allen bond and play.
 
As this human world amuses,
Madison’s the name she chooses.
Allen’s brother tells him plain
That he’s in love, and not in vain.
 
When he tries to then propose,
Though she’s new to ice and clothes,
She insists she cannot stay,
But then decides that it’s okay.
 
A scientist who saw her fins
Tries to prove his claim and wins.
Vindicated, this Kornbluth
Regrets soon that he showed the truth.
 
Allen’s shocked that she’s a fish;
She may end in a petri dish.
When he’s sure he loves her still,
He tries to thwart the experts’ will.
 
Kornbluth helps him save the lass,
But then troops give chase, alas!
To the sea, both Allen and she
Flee to be free happily.
________________________
 

Directed by Ron Howard, Splash is a fun romantic comedy with some great lines and several distinctions under its belt. Not only was it Tom Hanks’s first mainstream film, but also Disney’s first foray into more mature films using their Touchstone Films production company. It certainly could have been more family-friendly by omitting the language and hiding Madison’s nudity better, but it’s still an enjoyably funny film on the whole.

Bringing his famous likability in full force, Hanks continued the comedic charm from his TV show Bosom Buddies, and it’s no wonder Daryl Hannah as Madison was so attracted to him. Her beauty, naiveté, and obvious love for Allen give Madison the right amount of character development, even though we learn very little about her past life under the sea or the rules she is forced to obey concerning her visit to dry land. It’s unfortunate that Allen turns into such a jerk when Madison doesn’t immediately agree to marry him and then again when he finds out her secret. Yes, I can understand his shock and confusion, but he practically treats her like she’s a different person. Second City alumni Eugene Levy and John Candy are also hilarious as the eccentric and unlucky Dr. Kornbluth and Allen’s pervert of a brother Freddie, respectively.

Mermaids are often seen in passing in fantasy movies, but Splash is one of the few that makes it the main focus, and quite entertainingly too. Its underwater scenes are well-filmed, though the scenes at the bottom of Cape Cod had some glaringly out-of-place tropical coral reefs. Credited with single-handedly popularizing Madison as a girl’s name, Splash excels in its endearing chemistry between Hanks and Hannah (long before Meg Ryan became his go-to girl). With its legs-when-dry/fins-when-wet precedent, re-used in other media like the film Aquamarine and the show H2O, it offers the best live-action mermaid story I’ve seen.

Best line: (Allen, talking about their planned marriage) “It just so happens I come from a very long line of married people.”

VC’s best line: (Dr. Kornbluth, to Allen) “I’m really a nice guy. If I had friends, you could ask them.”

 
Artistry: 7
Characters/Actors: 9
Entertainment: 9
Visual Effects: 7
Originality: 8
Watchability: 9
Other (language, nudity): -2
 
TOTAL: 47 out of 60
 

Next: #158 – Ella Enchanted

© 2014 S. G. Liput

171 Followers and Counting

 

Enchanted (2007)

30 Wednesday Jul 2014

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 (Best sung to Giselle’s “Happy Working Song”)
 
Pretty girl Giselle is just swell and is animated all day long;
Woodland creatures help her sing a song.
She expects her prince to come and be her new love;
When he does, they sing of true love,
Since there’s nothing wrong.
 
Then an evil witch, Edward’s stepmother, has a diabolic plan,
To evict Giselle because she can.
So she sends the princess down a well descending
Where there is no happy ending
And no perfect man.
 
In the callous streets of New York, poor Giselle is both afraid and lost,
Till one Robert finds his path has crossed
With this somewhat crazy fairy tale freethinker,
Who’s a tailor, not a drinker,
And cleans at no cost.
 
When he hears the news, Edward hunts for his darling on a hero’s trip,
With her talking chipmunk sidekick Pip,
But they stick out like a sore thumb in the city,
Searching for his dearest pretty,
Like he’s lost his grip.
 
As he tries to help out Giselle, Robert’s reeled in by her fresh appeal,
And his girlfriend Nancy has to deal.
Yet Giselle assists him with romance and crooning,
But she ends up nearly swooning
When love grows more real.
 
Edward soon arrives, but Giselle is no longer visibly naïve,
And she’s hesitant to up and leave.
So Edward and she try dating to get closer,
But it’s Robert who’ll engross her
At a ball that eve.
 
But the evil queen shows herself since her henchman hasn’t done too well
In his efforts to dispatch Giselle.
So she employs tactics you may have seen elsewhere
And scares everybody else there
With a fearsome spell.
 
Once the queen is stopped and destroyed when a hero steps up to the plate,
Robert and Giselle conclude their date.
It is clear that they both share a love enchanted,
But Edward’s not emptyhanded,
For his loves won’t often wait.
 
Robert and his young daughter have Giselle,
Settled in this world into which she fell,
Merrily,
Happy ever after, verily,
Now that everyone has found their perfect mate.
___________________
 

Before The Princess and the Frog revisited the princess genre (with iffy results), Disney created Enchanted, a modern mish-mashing of classic fairy tales and contemporary cynicism. The animated beginning could easily have been a rejected idea from the Disney Renaissance, but the overtly saccharine telling is clearly meant to be a contrast for the rest of the film. Once Giselle actually gets to New York and its live-action acrimony, the real humor starts flowing from the disparity between her naiveté and our world’s unfriendliness.

While Edward is certainly not the perfect prince of Disney’s early films, Enchanted succeeds in its combination of opposites by being both realistic and idealistic. Based on Giselle’s first encounters with New Yorkers, she would be justified in considering it the least nice place on earth, but later on, as she explains to Robert the importance of affection, all of Central Park turns into a completely willing musical cast. This serves to accentuate how innocence and idealism can bring out the best in people, even when the world can seem so hostile at times. At the same time, Giselle’s introduction to the joys of the real world convince her these are preferable to the unsubstantial romance she had known before with Edward. That point, of course, doesn’t apply to everyone since Nancy, apparently fed up with the pitfalls of “real” relationships, obviously preferred the love-at-first-sight kind of courtship.

This is the film that hoisted Amy Adams to stardom, at least for me, and continues to be the role in which I always envision her, one of innocence. Her voice, face, and acting all lend themselves to her upright damsel persona. Roles that have allowed for this image, such as in Doubt or Night at the Museum 2, play to her strengths, while films where she attempts to act the “bad girl,” such as the recent American Hustle, just don’t seem to fit her. Patrick Dempsey took a break from Grey’s Anatomy to play single father Robert, who may be a pessimist but has obvious appeal for Nancy and Giselle. James Marsden portrays Prince Edward as an entertaining buffoon, but I do wish he had more to contribute to the plot. Susan Sarandon and Timothy Spall look like they’re enjoying their hammy villainous roles as Queen Narissa and bumbling servant Nathaniel. Lastly, I had no idea who Broadway star Idina Menzel (Nancy) was at the time, but after hearing her in Frozen, it’s a shame she didn’t get a chance to sing in this film: her one song with Marsden was cut.

The choreography and songs, written by winning duo Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, are outstanding, a welcome return to the good old days of both Disney excellence and classic musicals. The show-stopping “That’s How You Know” is particularly awesome, but the fact that all three of its Oscar-nominated songs lost (not unlike the previous year’s Dreamgirls) is a crying shame.

The film isn’t all good, of course. Certain scenes toward the end vacillate between an homage and a ripoff of Disney classics, and some scenes involving Pip the chipmunk, such as his defecation and Nathaniel’s cruelty toward him, were unnecessary. Still, Enchanted brings Disney’s animation to life in a fresh and funny way that my family watches whenever it’s on TV. It’s enchanting.

Best line: (a child-stressed mother, played by Judy Kuhn from Pocahontas, when she sees “Prince Charming” Edward) “You’re too late.”

 
Artistry: 6
Characters/Actors: 8
Entertainment: 8
Visual Effects: 9
Originality: 6
Watchability: 9
 
TOTAL: 46 out of 60
 

Next: #162 – Rain Man

© 2014 S. G. Liput

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What’s Up, Doc? (1972)

28 Monday Jul 2014

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Four plaid bags appear the same;
One holds jewels of a wealthy dame;
One holds stolen documents
That really are the government’s.
One holds Judy Maxwell’s clothes;
The last holds rocks (stay on your toes).
 
Howard Bannister, Ph.D.,
Needs a grant since art ain’t free.
His music theory based on rocks
Is how he thinks outside the box.
He’s dense, as everyone discerns,
Like his fiancée Eunice Burns.
 
Judy, eager for romance, is
Sending Howard bold advances.
Hounding him, she calls him Steve
And rips his coat and will not leave.
Smooth-talking, smart, and hazard-prone,
She will not leave the guy alone.
 
As she impersonates Miss Burns,
Ignoring Howard’s dazed concerns,
The grant she’s quick to guarantee
By schmoozing Mr. Larrabee.
Howard picks this over trueness,
Thus abandoning poor Eunice.
 
While all this is going on,
Those jewels are stolen by a con.
A secret agent on pretense
Attempts to steal the documents,
But everybody’s lodged as well
On one floor in the same hotel.
 
As bags are hidden, moved, and switched,
Traded, stolen, sneaked, and ditched,
And as Howard tries to hide
Judy when she sneaks inside,
Utter anarchy ensues.
There’s no telling whose is whose.
 
When the morning comes at last,
Howard’s being still harassed,
But he doesn’t mind as much;
Judy simply has the touch.
They go, because he won the grant,
To Larrabee’s, but Eunice can’t.
 
She’s abducted by jewel thieves,
Who got the rocks of Howard’s/Steve’s.
Since Howard has the documents
And jewels as well (if that makes sense),
They all converge at Larrabee’s,
Demanding all four bags to seize.
 
Both Howard and Judy flee the scene
With all the bags, and they careen
Through San Francisco’s every place,
As everybody else gives chase.
With lots of damage done that day,
They all then plunge into the bay.
 
Before the judge, confusion reigns,
Which nearly lands them all in chains.
Yet everything works out, it seems,
Though some are still involved in schemes.
The grant is won thanks to a hoax,
And Judy’s won, with guile and jokes,
Her loving Howard. That’s all, folks!
_________________
 

What’s Up, Doc? Is a comedy classic with a plot I doubt even the filmmakers could fully follow. An homage to other classics like Bringing Up Baby, it throws in countless characters, each with their own agenda, who end up colliding in hilarious ways thanks to the four identical overnight bags. There’s Ryan O’Neal as the absentminded Howard Bannister, Madeline Khan (in her debut) as his controlling and “unbalanced” fiancée Eunice, Barbra Streisand as the pushy but endearing disaster area known as Judy Maxwell, and Kenneth Mars as the other grant finalist Hugh Simon, whose accent is impossible to trace. Not to mention, there’s Mr. Larrabee and the musicologists (was that Randy Quaid?!), the jewel thieves, the dueling document thieves, the old lady with the jewel bag, the hotel manager, the judge, the waiter, the bailiff, and that guy who freely gives his car to “the government.”

The comic situations are priceless, from the convoluted mixing of the bags from hotel room to hotel room to one thief’s strange version of “charm” to the big slapstick fight where everyone converges. The best scenes, though, are the hotel destruction sequence, which hilariously spirals out of control, and the awesome car chase through San Francisco’s streets, easily the funniest chase scene put on film.

The script is likewise ingenious and moves along at such a fast clip that further viewings are practically a necessity. The jokes come fast and furious and include everything from a world-weary, pill-popping judge to the meaning of “propriety” to supposed women soldiers dressing for battle.

My VC absolutely loves this film, despite her usual aversion to silliness. It would be somewhere in her top 50, but I have some reservations. While the film is entirely suitable for all audiences (if they can keep up), I found Barbra Streisand’s character to be both the film’s greatest asset and its worst liability. Her antics are side-splitting, to be sure, but that doesn’t change the fact that she lies throughout the film, puts Howard through hell, and somehow ends up getting her way by the end. Not only does she act as indifferent to Howard’s engagement as the trolls in Frozen, but she sends Eunice on a cruel wild goose chase that leaves her in the hands of criminals. She also sneaks into a hotel without paying, helps to steal a car and some costumes, and makes a nuisance of herself, all without any lasting consequences. As funny as she is, her ethics are definitely in doubt, and I would have put up more resistance had I been Howard.

Nevertheless, What’s Up, Doc? is a fun and lighthearted screwball of a comedy that never fails to leave my family smiling. It’s proof that excellent comedy doesn’t need to depend on constant sexual jokes and language, as so many modern films do. If only there were more films like this….

Best line: (Fritz, the hotel manager, trying to take a bag by lying about an escaped snake) “Calm yourself, Miss Burns. May I suggest you shut yourself in the bathroom for a few moments while I search your room?”
(Eunice) “What if it’s in there?”
(Fritz) “Impossible, madam. Snakes, as you know, live in mortal fear of… tile.”
 
VC’s best line: (Judy) “I know I’m different, but from now on I’m going to try and be the same.”
(Howard) “The same as what?”
(Judy) “The same as people who aren’t different.”

 

Artistry: 5
Characters/Actors: 8
Entertainment: 10
Visual Effects: 7
Originality: 9
Watchability: 9
Other (Judy’s pushiness): -2
 
TOTAL: 46 out of 60

 

Next: #164 – Up

© 2014 S. G. Liput

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Pocahontas (1995)

22 Tuesday Jul 2014

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(Can be sung to “Colors of the Wind”)
 
A voyage starts in 1600s England
To journey to the New World for its gold,
But John Smith only searches for adventure
And knows that there’s one waiting to unfold.
 
This New World boasts the lovely Pocahontas,
The daughter of the reigning Indian chief.
He offers sober Kokoum for marriage,
But the maiden seeks a spirit for relief.
 
The path for her is hidden and uncertain,
But then the ship appears against the sky.
As greedy Ratcliffe starts his people digging,
Smith departs to scout the countryside nearby.
 
The Indian and Englishman make contact,
And neither’s like the other thought they’d be.
He tells her of his homeland, and the maiden
Shows the sailor things he’d never tried to see.
 
A skirmish sows distrust in both the factions,
And both believe the worst of their new foe.
They will not hear John Smith or Pocahontas,
But both unite, and love begins to grow.
 
When Kokoum decides to tail the couple,
His jealous rage just gets the warrior shot.
The tribe imprisons Smith to his friends’ horror
And plans to execute the man they’ve caught.
 
Since Ratcliffe thinks the foe is hoarding treasure,
And they think whites are savages as well,
Both sides prepare for battle at the sunrise,
Till Pocahontas chooses to rebel.
 
She saves the life of Smith at the last second
And turns her father’s warring mind to peace.
These “savages” are better than they’d reckoned,
And both sides (save for Ratcliffe) choose to cease.
 
Though Smith is saved, he still is sadly wounded,
So he departs for home to convalesce.
He bids goodbye to lovely Pocahontas,
Who will be with him forever nonetheless.
____________________
 

Don’t worry; I won’t exhaust the Disney Renaissance this low on the list, but like Mulan, Pocahontas is just not quite as absolutely stellar as the rest of those ‘90s classics. It still is a marvelous film, beautifully animated and drawing inspiration not from fairy tales or legends but from real American history. It bothers me a little that Disney rewrote history in adding much to the story of Pocahontas and John Smith while leaving out other elements, such as the Indian maiden’s conversion to Christianity. Still, it’s laudable that the filmmakers endeavored to bring history to family audiences in such an entertaining package, even if only some main events are retained from the true account (the saving of Smith’s life, his changed injury and return to England).

Mel Gibson makes John Smith quite the dreamboat, and David Ogden Stiers proves he can play a greedy Englishman with the same panache as he can a clock. As far as cute animal sidekicks go, Meeko the raccoon and Flit the hummingbird are two of the funniest and lend the otherwise serious tale some lighthearted comic relief.

One thing I’ve noticed after repeated viewings is that Pocahontas more than any other recent Disney film depends on its music for its success. All of the other Disney classics have memorable standout sequences independent of their music (the wildebeest stampede, the Cave of Wonders, Shan-Yu’s mountain charge, etc.), while Pocahontas doesn’t. Take away Alan Menken’s soundtrack, and you’ve got the familiar “noble savage” and “follow your heart” clichés and a romance that’s a tad rushed and a much less entertaining story.

Luckily, though, we do have Menken’s songs, and they are perfect. From the history-laced “The Virginia Company” to the exhilarating “Just around the Riverbend,” his music continues to amaze. Stephen Schwartz’s lyrics are also fantastic and eminently satisfying to me as a poet. “Colors of the Wind” is especially classic and earned an Academy Award for Best Song. Ratcliffe’s songs are also great, particularly the Broadway-quality “Mine, Mine, Mine.” Despite accusations of racist lyrics, I also love “Savages” and can step away enough to see that the hatred is that of the characters and not the filmmakers. I actually think the way that both sides accuse the other of being “savages” is the most nuanced element of the whole film.

Pocahontas may have turned a platonic historical account into a Romeo-and-Juliet story of warring factions, but its soundtrack makes it yet another Disney classic. I wonder if they’ll ever tackle another historical drama again.

Best line: (Powhatan, at the end) “My daughter speaks with the wisdom beyond her years. We’ve all come here with anger in our hearts, but she comes with courage and understanding. From this day forward, if there is to be more killing, it will not start with me.”

 
Artistry: 6
Characters/Actors: 6
Entertainment: 8
Visual Effects: 9
Originality: 5
Watchability: 9
Other (music): +2
 
TOTAL: 45 out of 60
 

Next: #170 – Foul Play

© 2014 S. G. Liput

159 Followers and Counting

 

#180: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

13 Sunday Jul 2014

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As Hurricane Katrina is nearing New Orleans,
An old woman lies in her hospital bed.
This Daisy requests that her daughter named Caroline
Read her a journal she never has read.
It tells of a man known as Benjamin Button,
Who didn’t grow old, but grew younger instead.
 
His mom died in childbirth, and his own father
Abandoned him due to his aged condition.
A black girl named Queenie, a nursing home lady,
Decided to care for God’s latest addition.
He grew, an old man among older old people,
And felt right at home with his gray disposition.
 
He met lots of people, an African pygmy
Who urged him to follow and showed him the town;
A woman who taught him to play the piano;
An old man whom seven times lightning struck down,
A young girl named Daisy whom Benjamin liked;
And even his father, of Button renown.
 
He found his first job on a tugboat in port
With Captain Mike Clark, an artiste of tattoos.
Clark showed him the world (and a few other things),
And Benjamin loved all the sailing and booze.
He once met a woman and had an affair,
Short-lived, for the captain received some war news.
 
He worked on the boat in the Second World War,
And lost many shipmates amid a brief fight.
Returning back home, he met Daisy again,
A spry ballerina with passions forthright.
He loved her but she had a life of her own,
Till a car accident in the City of Light.
 
Her injury left her unable to dance,
And she didn’t want any pity from Ben.
In time, she came back to New Orleans and him,
And they lived together with joy once again.
When Daisy got pregnant, they welcomed the child,
But though “now” was fine, Button worried of “then.”
 
While growing still younger, he knew he could not
Be father when he was a child as well,
So Benjamin left, leaving Daisy his money
For young Caroline, whom he just could not tell.
He came back but once several years after that,
And Daisy and he paired up at a hotel.
 
The next time she found him, he looked very young,
And Daisy took care of him as he regressed.
He died as a baby within her old arms,
After 84 years as this backward world’s guest.
Katrina moves in as Miss Daisy joins him,
Having told Caroline of the man she loved best.
____________________

 

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is the first film on my list that fits into one of my favorite unofficial sub-genres of film, what I call a “meet ‘em and move on” movie. Such a film follows a single character through life (or a microcosm of it) as they interact with and learn from several different interesting people over time, usually ending with a satisfying wrap-up that may or may not include a recap of the various acquaintances encountered. They can be fanciful and weird like Big Fish or down-to-earth and slow like The Straight Story. I’ve included several such films higher on my list because they tend to touch me deeply (the two mentioned above are exceptions). This film has a number of the things I love about such movies: a unique way of framing the tale, a number of colorful characters made likable by quirks and familiarity, and a touching relationship at the heart of the film.

Benjamin Button is only #180 because it is a blend of elements I love and others I don’t. I was pulled in by the opening vignette about the clockmaker and young/old Benjamin’s adoption by the religious Queenie; then I was turned off by his introduction to a brothel. I enjoyed the listing of his shipmates at sea, not so much Daisy’s talk about her dance troupe “trusting” each other through sex. On the one hand, I loved Cate Blanchett’s performance, as well as Brad Pitt’s, but on the other, the truth is that Benjamin Button as a character is rather underdeveloped and flat. I admire several insightful lines and scenes, such as the build-up to Daisy’s accident. Yet Pitt doesn’t show much of a range of emotions, and my VC felt that Benjamin’s choice to leave Daisy and his daughter was selfish and unnecessary.

Many critics pointed out a number of similarities to another “meet ‘em and move on,” Forrest Gump.I suppose a main reason I like Forrest Gump as a character so much more than Benjamin Button is that Forrest is a better role model. Forrest loved Jenny unconditionally and stayed pure for her, even as she delved into depravity. Benjamin, meanwhile, was nonchalant about sex and had an affair with a married woman, as well as a number of one-night stands, never even marrying Daisy. Even his foster mother Queenie had nightly rendezvous with a close man, though Mrs. Gump wasn’t perfect in that regard either. Forrest took in everything that happened in his life with innocence and naiveté, while Benjamin accepted it all with dull worldliness.

Despite all these detractions and some profanity, the ending of the film is one of the best among “meet ‘em and move on” films. Nothing else in the movie even brought me close to tears, but seeing all the people he met one after another was such a great pay-off that ended the film in the best way possible. Overall, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is an unusual love story that excels more in its details than in the big picture.

Best line: (Benjamin Button) “Our lives are defined by opportunities, even the ones we miss.”

 
Artistry: 10
Characters/Actors: 8
Entertainment: 7
Visual Effects: 10
Originality: 6
Watchability: 8
Other (language and aforementioned issues): -5
 
TOTAL: 44 out of 60
 

Next: #179 – The Hobbit

© 2014 S. G. Liput

155 Followers and Counting

 

Funny Girl (1968)

11 Friday Jul 2014

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(Best sung to “Don’t Rain on My Parade”)
 
When Fanny Brice was just a show-biz starter,
She couldn’t be a chorus girl, but smarter;
She had the voice to make the audience acclaim.
Though like a bagel compassed by bialys,
She was a starlet in the Ziegfeld Follies.
She made the people laugh and earned the highest fame.
 
Quite early on, she meets a handsome mister.
This Nicky Arnstein just wants to assist her,
But over time their love inevitably grows.
When he must leave to catch a ship and gamble,
She follows him and dumps her show to ramble
With him, the man who’s glad to see her and propose.
 
They’re glad together for a time, but Nicky
Runs out of luck, and earning money’s tricky.
Yet Fanny’s still the star of Ziegfeld’s latest show.
Increasingly, he can’t provide the bacon;
He feels his confidence and pride are shaken;
And he will not accept the help she can bestow.
 
This streak of bad luck—Nick cannot crack it,
So he decides to join a bond scheme racket.
He goes to jail for eighteen months, and they both part.
Though Fanny still may love her former wooer,
They both decide to start their lives the newer
By separating, but Miss Brice still sings her heart.
______________________
 

Funny Girl was Barbra Streisand’s first film, based off the Tony-nominated Broadway show she headlined, and it’s the film that won her the Academy Award for Best Actress (albeit tied with Katharine Hepburn for The Lion in Winter). The role of Fanny Brice suits her just as much as that of Dolly Levi, both strong Jewish women (at least as played by Streisand), and, though it entails her being self-conscious about her looks, her comedic and vocal talents are given great opportunity to shine.

Omar Sharif is also as “gorgeous” as ever as the charming gambler Nick Arnstein, who helps Fanny early in her career. Sharif certainly sells the character, but Arnstein is an unfortunate example of pride gone awry. Ignoring the fact that he seduces Fanny and only marries her at her suggestion, the way he handles his poor luck is frustrating to me. It’s usually admirable when some poor movie father says he won’t accept charity but will rather earn his own money, but I think most such fathers would take the contribution before turning to illegal activities. Nick was given a chance to finally have a somewhat stable career, and he turned it down because his wife was helping to finance it. That’s not even charity; it’s simple sharing! For him to knowingly commit a crime and desire divorce is perhaps not as fatal as the actions of Norman Maine in A Star Is Born, but it does show that his own pride trumped his love for Fanny. But I digress….

While the unsatisfying end and the rather long running time detract somewhat, the music makes up for it. Many songs were omitted from the stage production, but several show-stopping numbers just had to be included. Of course, Streisand’s rendition of “People” is quite popular, but “His Love Makes Me Beautiful” is a hoot. I actually prefer the more upbeat songs “I’m the Greatest Star” and “Don’t Rain on My Parade.” The lyrics are all clever, and the final notes are awe-inspiring.

Like Hello, Dolly, Funny Girl is not my favorite musical, but it’s a great mixture of drama, comedy, and music that meshes beautifully, mainly due to Streisand’s performance. While the last song “My Man” may finish it on a high note, I do wish the film overall ended more happily.

Best line: (Fanny, speaking of Nick) “I see him as he is. I love him as he is!”   (her mother Rose) “Fanny, love him a little less. Help him a little more.”

VC’s best line: (Fanny, explaining how she’s different) “I’m a bagel on a plate full of onion rolls!”

 
Artistry: 8
Characters/Actors: 9
Entertainment: 8
Visual Effects: N/A
Originality: 8
Watchability: 7
Other (great music and singing): +3
 
TOTAL: 43 out of 60
 

Next: #181 – Something the Lord Made

© 2014 S. G. Liput

153 Followers and Counting

 

Twister (1996)

05 Saturday Jul 2014

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When Jo was a cute little girl,
She witnessed the wind in a whirl.
Her father was trying
To help but went flying
When deadly gusts started to swirl.
 
Grown up, she now studies the weather
Which treats a large truck like a feather.
Her split husband Bill
Used to share in her skill;
They both used to chase storms together.
 
But now he is seeking divorce,
With his new fiancée, but of course.
Melissa seems nice,
Giving carnal advice,
But Jo doesn’t rush to endorse.
 
Then Bill learns of Jo’s latest cause,
A system improving what was,
Some sensors to map
A tornado death-trap;
It’s called DOROTHY, like in Oz.
 
Bill further learns Jonas is near,
His rival who’s less than sincere.
He’s copied for free
Bill’s idea: DOROTHY.
And Bill won’t let him pioneer.
 
So while Oklahoma begins
To waken with whirligig winds,
Melissa and Bill
Tag along for a thrill
To watch as a great tempest spins.
 
The first DOROTHY has a fall,
And Bill and Jo have a close call,
But soon they’re right back
On a double storm’s track;
Melissa’s near ready to bawl.
 
The team visits Jo’s rural aunt,
Who always has dinner to grant.
While there at Aunt Meg’s,
They have great steak and eggs.
They’d all like to stay, but they can’t.
 
The next twister found jumps about,
And DOROTHY II is knocked out,
Yet Jo is obsessed
With her funnel cloud quest,
And Bill has to stop her and shout.
 
Her father’s death gave her the drive
To see twisters’ power alive.
Bill tells her somehow
They must focus on now
In order for marriage to thrive.
 
A drive-in that’s showing The Shining
Is where their team ends up reclining,
But then a storm hits
And just rips it to bits.
The whole place may need redesigning.
 
By this time, Melissa’s distraught
And leaves Bill, for things are too taut.
Bill says he’s beyond
Love for storms and his blonde,
But she clearly sees he is not.
 
When Meg’s house is hit by a twister,
They all rush right there to assist her.
Once she’s safe and sound,
Yet another comes round,
A storm with no equal or sister.
 
They modify DOROTHY’s spheres
To catch all the wind as it steers.
It fails yet again,
But they’re horrified when
Jonas dies from not heeding their fears.
 
As the mile-wide twister swirls round,
Obstructions and dangers abound.
As Bill and Jo drive,
Trying just to survive,
The right opportunity’s found.
 
They let the last DOROTHY fly,
Exulting at their latest try,
But then the cyclone
Just won’t leave them alone.
They flee to a pipe shed nearby.
 
Securing themselves tightly there,
They watch as they float in the air.
They hold as they enter
The tornado’s center,
And it dies out, leaving the pair.
Now they have much data to share.
____________________
 

Many disaster movies like The Poseidon Adventure or The Towering Inferno are blown out of proportion for the sake of the film, while others like The Impossible are more realistic but focus on catastrophes that are still rare. Tornadoes happen all the time out in the Midwest, and sometimes it takes a film like this to remind those who don’t live there of the power and devastation of these storms. That’s not to say Twister isn’t rather overblown as well, with a convenient rash of tornadoes breaking out within driving distance (which is still plausible) and tons of special effects. While it received mixed reviews overall, even critics couldn’t help but praise the effects used to bring the twisters to life and iconically fly cows across the screen (or maybe the same cow).

They may not be Oscar-worthy, but Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton pair quite well as meteorologist action heroes, and both at least seem like real people. Jami Gertz also has some memorable moments as Bill’s overwhelmed girlfriend Melissa, and Philip Seymour Hoffman and Alan Ruck are great fun as the leaders of the storm-chasing entourage. Cary Elwes skillfully drops his English accent to play Dr. Jonas Miller, preparing him for other villainous roles later on. By the way, that was Alexa Vega of Spy Kids fame playing the young Jo at the beginning. In addition (Lost alert!), there’s Jeremy Davies, who played Daniel Faraday on my favorite show. It’s a small role as one of the members of Jo’s storm team, but when I saw this film after Lost, I said “Oh, my gosh, it’s Daniel!” (He’s the one who gets up from Meg’s table to let Melissa sit down.)

The final twister is truly spectacular in its enormity, tossing around everything from houses to oil tankers, but because it’s so big and powerful, it strains credulity that no one but the bad guy got hurt. I mean seriously, with all that debris flying around, none of it hurt Bill and Jo as they were running through the heart of it? It’s one of those action movies that conveniently protects the main characters from all harm, but the scenes of destruction are believable enough to make up for that. The drive-in scene and the collapsing house scene are both edge-of-your-seat sequences so impressive that they were recreated for the theme park attraction down at Universal Studios. Twister is a whirlwind of a movie with plenty of thrills and laughs, a memorably greasy breakfast scene, and remarkable visuals that have kept me from ever wanting to move to Oklahoma. No offense.

Best line: (Melissa, on the phone during a twister) “I gotta go, Julia; we got cows!”

 
Artistry: 5
Characters/Actors: 7
Entertainment: 9
Visual Effects: 8
Originality: 7
Watchability: 10
Other (language): -3
 
TOTAL: 43 out of 60
 

Next: #187 – Frozen

© 2014 S. G. Liput

147 Followers and Counting