Upon their father’s death, the Dashwood sisters and their mother find that they are essentially homeless, as the estate, by law, goes to his son from his first marriage. They’re left with a measly 500 pounds to live on, but thankfully a cousin offers them a cottage not too farm from their home. While the family packs up their belongings, they are visited by Mr. Dashwood and his unpleasant wife, whose only saving grace is her brother, Edward (Hugh Grant), who comes to visit before heading on to London. Oldest sister Elinor (Emma Thompson) immediately takes a liking to Edward, … Continue reading →

After suffering through his film, I was tempted to put it on the “Don’t Waste Your Time” list, but our five-year-old really enjoyed it. So I decided to offer it up with the disclaimer that unless you were or are a fan of the 1960s puppet show, you might not like this movie too much. And even then, the odds aren’t good. Widower John Tracy (Bill Paxton) is a multi-millionaire with five sons. He and his four oldest make up the Thunderbirds, dedicated to rescuing those in need all over the world. John has his own island, underneath which are … Continue reading →

“A Cinderella Story” is a cute, family friendly remake of the Cinderella story starring Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray. Young Sam adores and is adored by her father. Each night he reads her fairy tales before going to bed, and when her father is killed in an earthquake she’s devasted. And, because no one could find his will, everything was left to her step-mother (played with gusto by Jennifer Coolidge). Her step-mother treats Sam like hired help, expecting her to work crazy hours in her father’s diner while her step-sisters get to do whatever they want. Sam doesn’t mind … Continue reading →

“The Goonies” is one of those 80s films that just rocks. I don’t know anyone that has seen it and didn’t like it. It’s funny, smart and exciting. Mikey Walsh and his friends live in a development that’s about to be torn down unless they can raise a ton of money in a short amount of time, which doesn’t seem very likely. But when Mikey discovers an old treasure map behind a painting, he convinces his friends that finding the treasure could save their homes. So Mikey, Mouth, Data and Chunk tie up Mikey’s older brother Bran who’s been charged … Continue reading →

“Ever After” is a smartly written romance that never fails to make me smile (or cry a bit too). It is supposed to be the true story of the servant girl that was the inspiration for the fairy tale “Cinderella.” Danielle De Barbarac (Drew Barrymore) lives with her widowed father in France, around the 1540s. He frequently travels for business leaving young Danielle to fend for herself with help from their trusted servants. After one trip, he returns home with the Baroness Rodmilla De Ghent (played perfectly by Angelica Huston) and her two daughters Jacqueline and Marguerite. He tells Danielle … Continue reading →

“Willow” is about a small Nelwyn farmer who longs to be an apprentice sorcerer and ends up saving a world from an evil queen. Willow Ufgood’s world is one of magic, and one afternoon he and his children find a baby floating down the river on top of a leaf and branches that have made a makeshift raft. His wife immediately takes to the auburn-haired babe and even though he’s reluctant, the baby makes it obvious that she likes Willow as well. Later, Willow attends a festival in his village, where he hopes that the village sorcerer will choose him … Continue reading →

“Labyrinth” is one of those movies that has stuck with me ever since I saw it (probably back in 1985) and I’ve watched it many times over the years. It opens with 15 year old Sara, who’s been charged with babysitting her baby brother, Toby while her step-mother and father go out to dinner. She’s not happy about it, mostly due to jealousy and unhappiness that her father has remarried. She’d also rather spend time in her imagination rather than face any responsibility. When Toby starts getting fussy, Sarah starts telling him a story: “Once upon a time… there was … Continue reading →