The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958)

Ingrid Bergman stars as Gladys Aylworth in this deeply touching film about a woman who wants to make a difference in the world. She wants to go to China and work as a missionary, but when she applies with her church, the missionary department decides that she doesn’t have the experience she needs to undertake such a task. Always shy and submissive, she breaks out of her mold and decides to go to China anyway. She takes a job as a domestic and earns money for her passage, but when she arrives in China, discovers that it’s much harder than … Continue reading →

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Forget 2003’s Hulk film directed by Ang Lee. The new movie throws out that continuity and attaches itself firmly to the 1970s television series of the same name. The movie takes into account the continuity of the summer’s other big hit Iron Man (which I haven’t gotten to see yet unfortunately) and future projects such as The Avengers, but more on that later. The Movie Bruce Banner (now played by Edward Norton) is hiding out in Brazilian slums while he investigates the possibility of a cure in the form of rare flowers. William Hurt takes a turn as the military … Continue reading →

Get Smart (2008)

Would you believe … that this is a great movie with a fitting tribute to the original series, but a refreshing look at intelligence and comedy all in one package? Get Smart is a fun film that combines intelligence, sight gags and physical humor blend together to create an entertaining film that doesn’t take itself seriously and doesn’t ask the audience to either. Popcorn Humor I enjoyed the original series when I was a kid. It was fun and it was funny. Barbara Feldon was easy to admire and aspire to as the smart, savvy and beautiful Agent 99. Agent … Continue reading →

Raising Helen (2004)

In “Raising Helen,” Helen Harris (Kate Hudson) is a career woman first and foremost. As the executive assistant to Dominique, owner of a huge modeling agency, she’s always on the go, on top of things, and very in demand. Her nightlife is also busy, as she entertains clients. She makes time for her family, whom she loves dearly, especially her sister Lindsay (Felicity Huffman). Her other sister, Abby (Joan Cusack) is also important to her, but they’ve never really clicked. Tragedy strikes when Lindsay and her husband are killed in a car accident, leaving behind their three children. When it’s … Continue reading →

P.S. I Love You (2007)

Ever since I found out that Hillary Swank clips coupons, I’ve been a big fan. I know–that’s a silly reason to love someone’s work but on top of being a good actress and taking on diverse types of roles, you gotta love a fellow coupon clipper. With that said, this is going to be a mixed review of P.S. I Love You. What I Loved About this Movie There are several things I loved about this movie. First of all the whole premise is fantastically romantic. Her young husband, who was faced with a terminal brain tumor, penned letters while … Continue reading →

Sweet Home Alabama (2002)

In “Sweet Home Alabama,” Melanie Carmichael (Reese Witherspoon) is living the life every girl dreams of. A fashion designer, she’s just launched her line with her own show and the critics are raving. To top that off, she’s dating the mayor’s son, Andrew (Patrick Dempsey) and he’s madly in love with her. So in love that he proposes in Tiffany’s and lets her pick any ring she wants. She, of course, says yes. There’s just something she has to take care of first, and she heads off to get it done. She flies back to Alabama, where she’s from, and … Continue reading →

Where the Red Fern Grows

I was pleasantly surprised to turn on the television and find that “Where the Red Fern Grows” was about to begin. It had been several years since I had watched the movie or read the book. The G rated Doty-Dayton Productions movie was released in 1974 based on the novel by Wilson Rawls. This heartwarming story shows how one young boy learns the lessons of a man as he struggles with his family through the tough times of the 1930s. There is nothing more that Billy wants than a coon hound pup. However his father cannot afford one. His grandfather, … Continue reading →

Because I Said So (2007)

Don’t waste your time. Seriously, I haven’t been this disappointed in a movie since I paid money to watch Home on the Range with my daughter. The film features Diane Keaton, Mandy Moore, Lauren Graham and Piper Perabo. Keaton plays Daphne Wilder, a mother of three beautiful daughters (Moore, Graham and Perabo). She dances in attendance at the weddings of her two older daughters Maggie and Mae (Graham and Perabo) but wrings her hands in worry that Milly (Moore) is never going to be happy. Milly has a string of bad relationships that we hear about more than see. She … Continue reading →

I Am Legend (2007)

I Am Legend is not my typical movie. While I’m not fond of the science fiction genre, I am incredibly fond of spending time with my spouse and this was the choice du jour. So I settled in for what I thought would be an incredibly long two hours of science ‘sciencey’ boy stuff. While it’s still not my favorite movie, I do have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I Am Legend, is actually a movie based on the same titled book written by Richard Matheson. This is not the first movie that’s been based on this book but … Continue reading →

The Adventures of Milo and Otis

“The Adventures of Milo and Otis” began as a Japanese film in 1986. By 1989 it was redone in the English language and released in the United States. This rated G children’s movie is unique to all others in that the two stars, Milo and Otis are an orange tabby kitten and fawn pug pup duo. The film is live action without animation in the creation of the two characters. Other animals are introduced throughout the movie however humans do not come into play in the story. The movie also greatly differs from others in that the animals do not … Continue reading →