Grace is Gone (2007)

Last night I stayed up late to watch “Grace is Gone.” I have to say, it’s been awhile since a film touched me so very deeply. John Cusack brilliantly portrays Stanley Phillips, a man who wanted to serve in the military so badly, he cheated on the vision test so he could get into the Army. When his doctor on base discovers that his eyesight is terrible, he kicks Stanley out, but Stanley has already met Grace, a beautiful cadet, and they are married. They have two daughters, Heidi and Dawn, and they’ve built a life together. When Grace is … Continue reading →

My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)

This is going to be a very conditional movie review. “My Best Friend’s Wedding” had its good points, it had its bad points, and I think the good outweighed the bad, but that’s a matter of personal preference and you might find it otherwise. Let’s examine the evidence. Julia Roberts plays Julianne Potter, a woman who has just learned that her best friend, Michael (Dermot Mulroney) is engaged to be married. They’ve had a long-standing agreement that if they aren’t married to anyone else by the time they’re thirty, they’ll marry each other, and Julianne has just always taken it … Continue reading →

13 Going on 30 (2004)

When I first saw the ads for “13 Going on 30,” I thought, “Oh, it’s just a girl version of ‘Big.’” You can read my concerns about “Big” here, but to summarize, I felt that the boy had been put into situations he couldn’t possibly have handled well and come out unscathed, including a sexual relationship. How do you go back to being a child after having experienced adult physical relationships? So as I sat down to watch “13 Going on 30,” I was understandably concerned. I’m so delighted to say, though, that I was unnecessarily worried. Jenna Rink is … Continue reading →

Monster-in-Law (2005)

Your enjoyment of “Monster-in-Law” will be in direct proportion to your ability to tolerate some language. Charlotte, known as Charlie to her friends (Jennifer Lopez) is a free-spirited, genuinely kind girl who keeps herself busy with several different odd jobs, including walking dogs. She isn’t living her dreams, but she’s content with what she has and makes the most of every day, joyfully. When she meets handsome doctor Kevin (Michael Vartan) he’s attracted to this sense of peace she exudes. It’s something he’s never known, growing up with the emotionally-charged Viola Fields (Jane Fonda) talk-show host, activist, woman on the … Continue reading →

Never Been Kissed (1999)

“Never Been Kissed” is a romantic comedy starring Drew Barrymore as Josi Gellar, a young woman who’s intelligent and studious and good at her job . . . but not very stylish or “with it.” She doesn’t pay any attention to her clothes or her hair, just her work for the newspaper. When the idea strikes to send a journalist into the local high school to investigate what life is really like for today’s youth, Josi is chosen to be the one. At twenty-five, she still looks young. She registers for high school, but she feels really dumb about the … Continue reading →

The Dark Knight – PG-13 (2008)

Last night at 12:01 a.m. I sat down in a packed theater to watch The Dark Knight, the latest Batman film directed by Christopher Nolan and featuring Christian Bale in the titular role. The Dark Knight is an amazing cinematic feat that I will do my best to cover, but I honestly do not believe any review will do it justice. Heath Ledger Heath Ledger died shortly before the film was completed. His fellow actors have been lobbying to get him an Oscar nomination for his work as the penultimate Batman villain: Joker. It needs to be said that their … Continue reading →

Definitely, Maybe (2008)

Definitely, Maybe, for sure! What a charming, terrifically enchanting film from the makers of Notting Hill and Love Actually. Rarely is it the maker of the film that draws me in first, but Notting Hill and later, Love Actually were such outstanding movies that I picked this up without knowing the first thing about the plot, the actors or anything else about the movie and am I glad that I did! The Story There is so much to say about this movie that I really don’t know where to start, so let me just hit some highlights. Ryan Reynolds plays … Continue reading →

Hancock (2008)

Let me begin this review with the fact that this is not the movie that is advertised in the previews. The first 30 minutes, yes, the rest of the movie? Not so much. Secondly, despite the fact that it’s PG-13 and it’s about a ‘reluctant superhero’ – this is not a movie for little kids at all. In fact, I think 13 really does stretch the youngest age for the film. That said; let’s take a moment to talk about Hancock. The Man We meet Hancock and get to know him in the first 30 minutes of the film. He … 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 →