Reviews

I don't know how Pixar does it, but their tenth movie is as good (or better?) than anything else they have released. I liked "Up" better than "WALL-E" as the latter seemed a little preachy, and I could not relate well to a beat-up robot, no matter how cute. With "Up" you had a widower/curmudgeon (I can relate to the latter!) surrounded by change when all he wants is to go back in time to the way things were. Events force him to make an unusual escape, hence the house flying by power of helium balloons.

I won't give away spoilers, but I will say that Pixar's success is due to their ability to portray relationships and their animation skills. Unlike other filmmakers, they will take out of the ordinary relationships and draw you in where you end up caring about what happens to them. It doesn't matter if it's toys, cars, fish, rats or even robots, the folks at Pixar excel at developing a story built around relationships.

I found myself getting misty-eyed (well, maybe a little more than that) at the first 12 or so minutes, not for the obvious part but simply for the beauty of how the story of Carl unfolded without words, just images. I knew the tragedy was coming, and perhaps that affected my view. The other part that hit me hard is when they found they could not have children, as my wife and I went through a similar thing. We decided to go the adoption route, something Carl takes his time on. ;) The special element to "Up" is the talking dog angle. It's what my wife and kids (all animal lovers) talked about walking back to the car. Pixar did not overdo it but integrated this masterfully. The Talking Dug stuffed animal should be a hot seller leading into the holidays, along with the DVD. I might even pay full price for this DVD.

Finally, the story centers on great adventures, the Spirit of Adventure. You'll find yourself wondering if and when you'll start your own adventure after the credits roll.

While one should not expect an Emmy award winner out of the movies Hallmark typically puts out, "The Russell Girl" was OK entertainment for two hours. I appreciated the lack of long commercial breaks. It was difficult to say if the lead actress, Tamblyn, made the movie slow down in parts or if it was just the script itself. It did seem to drag out as she kept playing a "keep-away" game of her secret from her family.

Even though she was relatively young (early 20's) she had not resolved a major event that had happened five years ago, one she ran away from. This movie did fairly well in showing the results of not forgiving as well as the ineffectiveness of running away from a bad situation. It just seemed to take awhile to get to the ending that wasn't a surprise but was nice to see anyhow.

The strength of the movie came in giving the audience a chance to examine their own lives, if given the news of having an "aggressive cancer". Would we accept it as some sort of karma for the bad things we have done? Would we try to right past wrongs? How would we spend the little time we have left? Considering the junk that passes for entertainment on TV lately (watching someone strapped to a lie detector for an hour?), I did not have any regrets using up two hours of my life on this movie.

(A better Hallmark movie on forgiveness is "The Christmas Gift" with Neal Patrick Harris.)

"The Valley of Light" is a drama with a little bit of romance. I echo the other comments about the refreshing lack of foul language and violence that passes for entertainment nowadays. It's also great to see courtesy, good manners and integrity given prominence.

The drama centers on a man (Noah) troubled by his service in the military (post WWII). Without family to fall back on, he goes on his own "odyssey", following whatever river he happens to find himself on and fishing for food. One river takes him to an encounter with an old man who has some encouraging and enlightening words for him, as well as a possible path.

In the next town over the ridge, he finds some answers to what he needs in life, befriending a mute boy in need of a father and a widow woman in need of love. When a crisis hits, Noah has to decide whether to cut and run or work with the relationships he has built to that point.

Nearly all of us define our lives by the relationships we hold dear, and the movie does an excellent job in showing how Noah developed his relationships with the mute boy, the widow, and the rest of the townspeople. I found myself (a techie guy who works on computers all day) while watching the movie longing to go to that time of no gadgets or TV. Beautifully filmed, good acting and story come together for an enjoyable movie.

Will Farrell plays it straight (no goofy stuff) as a guy who live a normal, boring, prescribed life and has a knack for numbers. He is set in a numbers routine: teeth-brushes, walk to the bus, and times he goes to bed and wakes up, among other things. As an IRS agent, his way with numbers has given him job security. When he begins to notice a voice in his head narrating his every move and thought, then his life starts to change.

The change also involves his attraction to a "hippie baker" he is in the process of auditing. They seem to be complete opposites, yet he knows from the moment he meets her that he "wants her". One of the better aspects of this film is the chemistry between Ferrell and Maggie Gyllenhall, and it may not be too long when they are paired again for a romantic comedy. She was a bright spot in the movie.

StF is not a comedy, but rather a drama with some comedy and romance thrown in. It's a little different than the typical Hollywood fare, which appeals to me, and the movie challenges you to think sometimes, which is more than just amusement. I can also see some theology/faith issues people can use from the movie. Besides the "what am I here for and is my life worth anything" question, you also have the question of how you get direction in life.

Does God speak to you? Is your life script already written and you're just working through the narration? I have not watched any Ferrell films besides "Elf", but if he can continue getting work like this he could have a long and strong career. He seems to slip into dramatic roles much better than his current contemporaries (Sandler, Carrey), but time will tell if he can keep the momentum.

It started out slow after an excellent animated intro, as the director had a bunch of characters and school setting to develop. Once the bet is on, though, the movie picks up the pace as it's a race against time to see if a certain number of worms can be eaten by 7 pm. We had a good opportunity on the way home to discuss some things with our son: bullies, helping others, mind over matter when you don't want to do something.

Of special note is the girl who played Erica (Erk): Hallie Kate Eisenberg. The director kinda sneaks her in unexpectedly, and when she is on-screen she is captivating. She's one of those "Hey, she looks familiar" faces, and then I remembered that she was the little girl that Pepsi featured about 8 years ago. She was also in "Paulie", that movie about the parrot who tries to find his way home.

Ms. Eisenberg made many TV and movie appearances in '99-00, but then was not seen much for the next few years. She's now 14 and is growing up to be a beautiful woman. Her smile really warms up the screen. If she can get some more good roles she could have as good a career (or better?) than Haley Joel Osment, another three named kid actor, but hopefully without some of the problems that Osment has been in lately.

Anywhozitz, according to my 8 y.o. son, who just finished reading the story, the film did not seem to follow the book all that well, but was entertaining none the less. The ending of the film seemed like a big setup for some sequels (How to Eat Boiled Slugs? Escargot Kid's Style?), which might not be such a bad thing. It was nice to take the family to a movie and not have to worry about language, violence or sex scenes.

One other good aspect of the movie was the respect/fear engendered by the principal Mr. Burdock (Boilerplate). Movies nowadays tend to show adult authority figures as buffoons. While he has one particular goofy scene, he ruled the school with a firm hand. It was also nice to see Andrea Martin getting some work.

For those who may avoid this film because it may be "preachy" or too religious, don't worry. It's all about relationships. Although the story centers on a preacher's daughter and her dog, there is no proselytizing in the movie and faith themes are treated subtly. The two times that the movie shows the preacher actually preaching are more for comic relief then giving a message. Though the movie is not evangelical, there are some Christian themes.

Foremost is how do we reach out to the parts of the "body" that are hurting? That aspect particularly burdened my heart in the last half of the film, reflecting on what I could and should be doing to reach out to those who we see on the borders of our lives, yet very much want friendship and someone to talk to. Jesus' ministry was centered on reaching out to the hurt, the sick and those of no repute, loving one another.

Opal and Winn Dixie seemed to do a better job of that than her preacher father. Other themes included judging others on what they do and not on rumors, and loving the "unlovable". Yes, it's an "old-timey" movie set in a small town, but there are some truths in the film that all communities need to embrace. This film can be a good starting point to talk to youngsters about relationships, reaching out to the lonely and to kids who may not treat them nicely at first. You do not necessarily have to be Christian to appreciate that.

Horrors!?! Disney made an animated film that might not be extra-entertaining for adults as well as kids? Don't worry, the sun will still shine, and people will still munch on popcorn as they take their kids to a movie that does not involve space travel or swords.

Some commenters did not appreciate the "sad" portion of the film, but it was one of the most well done parts of "Home on the Range". Like Buzz when he finds out that he can't fly, like Nemo's dad when he realizes Nemo is gone, the cows find themselves in the middle of nowhere at the end of their rope (literally). The Bonnie Raitt song (Sun's Never Going to Shine No More?) for that scene was outstanding and should be nominated for an Oscar.

It may not be one of Disney's best animated films, but "Home on the Range" was still good entertainment for kids, and some adults may enjoy it as well. The movie can help parents explain to kids about foreclosure, having to move and that there are bad men who want to steal from them. [rate 7/10]

Check your believability sensors at the door, because Hollywood has cranked out another stretch of the imagination, and this is not even sci-fi!

1. Steve Martin is not believable as a coach or a dad of a large family. He was much better in Parenthood, so maybe he was a victim of the scriptwriters. I kept waiting for him to turn to the camera and say: I'm not really a coach or dad, I just play one in this movie.

2. The mom spends years writing a book but then can't wait a few months, after football season, to go on her book tour.

3. The dad waits for several days before calling for help, and then can't find anybody in the yellow pages. He works on the campus of a big university and can't find part time help for the kids? Give me a break.

4. The large families I know rely heavily on the older kids as surrogate parents to help with the everyday problems. The two numbskull teenagers in this film are wrapped up in their own little worlds and stay in their rooms.

5. A coach of a small division III school would have less time for family as compared to a coach of a major program, who would have a much larger staff of assistants to delegate responsibilities.

6. A head coach would not be running drills, either at the practice field or the back yard, or give detailed chalk talk to the players. That's what the assistant coaches are for.

There's more, but that should do for now. Despite the logic gaps and non-sense, there were some amusing scenes in the film, particularly before the family move. With that big of a family they did not have to send the mom off for a good story. They could have come up with plenty of entertainment from the conflicts present when a family of 13 lives under the same roof.

An interesting choice for a Christmas movie, but one that gives a little different message than others. It starts out as a buddy film set in the '50's, and it will be a nice trip down nostalgia lane for older baby boomers. The plot thickens to more of a crisis, as one of the boy's sister is sick from polio and fading fast, and the boy wants to make her Christmas special.

The girl loves angels and the book "The Angel Doll", so he struggles to find (and afford) an angel doll for her. The message at the end of the book has a small angel asking the question: what can I give to the Christ child? It's something that all Christians should ask themselves each year during the holidays, and not just thinking about buying gifts and making out our own lists. There's also a strong underlying current on the importance of family ties in the film.

While there may not necessarily be a "Hollywood" happy ending to this film, it's a well-told tale about a chapter in a boy's life. Be sure to see the extra clip on the DVD.

It's pretty good, with some draggy spots and the predictable outcome. It would be a good film for family night (WARNING: some swearing, slight violence) with teens/pre-teens, as it would give you a good starting point to talk about peer pressure and the junk that can go on in schools. Beaufort was a lovely background for the film. I'm surprised that more filmmakers do not use the Carolina coast more often.

One "goof" in the film was the post-date trip to the Virgina border. The movie implied that they did that the same night of the first date, but for them to just reach the border would take at least 2 hours (or longer) ONE WAY. I don't think the Reverend would have been too pleased to have his daughter back home after 2 am.

I saw the "great acting weak story" knock, but I have to disagree. No, it's not a serious story or has a complex plot. "Secondhand Lions" is a great story about how people find family/love, and gives us an American mythical hero, Uncle Hub. At a time when the rest of Hollywood is looking to comic books for a "hero", this movie helps remind us of the type of people that made (and are continuing to make) America the great country that it is.

While others may see this as a coming of age (centered on Walt) movie, this actually was the story of Uncle Hub and how he fought the good fight, went back home and was given a second chance by taking in Walt. I won't give specifics on what Uncle Hub did to make him a hero - you'll just have to see it and judge for yourself. For fans of "Lonesome Dove", this will probably be as close as you will get to seeing another great mythical hero, Augustus McCrae, on the screen again.

Michael Caine puts in an understated but very good performance. Haley Joel Osment does another excellent job of picking good characters. This will turn out to be an excellent "transition" film for him as he gets more older teen/young man roles, and matures into what could be a long career for him. He has excellent potential as long as he is selective with his parts. He does not have much to smile about for much of the film, but at the end when he does smile, the glow not only fills the screen but the whole theater.

If you're a sentimental fool like me, you will enjoy this film. I wish Hollywood could make more films like this.