Reviews

Formulaic as it is, this holiday movie has some charm. It is a bit refreshing to have a dysfunctional family inhabited by more dysfunctional people. What keeps me interested is the inexplicable charm. Melissa Joan Hart gives a portrait of a young woman who is trying so hard to please her parents that she becomes a total hapless and helpless mess. One can't help but be sympathetic to this immature, pixieish wreck with moments of regret mixed with a bit of grandeur of a "boyfriend" with whom the family falls in love. To me all these faults are actually make it enjoyable to watch. Happy and handcuff-less holidays!

A young career-minded woman has an accident and wakes up married with 2 children and a husband who works in a homeless shelter and drug rehab center. She is aghast to find that out because she is a "scrooge" type of person. Sounds familiar? One might call this a preview of an alternative life style. This easily reminds us of a great movie in the past, "It is A Wonderful Life" with James Stewart. It is actually rather nice to be able to see what your life will be like in 10 years. The trouble is that you might not be able to change anything even knowing what is coming. She could have been married to a gangster or a murderer. The acting is quite light weight. Nancy McKeon seems to be going through the motion. She treats her drastic change as if she found herself wearing a different outfit and wondering how it happens. The husband is unconvincingly nonchalant as is the 'doctor'. Post traumatic amnesia requires at least a hospital visit. However there is a small bright spot in this other lackluster movie; it is Dixie Carter as the insufferable mother with a Southern accent. One must not forget that this is a fantasy, one in which explanations are unnecessary about details like why Jane has not aged in 10 years. The movie is a minor variation on the same age-old theme. Do accept the imperfections and enjoy this little bonbon; it is, after all, Christmas.

I have watched both Tombstone and Wyatt Earp, which came out within a year of each other. Thus they offer rather vivid contrast. While they are both likable films, the former has a much more talented cast. Val Kilmer gave one of the best portrayal of Doc I have seen. He is complex, kind and cruel, careful and reckless, serious and humorous. His killing of Johnny Ringo in the woods is one of the best gun fight in movies. It is up-close and very personal so that the viewer can almost smell the blood and gun powder. I am certain that the director and writers take great liberty with history but the film is a classic western as well as a suspense thriller. The latter film tries to be more of a character study of Wyatt Earp. Here he is not the straight forward hero but a man of dubious moral conviction. Except for Costner, the cast, in my opinion, is average at best. I am particularly disappointed by Quaids' Doc performance. All the Clanton gangs seems interchangeable without individuality. The bottom line is these films are enjoyable but one is by far the better.