June 2009 Archives

2007

Plot: A Homeless family in New York City desperately seeks employment and shelter on Christmas Eve.

Eric: Just when you think this down on its luck family could endure no more catastrophes, yet another disaster happens to them. The ending left me breathless and feeling a little cheated at first, but now I admire the guts of the producers to leave it the way they did (sorry, no spoilers). This movie is guaranteed to start some conversations.

Kelly: Gosh, I hate to keep agreeing with Eric, but this movie made me suck wind, too. The little boy was so honest in his portrayal that I felt embarrassed to be watching what he was going through. In fact, the entire cast gave me the impression I was eavesdropping. I never once felt like I was watching actors. This is a great story that forces you to look at the realities of raising a family when the job and the home are taken away.

2009

Plot: City girl goes country, freezes her *** off. (You’ve seen it a million times.)

Eric: A cliché romantic comedy all the way, but it had some of the biggest movie-night laughs we have had in a while. (I nodded my head sagely several times to the references to sub-zero temperatures.) It made me homesick for the Midwest; Minnesotans are cool people, aren’t they? Yah, sure! (Don’t answer that.)

Kelly: Yes, this one was totally predictable yet strangely entertaining! I wasn’t expecting it to be so funny—especially when we knew what was going to happen three scenes before it actually did. It made me homesick for my Midwest roots, too. I sure do miss the days when waiting for the bus could give you frostbite within minutes…

2008

Plot: Always bring your heart medicine when traveling overseas if you are very old, plan to fall in love, and foolishly run up twenty flights of stairs.

Eric: The cynic in me says that Dustin Hoffman is funny looking, short, and twenty years older than Emma Thompson. But the romantic in me thought this movie was sweet and touching, I thought their romance was believable—very studly the way Harvey, a pathetic down-on-his-luck guy, chased this woman who caught his eye. The movie only works when these two are on the screen together, though; enough for three paws from me.

Kelly: There was something very sweet about the way Dustin Hoffman gazed up into Emma Thompson’s eyes. I thought they made a cute couple. I agree that the movie was at its best when they were sharing the screen, though. The sad, mopey individual scenes leading up to when they met were not particularly entertaining.

2006

Plot: Moving documentary chronicles the emigration of the Sudanese “Lost Boys” from their refugee camp in Kenya to the United States.

Eric: I hope everyone who sees this documentary will see it and feel something. I was touched by the love these immigrants had for their homeland. Their descriptions of Sudan and the Nile river valley make me want to go there. Their loneliness here in America was heartbreaking. Their frank, less-than-flattering assessments of life in the United States made me gulp, because they were spot on.

[In Sudan] you say, ‘I am new to this place,’ they [strangers] can show you where you are. You can even talk with them. That’s difficult; you cannot even ask them [in America]. I do not know how I will get acquainted with this place.

That’s difficult to hear. I hope we as a society can be more welcoming in the future.

Kelly: Amazing documentary. I was incredibly moved by these young men and the tragic story of events in Sudan. I encourage everyone to see this outstanding movie. Witnessing their strength and perseverance made me take a glance inward and think about what I need to change in my own life to be a better host in this country to refugees and immigrants. I hope that we can learn to honor the rich and diverse cultures that grace our borders.

2006

Plot: Shhh, it must be a secret, because everybody was whispering.

Eric: Long, boring movie whose plot is as unintelliglbe as its dialoge

Kelly: Those little boys think they are so important playing spy. They should give up their secret societies and stick to model ships.

2008

Plot: Old guy gets younger; young girl gets older. Both end up in diapers.

Eric: I’ll let Benjamin speak for me on this review:

I hope you feel things that you never felt before.

I hope you meet people with a different point of view.

I hope you live a live you’re proud of. And if you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.

Amen.

Kelly: What he said. Amen!

2008

Plot: The American Dream becomes a nightmare.

Eric: Were these two people just lost, or psychotic? Or does chasing the American Dream in suburbia do this to you? Not sure. The movie made me look inward and squirm as a result. It was fascinating to consider these questions with Kelly after we finished viewing. The rude house guest, who everyone thought was insane, was the only character that seemed grounded in reality.

Kelly: I vote for psychotic. Eric and I did have a great conversation about the interesting, maddening, and very uncomfortable characters in this movie and the statements the director might be making about suburbia and the American Dream. I like movies that make me think…and I'm glad the Wheelers are not our neighbors.

2009

Plot: Hurry UP and follow your dreams before the helium runs out.

Eric: I thought the first half of the movie was the best Hallmark Movie ever made, and the second half of the movie was the best Tomb Raider movie ever made. Not bad for a film based on thousands of miraculous toy balloons. Our niece got scared at a few points late in the film, but I have heard that other kids have no problem with it. The funniest part might have been my three-year-old nephew's feet flipping up in the air in the adult-sized movie theatre seat.

Kelly: The love story at the beginning was so beautiful I almost cried. Cool animation; great characters; and a fun story line. The talking dogs threw our niece over the edge, but she'll be fine after a little therapy. (The Cone of Shame works on cats, too, by the way. We've got pictures.)

1928

Plot: Kelly might lose her Netflix privileges over this one…

Eric: 1928!!!! [Giving a silent review, with a surprised, wide-eyed expression plastered permanently on his face.]

(for entertainment value)  (for cultural significance)

Kelly: I’m sorry! I think I pushed the wrong button when I made my Netflix selection. This 1925 silent movie is supposed to be a classic. I’m sure it’s brilliant. Wow, the movie business has come a long way, baby.

2008

Plot: The movie from down under goes over the top.

Eric: This movie was a little too cheeky, mate.

Kelly: I think maybe they were trying too hard to be Gone With the Wind…Down Under. I kept waiting for Nicole Kidman to grab some dusty Australian soil and say, “As God is my witness, I’ll never be hungry again!” On the other hand, the cinematography was totally cool. I can’t get the image of that black horse emerging from the water out of my head.

1999

Plot: A jilted university music professor finds a goldmine of undiscovered folk music in the Appalachian mountains.

Eric: Kelly may have appreciated the music and music history of this film more than me. For my part, I couldn’t get the Janis Joplin song “Mercedes Benz” song out of my head the entire time we were viewing it.

Kelly: Great, now I’ve got that song in my head. Oh, Lord, could you buy me, a Mercedes Benz… (Focus, Kelly.) I did enjoy this movie! I love how music is such a vital part of different cultures, and the idea that this woman would travel to the mountains of Appalachia to “catch” their songs is pretty cool. The music and the people in this movie allowed me to forgive some of the hokey plot lines.