August 2009 Archives

2009

Plot: This is what happens when you let too many cats into the house.

Eric: Surprisingly heartwarming movie. I may have to rethink my definition of what a 'full, rich life' is. Be sure to watch all the way to the end before the closing credits roll.

Kelly: Let this movie be a lesson to us—no more cats! I saw the original documentary years ago and thought Little Edie and Big Edie Bouvier Beale were fascinating. However, I liked this HBO movie even better, because it tells more of the tale. What a complex and beautiful story! Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore should share some big-time award for their portrayals.

1987

Plot: Autobiographical story about news editor Donald Woods and his championing of the cause of Steve Biko, an anti-apartheid activist in 1970’s South Africa.

Eric: I didn’t really have a clear picture in my mind of what apartheid in South Africa looked like before viewing this movie. Very interesting; I’m glad we saw it. Don’t expect to see a story about the heroic activist Steve Biko; it’s clearly meant to be the story of Donald Woods and his efforts to bring the evils of apartheid to life by writing and publishing an exposé about it.

Kelly: I particularly liked the candid and relaxed conversations between Steve Biko and Donald Woods about their impressions of each other, their frustrations, their expectations, and their prejudice. The movie unraveled a very complicated tapestry of the history of South Africa and the various people who call it their homeland. I learned that this issue has deep roots, and it took brave people like Steve Biko and Donald Woods to create change.

2009

Plot: There must be a better way to bone a duck.

Eric: Julia Childs and I have so much in common: published authors, good cooks, tall…TV personalities. They should have made this movie about me.

Kelly: Heaven help us. Now Eric is going to buy her cookbook and start boning ducks and killing live lobsters in our kitchen. I had no desire to start cooking after this movie. One brilliant chef in the house is all we need. Nevertheless, I completely enjoyed it. Julie and Julia and their significant others were endearing and authentic, and I liked bouncing back and forth between the two storylines.

1989

Plot: An autobiographical story of a courageous writer and painter who overcame the limitations of cerebral palsy to lead a full and interesting life.

Eric: Unbelievable movie worthy of one of the most incredible lives ever lived—that of Christy Brown of Ireland. Please see this one if you haven't already.

Kelly: What Eric said (and add a few exclamation points). It was a stunning movie and a miraculous story. If you’re looking for a little inspiration, rent this film.

Eric is getting better at the Movable Type blog and content management platform, but he still has much to learn.  Just today he discovered how to turn on anonymous commenting. Now our fans can leave comments without having to register with the blog.

We hope this will encourage our fans to speak out more and tells us just how much they disagree with our reviews.

—Eric and Kelly

2002

Plot: A well-meaning but hapless retired widower gets honest with himself by writing letters to an African foster child.

Eric: This is one of my favorite movies; it was extremely poignant and meaningful to me after I got divorced several years ago. I don’t want to live the end days of my life with as many regrets and doubts as Warren Schmidt did. The scene of him sitting on top of his Winnebago Adventurer, looking up to the stars and asking questions about his life is one of the most thought-provoking of all time. On the other hand, I didn’t really need to see Kathy Bates and Jack Nicholson in the hot tub together a second time….

Kelly: I really love this movie, too. It’s sweet and sad and striking in the way it deals with regret. Each character is uniquely flawed and beautiful, and for some reason that makes me comfortable. I think the most heartbreaking point is that Schmidt is so lost in personal disappointment that he doesn’t recognize his good traits. My favorite scene is when he gets the picture from his foster child in the mail.

2008

Plot: Quirky, low-budget film tells the story of a young drifter woman struggling to get to Alaska with a broken-down car and dog that goes missing.

Eric: I experienced plenty of empathy for the main character of this film and was touched by the climactic decision involving the dog. I don’t know why this woman chose to leave her family and hit the road to reach Alaska chasing a pipe-dream, but it made a compelling movie to me. I know Kelly disagrees, so this could be interesting.

Kelly: Eric is right. I disagree. I’m not a fan of this movie. I strongly dislike this whole crowd of indie films that makes you sit through two hours of some pitiful person making a long string of bad decisions and expecting life to miraculously get better. Boring. Flat. Frustrating to watch.

2006

Plot: China’s most famous fighter finds his soul by learning how to plant rice from a blind woman.

Eric: Not as good as Jet Li’s movie, Hero, but a top-tier martial arts movie nonetheless. The biggest surprise of this film is that Kelly kept insisting that we watch it together.

Kelly: At the risk of ruining my reputation as the one who likes “artsy” movies, I have to admit that I’m a fan of Jet Li. I have no idea why. I wouldn’t put him up for an Academy Award or anything, but this was fun. (Don’t tell anyone.)

2009

Plot: Harry, Ron, and Hermione better hurry up and graduate from Hogwarts before they reach middle age.

Eric: Best of the Harry Potter movies up to the point Dumbledore bit the dust; I think I’m scarred for life.

Kelly: I love that these movies get darker as the kids get older. The Harry Potter movies (this one in particular) do a wonderful job of making J.K. Rowling’s world even more magical than I imagined it when I read those fantastic books.

1993

Plot: Movie about a family caring for a special needs teenager and an obese mother. When they’re not retrieving the teenager from the top of the water tower, they’re burning down the house.

Eric: I’m embarrassed to say this was the first time I viewed this movie. This was an amazing film that managed to make all the main characters appear dysfunctional, noble, and adorable all at the same time. Leonardo DiCaprio got robbed of the Oscar; his performance touched me deeply.

Kelly: Awesome movie. I alternately fell in love with Leonardo DiCaprio’s character and wanted to strangle him—same goes for Johnny Depp. Great performances by all.