Miracle

"You're missing some of the best players."
"I'm not looking for the best players, Craig. I'm looking for the right ones."

With the 1980 Olympics approaching, the U.S. Olympic Committee hires the University of Minnesota head coach, Herb Brooks (Russell) to coach the U.S. Olympic Hockey team.  The U.S. has not had a winning hockey team in years.  Brooks and Assistant Coach Craig Patrick (Emmerich) are tasked with finding the roster for a winning hockey team.

The best collegiate hockey players come to open tryouts with hopes of making the team, but Brooks already has his team in mind.  In a single day he narrows the field to 26, ultimately taking 20 men to the Olympics.  They are not necessarily the best players, they are the players that can work the best for the team.  They include: goalie Jim Craig (Cahill), who is still reeling from his mother's death and off his game; and old rivals Jack O'Callahan (Mantenuto) and Rob McClanahan (West) who hate each other.

As Herb tries to unite his team, they set their sights on keeping up with the U.S.S.R. team.  The U.S.S.R. has the best team in the world: even better than the National Hockey League (NHL).  No one can last against them, do a group of college players even have a chance?


This film is based on the true story of the 1980 United States Olympic Hockey Team.  It's a great underdog story.  Since it's a sports film, and actually happened, it is easy to guess the outcome.  In spite of that information, the filmmakers still manage to make a suspenseful, intriguing film.

According to IMDb.com, the members of the films hockey team were hired because of their skating abilities.  Unlike other sports films that are filmed from a distance to allow real skaters / players to do the action sequences while subbing the actors for closeups.  In this film, the actors could skate and play hockey well, which allowed plausible action scenes.

Each player has a distinct personality and style, with a few standouts played by good actors.  Eddie Cahill stands out as goalie Jim Craig.  Kurt Russell works well as the coach that no one understands, but gets the results he wants.  Overall, an excellent true story / action flick.

Miracle (2004) 135 minutes
Rating: PG
Director: Gavin O'Connor
Starring: Kurt Russell as Herb Brooks
Patricia Clarkson as Patty Brooks
Noah Emmerich as Craig Patrick
Eddie Cahill as Jim Craig
Patrick O'Brien Demsey as Mike "Rizzo" Eruzione
Michael Mantenuto as Jack O'Callahan
Nathan West as Rob McClanahan

The Court Jester

"You spent some time in the Italian court?"
"Why, yes. What better place to court Italians?"

When the royal family is killed, Roderick the Tyrant (Parker) assumes the duties of king.  Meanwhile, a band of rebels, led by the Black Fox (Edward Ashley), protect the real heir to the throne: a baby with the family birthmark.  While the king's men search for the child, the Black Fox assigns entertainer Hubert Hawkins (Kaye) and the Captain of the Black Fox Army, Maid Jean (Johns), to transport and protect the baby.  While on the road, they encounter the king's new jester, Giacomo (David Carradine).. and Jean gets an idea: Hawkins could impersonate Giacomo and end their battle sooner.

At the court, Hawkins makes a good impression.  King Roderick laughs with Hawkins, and gives him the task of selecting a date for the king.  The king's lead counselor, Sir Ravenhurst (Rathbone), hired the real Giacomo to assassinate the king.  The Princess Gwendolyn (Lansbury) threatens to kill herself and her maid, Griselda the witch (Natwick), unless she meets her true love.  And the king is set on an allegiance with Sir Griswold (Middleton) by forcing a marriage with the princess.  With the Black Fox on the way, can Hawkins outsmart the usurpers to the throne and save the day?


This is the perfect film for Danny Kaye, playing to his strengths.  He sings all the songs, gets some dance numbers, and makes crazy faces.  The film features fast paced dialogue and several memorable exchanges: "the pellet with the poison" speech.  He has the ability to change personalities in a second: going from nervous to courageous, etc.  And he gets an iconic sword fight with world-class fencing expert Basil Rathbone.

The rest of the cast works well, but it is obviously Kaye's show.

Find it, watch it, adore it.  And look for my other favorite film from Kaye's repertoire (besides "White Christmas")  "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty".

The Court Jester (1955) 101 minutes
Director: Melvin Frank & Norman Panama
Starring: Danny Kaye as Hubert Hawkins
Glynis Johns as Jean
Basil Rathbone as Sir Ravenhurst
Angela Lansbury as Princess Gwendolyn
Cecil Parker as King Roderick
Mildred Natwick as Griselda
Robert Middleton as Sir Griswold

Summer Stock

"You really love this, don't you?"
"What? Show business? There's nothing else in the world."

Jane Falbury (Garland) is barely able to keep her farm going: she owes money to the local hardware store and her only help are two old men that worked for her father and grandfather.  When the hired hands leave, Jane convinces Mr. Wingait (Ray Collins), the owner of the hardware store and the father of her fiance Orville (Bracken), to loan her a new tractor.  She plans to run the farm and make a profit on her own.

Meanwhile, back on the farm sister Abigail (DeHaven) and her musical troupe have taken over.  Abigail's boyfriend, Joe (Kelly), is trying to produce a show and needs a place for the cast to rehearse.  Despite reservations, Jane allows the troupe to stay and use the barn, but they have to help with the chores.  But this decision does not sit well with the Wingait family or the rest of the town.


After the disaster that was On the Town I was beginning to rethink my crush / admiration on the awesome-ness of Gene Kelly... and this film does not really help.  Yes, he is awesome (the best part of the film), and the plot flows better, but I am disappointed again (Gene Kelly why would you do this to me?)

Judy Garland sings and matches Kelly step-for-step on the dance floor.  Check out the "Portland Fancy" square dance turned competition between Kelly and Garland.  She also delivers an iconic performance on "Get Happy."  Kelly gets several song and dance numbers, and has a memorable dance with a newspaper.  The supporting cast tackles the comedy aspects of the script.  Comedian Phil Silvers does his usual schtick as Herb, and Eddie Bracken embodies the neurotic Orville.  When they come together, over lost glasses, it is comedy gold.  Marjorie Main (Garland's co-star in Meet Me in St. Louis) is sassy the housekeeper Esme, and Gloria DeHaven is spoiled "princess" Abigail.

The cast is not the problem... that would be the script / songs.  The script falls apart... and some of the songs fall flat ("Dig-Dig-Dig Dig For Your Dinner" doesn't work, and "Heavenly Music" gets obnoxious fast).  It is a testament to the performers that the remaining songs work.

Better than On the Town, but nowhere near the best for Gene Kelly or Judy Garland.  It survives because of "Get Happy"

Check out the funny and irrelevant review by Tom and Lorenzo, in their Musical Monday category.

Summer Stock (1950) 108 minutes
Director: Charles Walters
Starring: Judy Garland as Jane Falbury
Gene Kelly as Joe Ross
Eddie Bracken as Orville Wingait
Gloria DeHaven as Abigail Falbury
Marjorie Main as Esme
Phil Silvers as Herb

On the Town

"Gesundheit."
"That's the nicest thing anybody ever said to me!"

Three sailors, Gabey (Kelly), Chip (Sinatra), and Ozzie (Munshin) have 24 hour leave in New York City.  They are excited and want to spend the day sightseeing and looking for dates.  While on the subway, Gabey falls for a picture of Miss Turnstiles, Ivy Smith (Ellen), who he thinks is a local celebrity.  They meet briefly, but before anything can happen, she is whisked away.  Gabey vows to find her before the day is over.

They hire cab driver Hilde (Garrett) to drive them around the city.  Hilde is smitten with the oblivious Chip, who is more interested in his guide book.  Their search take the group to a museum.  At the museum anthropologist Claire (Miller) is intrigued by Ozzie, who resembles the prehistoric man of her research.  The friends split up to continue the search for Ivy, who Gabey finds at a dance studio.  Unbeknown to Gabey, Ivy is a dancer trying to make ends meet.  She agrees to be his date for the evening.

The friends, and dates, meet up for a night on the town.  What could go wrong?



This film was rated well by AFI and according to IMDb.com it was nominated for some awards.  Honestly, I don't understand it.  Normally I love musicals, but I was not impressed here.  It should work.  Gene Kelly, Ann Miller, and Vera-Ellen are great dancers and known for their fantastic footwork.  And Frank Sinatra is a singer...  Apparently Betty Garrett was a star, but this was my first exposure to her, although I did know the name.  Jules Munshin, never heard of and not entirely impressed.  You'd think with a cast this good, you could have an awesome musical.

The story is choppy.  The dances are great, with intricate and memorable choreography.  Some of the songs work and some fall flat.  The worst song is "Prehistoric Man," although Ann Miller does everything in her power to sell it, it is in really bad taste.  The characters never develop, especially Ozzie who gets the least screen time.  One acting highlight is Hilde's roommate, Lucy (Alice Pearce).  She is annoying, but also the funniest character.  She gets the best lines (she is quoted above), and is the only member of the original Broadway cast in the film.  I'm sure the Broadway show was great, but the movie is not consistent enough to make a dent.

Check out the funny and irrelevant review by Tom and Lorenzo, in their Musical Monday category.

On the Town (1949) 98 minutes
Director: Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly
Starring: Gene Kelly as Gabey
Frank Sinatra as Chip
Betty Garrett as Hilde Esterhazy
Ann Miller as Claire Huddesen
Jules Munshin as Ozzie
Vera-Ellen as Ivy Smith

Tootsie

"You are psychotic!"
"No, I'm not, I'm employed."

Character actor Michael Dorsey (Hoffman) is unemployed.  He has a reputation and prefers to work on small specialized projects.  In an act of desperation he dresses as a woman to audition for a soap opera.  After getting the part, he convinces his agent, George (Pollack) to along with the charade, and Dorothy Michaels is born.

As Dorothy, Michael continually improvises dialogue, becoming a symbol of female empowerment.  The director, Ron (Coleman), is frustrated by this woman who obviously hates him, and the leading man, John (Gaynes) is bewildered and panicked each time Dorothy opens her mouth.  Meanwhile, Michael begins falling for the female lead, Julie (Lange), while becoming her best friend as Dorothy.  With Julie’s father (Durning) trying to woo Dorothy, and Michael’s friend Sandy (Garr) trying to maintain a relationship with Michael, can Michael be two people without hurting everyone in his life?


This award winning comedy stands the test of time, as funny today as it was at inception.  The story is strong, giving each character dimension (although some feel like caricatures) and a thorough plot that doesn’t talk down to the audience.

Dustin Hoffman delivers two deeply layered personas that grow and change during the course of the film.  Dorothy is a complete personality, not just a reason to see Hoffman in drag.  Jessica Lange, who won the Oscar for Best Actress, is more than just the object of his affection; she has a story and depth.  Bill Murray scores as Michael’s best friend and roommate, Jeff.  He has a laid back camaraderie with Hoffman that clearly illustrates their relationship.  It is an understated performance, unlike Murray’s previous roles, but he manages to convey a lot with a comment or look.  The rest of the cast is on: George Gaynes does bewildered well and Dabney Coleman is a hate-able jerk.

From the opening sequence you know exactly what you are going to get… a well made, well acted film about the film industry.  The opening shot pans lovingly across Michael's makeup and mustaches, as he gets ready for auditions.  You immediately understand that he is passionate about his art/career, and in the rest of the opening montage, you fully understand his love/hate relationship with directors.

In addition, movies about men dressing as women or women dressed as men are a dime-a-dozen, but most aren't worth wasting your time.  To see this done well, watch Tootsie or Some Like It Hot.  Both are made by reputable directors, with strong plots, and excellent casts.  They are funny without resorting to cheap laughs.  Don't waste your time on the rest of the pack.

Oft imitated, but never duplicated this film is worth a watch!

Tootsie (1982) 116 minutes
Director: Sydney Pollack
Starring: Dustin Hoffman as Michael Dorsey / Dorothy Michaels
Jessica Lange as Julie Nichols
Teri Garr as Sandy Lester
Dabney Coleman as Ron Carlisle
Charles Durning as Les Nichols
Bill Murray as Jeff Slater
Sydney Pollack as George Fields

Toy Story 3

"Hold on, this is no time to be hysterical!"
"This is the perfect time to be hysterical."
"Should we be HYSTERICAL?"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"Maybe! But not right now!"

After many good years, Andy (Morris) is heading to college.  His beloved toys have been sold at yard sales or left in the toy box: they haven't been played with in years.  Before leaving, his mom gives an ultimatum: take to college, put in the attic, or donate to a daycare.  Anything left when he leaves will be trashed.  Woody (Hanks) trusts that Andy will put them all in the attic, and they will be fine as long as they are all together.  But when Andy is choosing boxes, he puts Woody in the "college" box and throws Buzz (Allen) and the rest of the gang into a trash bag for the attic.

Through a series of mishaps, the entire gang ends up in the box of items to donate to Sunnyside Daycare.  They are welcomed by the leader of the toys, a purple bear named Lotso (Beatty).  Lotso's associate, Ken (Keaton), gives them a tour of the facilities... but is distracted by his attraction to Barbie (Benson).  While Woody escapes to return to Andy, the rest of the toys eagerly wait for the children to return to the room and play with them... but they are in the toddler room and get abused more than played with.  That evening they learn about the daycare hierarchy... Buzz is returned to factory setting (and then reset to Spanish mode) and the rest of the gang are locked in crates overnight.  Will Woody make it back to the daycare to help his escape?  Will they get Buzz back to normal?  Will they make it back to Andy in time?


All hail Pixar!!  Once again they deliver a wonderful family film... master storytelling with lots of laughs for the entire family to enjoy.  This film is eleven years in the making...  In 1995 the Pixar team created their first major motion picture: Toy Story.  A CGI film that looked good, was smart, and had a huge heart.  Four years later, in 1999, Pixar managed another great feat: a sequel that was even better than the predecessor.  Toy Story 2 introduced new characters and new dilemmas, while capitalizing on the success of the first.  Eleven years later, they've done it again.

But how do you continue a beloved story when some of your main actors have passed away (Jim Varney voice of Slinky, Joe Ranft voice of Wheezy)?  Do you keep the characters and use other actors, or do you remove the character from the story?  The character of Slinky was a main character in both of the other films, it would be hard to remove him from the story.  So for the good of the story, the filmmakers hired one of Varney's good friends, Blake Clark.  The role of Slinky was greatly reduced, but he was still there.  Wheezy was not a major character, so it was easy for the filmmakers to write him out of the story.  The only main character missing from the film is Bo Peep (voiced by Annie Potts), who was one of Molly's toys, and would not fit into the story as well.

The filmmakers manage to keep the emotion and relationships of the previous installations, while introducing new characters and stories.  The new characters easily fit into the toy world, with their own personalities.  They are interesting characters, voiced by well-known actors.  And they brought by old characters from the first film... Sid (the evil kid from the first film) drives the garbage truck.  The action and visuals are better, and the emotions are stronger.  It tugs at your heartstrings and brings you close to tears...and by close to tears, I mean, you are bawling your eyes out.

The perfect way to bring a touching film series to a close.

Toy Story 3 (2010) 103 minutes
Director: Lee Unkrich
Starring: Tom Hanks as Woody
Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear
Joan Cusack as Jessie
Ned Beatty as Lotso
Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head
Michael Keaton as Ken
Wallace Shawn as Rex
John Ratzenberger as Hamm
Estelle Harris as Mrs. Potato Head
John Morris as Andy
Jodi Benson as Barbie
Blake Clark as Slinky Dog

Horton Hears a Who!

"Alright, I need to get this clover to the top of Mount Nool A.S.A.P. whatever that means. Probably, Act Swiftly, Awesome Pachyderm."

Horton (Carrey) the elephant is enjoying a swim when he hears a tiny cry for help.  The cry comes from a speck of dust floating past, which eventually settles on a clover.  Horton rescues the clover and makes contact with the voice he heard, Ned the Mayor of Whoville (Carell).  The Whos, that live on the speck, are perpetually happy and are preparing for a big celebration.  When Ned learns his town is a speck of dust, he consults an expert, Dr. LaRue (Isla Fischer) about their predicament.  She explains that they are in peril unless a suitable, safe location can be found for their speck.

Meanwhile, in Horton's world, the Jungle of Nool, no one else can hear the voices on Horton's clover, including his best friend, Morton (Rogen) the mouse.  The leader of Nool, the Sour Kangaroo (Burnett), does not like Horton's obsession and sets out to stop him.  As Horton vows to protect the Whos and take their clover to the top of Mount Nool, the Kangaroo is contracting Vlad Vladikoff (Arnett) the vulture.  Vlad is overly theatrical and basically inept, but manages to steal the clover and throw it in a field with millions of other clovers.  Will Horton find the Whos in time and will Ned convince the rest of the town that they are in danger?


Dr. Seuss wrote the story of Horton and the Whos, titled "Horton Hears a Who!" in 1954.  In 1970, it was turned into a made-for-TV cartoon film.  In 2000 the story, along with several other Dr. Seuss stories, was turned into a Broadway musical, Seussical.  Growing up I read and loved all Dr. Seuss books, so I was familiar with the story (even though I haven't read the story in years... I would say decades, but that makes me feel old).  Lately I have been obsessed with Broadway soundtracks, so Seussical has been a part of my iPod rotation.

When this film came out I wasn't interested.  The trailers weren't too impressive and even though I enjoy Jim Carrey, his films can be all over the place.  Sometimes they equal comedy gold ("Dumb and Dumber", "Liar Liar", etc) and sometimes they are off the mark.  My roommates sister loves this film and often quotes it.  She let me borrow it and I was pleasantly surprised!

It is a cute film, taking Dr. Seuss' story and expanding it.  The backgrounds are lush, and the characters look good.  In addition, the filmmakers hired big name comedians to portray the characters... and wisely chose people who would merge well with their characters.  Other than Jim Carrey and Steve Carell, the rest of the cast blends into the characters without pulling you out of the film to say "oh that's _____ (insert actor name)."  Carrey tones down his usual manic performance to make Horton endearing and a little eccentric.  And Carell makes the mayor neurotic and a bit heroic.  Comedy legend Carol Burnett oozes disdain as the Sour Kangaroo.  And Will Arnett shines with a thick Russian accent while portraying an over-the-top character.  The rest of the cast is good and well-suited for their various roles.

A good film for children, not the best, but cute and funny.

Horton Hears a Who! (2008) 86 minutes
Rating: G
Director: Jimmy Hayward & Steve Martino
Starring: Jim Carrey as Horton
Steve Carell as Mayor Ned McDodd
Carol Burnett as Kangaroo
Will Arnett as Vlad
Seth Rogen as Morton

Flickan som lekte med elden: The Girl Who Played with Fire

A year after tackling corporate corruption and solving a forty year mystery, journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Nyqvist) takes on the world of prostitution and sex trafficking.  Millennium, the magazine he works for, hires a young journalist, Dag Svensson (Hans Christian Thulin), who has facts regarding prostitution in Sweden.  His girlfriend, Mia Bergman (Jennie Silfverhjelm), is writing her thesis on the topic and they have uncovered several powerful and influential men.  Mia's thesis focuses on the girls forced into prostitution, while Dag's work with Millennium focuses on exposing the men.

But before they can publish the article, Dag and Mia are killed in their apartment.  The gun used belongs to lawyer Nils Bjurman (Peter Andersson), who is found dead the next day.  The forensic team finds fingerprints on the gun, belonging to Lisbeth Salander (Rapace);.  Lisbeth has a police record and a connection to the one of the deceased: Bjurman was her guardian.

Despite the evidence and the police manhunt, Mikael does not believe Lisbeth is guilty.  He leads a personal investigation to prove her innocence and to find the real killer.  Meanwhile, Lisbeth starts an investigation on her own when the name Zala keeps popping up.  Who can you trust?  Who will find the truth, and how long can Lisbeth evade the police?


While I enjoyed the first novel in the famed Millennium trilogy, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the sequel was better.  It grabbed my attention from the first page and kept me on the edge of my seat until the last pages.  Maybe it was because I was already familiar with the characters and didn't have to spend time going back to figure out the character names.  Whatever the reason, I was excited to see how filmmakers would bring this film to the big screen.

Like it's predecessor, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, this film sticks close to the novel.  There are minor plot and character omissions, but they are not necessary to understanding this story.  With a different director at the helm (Niels Arden Oplev directed the first) the film could suffer from pacing or stylistic issues, but Daniel Alfredson keeps the film on track.  The plot, pacing, and performances are strong and feels like it belongs in the same family as the first.  Michael Nyqvist and the rest of the cast deliver strong performances, but all are shadowed by Noomi Rapace.  She fully embodies Lisbeth and holds the spotlight throughout the film.

This film is in Swedish, with subtitles.  There is a significant amount of swearing and several sex / nudity scenes, although not as many as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

A good film, but not as exciting as it's predecessor.  As usual, the book is better!

The Girl Who Played with Fire [Flickan som lekte med elden] (2009) 129 minutes
Rating: R for brutal violence including a rape, some strong sexual content, nudity and language
Director: Daniel Alfredson
Starring: Michael Nyqvist as Mikael Blomkvist
Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth Salander
Lena Endre as Erika Berger
Yasmine Garbi as Miriam Wu
Georgi Staykov as Alexander Zalachenko
Micke Spreitz as Ronald Neidermann