The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band

The 10 members of the Bower family formed a band, led by Grandpa (Brennan).  Grandpa is a staunch Grover Cleveland supporter and wants the family to perform at the 1888 presidential convention.  They are selected, even though his son Calvin (Ebsen) supports the opposition.  The family is asked to go to the convention, but their plans are disrupted by the arrival of Joe Carder (Davidson), a Republican journalist and suitor for Calvin's oldest daughter, Alice (Warren).  Joe is encouraging families, specifically Republican families, to move to the Dakota Territory.

The Bowers decide to take the band to the Dakota Territory and Benjamin Harrison supporters.  While Alice and Joe fall in love, despite their political differences, can Grandpa keep his opinions in check?


I found this film through Netflix when I added The Happiest Millionaire.  The premise of an all-family band, with songs by Richard Sherman and Robert Sherman, in a Disney movie was too good to pass up, so I added it to my queue and took a chance.  The film reunited Lesley Ann Warren and John Davidson, a year after their success in The Happiest Millionaire (which also featured songs written by the Sherman Brothers).

The film is based on a book written by Lulu Bower Van Nuys about her family, their band, and their journey from Missouri to Dakota.  Originally Disney planned to turn the story into television show, but ultimately decided to turn it into a musical, and called in the Sherman Brothers to write songs for it.  The songs are ok, only a few stand out.  One of the songs features the film debut of Goldie Hawn.

The cast is ok, although their fake instrument playing is pretty bad.  There are too many unnecessary characters and scenes (i.e. the schoolhouse scene)... Davidson is stale and I was rooting for the other guy.  There are redeeming moments and it isn't a bad film, but it also isn't a great film.

The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968) 110 minutes
Director: Michael O'Herlihy
Starring: Walter Brennan as Grandpa Bower
Buddy Ebsen as Calvin Bower
Lesley Ann Warren as Alice Bower
John Davidson as Joe Carder
Janet Blair as Katie Bower
Kurt Russell as Sidney Bower
Bobby Riha as Mayo Bower
Jon Walmsley as Quinn Bower
Smitty Wordes as Nettie Bower
Heidi Rook as Rose Bower
Debbie Smith as Lulu Bower
Pamelyn Ferdin as Laura Bower

The North Avenue Irregulars

"Five dames ain't gonna find no bank. We'll be lucky if they don't get us all killed! If you want me honest opinion, it's a wild duck chase."

Reverend Michael Hill (Hermann) is the new pastor at North Avenue Presbyterian Church.  He has many new ideas for how to run things, and puts the Rafferty's in charge of one the church funds.  Sunday morning he learns that the money was bet in a horse race.  Unable to get the money back, he begins a crusade against the criminal underworld that has a stranglehold on the town.

He is soon contacted by two treasury agents, Marv (Constantine) and Tom (Franken), who want his help.  They need ordinary citizens to place bets and monitor the criminals.  No men in the community want to be involved, so Hill recruits some women from his church: Vickie (Harris) who brings along her kids, church secretary Anne (Clark), newly engaged Jane (Valentine), vain Claire (Leachman), outspoken Cleo (Capers), Rose Rafferty (Kelly) and her husband Delaney (Fowley).  While the government and criminals think they are a joke, can the ladies of North Avenue get organized and do the impossible?


A hidden gem of Disney films...  My best friend suggested this film and I trust her judgement, so I decided to give this film a chance, and I'm so glad I did.  It takes a little bit to get into the film, but once the women go undercover it picks up.  Each woman gets a chance to shine, although Cloris Leachman steals the show as Claire.  She has great reactions / physical comedy, but the best moment is when she loses her fingernails (trust me).  Patsy Kelly and Douglas Fowley are great as the Rafferty's.  They are an entertaining duo and get some great lines.  Edward Hermann's Reverend Hill and Susan Clark's Anne stand as the straight-man characters amid the chaos, but also get a few laughs.

This is a fun and funny, family screwball film, with a stellar cast.  Quite a few well-known comedians have small roles and get sizable laughs.  The ending chase is the funniest scene in the film!  And the music, specifically the song performed by Strawberry Shortcake (can't find it anywhere on the internet, which is surprising), which will be stuck in your head for several hours.

Hard to find, but definitely worth the search!

The North Avenue Irregulars (1979) 100 minutes
Director: Bruce Bilson
Starring: Edward Hermann as Reverend Michael Hill
Barbara Harris as Vickie Sims
Susan Clark as Anne
Karen Valentine as Jane
Michael Constantine as Marv Fogleman
Cloris Leachman as Claire
Patsy Kelly as Rose Rafferty
Douglas Fowley as Delaney Rafferty
Virginia Capers as Cleo
Steve Franken as Tom Voories

The Happiest Millionaire

"Mr. Biddle's on a chocolate cake diet."
"I beg your pardon?"
"He says it's the perfect food, containing 'every essential element'."

John Lawless (Steele) just moved from Ireland and wants a job as a butler to high society.  His first interview is at the home of eccentric millionaire Anthony J. Drexel Biddle (MacMurray).  The Biddle's have trouble keeping household staff on hand, due to their pet alligators in the conservatory.  John embraces the crazy and becomes the new butler.

Mr. Biddle built a boxing ring within the family stable and teaches "Biddle's Bible Class" as a cover for boxing practice.  His best student is his daughter, Cordy (Warren).  However, between her boxing skills and interference from her father and brothers, Tony (Petersen) and Livingson (Hodgens), she can't keep a guy.  She decides to go to boarding school, and meets Angier "Angie" Duke (Davidson).  Angie and Cordy fall in love, but can his socialite family and her family get along?


I grew up watching Disney movies, animated classics and the live-action family-friendly films.  Because my grandparents and parents loved these movies, I assumed I had seen them all... and then I came across this film.  I was intrigued, especially when it was featured in the documentary The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story, so I decided to give it a shot and I was not disappointed.

The film is a musical, with music and lyrics by Robert Sherman and Richard Sherman.  The song "Fortuosity" is the catchy opener that sticks in your head and has achieved life outside the film through it's use on Main Street at the Disney parks.  The infectious "Let's Have a Drink on It" is also used on Main Street.  Both songs are performed with glee by John Lawless, who also performs "I'll Always Be Irish", and are the most memorable songs from the film.  The duet "Are We Dancing" is a beautiful love song and "It Won't Be Long Till Christmas (Let Them Go)" is the emotional ender.  The rest of the songs are forgettable, funny ditties that make you laugh in the moment but don't serve a greater purpose.

The film is based on the book "My Philadelphia Father", co-written by Cordelia Drexel Biddle about the life of her father (who sounds like an extremely interesting man).  The story is entertaining and only feels slow in a few places.  Disney regular Fred MacMurray is great as Anthony Drexel Biddle.  Tommy Steele has great chemistry with MacMurray, and the alligators (as pictured above), and lights up the screen as John... while occasionally taking time to narrate to the audience.  Lesley Ann Warren is a delight as Cordy and works well with John Davidson, in his screen debut (in fact they worked so well together that they were matched in another Disney film, The One and Only, Genuine Family Band).

Definitely a Disney classic that everyone should see!

The Happiest Millionaire (1967) 172 minutes
Director: Norman Tokar
Starring: Fred MacMurray as Anthony J. Drexel Biddle
Tommy Steele as John Lawless
Greer Garson as Cordelia Drexel Biddle
Geraldine Page as Mrs. Duke
Gladys Cooper as Aunt Mary
Hermione Baddeley as Mrs. Worth
Lesley Ann Warren as Cordy Drexel Biddle
John Davidson as Angie Duke
Paul Petersen as Tony Drexel Biddle
Eddie Hodges as Livingston Drexel Biddle

The Amazing Spider-Man

"We all have secrets: the ones we keep... and the ones that are kept from us."

Peter Parker (Garfield) wants to know why his parents disappeared when he was a child.  Seeking answers, he goes to Oscorp to meet his father's research partner, Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), but ends up getting bit by one of the genetically modified spiders in the lab.  The bite causes him to gain some spider abilities.

Finding answers consumes his life and causes his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field) to be concerned, and ultimately results in Uncle Ben's death.  Peter decides to use his new abilities to help people, while he falls in love with brainy Gwen Stacy (Stone).  Meanwhile, Dr. Connors is under pressure to complete his research and begins to test on himself.


In 2002, director Sam Raimi brought Marvel's Spider-Man to the big screen.  The film, which starred Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker.  The film was successful enough to spawn a franchise, Spider-Man 2 and commercial flop Spider-Man 3.  After Spider-Man 3 tanked in 2007, all plans for future films were scrapped.

After only 5 years, they decided to revamp the series and start at the beginning.  They sent Peter back to high school, casting up-and-coming actor Andrew Garfield (from The Social Network), and gave him a different love interest, Gwen Stacy from the comics.  The film gives a new spin to Peter's origin and how he became Spider-Man.  It also focuses on a lesser-known villain: The Lizard.  On paper The Lizard doesn't seem like a good or logical choice for the villain, but it works here.  The film is well written and Welsh actor Rhys Ifans sells the part.  The cast as a whole are well-suited for their roles.

The film serves as an exciting new start to the Spider-Man franchise.  A sequel is to be released in the Spring of 2014, and there are plans for at least 2 other sequels for 2016 and 2018.

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) 136 minutes
Director: Marc Webb
Starring: Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker / Spider-Man
Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy
Rhys Ifans as Dr. Curt Connors / The Lizard
Denis Leary as Captain Stacy
Martin Sheen as Uncle Ben
Sally Field as Aunt May
Irrfan Khan as Rajit Ratha
Chris Zylka as Flash Thompson

Done the Impossible: The Fan's Tale of 'Firefly' and 'Serenity'

"We've done the impossible, and that makes us mighty."

In 2002, Joss Whedon premiered a new show called Firefly.  Within a few months the show was cancelled, shocking the cast and crew and fans.

However, the show had a loyal following, called Browncoats.  In the wake of the cancellation notice, they created message boards and a community.  As the cast and crew tried to find a new home for the show, fans were trying to tell everyone about the show.  Time passed but the fans continued to spread the word about the show.


This is the story of a TV show that was cancelled after a single season.  It had a passionate fan base that wasn't content to let their show die and ultimately did the impossible: resurrect the characters/stories in a film.

The documentary features interviews with the cast and crew of the show, along with the Browncoats.  To truly appreciate the doc, it helps to love the show.  Firefly holds a special place in the hearts of these fans, in a way that won't make sense if you don't care about the show... or it could cause you to take a second look at the show.  Available for instant streaming on Netflix.

Done the Impossible: The Fan's Tale of 'Firefly' and 'Serenity' (2006)
Director: Tony Hadlock, Jason Heppler, Jeremy Neish, Jared Nelson, Brian Wiser
Starring: Adam Baldwin
Joss Whedon
Nathan Fillion
Alan Tudyk
Morena Baccarin
Jewel Staite
Ron Glass
Tim Minear
Greg Edmonson
Orson Scott Card

My Top Cancelled TV #1

Firefly
 

"Ship like this, be with you 'til the day you die."
"'Cause it's a deathtrap."

The misfit crew of the Firefly-class spaceship "Serenity" transport goods between planets, regardless how illegal the cargo.  Captain Malcolm Reynolds (Fillion) is a rebel, a Browncoat, with an extreme dislike and distrust for the ruling organization, the Alliance.  His first mate Zoe Washburne (Torres) also served with him and continues to fight loyally by his side.  Zoe is married to the ship's pilot, Wash (Tudyk), who plays with dinosaurs and prefers to see the positive in life.  They are aided by Jayne (Baldwin), who has an arsenal of weapons in his room and provides muscle.  The ship's mechanic is Kaylee (Staite), who is naturally gifted and an eternal optimist.  In addition there are 4 passengers on the ship: Inara (Baccarin) a licensed Companion who has her own shuttle that's docked into the ship; Book (Glass) a Shepard trying to get back into the world; and fugitives Simon (Maher), a gifted doctor, and River (Glau), a genius who had her brain experimented on by the Alliance.

"Well, my days of not takin' ya seriously are certainly comin' to a middle."

Mal's goal is to keep flying, looking for any work that comes his way.  The Alliance is around every corner, causing problems for the crew, while the threat of Reavers is always in the air towards the outer planets.  With "friends" and contacts looking to turn them in, can they find ways to stay in the air.


I discovered this show in college in 2005.  One of my roommates, who had an impressive movie collection, loved Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  A friend told her to check out his show Firefly, and she wouldn't be disappointed.  She borrowed the DVDs and was captivated, and talked me into joining her.  My first episode was "Shindig" and I was hooked.  We finished the series and started again from the beginning... it seemed to get better each time.  Sometime after that the movie sequel to the show, Serenity, was released on DVD.  I bought the movie, without seeing it, because I loved the show, and I was not disappointed.  And later, I bought the show on DVD.

The show is a western... in space.  Let that sink in.  It sounds crazy, but it works.  The story is set five hundred years in the future, when the Earth has been destroyed (it is continually called "Earth that was").  Humanity moved to a new star system and is controlled by the Alliance, a single government entity that took control by force.  The show establishes it's background from the beginning and assumes the audience is smart enough to run with it... such as the language, the characters all speak English with Chinese words / phrases intermixed.  You get used to it quickly.  The characters are compelling and it is easy to get sucked into their world quickly.

The nine core cast members are huge fans of the show and have publicly stated that they would return in a heartbeat.  They are also in large demand.  Nathan Fillion is on Castle (which I started watching because of him).  Gina Torres is on Suits.  Morena Baccarin is currently on Homeland and was previously on sci-fi show V.  Adam Baldwin was a star of Chuck and pops up in bit parts on other shows.  Alan Tudyk was a regular on Suburgatory.  Summer Glau is a sci-fi icon and has appeared on numerous shows.  Jewel Staite, Sean Maher, and Ron Glass have appeared on several different shows. The show also featured a strong cast of recurring characters that became as popular as the main cast.

The show was cancelled too soon, but the passion of the cast, crew, and fans kept the story alive in the film Serenity and in the Dark Horse comics written by Whedon and Brett Matthews.  The comics allow the story to continue and for further development / explanation of characters and other important questions.  Whedon also released several short videos over the internet called the R. Tam Sessions about River's time with the Alliance and hinting at information for the movie.

Every episode is stellar.  Combining compelling characters, "thrilling heroics," quotable lines, and serious story lines.  My favorite episodes are "Shindig" and "Our Mrs. Reynolds," but I enjoy aspects of every episode.

Firefly (2002-2003)
Creator: Joss Whedon
Starring: Nathan Fillion as Captain Malcolm Reynolds
Gina Torres as Zoe Washburne
Alan Tudyk as Hoban "Wash" Washburne
Morena Baccarin as Inara Serra
Adam Baldwin as Jayne Cobb
Jewel Staite as Kaylee Frye
Sean Maher as Dr. Simon Tam
Summer Glau as River Tam
Ron Glass as Shepherd Book

The Big Year

"There is going to be major fallout in a few hours."

"Nuclear fallout?"

"Bird fallout."

Every year birders compete to see the most birds in a year, in an even called "The Big Year."  The reigning champion is Kenny Bostick (Wilson), a contractor.  Bostick is planning to take a break from the event, but can't handle having someone break his record.  Stu Preissler (Martin) has been planning to enter the Big Year for a long time, but commitments with his business and family make it challenging.  He plans to retire and spend the year bird watching, but his underlings (Joel McHale, Kevin Pollak) won't leave him alone.  Computer programmer Brad Harris (Black) is also planning his first Big Year, but has to work full time to afford the travel.

As the year kicks off, Bostick makes a vow to his new wife, Jessica (Pike), that birding won't consume his life... despite continually taking trips to look at birds.  Brad uses his mom, Brenda (Wiest), as a travel agent, while trying to convince his father, Raymond (Dennehy), that birding is a worthwhile pursuit.  And Stu has to decide what's important in life.  With the competition heating up, who will emerge victorious... and what will they lose in the process?


The film is based on the book "The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature and Fowl Obsession."  Despite the big names in the cast, the film was not a blockbuster... and the actors are not playing their typical characters.  Jack Black narrates the film and serves as the audience surrogate.  He plays a toned down version of his usual schtick.  Owen Wilson is the character you love to hate.  And Steve Martin works well in a mentor-type role.  The rest of the cast is good in their roles, but the film's focus is Black, Wilson, and Martin.

An entertaining (although not in the traditional laugh-out-loud comedy tradition) film, worth looking into.

The Big Year (2011) 100 minutes
Director: David Frankel
Starring: Jack Black as Brad Harris
Owen Wilson as Kenny Bostick
Steve Martin as Stu Preissler
Rashida Jones as Ellie
Anjelica Huston as Annie Auklet
Jim Parson as Crane
Rosamund Pike as Jessica Bostick
JoBeth Williams as Edith Preissler
Brian Dennehy as Raymond Harris
Dianne Wiest as Brenda Harris