![]() This particular Screening Suggestion is directed more to the specific audience who appreciates a good coming of age, teen angst comedy that's complete with a good dash of drama. To hint at the kind of thing you're in for, this is one of two written film projects from the director of 'Superbad' and 'Paul', Greg Mottola. In other words, one can expect some fairly low-brow comedy, but perhaps a different style as well. This holds water when you discover that a lot of this was apparently based on Mottola's real-life experiences while working at Adventureland Amusement Park in New York. That said, I think the real-life attachment is mostly just a backdrop for the film, much like Kevin Smith's experiences ended up making 'Clerks' a thing. It's more about knowing how things work in the environment. Either way, it makes for a pretty good movie that, while not made in the 80s, highlights all of the charm of the 80s. That particular 80s aim goes into the overall plot as well, as there is something of a "Soap Opera"-ish tone to a lot of things happening here. However, fear not, because this is a comedy first. And rest assured that although people like to sit on the fence about its two leads, the supporting cast is made up of comedy superstars who really make it worth the time. We kick off in 1987 when recent college graduate James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg) has plans to vacation in Europe upon graduation. However, his parents run into financial problems that amount to James having to get a summer job instead. Eventually, he finds work at the local Pittsburgh, PA amusement park, "Adventureland" where he'll at least be able to work with his old friend, Tommy Frigo (Matt Bush). It's not long before James runs into a spot of trouble during one of the carnival games he's helming, and he's rescued by another games worker named Emily (Kristen Stewart), and soon the two become close, but James feels his feelings just a little bit more. As these things go, however, James finds himself in stiff competition with Mike Connell (Ryan Reynolds); a married man who is having an active affair with Emily, obvious to the audience but not obvious to James. So most of this unfolding love triangle story relates to what I said before about this being for those who like a good teen-angsty comedy. But after all this, my readers are probably wondering what it is I do like about this movie, as it checks off so many things on the "Me No Like" list. To be truthful, actors Eisenberg and Stewart don't necessarily land on that list for me like they might for so many others. I believe anyone in the business has their hits and misses. And quite honestly, they have pretty good chemistry together. The stand-out thing on the aforementioned "list" would, however, be the whole love triangle plot, which is usually a big "eye-roller" for me. And while even here that's kind of true, it's really all of the supporting cast that gives this movie its ultimate charm. Beyond who I've already mentioned, we also have park runners Bobby and Paulette (Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig, respectively), another games worker named Joel (Martin Starr, leaning a little towards his "Bill" character from 'Freaks and Geeks'), and this is incredibly random but even Josh Pais shows up (the dude who gave his voice to Raphael in the original 'Ninja Turtles' movie). Aside from a good cast, however, I suppose there's a certain relatability factor here as well. I can actually see myself relating to James in a lot of different ways here, so I think there's something I understand on a certain level that makes this not just a love triangle story, but one aimed a little more towards me. I might not suggest that this is a classic of any sort, but it was an interesting movie that I found a lot of my peers latching onto at the time. Released in 2009, I would have been in my late 20s and to some degree, there was still a lot more relatability to the story. Nowadays, it's almost a nostalgic reminder of what it means to fall for who could be the wrong person. The whole thing is pretty bittersweet, really. But it does make for a decent summer romance story altogether. ![]() While I'm in the process of reviewing "movies for the bachelor", I feel it is only fair to forewarn potential viewers that this one is very, very much for the dudes out there. It seems obvious to me that writer/director Joseph Gordon-Levitt is speaking to his boys here. And while the film is a testosterone-layered dessert from start to finish, it is the final message that saves the film from being much more than what it looks like on the surface. One might call it an "eye-opener" of sorts. We are introduced to Italian-American womanizer Jon Martello (Gordon-Levitt). His passions in life include taking care of his apartment, his car, his body, and of course, his women, which also often lead him to his church for confessional. He takes pride in how good he is at pulling in women for one-night stands, but to him, nothing quite beats the experience of self-manipulation to pornography. We also meet his sideline friends, Bobby and Danny (Rob Brown and Jeremy Luke, respectively), themselves womanizers, but Danny is the one constantly striking out. One night at a club, Jon's take-home streak comes to a halt when he meets the "ten out of ten", damn near perfect Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson). At first, it's all about the standard "dude" play of getting into her pants, but she plays a little hard-to-get, and his feelings end up developing as he starts to see her as something more than a plaything to bring home. In the meantime, as things continue between the couple, the question of exactly what kind of woman she is comes into play. Without spoiling anything, really, we see almost from the get-go that Barb is the type of woman who wants her man to be exactly what she wants. This is a solid bachelor flick for any guy who had to face something like that in a relationship and speaking for myself, it serves as a solid reminder to not let something like that happen again. But the film's message doesn't just stop at "be yourself" and "don't let anyone change you". On the sidelines is Esther (Julianne Moore), who Jon ironically meets at a class that Barbara wanted him to take. She's probably the most likable character in the movie, although at first, it paints her as a sort of annoying inconvenience to Jon. And while the film does largely give us the push to be ourselves and not change for people (although compromise doesn't hurt), it's also out to show the sex-loving dudes out there that despite how satisfying all of that is, there is something more out there that you may have yet to experience. I'm trying not to spoil anything, but it's so hard not to, as the plot adds a new important element to the story for each of its three acts. Also joining the cast are Jon's family, Jon Sr. (Tony Danza), his mother, Angela (Glenne Headly) and his ever-silent, phone-obsessed sister, Monica (Brie Larson), who 100% plays this film's version of a "Silent Bob" character. Just check it out and you'll see what I mean. It's also fun to see names like Channing Tatum, Anne Hathaway, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Meagan Goode as fake Hollywood actors. There's also an arrangement of real porn stars in their real porn clips, so fair warning, this isn't a movie that really holds back at all on how open it is with sexuality. It's almost like Gordon-Levitt saying very openly how perverted he might be, all the while having the right message to say in the end. The uniqueness this one offers in one's healing process is in that it not only lets us know there's plenty of fish in the sea, but the fish you're looking to reel in isn't necessarily what you think you want. Personally speaking, I think that's an important takeaway - especially when I know my taste in women has changed significantly after every breakup I've had. It's also good in letting us "lesser beings" (as far as clubbing goes) than even the kings of the nightclubs have their woman problems. I'm not, nor have I ever been an expert on how all this "pick-upetry" works (not exactly a pick-up artist or womanizer here), but I still get the sense that this could serve as a good eye-opener to those in that position looking for a little something more. For the rest of us, I might say it helps us out by saying all these 10/10 women aren't necessarily gonna be worth it if they're only out for themselves. There's "better" out there for most, if not all of us, and anyone who disagrees has either already found their "better" or given up hope altogether. But give this a watch and you might see just how unimportant the idea of "getting laid" really is. ![]() Just to start it off, I mentioned in my last review that while all of these movies are very similar at heart, each one is sort of unique in what it offers in the healing process for the viewer. I'm going to try to get those details out of the way from the get-go on the rest of these. Last time, it was about the people who you meet along the way, offering advice and not necessarily having them all be potential love interests. Sometimes a new friend can go a long way. '500 Days' is a little bit tougher, but it almost stands as a sort of reflection of things the viewer might be going through if trying to heal from a bad breakup. This movie is fantastic at showing not so much the "pathetic" side, but just the hurt side of things. It's one of the most relatable breakup movies I've ever seen, as it not only gives us pain but joy as well. The whole film has to do with his mindset ranging from what it's like to be in love to what it's like to have your heart broken. I suppose it could be said that this has to do more with how one heals oneself over time. To keep things relatively simple, the film offers a nonlinear narrative, going back and forth in a 500-day timeline that looks at the relationship between Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Summer (Zooey Deschanel). From the get-go, we know that Tom and Summer have broken up. The story serves as a sort of portrayal of Tom's own memories over the course of that time. I have to say, I quite admire how it's done, as it offers up everything someone goes through in a relationship. One I find most important is the idea of going from fawning to bitter about the same person. It goes to show that we often don't really know what we're getting into, but it also goes to show that sometimes we can be pretty childish about things. Another thing the film does is show the different angles of advice one can get for their situation. Tom does a bit of a back and forth between his friends McKenzie (Geoffrey Arend) and Paul (Matthew Gray Gubler) and his half-sister, Rachel (Chloë Grace Moretz), who happens to be an expert on women at a very young age (this predates her role as Hit-Girl in 'Kick-Ass' by a year). It's not so much the advice itself that I enjoy here, but the idea of who can offer it - even a kid's perspective can offer something very solid. This might be a tough one for someone to get through if they literally just broke up with their significant other. However, I appreciate how incredibly "real" it all is. Even though there are some fantasy sequences here and there, the right feelings really get across to the viewer. To top everything off, the film has its ending. I won't spoil it, entirely, but it offers up some bittersweet humour to the story, and indeed, leaves us with the idea that "life goes on". It can be a little depressing for a healing process, but it's a good thing to see if you want to move on but can't quite get there. It's a very solid title, especially for anyone reflecting bitterly on a past relationship. ![]() I wanted to take a look at titles "for the bachelor" this month; each one with some specific reason as to why I personally see it as such. To make a life-long story short, I'm more or less a life-long bachelor. Over the years of being perpetually single, there have been a few stand-out titles I like to refer to if I ever feel like I need that extra boost. I might have to say that 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' is one that stands out as, likely, my all-time personal fave under this somewhat obscure category. One of the reasons this stands out so far for me is that I just so happened to see it with one of my exes - not as though she's an ex recently, but an ex at the time. I remember finding the movie to be pretty ironic because it was essentially showing me everything I needed to see at the time. Admittedly, I wasn't entirely over her at the time, so in many ways, this was a lesson in love for yours truly. It does it all so perfectly, simultaneously showing us how... let's just say "sad" we can be after a breakup while taking us by the hand and saying "here's how we get over ALL these terrible things". The oh-so relatable lead (at least for me) is Peter Bretter (Jason Segel); a TV composer for a 'CSI' parody called 'Crime Scene: Scene of the Crime'. Also featured on the show are its leads; Billy Baldwin (as himself) and Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell), who happens to be dating Peter until one day when she abruptly breaks it off with him, ultimately breaking his heart. He seeks friendship and advice from his stepbrother and good friend, Brian (Bill Hader), but ends up pretty much going against it all, including taking a trip to Hawaii (because Sarah always wanted to check out Hawaii). Of course, by happenstance, once there, Peter runs into Sarah and her new flame, the impossible-to-compete-against Aldous Snow (Russell Brand). Despite the awkwardness of staying at the same resort, Peter is given a nice leg up on the situation when the lovely hotel concierge, Rachel Janson (Mila Kunis) allows him to have the master suite, as long as he takes responsibility for any cleanup, himself. Over time, Peter and Rachel's friendship begins to blossom, and Peter makes friends with some colourful characters; a tough-loving bartender named Dwayne (Da'Vone McDonald), a newlywed couple with bed troubles, Derald and Wyoma (Jack McBrayer and Maria Thayer, respectively), a friendly local named Kemo (Taylor Wily) and, perhaps the best character in the movie (aside from maybe Aldous), a dimwitted, but optimistic surfer named "Kunu" (Paul Rudd). JUST so I'm not leaving one of my fave comedic actors out, however, Jonah Hill also bears mentioning here. He plays a waiter and super fan of Aldous, and is responsible here for one of my new favourite sayings; "I'll just go f*&% myself" (said as casually as "I'm just gonna go hit the bathroom"). Further names like Jason Bateman, Gedde Watanabe, Kristen Wiig and Carla Gallo cameo here as well, so it's full of some pretty solid names (at least as far as this type of movie is concerned). But of course, these names only lend themselves as a part of my love for this movie. One thing these movies on this list have in common is the sense of leaving what's hurting you behind, and moving on with something different, and generally something more. The thing is, they each have a certain "volume" to them, if you will (in other words, some are harsher than others). But they all also have a certain detail or two that really help one's mourning thought process while watching it. Here, it's the idea of meeting new people along the way, as part of the healing process involves putting yourself out there. A part of meeting new people is making new friends, and it doesn't end at "trying to meet someone special". That little tidbit is something I really pushed aside until I saw this; it was like a wake-up call. I've always had friends to talk to about this stuff, but talking about it only goes so far. The various people Peter meets here help him through his hard time, and it doesn't always have to do with the heartbreak part of it. Even Rachel challenges him to leap off a cliff in a gesture to face fears and experience ultimate freedom (and while I appreciate it, that's a big no from me). The married couple shows that even happy new couples have problems, and Kunu has the perspective of "when life gives you lemons, just say f*&% the lemons and bail". When you think about it, it makes perfect sense; turn your back on your problems. Anyway, I've gushed enough. This is almost the perfect level of taking a look at your recently single situation in a comedic fashion. Along the way, you get to see that you're not necessarily the "saddest" one out there. But it also does a really good job of poking at you with characters like Aldous Snow. Generally, he represents the guy who your partner leaves you for, and he's got way too much over you, it's again, impossible to compete. It's a good reminder that we bachelors aren't alone in situations like this. I've pretty much embraced bachelorhood these days, but that doesn't mean I'll never feel heartbreak again. It's good to know, however, that when I do, I'll always have 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' to help me through it. ![]() While this lands under the 'Screening Suggestions' category, I must admit that I suggest it very loosely. There's nothing particularly special about this title. It's pretty predictable, and nothing about it comes as a surprise. However, it is a neat little slice-of-life movie that features some pretty humanized characters who exist in grey as opposed to black and white. Revolution Brewing Company employs friends Kate (Olivia Wilde and Luke (Jake Johnson). While their chemistry is solid, they are otherwise involved; Kate with a quiet, humble guy named Chris (Ron Livingston) and Luke with Jill, who's a sweet girl next door type. Eventually, during a night out, the couples meet, and Chris invites Luke and Jill to visit his cottage. While there, the couples spend a significant amount of alone time with each other's partners, so it's pretty obvious from the get-go how things will go down. However, most of the movie is about Luke's hidden feelings for Kate, and again, I'm just gonna say, this movie isn't exactly full of surprises. But while the main focus is a Luke and Kate story, the film really is about looking at your significant other and whether or not you're right for each other. In that sense, it's a pretty interesting and down-to-earth look at the way we think of things, and I think it's interesting that each character has a little piece of "wrong" and a little piece of "right" to them. I would probably suggest that if you're looking for some kind of crazy, after-dark comedy about boozin' it up, you look elsewhere. Although this is is something of a romantic comedy, I would say that the drama overshadows it. That said, it's also not what one would consider melodramatic. It's a look at some of the sadder parts of relationships that we have all either been through or may very well face one day. To me, that's the charm that the film brings with it. It's just a nice little package of a story that highlights real-life situations in a way that feels natural. Just in case you're wondering where this one lies on the taste scale, it comes from director Joe Swanberg. This is the guy responsible for 'The Rental' and 'V/H/S' segment '"The Sick Thing That Happened to Emily When She Was Younger". Otherwise, one might be pretty unfamiliar with this guy. He seems to like it in the shadows of indie filmmaking, but I've so far enjoyed his material. I don't "fanboy" over him like I do with Edgar Wright, but I would consider him to be a name to look out for in the near future. He could help bring a more humanized drama to the screen. Anyway, this is a bit of a hard one to find, so you might just want to rent it for a night in with a few beers or glasses of wine, depending on your taste. The atmosphere this movie gives off feels very "Sunday afternoon", so may I suggest a midday weekend viewing in the middle of Spring or Summer with the light pouring in. That's pretty specific, I know, but for some reason, it feels like it fits. The film is about as casual as its title. It's not aiming for any major awards or anything. It's just a nice slice-of-life title with a bittersweet ending that feels all too familiar. ![]() If there was ever a movie that made me truly appreciate Emma Stone, it was probably this one. I tend to see this as the movie where Emma Stone essentially plays herself, at least as far as her character's personality goes. When I see her being interviewed, I certainly feel this character come through more than, say, Mia from 'La La Land'. Although, it's safe to say, she brings a lot of herself in just about anything she plays; it's part of what makes her so incredibly charming. Add to that her Oscar-worthy talent, and she makes for my favorite actress, and she has been for quite some time. Narrated by Olive Pendergast (Stone), she tells us a story via "web broadcast" after her high school life has taken a turn for the worse. She is here to tell us her side of the story as opposed to all of the hearsay around the school yard about her. So, she's speaking to us as though we're fellow students who may have heard some pretty nasty things about her, possibly judging her without hearing her side of the story - a habit I think we have all been guilty of, especially back in those angsty days of high school. It all stats with Olive lying to her friend, Rhiannon (Aly Michalka) about having a date in place of a weekend camping trip Rhiannon wants her to take with her parents. The following Monday, Rhiannon asks Olive for explicit details of the date, and presses her to "admit" to losing her virginity. At first, word gets around, and people start paying attention to Olive, which she appreciates after being overlooked for so long (by the way, yes, this is another teen movie cliche where the "unattractive" girl is in actuality gorgeous). Things begin to spiral a bit, however, when she agrees to help an unpopular gay student, Brendon (Dan Byrd) out by "taking his virginity", faking it at a high school party. Soon, her reputation gets out of hand and she has to learn about a few things the hard way, all the while trying to do the right thing. The whole execution is actually very well done, becase it allows the audience to understand both perspectives. It would be easy to get sucked into the rumor mill, but I feel like if you were ever a high school student, you have probably also been in Olive's position, one way or another. Directed by Will Gluck, this is sort of his shining star, and has often been toted as Emma Stone's 'Mean Girls' in the sense that it's her true breakout role. We knew her from things like 'Zombieland' and 'Superbad' before this, sure, but this was what really made the masses notice her; especially as a character just about anyone who has ever attended high school can relate to. Considering Lindsay Lohan in 'Mean Girls', it may not have been her breakout role, but it was definitely the highlight of her acting career, and when people noticed she wasn't just a child actress anymore. Back to the point, however, Stone would show her Oscar-worthy talent just one year later in 'The Help' (although she wasn't nominated that year). There is, of course, plenty more talent than just Emma here as well. Throughout the film, we meet the likes of her favorite teacher, Mr. Griffith (Thomas Haden Church) who is married to her guidance councilor, Mrs. Griffith (Lisa Kudrow), and both bring a good laugh to the screen. However no one quite tops her most awesome parents, Dill (Stanley Tucci) and Rosemary (Patricia Clarkson). To top the family's food name sequence off, they also have an adopted son named Chip (Bryce Clyde Jenkins). These are the open-minded, funny and totally casual parents one might envy, and they're easily one of the highlights of the movie. Of course, things wouldn't be complete without a perfect villain in the form of Marianne (Amanda Bynes) who we sort of love to hate, but her character is pretty hilarious with how over-the-top she is. I don't have a whole lot more to say on the matter, but I did choose to close out this month's theme with perhaps my favorite of the bunch. Besides the fact that it's Emma Stone (who I clearly love), there are many likable characters and funny lines throughout the film, and frankly, if you did like 'Mean Girls' and haven't seen this yet, you're totally missing out. There are a lot of similarities, but not the least of which is the film's sense of teen-angsty humor. The only thing that could have made it much better would have been if John Hughes was around to direct it, as he could have added his perfect teen movie touch to it. But it's still great as it is, and it doesn't deny any appreciation for John Hughes' classics from the 80s - hell, it mentions them throughout. So, if you're on the lookout for a very solid teen movie that you may have missed (I find there's still so many who haven't seen this), I highly recommend giving it a watch. ![]() In truth, I haven't actually watched this in ages. However, I'll always remember liking it back upon its release in '99, making me an 11th-grader at the time. So the timing was pretty good when it popped up that year. It was perhaps the first example I remember of leaving the theater thinking about how I enjoyed it, while one friend I saw it with passed it off as an awkward "chick flick", bt didn't care what he thought of my opinion on it, which was quite positive. The story here doesn't center on so much as revolve around bitter teenager Kat Stratford (Julia Styles). She's a bit of a loner, and not very-well liked due to her negative attitude towards basically everything. Her sister, Bianca (Larisa Oleynik), is the popular, pretty girl in school who everyone seems to desire. As a result, they have a pretty toxic sisterhood between them. The sisters live with their overprotective father, Walter (Larry Miller), under the house rule that they are not to date until after they graduate high school. While Bianca is interested in dating, Kat doesn't really want anything to do with it, and therefore their father makes a deal with Bianca; she can date if Kat starts dating. Meanwhile, smitten-with-Bianca, is one Cameron James (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). New to the school, he's shown the ropes by the awkward and geeky Michael Eckman (David Krumholtz) and warned about not pursuing his interest in Bianca due to their father's rule. As a result, Cameron works with Michael on devising a plan to get someone to date Kat so that he can have some sort of shot at dating Bianca. This plan involves bringing in tough guy, Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger) who Cameron believes would be about the only guy who would potentially put up with Kat's attitude. Anyway, the whole thing does become a pretty big mish-mash of love interest vs love interest, and can get a bit complex at times. I haven't even mentioned Bianca's interest in the cocky senior model, Joey Donner (Andrew Keegan), but I could be here all day explaining away. For me, I suppose the charm of the film comes from the idea that the plot is so very "high school". It's also not so much about "getting laid" as it's about actually falling for someone and the desire to be with that person. It has its moments, but you can't very well look at this movie and say it's a raunchy, although it still feels very "teen movie". I'd put this one a little more alongside something like 'Can't Hardly Wait' than something like 'American Pie'. Being that it was '99, there's also that bit of a nostalgic factor. In the late 90s, teen movies really made a comeback, and I daresay this was one of the better of them. As far as this being a recommendation, I suppose it's for those of us who can appreciate something a little more "Hughes-esque" when it comes to a teen movie execution. It's for 'Breakfast Club' or 'Pretty in Pink' fans a touch more than it's for 'American Pie' or 'Superbad' fans. All that said, I'm fairly bias towards teen movies, myself. I really do enjoy a good coming-of-age movie, and this is quite a good one. If nothing else, it's fun to go back on, recognizing some of those forgotten faces, seeing Heath Ledger's breakthrough performance and seeing where we dropped Joseph Gordon-Levitt off as a young up-and-comer, before picking him up again in '500 Days of Summer' as an a sudden fan-favorite (although for me, that was 'Inception'). ![]() In honor of Valentines Month, I thought I'd do something a little bit special and feature a few movies I tend to enjoy with solid female leads. Further to that, each of these is considered a "Teen Movie", so there's always a coming of age aspect to them, from the women's perspective. First up, we have 1995's 'Clueless'; a film that I completely ignored back in the day, considering it "far too girly" - how immature I was. Fast-forward a few years, however, and I actually watch it, developing a newfound respect for it. This is one of the prime examples I can think of when it comes to not judging a movie by its cover. Just to add a twist of class to it as well, this is also loosely based on Jane Austin's 'Emma', originally published in 1851. So it's like, totally one of those modern take flicks. We are introduced to socially popular material girl, Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone). She lives in California with her wealthy and successful father, Mel (Dan Hedaya), who we soon learn encourages Cher's success by manipulation when she shows him her grades. Cher sees herself as a matchmaker, and when she successfully hooks up a couple of her teachers, Mr. Hall (Wallace Shawn) and Miss Gueist (Twink Caplan), she continues to fancy herself the expert and tries to play "Cupid" for several other people, believing she knows what's best for everyone, and further considering these hook-ups "good deeds". Meanwhile, Cher's ex-stepbrother, Josh (Paul Rudd) visits during a college break. The two bicker over things like his idealism and her personality, but do so in a playful way. The thing is, Cher doesn't quite understand that some things Josh has to say about her may just be more accurate than not. This is more or less concluded when a new girl named Tai (Brittany Murphy) comes to the school, and Cher takes her on as a project, along with the help of her best friend, Dionne (Stacey Dash) assuming that they're helping her with her popularity. The thing is, it ends up working too well, and eventually Cher begins to question her place in the chain of popularity, along with her attitude and feelings towards certain people in her life. I think what I like best about this movie is that, if you haven't seen it before, it ends up taking you by surprise. This is a film that, on the surface, looks like it's just going to be about a handful of popular girls doing popular girl stereotype things. It pretty much starts out as one might imagine. The thing is, the film turns the tables on the viewer a little by portraying things like Cher not just being some blonde stereotype, she's actually pretty clever about certain things. Add to that the fact that we have a female lead whose love life isn't the focus of the film. The focus of the film, relationship-wise, has more to do with the side characters while she's in the middle of it all. It all becomes a learning experience for her, instead of just having her as some match-making hero. I'm not gonna lie, this never really dragged me into its cult following, but it does tend to be one I sort of admire from afar. I respect this movie and the story it tells, and I do love the way it surprises the viewer by giving us what we fear it might be, followed by something that catches you a little off-guard. It's a bit of a 50/50 film in that sense, at least from my perspective. I could easily see this as a go-to for a "feel-good" movie, and it certainly has developed a following over the years. It has been dubbed by some to be one of the best teen movies of all time, and it has gone on to be considered a classic of sorts. I would extend that to include 90's movies in general, as it's very representative of the era it was released - right in the middle, with a 1995 release date. This one is easily accessible through various streaming services, so don't let the movie poster deter you from what could be a pretty solid viewing experience like I did for so long. ![]() When it comes to Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, you're a little har-pressed to think of a lot of cuter couples. Between 'The Wedding Singer' and '50 First Dates', both are rather charming romantic comedies featuring the two falling for each other in one way or another. I never did see 'Blended', but I've also heard that it's not so good, so I may just stick with the first two. In Ridgefield, New Jersey, wedding singer Robbie Hart (Adam Sandler) performs at a wedding where he meets a waitress named Julia Sullivan (Drew Barrymore). Here we learn that Robbie is getting ready to marry his fiancée, Linda (Angela Featherstone), and Julia is anxiously awaiting a wedding proposal from her beau, a successful businessman named Glenn (Matthew Glave). On Robbie's wedding day, however, Linda ditches him, sending him into a downward spiral. He still attends weddings for work though, and eventually develops a solid friendship with Julia, as she helps him through his hard time. Meanwhile, she has finally been proposed to - a wedding Robbie promised to sing at when they first met. Holding to his promise, he starts to develop feelings for Julia, and though things are relatively predictable from here, the execution is interesting. It's one of the first (if not the first) films that call back the 80s, just 8 years after they ended. I remember going to the theater to watch this, and it seemed like a big deal to look back on what the 80s was like. But when you compare it to thinking of 2012 today, using that 8 year gap, it doesn't feel like enough time has passed for it to really matter. I suppose the best similarity nowadays would be 'Avengers: Endgame', as they time travel to 2012 and the setting of the first 'Avengers' film. It felt like time passed, but it didn't feel like a whole new era. It just felt like part of the same long 11-year era. That's just how big the divide was between what was considered "80s" and what was considered "90s" was (although it can't be denied a lot of the 80s spilled over into the early 90s). Back tot he film at hand, however, this was the film that made Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore a new, solid, on-screen power couple of sorts. I personally considered them to be taking the baton from Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan ('Joe vs The Volcano', 'Sleepless in Seattle', and 'You've Got Mail', released the same year as this). Drew is constantly charming us with her sweet, good nature, and Adam is constantly charming us with his sense of humor and music. The film ends with such a feel-good scene involving a new song by Robbie, and at the risk of presenting a spoiler (22 years later), he's accompanied by Billy Idol, who adds the little cherry on top of it all. I did have a bit of a hard time going between which romantic Sandler comedy was better; this or '50 First Dates'. Truth be told, there's a part of me that likes '50 First Dates' just a touch more, but this was the movie that started it all between Sandler and Barrymore, and we are looking at his "Golden Age" after all. I'd personally consider this one of the finest feel-good movies out there. It gets dark in moments during Robbie's breakdown, but it's very much a film that reminds you that when things look their darkest, there's some sort of light at the end of that tunnel. It always leaves me with a charmed smile on my face. Angela Featherstone ![]() Up until this point, we've been exploring some of Jack Nicholson's most noteworthy roles. Yes, I skipped of his portrayal of the Joker, but I figured 'Batman' belonged on another list somewhere. One thing for certain is that he tends to lean towards tough, often playing characters who one wouldn't dare mess with. But what happens when we take that tough guy routine and try to strip it away from him? 'As Good as It Gets' may be the best result of this, showing us that even the tough guy can have a sweet side - even if he does have to learn it. Melvin Udall (Nicholson) is an obsessive compulsive writer of romantic novels. Despite his fans seeing his writing as great material, in actuality, Melvin is a rude bigot who seems pretty set in his ways, even if it does mean alienating people along the way. However, when his gay neighbor, Simon (Greg Kinnear) is brutally beaton, he soon finds himself looking after Simon's dog, and developing a soft spot. This is only eventually magnified when he starts falling for the only waitress who will tolerate his crap, Carol (Helen Hunt) whose whole world is her ever-ill son, Spencer (Jesse James). As the film unfolds, for as much as we probably hate the character of Melvin (introduced as a homophobic touch-me-not man who puts irritating puppies in garbage chutes) he starts to grow on us over time. The more he comes to terms with certain things, the more we appreciate his willingness to learn - even if every time he learns something, he fudges it up with a whole new lesson he needs in life. And that's kinda what the movie is about; one intolerable man slowly learning what it takes to be tolerable, if only for a date. This one hasn't exactly been swept under the rug, but it seems to only ever be mentioned in passing anymore. It's not something that seems to stand out to people as one of Jack's best performances, even if it was one of three of his wins (the others being 'Terms of Endearment' and 'Cuckoo's Nest') out of twelve total nominations. Hunt also won for her role in this, and deservedly so. The chemistry between these two is actually pretty interesting, providing us with somewhat of a Devil meets Angel scenario. The film was also nominated for Best Picture, Supporting Actor (Kinnear), Original Screenplay, Editing and Original Score. The problem that year was that it went up against 'Titanic', and history indicates what an Academy legend that one is (11 wins out of 14 nominations). But if you were looking for a much more down to earth romantic story for the time, this beat out 'Titanic' by quite a lot in my humble opinion. Sorry to the fans, but 'Titanic' was good for so many other reasons - the romantic story was very standard. This is, however, one of those movies that I wonder would fly with so many people today. It's not quite on par with something like 'American Beauty' (a great film for the time which has aged horribly), but there are bits and pieces of dialogue that kinda make you wonder, and a large part of that is homophobic. With that, however, one needs to see it through to fully judge, as so much of it is about Melvin becoming a better person. So I'm gonna go ahead and still recommend it, based on that. And hey, if nothing else works, bear in mind this comes to us from director James L. Brooks - the guy who gave us 'The Simpsons' along with Matt Groening and Sam Simon. ![]() To close off this exploration into some of Carrey's best dramatic performances, I went with one of my favorite love stories, 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'. It's an interesting and imaginative look at how our minds work while in the midst of a bad break-up. That includes things like lashing out about something, but not meaning it, and of course, the willingness to erase someone from your memory altogether at the time. As the film opens, we meet the shy and introverted Joel Barish (Carrey), who impulsively boards a train to Montauk one chilly Valentine's Day. By chance, she meets the whimsical and free-spirited Clementine Kruczynski (Kate Winslet), and they form a relationship just before the opening credits introduce us to the tale of tragedy ahead. After a rough break-up, Joel comes home to a surprise - some card reading that Clementine has erased him from her memory. As a result, Joel seeks out Dr. Howard Mierzwaik (Tom Wilkinson), inventor of this technology, to undergo the same process. However, as his memories of Clementine begin to disappear, he starts to realize that fond memories are something that come out of every relationship, and might not be something to throw away as though it was yesterday's trash. Through a secondary story arc, we are introduced to a few of Mierzwaik's employess who "oversee" the whole process. Stan (Mark Ruffalo) is the expert, so to speak, until he brings in his coworker, Mary (Kirsten Dunst), leading to a bit of unprofessionalism. But helping Stan is the creepy Patrick (Elijah Wood) whose pretty much playing Frodo the pervert here. As the film rolls on, we learn that he intends to take over Joel's identity as Clementine's love interest, using her memories with Joel as a reference point. I will be the first to admit that there's not a whole lot of straightforwardness to this one. The execution is an artsy one, and you might find yourself a bit confused as to what exactly is going on. But I will say that you kinda have to sit through that confusion to get your head together as the film comes together, nearing the end. I'd say it's a bit worse than something like 'Inception' for that, so if the whole "in the mind" thing isn't for you, you might stick with 'Truman Show' or 'Man on the Moon' as your best Carrey Drama. With that said though, I tend to lean towards this type of imaginative material, and I'm always fascinated by dream-associated material. Truth be told, I confuse much more easily with things like political thrillers and, you know, real life stuff. So I may be a bit bias in my opinion about how good this is. But if you are in the midst of a rough breakup, or having some kind of problem, wanting to forget about someone, I recommend trying this out. While it's confusing for a while, just pay attention. It ends in such a way that allows the viewer to embrace the chaos of a situation as opposed to keeping things straight and narrow, which can still lead to problems. It all ends with one word, and to me, it's one of the most powerfully emotional words to end something on. Some may not agree, but the same word is used in a certain super famous story-based game, and it was strong there, too. But check it out for yourself, and see if you agree or disagree. ![]() When it comes to Jim Carrey's dramatic roles, there are a few to chose from, but 'The Majestic' tends to land at the bottom of people's lists. To be perfectly fair, the film resembles plenty that came before it with a lot of its ideas, and has been deemed unoriginal by many. But if I'm just recommending a movie based on a performance, for me, this is definitely one of Carrey's best. So, before I get into it, just know that I'm basing this Screening Suggestion more on that than anything else. That said, to be perfectly honest, I do enjoy this for what it is. Our story takes place back in 1951, and centers on Hollywood screenwriter, Peter Appleton (Carrey), working for HHS Studios. Things are going well for him, overall. He's dating the lovely starlet, Sandra Sinclair (Amanda Detmer), and he premiers his latest film at the Grauman's Chinese Theater on a double-bill with 'The African Queen' (a real-life classic). By the way, his film stars the one and only Bruce Campbell (the actor of the adventure flick is unnamed, but c'mon, it's Bruce Campbell) as Roland the Intrepid Explorer. It's a brief glimpse, but a fun little tidbit for us Campbell fans. Anyway, getting back to the point, it all soon comes to a halt when he's accused of being a Communist due to attending an antiwar meeting in college that he claims he only attended to impress a girl. This all puts his career on the rocks, leading him to drink some heavy liquid on the rocks, and eventually crash his car into a river with no rocks. He awakens, washed ashore, in a small village that pines for its many lost World War II soldiers. He is found with amnesia, forgetting everything about his past, and is mistaken for one of the town's lost soliders, Luke. Most convinced are Lukes sweetheart, Adele Stanton (Laurie Holden) and father, Harry Trimble (Martin Landau). Will he be able adjust to Luke's former life, convinced that he is Luke? Or will his own former life unexpectedly catch up with him? Easy enough to predict, but it's fun to think of the scenario. So, you may be wondering where exactly the title comes from. Once Harry takes "Luke" in, he brings him to a run down, abandoned theater that they used to run together before Luke went to war. Much of the film has to do with the restoration of the theater, and bringing back the good old picture show to the town. The whole time as an audience member, you kinda sit there knowing how it's all gonna play out. A Hollywood writer with a well-known film out there, suffering amnesia, helps to open a theater? Bottom line, the film is predictable. It also enjoys manipulating your heart strings, so it's not gonna be for just anyone. However, it manages to make the Screening Suggestion list mostly based on Carrey giving a good dramatic reading the whole way through. He does a great job here with what he has to work with, and it's kind of a shame no one looks in this direction when it comes to his performances because the rest of the film is okay at best. It's also a good way to see some of Frank Darabont's original dramatic work. He has his share of dramatic adaptations, including 'The Green Mile' and 'The Shawshank Redemption', but if you're curious to see him execute his own dramatic story, it's a good place to look. ![]() I thought I'd wrap up the month of February's Screening Suggestions somewhat appropriately, covering a film that takes place at the beginning of February, directed by the great Harold Ramis, who sadly passed six years ago, just yesterday. This is a title that hardly needs an introduction, and ends up on a lot of favourite lists. I once considered this one to be good, but slightly overrated, and didn't quite get what made it so special. Nowadays, however, it's easier to shed a positive light on it when the core themes really start to click with my adult mind. We meet Phil Conners (Bill Murray) who works as a weatherman for the Pittsburgh station, WPBH-TV. Generally seen as cynical and egotistical, he reluctantly works a job in the small, real-life town of Punxutawney, Pennsylvania. Here, with his crew consisting of the station's new producer, the beautiful Rita (Andie MacDowell) and cameraman, Larry (Chris Elliot), they cover the February 2nd Groundhog Day Festival. Being that this is his fourth time covering the same fluff story, Phil wants to be in and out of the town quickly. But the weather has different plans, and a blizzard snows them in town for the night. Upon waking up at his bed and breakfast on what he believes to be the next day, Phil soon realizes that he's reliving the same day. Passing it off as a bad case of déjà vu at first, he wakes up on the same day again, and again. Realizing this, he first sees it as a gift where he can get away with anything without having to suffer any consequences, but soon finds his lows when he sees the day inescapable and hopeless. Soon enough, he falls for Rita, and uses his constant time loop to do anything in his power to impress her and win her over. With this, he often learns the hard way that actions have consequences. Each day, he goes about things in different ways, learning what works and what doesn't. This curse to repeat the same day, multiple times with multiple outcomes, also ends up being a gift. With it, he can learn a lot, not only from his mistakes, but how some simple decisions can turn a horrible day into a fantastic day, and that's the real takeaway from this. Speaking personally, I find this to be a big lesson for how to live your best life. This starts out being a horrible day for Phil, but as he repeats it, he gets to know the people of the town, Rita, Larry, and even himself. I also take it as a great appreciation for something along the lines of the multiverse, and could see this as Phil living the same day in a different universe every time he wakes up - every universe being a new opportunity, and every decision he makes creating a new reality for him to wake up to. That's just a consideration. There's nothing wrong with the idea of a time loop, if you prefer. Either way, the point that your decisions can influence your happiness is there and clear. And so, we wrap up the feel-good month of February on a high note. The more I see this movie, the more I like what it's trying to do. In it's own way, the story is completely timeless, and even for a 1993 movie, it works very well today. The time loop's estimate is debatable, but coming from Ramis, himself, he mentions it spanning anywhere from 10 to 40 years. In the spiritual sense, he could be stuck in this loop for a full 10,000 years in relation to the Buddhist culture, which suggests it takes that long for the soul to evolve to its next level. So it's honestly anybody's guess, but I feel like 10,000 years must be a stretch to get one day perfect. In the end, the mere hour and 40 minutes the film takes to tell the story is all that's needed. This is one for the soul, especially on one of those bad days. Remember, we get tomorrow to improve ourselves, and this is a film that begs us not to take such things for granted. ![]() If I'm honest, I can count on one hand how many times I've actually sat down and watched this movie. It was never really a "go-to" for me when it came to teen comedy, but it was always still a film I admired for being a teen comedy without the need to be raunchy. Suggestive moments, perhaps, but not enough to really raise any eyebrows. The comedy here relies heavily on the characters and their interactions with one another - a good thing. Much like 'American Pie', however, this one is split down the middle on opinion. The entire film takes place at a house party, celebrating high school graduation. The main plot follows Preston (Ethan Embry), who wishes to proclaim his love for the most popular girl in school, Amanda (Jennifer Love Hewitt), having just been dumped by her jock boyfriend, Mike (Peter Facinelli). Preston is accompanied to the party by his friend, Denise (Lauren Ambrose) who doesn't want to be there, but goes for moral support. Joining in are rapper wannabe, Kenny (Seth Green) and geek looking for revenge, William (Charlie Korsmo), both of whom are mostly responsible for the comedy relief of the film. As the night goes on, certain characters go through certain things and grow as people, as one might expect from something like this. However, I particularly enjoy the message this movie has about fate and it's overall existence (said by Jenna Elfman in a sexy cameo). It's understandable that the message might be considered pretty heavy-handed, but I find it kinda interesting. Another nice thing to say about this film is that, much like 'Breakfast Club', there's a character in here for everyone. Also, much like 'Breakfast Club', a lot of their personal growth comes from interactions where these characters learn more about each other, and open their eyes. The film, as a whole, is actually pretty sweet. While it's still not my go-to, personally, I feel like it's still a good recommendation for this list. Being that opinions are split, it's a good one for anyone to see for themselves and decide. My personal take is that this is a simple slice-of-life film, and there's not much to it other than teenagers at a party with their own agendas. But again, I feel like everyone has a relatable character in this somewhere. For me, it's William - a geek who goes to the party with ill intentions, but ends up having a more interesting night than he thought he would. I have to say, Charlie Korsmo, a.k.a. the son from 'Hook', plays the drunk role surprisingly well. This is another one that was released while I was in high school, so there's a tiny bit of a personal tie to it in that way - and this is far more accurate to what high school was back then than 'American Pie' was... Well, except Kenny's style, I dunno what that was about, but we never had that. Not that I can remember. While I can't speak for the Americans, this one is available up here in the Great White North on Netflix. It's an easy one to throw on and get through for a few decent laughs, and a bit of a spiritual journey of sorts... a BIT of one. Mostly it's just a fun teen party movie with a romantic plot - yet not entirely a romantic comedy. It's a good one for my generation to go back and check out. It might just bring up some fond high school memories. ![]() It's often said that there are no good movies out there that illustrate the life of a high-school student anymore. There are a few exceptions, but they generally turn out to be comedies. 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' manages to stand out among the crowd, as it's much more in the realm of a high school drama. It manages to cover just about all the bases of that good old high school angst. It seems the kind of movie where no matter who you are, there's probably a character or two here that you can relate with quite well. The film is about a freshman named Charlie (Logan Lerman), coming into the unknown realm of high school. He's clearly nervous about things, and you immediately understand that he has a sort of anxiety issue going on. For the time being, however, he isn't in bad shape. He's just trying to fit in, and having trouble. One day, he meets two seemingly awesome people; a step brother and sister pair named Patrick (Ezra Miller) and Sam (Emma Watson) respectively. Despite the fact that they are seniors, they take Charlie under their wing and welcome him into their circle of friends. The main focus of the story is Charlie and the eyes he has for Sam, painting a pretty damn realistic picture of how much it sucks to be hung up on your high school crush. However, both Sam and Patrick have their side stories, and their characters are just as important. Sam has a history of "sleeping around", but she's trying very hard to pry herself away from all of that and succeed at school. Meanwhile, Patrick plays the somewhat formulaic gay guy (see 'Mean Girls' and 'Easy A' for further examples), but I'm very happy to see that he has more of a story to him as well. He has to deal with having to hide his sexuality from his partner's father, when in actuality he's pretty much out, loud and proud. By the way, don't get me wrong by calling it "somewhat formulaic" and making that sound like a harsh criticism. Some formulas are good! These characters helped make those examples I mentioned work and turn out to be good movies as well. Anyway, as the movie unfolds, you are taken along with the characters throughout all of their highs and lows, especially Charlie. The film does a good job with allowing that time to get to know and care about the people involved. All three of the leads will tug at those heartstrings in some way. Beyond the likable cast, the movie carries an interesting atmosphere with it. In a certain way, it made me more nostalgic about high school days than most other titles having to do with those years. I found in a big way I could identify with Charlie and all that he has to go through here. I won't spoil anything, but I will say that my favorite moment in the movie was the ending. Something very real is narrated, and it just closes things off with an interesting anecdote. A fair warning for some of the audience though, the... I guess climactic scene of the movie might have a few "trigger warnings" to it. I wouldn't imagine it's unwatchable, as it's kinda hard to understand what exactly happens, but I feel it my responsibility to throw that out there. For me, on a personal level, this is likely the best high school drama that has come out within the last decade or so. Not that there's a whole lot to choose from, to be fair. But if you feel so inclined for a heart-felt high school romance story that isn't so lovey-dovey, this is a great title! |
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