365+ movies in 365 days: Day 229 - The Gathering

The Gathering is an Emmy Award winning television movie. This film was first broadcast on ABC in 1977. It was repeated a few times and followed by a sequel in 1978. But then the film disappeared from view. It had a very limited VHS release in the early 80's and went on moratorium. laser disc viewers could obtain a copy or one could watch for a late night broadcast on a local cable station. The film was never released on DVD until last year when Warner Bros. added it to their Archive Collections. 

The film tells the story about a man, Adam Thornton (Ed Asner) who discovers that he has a terminal illness and has a very short amount of time left. Due to his stubborn and ill-tempered personality he has alienated all those who he loves. He walked out on his wife Kate (Maureen Stapelton) years ago over an argument and his pride prevents him from making things right. He has spent his life in constant argument with his oldest son, Tom (Lawrence Pressman), whom he only talks to about business affairs. He is estranged from his oldest daughter Peggy (Gail Strickland), whom has not talked to him since he left their mother. His younger daughter Julie (Rebecca Balding) is married with two children and he keeps in contact with her, but he rubs his son-in-law (Bruce Davison) the wrong way. And he has not talked to his youngest son Adam Thornton Jr. (Gregory Harrison) since an argument that resulted in acrimonious words six years ago.

Adam wants one last chance to make amends with his family, but he can not travel to see them, so his wife invites them all to return to the family home for a Christmas reunion. But knowing how many of them feel about their father it is doubtful they will come.

The movie is another time capsule of American life. This one captures the divided country we became in the 60's and 70's and shows the same healing that was going on as the country moved forward after Watergate and the Vietnam war. It gives the feel of an old-fashioned New England Christmas and is sentimental without being sugary. All the cast give excellent performances, but it is Maureen Stapelton as the family matriarch who stands out.

If you have never seen The Gathering or if it has been many years, I suggest you search it out this holiday season.

At The Movie House rating **** stars

365+ movies in 365 days: Day 228 - Meet Me In St. Louis

By today's standards Meet Me In St Louis may be considered quaint and old fashioned. But cinema history has designated it a place as a landmark film in the development in the movie musical. Meet Me In St Louis marks the point when the musical went out into the real world and explored the lives of every day people with song. 

The film starred Judy garland in one of her most triumphant performances and is notable for introducing to popular songs that have become classics, The Trolley Song and Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.

The movie follows the Smith family and gives us a slice of life into small town America in 1903. Since there was no radio, phonograph or television, singing and musical instruments were a natural part of socializing and entertaining, so the music flows naturally with the story and propels the plot.

The film opens in the summer of 1903 and everyone is excited about the World's Fair coming to St. Louis in 1904. In the Smith household romance is in the air as the two older sisters and their brother pursue various love interests. Rose Smith (Rose Smith) is in love with a college boy, Warren Sheffield (Robert Sully), who is away in NY. Esther (Garland) has her eye on the boy next door, John Truett (Tom Drake) and "Lon" Smith is interested in a college girl named Lucille Ballard (June Lockheart).

The younger Smith girls Agnes (Joan Carroll) and "Tootie" (Margaret O'Brien) have other pursuits and get in trouble when ever they can. The family is overseen by Mrs. Anna Smith (Mary Astor) and Mr. Alonzo Smith ( Leon Ames) with humorous interference by Katie the maid (Marjorie Main) and Grandpa (Harry Davenport).

Throughout the summer and fall everything in the Smith household hums along in anticipation of the opening of the Louisiana Purchase Exhibition, until Mr. Smith comes home and announces that he has received a huge promotion and the entire family is being moved to New York City the week after Christmas. Instead of being met with joy, the family is dismayed. They love their life in St. Louis and are sad to leave.

Their sadness and melancholy at leaving are perfectly expressed when Judy sings "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. The song by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane as become a holiday standard and expresses both longing and hope for togetherness at Christmas time.

Garland has never looked lovelier in a film and that's because novice director Vincent Minnelli was falling in love with his star while he was directing the film and it shows in every shot. 

Meet Me In St. Louis is one of the greatest pictures ever produced at MGM studios and is a perfect slice of Americana.

At the Movie House rating **** stars.

365+ movies in 365 days: Day 227 - Young At Heart

Young At Heart is a vibrant "Warnercolor" Hollywood melodrama that features Doris Day and Frank Sinatra, in two establishing turns. The movie itself has not aged well and is typical of the type of films the studios turned out in the early fifties. But Sinatra and Day are sparkling together and the music they make is timeless.

The movie is about the musical, suburban Connecticut Tuttle family. Dr. Tuttle (Robert Keith) a professor of music at a local University. His sister Aunt Jessie (Ethel Barrymore) lives with him and his three daughters; Laurie (Doris Day), Fran (Dorothy Malone) and Amy (Elisabeth Fraser). The girls have the typical complicated love lives, that only become more complicated when first Alex Burke (Gig Young) comes into their lives, and then quickly followed by hard-luck case Barney Sloan (Frank Sinatra)

The movie follows the love lives of these three women and includes suitors Bob (Alan Hale, Jr.) and Ernie (Lonny Chapman) and culminates with tragic events on Christmas Eve. Along the way we are treated to Doris and/or Frank singing such great songs as "Young At Heart", "Someone To watch Over Me" and "One For My baby( And One More For The Road)". The film also helped establish Sinatra's iconic identity as a romantic loner; playing a piano with a cigarette, shot glass and hat, late into the evening.

Dated but still enjoyable due to Sinatra and Day's star power with delightful turns by Ethel Barrymore and Gig Young. 

At the Movie House rating *** stars

365+ movies in 365 days: Day 226 - The House Without A Christmas Tree

The House Without A Christmas Tree is a low budget, three character teleplay made in 1972 for CBS. It features Jason Robards, Mildrid Natwick and Lisa Lucas.

The movie is based on a children's book by Gail Rocks and tells the story of Addie Mills (Lucas) a girl growing up in a small Nebraska. Her father James Mills (Robards) is a melancholy man who has never gotten over the death of his wife. The family is held together by Mrs. Mills, James' mother and Addie's paternal grandmother (Natwick).

It is Christmas 1946 Addie and her father's relationship comes to ahead when Addie is old enough to really want a Christmas tree in the house and does not understand why her father does not celebrate the holiday.

The film is told in five acts with each seen opening and closing with beautiful paper collages.

The film was nominated for an Emmy and has become a sentimental Christmas classic that perfectly captures a piece of American life.

At The Movie House rating **** stars.

365+ movies in 365 days: Day 225 - The Santa Clause

The Santa Clause from 1994 was tailor made for comedian Tim Allen's talents. It was his first big screen picture after the success of his TV show Home Improvements. It is a light-hearted, sentimental tale about Santa Claus and how his work is perpetuated throughout the years. The Santa Clause is another film that broke through the mish-mash of holiday movies presented each year to become a perennial classic. It was so popular Disney made a sequel in 2002 and a third movie in 2006.

At The Movie House rating *** stars

365+ movies in 365 days: Day 224 - The Polar Express

The Polar Express is the first full motion capture film. Despite it's flaws it has become a beloved holiday classic. It is a sentimental favorite of mine. To be truly enjoyed it should be seen on IMAX in 3D.

At the Movie House rating *** stars

365+ movies in 365 days: Day 223 -A Christmas Carol (1999)

Patrick Stewart was a hit on Broadway with his one man version of A Christmas Carol, so it was with great anticipation that I greeted the news that he would be appearing in a film version as Ebenezer Scrooge. 

Unfortunately the made for TV movie broadcast on TNT in 1999 did not live up to expectations. Stewart's performance is mixed. In early scenes he is a wry, sardonic Scrooge, who sees himself as a wise man for his frugality. During the scenes with the spirits, especially with Jacob Marley his performance is flat, he doesn't seem to express the awe and terror one would have if a ghost showed up in your drawing room. He is redeemed by his performance in the final part of the movie. His Scrooge transformed is a joy to behold.

The small budget shows itself in the streets of London. It definitely feels like a studio set. All the ghost perform well except the ghost of Christmas future. For some reason the film makers made him look like an over sized Jawa from Star Wars. The special effects appear as low budget as they are. The best were used by the Ghost of Christmas past (Joel Gray), while the Ghost of Christmas present used a cyclone effect to travel.

The script stays fairly close to Charles Dickens's book with a few improvisations and a couple of revisions of more modern words. They included the various trips Scrooge and Christmas present make to the far reaches of the globe, but for some reason the screen writer left out the scene where Scrooge encounters the two men seeking charitable donations Christmas morning.

This is not the best version of A Christmas Carol, but it's worth a look.

At The Movie House **1/2 stars

365+ movies in 365 days: Day 222 -A Hard Day's Night

A Hard Day's Night perfectly captures the exuberance of Beatlemania. This mod British film was the genesis for everything from the Monkees TV Show and MTV music videos to the Austin Powers films. Director Richard Lester created a landmark film when he made this "mockumentary" of a day in the life of the "Fab Four". 

Forty-six years later the film is a perfect time capsule of the popularity of The Beatles. A Hard Day's Night is 87 minutes of pure joy from the great Beatles songs to the droll screenplay by Alun Owen. A great movie.

At the Movie House **** stars

365+ movies in 365 days: Day 221 -From Here To Eternity

Sixty-nine years ago the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and plunged the United States into World War II.

In 1953 director Fred Zimmerman produced this highly acclaimed adaptation of James Jones novel about military life on Pearl  in the months preceding the attack. With an outstanding cast featuring Burt Lancaster, Frank Sinatra, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr and Donna Reed the film was nominated for thirteen Academy Awards and won eight, including best Picture and Best Director. The film still packs a wallop today and has won of the most iconic romance scenes ever filmed.

At The Movie House rating **** stars

365+ movies in 365 days: Day 220 -I Love You Philip Morris

I love You Philip Morris is based on the true life story of con man and escape artist Steve Russell. The fact that everything seen in the movie really happens add to the films comedic elements. Jim Carrey, in the best role he has had in years is Steve Russell. A man who lives multiple lives, most of them illegal. 

After the law catches up with him and he is incarcerated he meets Philip Morris (Ewan McGregor) and falls in love. He devotes the rest of his life to keeping himself and Philip out of jail, no matter how many times he has to escape to do it.

Jim Carrey, like Robin Williams makes two kinds of movies. The kind where their usual shtick breaks the boundaries of the character they are playing, such as How The Grinch Stole Christmas, and the kind where their comedic talents are carefully reigned in and used to perfection in such films as The Truman Show and Liar, Liar. In I Love You Philip Morris Carrey demonstrates the comic genius that has made him successful all these years. He never goes over the top in this charismatic performance. And Ewan McGregor is heart breakingly sweet as the gentle soul who captures Philips heart.

The movie feels like a Coen Brothers film after Joel and Ethan ate some funny mushrooms. It's offbeat, yet extremely funny. When you add in the fact that the real Steven Jay Russell really did all the things in the film (and more) you can't help but laugh at the films audacity.

Here is a movie about a flamboyant con man and habitual liar who seems to have no moral center what so ever, yet somehow you can't help rooting for him to get out of prison one more time.

At the Movie House rating *** stars. 

365+ movies in 365 days: Day 219 -Miss Potter

If you are not a whimsical person you will probably not like director Chris Noonan's film Miss Potter. You probably didn't like his other movie Babe. But if a touch of whimsy is just your thing then you will love this delightful tale of the woman who brought to life Peter Rabbit and so many other beloved children's stories.

Renee Zellweger is Beatrix Potter, a woman living with the constraints of early 1900's British society, where the only rightful occupation for a woman over 18 is to be married. But Beatrice has other ideas, she believes her artwork ans stories are good enough to be published and she sets out to make that happen.

As luck would have it she picks the Warne publishing house owned by two brothers. They decide to publish her book as a project to keep their third brother busy and out of their hair. They have zero expectations for the book to amount to anything. The third brother, Norman Warne, played by Ewan McGregor believes in the book and is determined to make it a success. In the process of working together he and Beatrix fall in love, much to the dismay of her mother and father.

The film mixes in animated versions of Beatrix Potter's drawings that only she can see. This touch gives the film the whimsy I was talking about and liven this pretty straight forward bio pic. This is the second film Zellweger and McGregor have worked on together and their is no denying their chemistry. The first film, Down With Love also involved the publishing business. Emily Watson as Norman's sister Millie is vibrant in her role as friend and confidant to Miss Potter.

The movie looks at the social constraints of Edwardian England and how a determined woman rose above them. The movie is charming and endearing and recommended for anyone who has ever read Peter Rabbit.

At The Movie House rating *** stars.

365+ movies in 365 days: Day 218 -The Family Stone

A good Christmas movie is hard to make. First off it needs to feel original and that's pretty hard when there are already hundreds of them. It seems Lifetime and the Hallmark channel churn out a new Christmas drama every week. Also the film must find the right balance of drama and comedy. It needs to be sentimental without being sugary sweet. It needs to have the right amount of pathos without being morbid. The whimsy can't be forced and a Christmas romance needs to have the right chemistry.

The Family Stone falls short of all these marks. The movie stars Dermot Mulroney as Everett Stone. He is bringing his girlfriend Meredith (Sarah Jessica Parker) home for the holidays. Meredith is a tightly wound, "type A" personality, in contrast to the more relaxed free-wheeling Stone family. Diane Keaton is mom and Craig T. Nelson is dad. Rachel McAdam's is Amy, Everett's sister. She has already met Meredith in NYC and took an instant dislike to her. The rest of the family consist of Elizabeth Reaser as Everett's other sister, Luke Wilson as his brother Ben and Tyrone Giordano as brother Thad. Thad is both deaf and gay and has a long time partner, Patrick, who happens to be African-American (Patrick Thomas). these two serve to show how progressive, liberal and accepting the family is compared to Meredith's more conservative, upper class upbringing.

Meredith's welcome is not a warm one and that sets the tone of the movie off kilter right away. It just seems wrong that a family would behave this way from the moment they meets someone. Sarah Jessica Parker does a good job with the character she is given, but the script pushes her into situations that just seemed forced. The first 30 minutes feel like a contrived plot in order to get Meredith's sister Julie (Claire Danes) into the story. The film picks up in the second act as all the characters become "normal". Family secrets are revealed and romances become cross. This leads to a dramatic third act on Christmas morning that shifts the films tone again into madcap comedy. The final epilogue does touch a heart string, but it's too little too late.

Writer / Director Thomas Bezucha struggles to find the right balance while the cast gamely works there way through the material. Some very strong performances but not enough to save The Family Stone from becoming nothing more than an all-star Lifetime movie.

At The Movie House rating ** stars

365+ movies in 365 days: Day 217 -Disney's A Christmas Carol

I own nine different versions of A Christmas Carol and over the holiday season I will be viewing all of them and right before Christmas there will be a ranking post. In the meantime the first one up is last year's 3D spectacular from Disney; A Christmas Carol starring Jim Carrey. On the big screen it was the amazing graphics, camera movements and 3D effects that carried the film. On Blu-Ray it's the superb performances by the actors under the CGI that really makes the film work. 

This is director Robert Zemekis' third motion capture film; the first two were The Polar Express and Beowulf. The technology has come a long way in just six years. In A Christmas Carol every nuance of facial gesture and eye movement is captured. The characters still look a little weird, but that seems normal for the film. Jim Carrey plays multiple roles in the film. He is Scrooge, young Ebenezer, the Ghost of Christmas past, The ghost of Christmas present and the Ghost of Christmas future. Gary Oldman is Bob Cratchitt, Jacob Marley and Tiny Tim. Bob Hoskins plays Mr. Fezziwig and Old Joe and Cary Ewles plays a number of supporting characters. Watch the movie and pay attention to how well Carrey plays Scrooge, from the voice, to the facial expressions, to the smallest gestures. he plays Scrooge as such an extremely miserable old man that the transformation at the end is truly joyful.

The dazzling camera work and the action sequences added for the 3D effect don't play as well on home video, but they are not that big of a distraction either. 

There are some good things and bad things about this adaptation of Dickens' timeless tale. On the plus side the film does emphasize the ghostly and spooky nature of the story. there are one or two scary moments and Jacob Marley is truly a "dreadful apparition". The movie captures a sense of life in London in 1842 as the camera glides and zooms around the city streets.

On the minus side I felt that Scrooge was more removed from his journey's with the spirits. We don't really see him influenced by what he is seeing until the final spirit. The ghostly visitations seemed hurried and rushed. In the ghost of Christmas present scenes Scrooge watches everything from above. It feels like the narrative was squeezed to make room for some of the razzle dazzle. Since the story is so familiar the viewer just fills in what is missing without realizing it. 

Disney's A Christmas Carol tells the story well and remains true to much of Charles Dickens' prose and descriptions, but it does not touch the heart as much as other versions.

At The Movie House rating *** (add a half star if you see it in 3D in a theatre)

365+ movies in 365 days: Day 216 -Bad Santa

Any Christmas movie that includes an obscene, ill-tempered elf is off to a good start. Bad Santa adds in a drunken, reprobate Santa with a foul mouth, a woman with a Santa Claus fetish, a crooked mall detective, a squeamish mall manager, a comatose granny and what is probably the loneliest kid in the world. Add this mix of characters together and you have an obscenely funny Christmas comedy.

Willie Stokes (Billy Bob Thornton) is a drunk, but he is also a safe cracker. Every holiday season he partners up with Marcus (Tony Cox), a "little person"who dresses as an elf, and they get jobs as a department store Santa Claus. For thirty days they deal with sniveling, screaming kids so that on Christmas Eve they can break into the store's safe and steal enough cash to get them through till next Christmas. Marcus also steals whatever is on his wife's (Lauren Tom) Christmas list.

Going into the film you expect a standard Christmas film. One of these kids will touch Willie's heart and he'll find redemption in the true meaning of Christmas. Forget it. Bad Santa is relentless in it's cruelty, obscenity and mean spirited humor and that's what makes it so funny. A kid (Brett Kelly) does come along but he doesn't influence Willie's life the way you might think. There is also a mall detective played by Bernie Mac who is on to the duo's scam and wants 50% of their take. Bernie should know to never mess with an evil elf. John Ritter is the mall manager who is not quite sure how he ended up with an over-sexed, drunk, obscene Santa Claus and doesn't know what to do about it, and Lauren Graham is along for the ride as a women who might just be the right person for Willie.

Based on a single idea from the Coen Bros. (and with an uncredited writing assist) director Terry Zwigoff has created the most vulgar, profane, irreverent, corrupt Christmas movie ever made. It is also outrageously funny, hilarious and stays completely true to it's dark comic roots without once veering off to sugary sentimentality. Thornton is excellent as the foul mouth Santa with a heart of coal and Tony Cox is even better as the mastermind dwarf behind the criminal enterprise. Bernie Mac and John Ritter are a delight to watch in their scenes together and Lauren Tom as the consumer goods obsessed Louis steals every scene she is in.

Maybe you'll get a lump of coal in your stocking for watching it, but don't miss Bad Santa if you want to see a Grinch who truly steals Christmas.

At the Movie House rating***1/2

* warning this movie is very obscene. There are numerous sexual remarks and the characters curse every other word. Not for the easily offended.

365+ movies in 365 days: Day 215 -Disney's Tangled

For it's 50th animated film Disney borrows from many of it's classics to make this beautiful, but uninspired modern retelling of the Rapunzel fairy tale. There is the handsome rogue straight out of Aladdin. The magic kiss from Beauty and the Beast. The evil old lady from Snow White The animal side kicks from all the films. This time it's a feisty chameleon and a very determined horse; thankfully neither of them speak. And of course a princess who yearns for something more than what her current life offers.

Tangled tells the tale of Rapunzel with modern sensibilities. We are offered explanations for why Rapunzel has such long golden tresses and why she is kept locked in a tower. A new hero is introduced, Flynn Rider, a charming thief who doesn't come to rescue Rapunzel, he just wants to use her tower as a hideout. Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi had a lot of fun doing the voice work for the movie. And Donna Murphy as the evil old woman who kidnaps Rapunzel is a knock out as a sinister crone who can sing.

To make sure the film connects with young boys the story is includes multiple action scenes and quit a few fight scenes. A lot of people get knocked about with frying pans. The plot is very basic. Rapunzel has been kidnapped and locked away since she was a baby. This was done by the evil old woman who wants the magic of her hair to keep her young. Rapunzel yearns to go outside and experience life and Flynn Rider helps set her free and on the way she learns her true identity.

The film is derivative of all the Disney princess movies that have come before, but it is still done in a style of animation that only the Disney studio seems to manage. Nothing out of Dreamworks has quite the same magical touch as a Disney film.

The movie was illustrated to take full advantage of the 3-D effect and this made the scene with the floating lanterns quite wonderful.

It's not original, but it is still entertaining.

At The Movie House rating *** stars.

365+ movies in 365 days: Day 214 -The Accidental Tourist

The Accidental Tourist lives and dies on the the shoulders of William Hurt. If you like him as an actor, you'll love this movie. It is one of his best roles. But if his mannered style of speaking and moving bothers you then skip this film because he is in almost every scene.

Based on the bestselling book follows the picks up the life of Macon Leary (Hurt) approximately one year after the death of his son in a shooting incident at a fast food restaurant. Macon is closed off and isolated from everyone around him. But he was always that way even before his son died. he makes a living writing traveling books on how to maintain the comforts of home while traveling abroad. He tries to never leave the safety of his own small world. For Macon life is something that happens, not something you experience.

After coming home from a research trip his wife Sarah (Kathleen Turner) leaves him. Without their son there is nothing holding them together. left on his own he manages to break his leg due to his poorly trained  dog Eddie.

Macon moves back to his family home to live with his quirky brothers and sister while he recuperates. When Eddie continues to act out he hires dog trainer Muriel Pritchett (Geena Davis) with unintended consequences.

Written, produced and Directed by Lawrence Kasdan the film offers strong acting opportunities for all the cast members, but especially for Hurt, Davis and Turner. Hurt gives and emotional and intellectual performance and Davis won an Oscar for her star making turn. This was the third film Kasdan made with Hurt and the second that teamed both Hurt and Turner together (Body Heat).

Tourist is an odd film, it's both sad and funny at the same time. here is another depressed middle aged man, but somehow Hurt makes you care for his character so much that when he finally smiles, you smile too.

At The movie House rating *** 1/2 stars.

365+ movies in 365 days: Day 213 -The Weather Man

The Weather man is an adult coming of age/mid-life crisis movie directed by Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean) and starring Nicholas cage. Cage is weather man David Spitz (shortened from Spritzel for cuteness purposes) and David is deep in the midst of a mid-life meltdown. professionally he is doing fine. he makes almost a quarter million dollars a year reading the weather on a local Chicago TV station. It's not  bad for two hours work a day, except for the occasional beverage thrown at him from people who don't like his forecasts. In addition he is auditioning for a national morning talk show based out of NYC, that could put him at the top of his peer group and make him millions.

It's his personal life that has fallen apart. He is divorced, his son is seeing a counselor for drug abuse and his daughter has gained weight and failing in school. he can't see his ex-wife without arguing with her and he is very contemptuous of her new boyfriend. In addition his father (Micheal Caine) a Nobel prize winning author and self made man is ill and it may be serious.

Cage carries the weight of a depressed man well, and reminds us why he was once considered one of the best actors in America. he supplies a narration throughout the film and their is a brilliant scene about tartar sauce that provides insight into the working of the adult male mind. The films problem is that you never really sympathize with David. All his problems seem to be of his own making. Plus it's hard to care about someone having an existential crisis who makes $250,000 a year. 

Caine and Davis are excellent in their supporting roles, especially Caine as the perceptive and loving dad.

The film is shot in blue gray tones of a Chicago winter and it feels cold. It goes off track now and then with multiple sub-plots and a treatise on the American lifestyle as a whole, but as a film about a man coming to terms with his own life's achievements it's pretty good.

At the Movie House rating ** 1/2 stars.

365+ movies in 365 days: Day 212 - It's Complicated

It's Complicated starring Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin broke all the standard rules of the Hollywood romantic comedy. There is no "meet cute" featuring a misunderstanding that must be concealed. All the parties no each other or meet through a normal course of business. While there are complications, there are no contrived misunderstandings to keep the lovers apart. Also more than halfway into the film I still didn't know which couple would end up together. And finally, the biggest rule breaker of them all, all the actors are over 50. It's Complicated is a romantic comedy for adults.

Other than that it's a pretty standard comedy with strong performances by all three stars. Jane has been divorced from Jake for ten years. She has moved on with her life and become a successful businesswoman in Santa Barbara. Jake has married the much younger Agness (Lake Bell).

Jane and and Jake meet in NYC for their son's graduation, get drunk and sleep together. Jake becomes enamored with Jane and wants to have an affair. In the meantime Jane is having an addition built onto her house and has started a romantic relationship with Adam (Martin). Suddenly Jane finds herself having to juggle men and conceal the renewed relationship with Jake from their children; while Jake cheats on his new wife with his ex.

These romantic complications make for fine comedy without falling into slapstick. The witty banter of Jake and Jane is entertaining and Steve Martin is endearing as a man learning how to fall in love again. 

The kids have the thankless role of reacting to their parents shenanigans and the script does them a disservice at the end. 

Fun and entertaining if inconsequential.

At The movie house rating ** 1/2 stars

Twelve Movies For Christmas

Christmas is just four weeks away so it's time to break out the holiday movies. For those of you not quite ready for Santa Claus and the ghost of Christmas past, I have made a list of twelve films that will get you thinking about Christmas without overwhelming you with holiday cheer.

Long before the ghouls and goblins of The Nightmare Before Christmas took over the holiday there was Gremlins. Cute but highly mischievous creatures that wrecked havoc on the Christmas holiday. Remember don't feed them after midnight! 

At The Movie House rating *** stars

Everyone is familiar with director Bob Clark's holiday film, A Christmas Story, but how many know he also produced and directed this 1974 Canadian slasher film. Four years before Halloween, this film featured a serial killer stalking a college campus and murdering sorority girls. The film has become a cult classic on home video. 

At The Movie House rating **1/2 stars

Clint Eastwood directed this adaptation of the bestselling book. The film starred Kevin Spacey and John Cusack.

At The Movie House rating **1/2 stars.

Bruce Willis took Hollywood by storm when he starred in the 1988 blockbuster Die Hard. Terrorist take over an office tower on Christmas Eve and it's up to NYPD officer John McClain to stop them.

At The Movie House rating ***1/2 stars.

In 1992 John McClain was back. Another Christmas and more terrorists, this time taking over an entire airport.

At The Movie House rating *** stars.

Will Smith is forced to fight secret enemies within our own government when he becomes an Enemy Of The State. Gene Hackman starred in this crisp techno-thriller.

At the Movie House rating *** 1/2 stars

It's Christmas in 1183 AD and the King and Queen of England argue about which of their sons will ascend to the throne and become the next King of England. O'Toole and Hepburn are a marvel to watch.

Multiple Oscar winner.

At the Movie House rating **** stars.

Rene Zellweger stars as the wildly funny Bridget Jones and Hugh Grant and Colin Firth are the suitors fighting for her attention in this hilarious British romantic comedy.

At The Movie House rating *** 1/2 stars.

Hugh Grant is back in this adaptation of Nick Hornby's bestselling book About A Boy. I highly recommend you give up 4 units of time for this very smart, charming comedy.

At the Movie House rating **** stars.

Hugh Grant returns again, re-teaming with Colin Firth and an all star cast for the very funny and "ultimate" romantic comedy.

At The Movie House rating *** stars

The Ref is the complete opposite of those charming, sentimental British comedies. Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis are an eternally arguing married couple and Denis Leary is a kidnapper who comes between them, in this biting black comedy. Watch it for the over the top performances by Spacey and Davis.

At the Movie House rating ** stars

Raising Arizona is the second film by the Coen Bros. It stars Holly Hunter and Nicolas Cage as a pair of hapless baby nappers. It has all the trademarks of the Coen's great films and has become a cult classic on home video.

At The movie House rating *** 1/2 stars.

365+ movies in 365 days: Day 211 - Maid In Manhattan

The modern Hollywood romantic comedy or "RomCom" has a very basic formula:

1.) The "meet-cute" - The couple involved meet in a way that is accidental, funny, a misunderstanding or in circumstances that cause one person to hide something from the other.

2.) The contrivances - the script will call for multiple reasons for the couple not to get together even though it is obvious they are meant for each other. Sometimes the contrivance is a huge obstacle that must be surmounted, other times it is something that if one of the partners said a couple of words the road block to happiness would be removed. 

3.) A cast of secondary characters that are both comical and supportive.

4.) The happy ending - the couple overcome all obstacles to love and live happily ever after.

The success of the film will depend on the chemistry of the movie stars and the quality of the script. If the stars have really good chemistry than even a bad script might make a successful film. But even a really good script won't be saved if the movie stars can't sell it. Probably the most successful romantic comedy of all times is Pretty Woman. There you had a very good script and great star chemistry between Richard Gere and Julia Roberts. For one of the worst check out Gigli with Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. Affleck and Lopez had plenty of chemistry off screen but they could not make it translate to film. In addition they had a terrible script so the movie crashed and burned.

Maid In Manhattan also stars Jennifer Lopez and Ralph Fiennes and they have good chemistry together. The script borrows heavily from the Cinderella fairy tale and is serviceable to get the stars through to the end. The cast of secondary characters include Bob Hoskins as the hotel butler, Frances Conroy as the best friend, Stanley Tucci as the campaign manager, Natasha Richardson as the hotel guest, Priscilla Lopez as the mother and Tyler Posey as the son. All perform their roles admirably. And of course the film has a happy ending you could see coming 10 minutes after the film started.

Maid In Manhattan is light-hearted and a fun date night movie. It will offend no one and bring a tear to the heavily romantic types. It's a charming "B" movie with the budget and marketing campaign of a blockbuster. 

At The Movie House rating ** 1/2 stars.