Because of the tugging and pulling of your emotions, I had a hard time “enjoying” this film. It made me think a lot about the different relationships portrayed and the effects of having someone close to you with a terminal illness. If you just need a good cry, this might be a good one to watch.
Moral Rating: 3 of 5
Though being a full-blown tear-jerker, we didn't experience the full force of it having broken it up into two segments. I think the writers/directors tried a little too hard to pull at your emotions. We learn the importance of parent child communication, and that no matter how much we want something for our kids, we (as parents) have to realize that they are their own selves. Our children need to learn to make decisions on their own (hopefully supported by the example of the parents) and be accountable for them. Our job as parents should be to listen intently and provide needed guidance where we can.
I didn't care too much for Kate's little rendezvous in the hospital after the dance. True or not, we don't need to show kids that premarital sex is adventurous and might be OK if you think you'll never get a chance to be married, or that it's just something all teenagers do.
This is an adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic children's story. In this adaptation, Max has trouble getting the attention he demands at home. After throwing a fit he runs away and travels a distance to an island where the Wild Things live. After spending some time there and growing up a bit (emotionally) he realizes he needs to return home, and is ready to better contribute to his family life.
Entertainment Value - C
This was an OK show, with potential to be really good. For a kids show, the tone was rather depressing throughout, even the music did nothing to brighten up the film. The colors through out were a drab gray and brown, maybe a little too artsy for its good. The 5 year old behavior in an older kid was a little annoying. The Wild Things were not as wild as I thought they should be, no gnashing teeth or too terrible roars. I guess it is a children's story and can't afford to get too out of hand. I wouldn't go out of my way to watch this one. Save your self 96 minutes and read the book again.
Moral Value - Failure to Communicate? - 4
What a lonely life Max led! The movie did a decent job showing that the mom loved her son, but it was kind of odd she didn't mention anything about calling the police or running out after him searching for hours in the rainy night. I liked the ending in the book a whole lot better, where Max never actually leaves his room, but when he "returns" he finds his dinner waiting for him and it's still hot.
There is a lot of trying to "fit in." Max tries to fit in with his sister's friends; Carol tries to fit in with Judith and the other Wild Things; both end up stumbling over their lack of self-control and social skills.
Max really gets a good look at his own life when he becomes the person responsible for making all the Wild Things happy (the role he thought his mother owned back home). He realizes that it's no party being in charge, that life is tough for everyone all around and you've just got to carry on. The strongest message I found in the film was in seeing Max realize that stepping outside of himself really helped him put his behavior in perspective; he began to understand that he was not the only person in the world, and that others deserve happiness as well, to which he needed to learn to contribute.
It was kind of cool how they mapped a lot of Max's, Claire's, and the Mom's personalities in the different Wild Things. Obviously the place wasn't real and was more a figment of Max's imagination, but I think they did a good job representing his imaginative journey.
This is the story of a man who fought against the system. Lucas Jackson gets thrown into a work camp for "destroying municipal property," and even while there continues to fight against anything that gives him rules to follow. The men in the camp admire him; and even Dragline, the assumed leader of the prisoners, gives Luke his respect. Luke gets tired of being the only one who seems to care about breaking free, even God seems to have abandoned him. Read on to find out why this is one of my favorite movies.
Entertainment Value - A
For the longest time this was my absolute favorite movie and it still ranks among the top ten. Paul Newman's and George Kennedy's performances are awesome. The multiple attempts at escape from the prison never get boring. You never get tired of the constant change and rebellion Luke introduces to the prison. Some people can't seem to make it through the first part of the movie, and I can't understand why! Mostly people who have a hard time watching anything that isn't newer than the 1980's (though that's even pushing it for some!).
Moral Value - Failure to Communicate? - 5
Why is this movie the theme for our blog? For one, it was one of my favorite movies and "Cool Hand Critics" had a nice ring to it. From there, we were able to introduce other elements of the movie into our reviews (World Shakers, Nights In The Box, etc.). Here are some of the reasons why it is among my favorite movies:
Unwritten Rules
At the beginning of the film, when Luke first comes to the camp and the other prisoners are playing cards, he makes pretty clear his disdain for rule makers. Dragline and the other prisoners are explaining all the "unwritten" rules of the prison and that Dragline is basically the king of the coop. Luke just laughs and when confronted, he responds that there just seem to be "a lot of guys laying down rules and regulations."
Unwritten societal rules (e.g., might makes right, herd mentality, etc.) sometimes keep us from progressing, whereas true rules (i.e., commandments, covenants, etc.) should help us in our progression as human beings and children of God. This isn't the case for all unwritten rules (e.g., etiquette, chivalrous manners, etc.), but we need to do more than just follow someone blindly like most of the prisoners ended up doing with Dragline and later with Luke. We need to live/know for ourselves and understand what impact our decisions and actions have on our spiritual and physical well being.
"Nothing Can Be a Real Cool Hand"
Luke and Dragline had a boxing match and even though Luke was very badly beat-up, he never gave up; in fact he told Dragline, "you're gonna have to kill me." Luke later ends up winning a poker game with a hand of nothing and states that, "Sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand." Dragline admits that he was beat in the fight with nothing just as Koko was in the poker game (meaning even though Luke didn't beat Dragline physically, Luke sure didn't lose).
Sometimes by just standing your ground, no matter what the odds are against you, you can come out on top. This constancy exhibited in one's faith and conviction of principles or standards can define a person's being.
"Get Out There Yourself!"
After one of the many times Luke escapes the prison and is brought back (bloody and beaten) all the men can do nothing but comment on what a grand ol' time he must have had while he was out (particularly because Luke had sent them a picture of himself between two attractive ladies, revealed at this time to be a phony). Exasperated he yells, "Stop feedin' off me! Get out there yourself! I can't breathe!"
How often do we live our lives through other people's experiences instead of getting up/out and doing things for ourselves?
Later on, after Luke has been "broken" by the bosses (forced to labor to the point of physical exhaustion and beaten brutally in the process) and enters the sleeping quarters where all the prisoners (who sat and watched the breaking process) are gathered, he collapses. Not a single person went to him to help him out. They were disillusioned by the breaking of the high and mighty man they once esteemed as their hero. Luke was never a real person in their eyes; they invented a person who was invulnerable, a superhero that could never break. When he broke they became the selfish, brutal, despicable creatures men tend to be when they see good men fall. They were too weak (too smart?) to try to break out of prison themselves, to push the rule makers to the limit, to discover who they really could be, making them all the more happy to see strong people fall. It makes them feel good about themselves, even if they aren't truly happy (still locked up, never having attempted to get out in the open).
Failure to Communicate
During Luke's last escape attempt, Dragline can't help but come along with him. Dragline's as giddy as a school boy to see that Luke was "never" broken. But Luke corrects him and tells him he was as broke as anybody could have been. After Dragline starts planning all the world shaking he, Luke, and Koko are gonna do when they're all out Luke says that he's "done enough world shaking for a while." At this news Dragline doesn't know how to react, he begins to regret ever leaving the camp realizing that he only had a few years left if he would have stayed put. (The disillusionment sets in again.)
Luke approaches a church and decides to enter it and that it's time he has a talk with God. He wants to blame God (not angrily but questioningly) for his situation. Luke feels that God has things "fixed" against him and at the same time made him like he was, so how was he supposed to fit in? When does it all end? What does God have in store for him? What should he do now? Luke then gets on his knees to ask and concedes that he's a hard case and ends up supposing that he'll have to find his own way (not having received any communication from God).
This failure to communicate comes up a couple of times in the film, and is up there with some of the best known lines in cinematic history. There seems to be a lot of failed communication, a lot of "unwritten rules" that seem to catch people off guard left and right. You could argue that it wasn't God that was messing up the communication, but Luke. He never wanted to submit to any kind of authority, and he was constantly running away from it or flat out pushing back. Even Luke says "there ain't a whole lot worth listening to" (specifically referring to all the rules and regulation being put out). How many times do we say we want an answer but do nothing to make sure we are prepared to hear what we need to be told?
With regards to this movie review site, I hope we can communicate some of the insights we receive on the quality and moral value of films that we see. We in no way assume our ideas and interpretations are the only way to view the content of the films, but invite others to comment and help us mold our philosophy in a non-threatening way.
This is the second remake of The Shop Around the Corner (at least that I'm aware of). A small bookstore owner, Kathleen Kelly, and a multimillion dollar discount bookstore chain owner, Joe Fox, are in love online (choosing to keep personal information unknown to each other), but enemies in the professional world. When, through email, they decide to meet, Joe discovers who his pen-pal is without her knowing. While Joe's first impulse is to throw in the towel and give up on her, he ultimately realizes that he had fallen in love with the person who wrote the emails to him, and that he needs to try and win Kathleen's affection, getting her to look past her prejudices and see him for who he really is.
Entertainment Value - A
This is my favorite version of this story and also one of my all time favorite films. Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks are perfect together in their roles. I love the soundtrack.
Moral Value - Failure to Communicate? - 4
At first sight, it might seem that displaying two relationships where neither couple is married but still live together can't be constructive. Similar to the play The Importance of Being Earnest where marriage is made light of and food is taken seriously, I think this is a commentary on the importance of marriage. We see both live-in relationships as unhappy, neither couple is in love with their significant other. As Joe and Kathleen's relationship matures (without any sexual encounters!), we see that the ultimate goal will be marriage. You don't see a marriage take place, but Joe mentions that had the issue of their professional differences not existed he would have asked her out..."for as long we both shall live", a direct reference to marriage.
Other elements that support this are that Joe's family is completely dysfunctional and is even mocked as being an "American family". Joe has a brother who is probably 30 years his junior and and an Aunt that isn't much older than his brother. Joe's father's fiancee (probably no older than Joe) hits on Joe and ends up running off with another woman, which is what his own father has done in his previous 2 or 3 relationships. These extreme relationships are exaggerated to emphasize the importance of a solid marriage between a man and a woman, the only union that can bring true happiness to the human family.
In addition to advocating marriage, the same message exists here as in it's two predecessors (Shop Around the Corner and In the Good Old Summer Time): you can't judge a book by it's cover. Judging too quickly can prevent good relationships from forming, and is ultimately breaking a commandment; Jesus commanded that we judge not unrighteous judgment.
The Morgan's lead very busy lives. They are separated due to an illicit affair Paul Morgan had while away on a business trip. Though Paul is very repentant and wanting to give their marriage a second shot, Meryl is not too sure. After witnessing a murder, they are forced to become a part of a witness relocation program and must spend the first week together until separate living quarters can be worked out. Will Paul get the chance to prove to Meryl that he is honest? Or will they just be driven further apart? (You might get a hint if you remember the movie For Richer or Poorer.)
Entertainment Value - B
Great acting. I enjoy Hugh Grant, though some of his shows can be a little inappropriate (as are some of Sarah Jessica Parker's). Pretty good story line. Not sure why it got a PG-13 rating. There was some language and sexual intimacy (though all off screen and between husband and wife). My only guess is that they were trying to market it to an older crowd. You've Got Mail, Pride and Prejudice, Sleepless in Seattle, and many others all worked wonderfully with a simple PG rating.
Moral Value - Failure to Communicate? - 4
This was a great story of learning how to work through problems in marriage. Maybe the situations that caused their separation and frustrations were a little extreme (though maybe not as uncommon as I think). The fact that you need to expect everything from one another is very important in keeping you both (husband and wife) working towards sticking together.
[Spoiler Alert]
The moral credence of the film started to unravel when it's revealed that she cheated on him as well, especially when you find out that it was after Paul had already cheated on her. Up until that point you really believe she was hurt by his infidelity and had thought the world of him; but all that turns into a lie when you find out she was unfaithful too.. They both end up making the right decision and deciding to stick it out together and even adopt a child (their difficulty of having kids was one of the main causes of stress in their relationship, in addition to their extremely busy lives.)
Frank Goode (Robert De Niro) has just lost his wife and it seems that the relationships he had with his kids have passed away too. After all his kids cancel their visit home at the last minute, he decides to go out and visit each of them in a series of successive stops on a long road trip. They are very much surprised at his visits, though not terribly happy to see him as they end up trying to cover up anything he would not be proud of and hurry him off to see the next sibling (sometimes not even letting him stay the night). Frank catches on and realizes something needs to change.
Entertainment Value - A
This was a nice easy-going movie, though a real tearjerker at the same time. Being a star-studded film, I didn't expect a whole lot out of this, but ClearPlay convinced me it might be worth checking out, and it was. It came out at Christmas time, but the end scene is the only thing that happens at Christmas (though the beginning might be too, it wasn't very explicit). The way the story was told was pretty cool; it wove in and out of Frank's childrens' past and present depicting them as he sees them (primarily still as kids who need direction and counsel, not necessarily as adults needing a listening ear).
Moral Value - Failure to Communicate? - 4
Great message on family relationships, particularly those between parent and child. Frank is portrayed from the start as being very interested in his family; you can see that he loves them as he prepares for their visit. As the story moves along you find out that Frank made his own reality out of what he wanted his kids to become, and that the kids didn't really see him as someone willing to listen to them. In short, everything isn't fine.
Communication is the central theme of the movie. Frank's profession of installing insulation around power lines, as well as the constant display of telephone wires and the conversations that take place over them are constantly brought up. The effects of poor communication are foreshadowed in the first part of the show when Frank doesn't listen to the Dr.'s advice to stay home but leaves on a cross-country trip anyways, which doesn't turn out to be a walk in the park.
Frank knew he didn't have the most exciting professional life and hoped and "knew" that each of his kids could be whatever they (he) wanted them to be. Because of this attitude, his kids (and wife) only told him what he was willing to listen to (never any bad news, everybody was always fine). The visit he makes to each child is very eye-opening and you learn right along side him how his link to his family is starting to fall apart. The trip turned out to be more for him than for his children, though ultimately it did bring them all together again.
We did watch this on our ClearPlay player, so there may be some strong language, but the PG-13 is also for some stronger thematic elements meant more for adults.
Dr. Malcolm Crowe feels obligated to help Cole Sears, a young boy, who has serious problems (very similar to a previous patient of his who Crowe failed to cure). As Cole gradually begins trusting Dr. Crowe and opening up, we see both Dr.'s and patient's lives change for the better while each is able to help the other overcome their challenges.
Entertainment Value - A
Very good, suspenseful movie; perfect for a cold Halloween night (especially when the lights go out!). Though probably mild by most people's standards of a scary movie, it was still a little disturbing thinking back on it, but overall I enjoyed it.
Moral Value - Failure to Communicate? - 4
The Sixth Sense did a great job showing the importance of communication and how it helps us overcome our fears, show love, and strengthen relationships.
[Spoiler Alert] When Malcolm helped Cole realize he needed to confront the dead people and find out what it was they wanted with him, Cole's fear disappeared and he was actually able to help the ghosts find rest. Fears need to be faced; sometimes in the process of confronting our fears we find that they were not really all worth being scared about.
There are many ways that our failure to communicate causes problems. Too many people gossip and complain about things they dislike others doing, but they do nothing to communicate these frustrations to the people that are causing the annoyances; they would rather live in their misery than muster up a little courage to help others come to terms with them.
Cole's mom had a very difficult time knowing how to love and help her son. She was able to help a lot, but it wasn't enough. Not until Cole opened up could she really help him. We can't ever give up on trying to communicate with those we love, no matter how obstinate they may be. Our trying shows that we do love them regardless of their unwillingness to reciprocate those emotions.
Communication strengthens marriages. This is a bit of a stretch, considering Malcolm was dead, but he was able to come to terms with the confusion he had been feeling since his death. He was able to tell his wife she was never number two and that he still loved her. This act brought the movie to a close and really made me feel good about the overall message of the movie.
Not as good as You've Got Mail, in my opinion, but since it's the inspiration behind it, it's great. It's still very impressive to see Jimmy Stewart's character change and realize the person he really fell in love with and get over his unfounded prejudices.
Stewart really had to humble himself and put aside the things he saw in Margaret Sullivan that seemed to bug him. In marriage, I think it is important to realize what drew you into the person initially; like they say, "keep your eyes wide open during courtship [to make sure you don't overlook anything important] and half shut after marriage [being forgiving of the other persons faults]." I think that's the message I found that moved me the most.
Mr. Matuchek's lack of communication with his employees displayed another poignant lesson. It is important to be open and honest in all situation before jumping to any conclusions. You must strive to assume the best in people and try to understand as much of a situation as you can. I imagine it could be very difficult in a situation like he found himself with in the movie, losing his trust in his wife.
Back to the love story, so many times people get misled by their emotions and fail to see (or choose not to see) the shortcomings of their sweetheart. Sometimes more than just shortcomings are overlooked for the sense of belonging or being loved. It's important to view the counterpart of the relationship in an everyday setting, how they react in different situations and with different types of people. James Stewart is able to do that with Margaret Sullivan and he's willing to accept her as she is, knowing that she is capable of loving him. And of course everything works out in the end, a bit abrupt though if I might add. Meg Ryan's falling in love with Tom Hanks because of his genuine kindness was better displayed in You've Got Mail. I'll have to see In the Good Ol' Summertime again to comment on that version.
If you're looking for a good classic romance story this is it. This is the perfect example of how you can have a good romantic movie with out any one sleeping together. Even though the story could be a little far fetched (falling in love in a couple days; breaking up long term, serious relationships; and maintaining no communications for 6 months and then thinking they're going to get married), it is morally straight. It even goes as far as discouraging adultery or loose relationships in support of marriage and showing that finding someone you can truly be in love with is possible.
The story displays how thinking you know what's best for the other person (without communicating your thoughts to them) can, unintentionally, damage the relationship. Communication is a key issue, both seem to communicate pretty effectively to their previous fiances that they wish to end the relationship, but to the person they truly love they seem to have a harder time communicating.
It was quite frustrating that Terry wouldn't tell Nickie what happened and that Nickie thought that she had simply decided to not show up. However, things do work out in the end.
The main reason for this not getting a 5 is that we didn't feel motivated to do good afterwards. It was a good, clean film with great acting and a good story, but nothing earth shattering.
