97. America’s Heart and Soul* (2004) – From the mountains to the prairies, to the oceans, this panoramic view of America represents the ultimate reality show. We see a real cowboy, an aeronautical acrobat, a man who fights oil rig fires, a farmer, people literally dancing on mountains, and so many more people committed to their calling, whatever that might be. The sweeping vistas of this documentary show America the beautiful, with breathtaking views from sea to shining sea. I wish I’d seen this movie in a theater to really enjoy the richness of color and tone that is magnificent throughout the film. 4 cans.
98. Inform and Delight: The Work of Milton Glaser* (2008) – You may not know the name Milton Glaser, but chances are you know his work. The graphic designer behind the ubiquitous “I ♥ NY” campaign is an artist, an illustrator and an intellectual whose work represents the visual depiction of ideas. A founder of New York magazine, Glaser also helped turn New York on to small, local restaurants with his creation of “The Underground Gourmet.” He designed an iconic poster of Bob Dylan that instantly calls the 1960s to mind. He has also designed restaurants – from concept and space to menu graphics – food products at Grand Union, logos for schools and art museums, posters, books and campaigns for social causes. The documentary, which I watched on the Sundance Channel, is an excellent reminder of the impact good design has on everyday living, making ordinary objects identifiable and easier to understand. Glaser is a gem, and so is this movie. 4 cans.
99. Tadpole* (2002) – Prep school student Oscar Grubman (Aaron Stanford) has a problem. Home for Thanksgiving, he will have to spend time with his annoying father (John Ritter) and the woman on whom he has a mad, crazy crush that he is sure is love – his stepmother, Eve (Signorney Weaver). Just to complicate matters further, the 15-year old gets seduced by Eve’s 40ish best friend, Diane (Bebe Neuwirth). Oscar is a smart kid who speaks French, reads and quotes from Voltaire but, understandably at 15, knows nothing about love. This film pays considerable homage to films ranging from “The Graduate” (and even includes a Simon & Garfunkel song) to “Ordinary People” to “The Summer of 42.” In many ways, awkwardness prevails here, mitigated only by the earnestness and charm of young Oscar and his sweet portrayal by Stanford in the role. 3½ cans.
100. Crazy Stupid Love* (2011) – Love has moved from being a many-splendored thing to just being crazy and stupid in this entertaining comedy. Schlubby Cal Weaver (Steve Carrell) is shocked and angry when his wife Emily (Julianne Moore) suddenly tells him she wants a divorce after 25 years of wedded boredom. He drags his mopey self a bar, where his lack of appropriate attire and total lack of game fail to attract women but pique the interest of slick local lothario Jacob (Ryan Gosling), who decides he can remake Cal. It turns out something like “Extreme Makeover, Man Edition,” as Jacob convinces Cal he is “better than The GAP.” The problem is that Cal isn’t really destined to be a player, and he is still in love with Emily, who seems to want him back. Meanwhile, his 13-year-old son is in love with the 17-year old babysitter, who, in turn, is in love with Cal. There are some unforeseen twists and turns here that work out well. Do we each have one true soul mate? And can we pledge never to give up when fighting for that one true love? Stay tuned. This movie is a fun ride, if a little long and meandering in parts, and features great work by an outstanding cast. Ryan Gosling is downright yummy. 4½ cans. This movie marks my 3rd consecutive year of seeing at least 100 films.
101. The Yellow Rolls Royce (1964) – Rex Harrison and Shirley MacLaine fare best in this trilogy of tales connected by – you guessed it – a yellow Rolls Royce. Harrison plays a wealthy British diplomat who buys the Rolls as a belated anniversary gift for his disinterested wife (Jeanne Moreau). MacLaine is the floozy girlfriend of an American mobster (George C. Scott) who is “touring” Italy between mob hits. The third tale, with Ingrid Bergman and Omar Sharif, is the least believable. Nonetheless, this movie has great views of Europe, lush cinematography and a good deal of charm. And the backseat of that Rolls gets plenty of action. 3½ cans.
102. The Help* (2011) – This very satisfying movie adaptation of the Kathryn Stockett novel depicts life in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1962, when the rich white ladies had nothing more to do than go to Junior League meetings, plan charity benefits and play bridge. Meanwhile, their black maids did the cooking, shopping and cleaning and raised and loved their white babies. Skeeter Phelan (Emma Stone), an aspiring writer, doesn’t fit in with her society friends, and she decides to tell the story of Southern society from the viewpoint of the “help.” This is a rich picture of the pre-Civil Rights South, when paying maids less than minimum wage was considered perfectly acceptable, as was passing them down from mother to daughter and firing them at any time for a real or perceived transgression. Skeeter forms friendships of a sort with several of the help (Viola Davis in what will be at least an Oscar-nominated performance as Aibileen and Octavia Spencer as sassy Minny) as she convinces them to tell their stories – and there are plenty of juicy stories to tell. This is a faithful adaptation of the book but reading it is not a prerequisite to thoroughly enjoying the movie. The focus on human dignity, friendship, trust and a taste of revenge makes it all worthwhile. There are broad brushes of stereotypes in the characters, but that fault doesn’t diminish the impact of the movie. This movie is important, it is special and it is not to be missed. Best movie I have seen so far this year. 5 cans.
103. Sunrise at Campobello (1960) – Ralph Bellamy does a credible job playing Franklin Delano Roosevelt from the time he contracted infantile paralysis (polio) in 1921 until his return to a national stage at the 1924 Democratic National Convention. The paralyzed politician is determined – with the encouragement of his chief advisor, Louie Howe (Hume Cronyn) – to return to the spotlight in hopes of seeking the presidency one day. FDR, as we now know, was rarely photographed in a wheelchair, and, with the help of heavy metal braces and physical support by his son, appeared to walk. In this movie, he is wheelchair bound, honing his upper body strength and remaining determinedly chipper. Greer Garson is much too pretty to accurately depict wife Eleanor, even with false teeth. Eleanor must learn to cope with her husband’s condition and must take on speaking engagements in lieu of her husband to keep his name in the public. The movie is well-done, but it leaves out so much of what we now know about FDR, his wife and his condition. However, grading it on a scale of “it is what it is,” I’ll give it 3½ cans. Besides, when do I ever get to see “Spin & Marty’s” Tim Considine (who plays son James Roosevelt) in anything other than a Disney movie?
104. Flipped* (2010) – If you liked the movie “Stand By Me,” or if you are a fan of the TV series “The Wonder Years,” chances are you’ll flip for director Rob Reiner’s sweet romantic movie. Bryce Losky (Callan McAuliff) and his family move to the suburban neighborhood where friendly Juli Baker (Madelyn Carroll) lives. One look at Bryce’s eyes and little Juli falls hard for the second-grader, and for the next six years, as she pursues and annoys him, he avoids and ignores her. But at the end of junior high, the tables turn, and suddenly it is Bryce whose crush becomes unrequited love. This is a gentle stroll down memory lane, when life was uncomplicated – unless you were a kid in love. Reiner shows his knack for getting the best out of child actors, and, in the end, it’s hard not to have a crush on the whole movie. 4 cans.
105. One on One (1977) – As a big basketball fan, I have a certain fondness for this story about a freshman basketball player recruited from a hick town to play for fictional Western University, a powerhouse basketball team. Robby Benson plays Henry Steele, a kid whose ball-handling skills and ability to score are highly prized as a recruit, but whose innocence and desire to please hinder his role on a team run by an authoritarian coach (G.D. Spradlin, who is as much of an SOB here as he was in Godfather II). Henry comes in as a star, but his style doesn’t fit the coach’s system, and he works his way down the coach’s bench. But his love for the game and willingness to take whatever is dished out – along with a budding relationship with his tutor (Annette O’Toole) – help his resolve to remain in school when the coach demands he give up his scholarship. This movie shows the unsavory aspects of college athletics (no-show jobs, cash from boosters) but is grounded by a winning performance from Benson – who actually can play. 3½ cans.
106. The Kids Are Alright (2010) – Since I reviewed this movie last year and gave it 4 ½ cans, I won’t repeat the review except to say that I still enjoyed it. One thing I noticed, at the end, was that when the parents of the daughter drove her to college, it only required one trip from the car by each of them and their son to unload the car. I didn’t know how unrealistic that was at the time, but, having seen my nephew Brandon’s carload of crap headed to the University of Maryland, I can say that this scene was pure fantasy.
107. The Clearing* (2004) – You mean there is actually a Robert Redford movie that I knew nothing about? Yes, this suspenseful drama stars Redford as Wayne, a wealthy businessman living a comfortable life with his lovely wife Eileen (Helen Mirren), until one day when he is abducted by a disgruntled former employee he barely knows (Willem Dafoe, excellent as a semi-deranged loser). When Wayne doesn’t show up for dinner, Eileen knows something is amiss. As she and the authorities wait for contact by the kidnapper(s), she learns more about her husband than she ever wanted to know. Meanwhile, Wayne has only his wits to help him escape as the kidnapper leads him through the woods to a clearing. This is a taut drama that incorporates the mundane parts of police work needed to identify potential bad guys while the family impatiently waits. Good performances and Redford and Mirren alone make the movie worth seeing. 3½ cans.
108. The Last Dance* (2000) – This is one of those cheesy Hallmark dramas that you don’t want to like, isn’t high art but you watch all the way through anyway. The ever-lovely Maureen O’Hara plays Helen Parker, an aging former Latin teacher, widowed at an early age and long retired. When she develops heart trouble, she lands in the hospital and is tended to by nurse Todd (Eric Stolz), a former student. Turns out Mrs. P still has a few lessons to teach Todd and his family about life and love and building memories. I hate that this stuff always gives me a lump in my throat, but Ita Sit (“so be it” in Latin). 3 cans.
109. The Sweet Smell of Success* (1957) – The Sweet Smell of Success didn’t quite stink, but it didn’t quite succeed for me, either. A quintessential 50s movie, this black and white film features Tony Curtis as Sidney Falco, a New York press agent, desperately currying favor with all-powerful columnist J.J. Hunsecker (Burt Lancaster). The mention of a client’s name in J.J.’s column can make or break the press agent, who bows to every whim of the smug writer. The plot seemed less important as a story than as a device to showcase the ruthlessness of the main characters, with the tale neatly set in the after-hours nightclubs and joints of New York City. I am not a Burt Lancaster fan, but Tony Curtis brings a handsome face and a skittish sense of desperation to his role. 3 cans.
110. Divorce, American Style* (1964) – Marriage may be complicated, but it’s nothing compared to divorce in this black comedy starring Dick Van Dyke and Debbie Reynolds as a bickering couple who uncouple. Van Dyke goes from a successful businessman in a nice house to living on less that $100 a week. Their separation and divorce is filled with rancor and not enough regret. Jason Robards plays a divorced man who befriends Van Dyke, recruiting him to date his own ex-wife and relieve his alimony burden. The only scene I thought was genuinely funny was when divorced dad Tom Bosley explains to Debbie Reynolds the plethora of kids belonging to him, his ex-wife, her first husband, her next husband, his second ex-wife, etc. Even the kids can’t keep track of all their siblings. I didn’t want to keep track of the characters in this movie, since only Van Johnson, playing a local used car salesman, seemed like a good guy. 2½ cans.
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