This month's movie collection is one of my most eclectic. I saw a few movies that I hadn't seen in years to prepare myself for other versions of the stories. I saw one of my AFTs (all-time favorites). And I saw the Lifetime movie that gave Lindsay Lohan a chance to act instead of creating headlines just getting arrested. As usual, numbering picks up from previous months and movies are graded on a scale of 1-5 cans of tuna, with 5 being the top. Movies I had not seen previously are marked with an *.
114. Flight* (2012) – Not since Tom Hanks reported “Houston, we have a problem” in Apollo 13 has there been such a terrifying flying incident – until now. Whip Whittaker (Denzel Washington in a sure Oscar-nominated role) is cool, calm and collected despite the apparent failure of his airplane. He puts the periled plane through some very tricky maneuvers that few pilots could even attempt, no less execute. He is also drunk and high. So, was the crash his fault? And is he a drunk in dire need of help? This is a man of strength, but also of rage, who insists he “chooses” to drink. He needs no help, no consolation, no contact with anyone. He just needs to drink. John Goodman, as his dealer, supplies the only comic relief in this otherwise serious story reminiscent of “When a Man Loves a Woman” and “Days of Wine and Roses,” with all three movies providing insight into their main characters’ addictions. It can be harrowing at times, and you want to like Whip, but Denzel, to his credit, makes that almost impossible. 4 cans.
115. Apollo 13 – And speaking of Apollo 13, this Ron Howard movie holds you in suspense even though you already know the ending. I think everyone knows the story, so I’ll instead mention that I can’t decide whether Tom Hanks in Apollo 13, Tom Hanks in Castaway or Tom Hanks in Big is my favorite Tom Hanks movie (and you can probably throw in Forrest Gump, for that matter.) Not only is this a great story, but it is a great movie. Although I don’t know what a command center, spacecraft or a simulator actually looks like, the look of the sets, the dialog of the crew and command center just seems authentic to me. I can’t help holding my breath while we wait to see if the crew makes it back every time I see it. Great movie and one of my ATFs. 5 cans.
116. Casablanca (1942) – Bogart. Bergman. Wartime intrigue. Romance. You must remember this. Here’s looking at you, kid. Classic. 4½ cans.
117. Lincoln* (2012) – Tall, dark and not particularly handsome, Abraham Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis, ready to face off against Denzel in this year’s race for the Best Actor Oscar) has just been reelected when we meet him on a battlefield in 1864. Amiable, humble (and extremely tall, wearing an extremely tall top hat) and at times humorous, Lincoln is a dedicated politician, and he aims to abolish slavery by Constitutional Amendment with his lame-duck Congress as the Civil War dies down. The scenes in the chambers of Congress play out like hirsute C-SPAN broadcasts, with posturing politicians (Tommy Lee Jones among them) and backroom patronage deals. Sounds familiar? Meanwhile, on the White House front, Lincoln’s wife, Marry Todd (Sally Field at her grittiest), is still grieving the loss of her son in the Civil War and wants to make sure her next son, Robert (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) doesn’t enlist. She is an astute politician herself, and her scenes with Lincoln are amusing and furious. I’d like to know how they made DDL look so tall. When Lincoln gets up from a chair, it looks like he is unfolding or inflating like those air-filled figures that flap in the wind. In the end, this movie is more politics than entertainment, and, despite the Steven Spielberg pedigree, too long and slow, so I am giving it just 3½ top hats.
118. Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974) – There was a time when Ellen Burstyn seemed to be the lead in every movie, and this is one of them. A waitress and sudden widow, Alice and her goofy son Tommy (Alfred Lutter), move to Arizona so she can pursue her singing career. Instead, she ends up waiting tables at Mel’s Diner with waitresses Flo (Diane Ladd) and Vera (Valerie Curtain). But slinging hash isn’t all that bad when Kris Kristofferson ambles into a booth. Alice is insecure but wise-cracking, and eventually succumbs to his charms. Look for a very young Jodie Foster as Tommy’s friend Audrey in this little gem. 4 cans.
119. The Great Gatsby (1974) – This movie is more like “The Not-So-Great Gatsby” if you ask me. A lush adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel of the 1920s, the movie is the story of Jay Gatsby, mysterious self-made millionaire whose money means less than his love of the woman (Daisy Buchanon, played by Mia Farrow) he romanced when he was poor but who went on marry wealthy and obnoxious Tom Buchanon (Bruce Dern). Gatsby doesn’t care that she’s married. He just wants her back. The story is told through the eyes of her distant cousin, Nick Carroway (Sam Waterston), who is spending his summer renting a place across the great lawn from the Gatsby estate. The lavish production, sumptuous sets and even Gatsby’s pink suit hardly compensate for the innate shallowness of the story and the characters. Oh, and if you decided to see this movie because Robert Redford plays the great Gatsby himself, you won’t even find him on screen for the first 35 minutes. A new version of this movie is coming out next year with Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead, so I reread the book this summer and saw the movie to remind me of the story. Having done all that, I think I’ll pass on Leo’s version, since I realize now that I didn’t really like these people any more than they liked each other. 3 cans, mostly for the production values and a chance to see Redford.
120. No Place Like Home* (2012) – To say Josh Swade is a fan of the University of Kansas basketball really doesn’t do his fervor justice. Dr. James Naismith himself, inventor of the game and a former Kansas coach, probably couldn’t summon up Josh’s enthusiasm. So when Dr. Naismith’s original rules for the game come up for auction at Sotheby’s, Josh sets out to find wealthy alumni who will put up the money – estimated to be in the millions – to bring the rules home, where he feels they belong, to Allen Field House in Lawrence, Kansas, a place he calls “the cathedral of basketball.” Josh’s effort is the heart of this documentary, another in the highly entertaining ESPN “30 for 30” series. Josh is persuasive, but he has to be to get the money guys involved. You have to admire a place where people turn out every year to support their team with such ardor, and you have to admire a man whose unselfish quest is all about the history of the game. 3½ cans.
121. The Package* (1989) – I’m not much on action movies, but I tuned this one in thinking this Gene Hackman effort was a different movie. Hackman is Sgt. Gallagher, assigned in Europe to escort a prisoner (Tommie Lee Jones) back to the US. It turns out the prisoner isn’t who his papers say he is, and he is part of an assassination plot to prevent the signing of a treaty between the US and Russia. That means plenty of action as good guys and bad guys try to outsmart and outshoot each other. Joanna Cassidy, with really big curly hair, and Dennis Franz, playing his usual role as a cop, co-star. And Hackman gets to have another car chase, though not nearly of the magnitude of his classic “The French Connection.” 3 cans.
122. Liz & Dick* (2012) – The brawling, boozy and very public Elizabeth Taylor-Richard Burton romance/marriage/divorce/remarriage is dramatized in this Lifetime movie. Anyone alive in the 60’s knows the story of how they met on the set of Cleopatra, dumped their respective spouses (Eddie Fisher seemed quite expendable), bought a lot of jewelry, spent a ton of money and gave rise to the phenomenon of paparazzi. In this rendition, an overmatched Lindsay Lohan takes on the role of Elizabeth, but it was more than a pout that made the woman a huge movie star. Grant Bowler is Burton and handles the Welshman’s masculinity and charmingly deep voice efficiently. I didn’t find this movie as absolutely heinous or laugh- out-loud ridiculous as I had expected, but Lohan clearly needs a career reboot. They did a good job with her makeup, however. 2 carats.
123. Inventing David Geffen* (2012) – The road to success is not a straight line, as evidenced by David Geffen’s rise from the mailroom at the William Morris Agency to entertainment mogul in this fascinating documentary. Geffen, along with Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg, is one of the men behind the studio Dreamworks. His career began in the mailroom after faking his credentials, then he became an agent, quit to manage the career of rising singer-songwriter Laura Nyro, founded a record company, managed superstar groups such as The Eagles and Crosby, Still & Nash, went into producing Broadway shows and movies, started and sold another record company (where he recorded Donna Summer, Cher and Elton John), and became a multi-billionaire. This documentary examines his instincts, his negotiating skills, his fierce loyalty and his refusal to back down from anyone. Along the way, he became the most powerful man in show biz. This is one interesting guy and a story well documented and told, with plenty of interviews and glimpses of the talented artists of my lifetime. 4 cans.
124. Nothing In Common (1986) – David Basner (Tom Hanks) loves his life. A 30-something ad exec, he loves working with his team and chasing women, and he’s good at both. And then one day his mother leaves his father (Eva Maire Saint and Jackie Gleason) and David is forced to face family responsibilities, the truth about the relationship between his parents and how it has affected him. You’d never know from this description that this movie is equal parts comedy and drama (the advertising scenes in the office draw the most comedy). David leans on his old high school girlfriend (Bess Armstrong) for emotional support even though they have both moved on. Gleason is terrific as irascible Max Basner, still trying to sell children’s clothes and ignoring his failing health as he rails at David. My review doesn’t do the movie justice, because I think of it as a gem. 4 cans.
125. Mary Poppins (1964) – This family-friendly fantasy stars Julie Andrews in the title role, playing, shall we say, a rather unconventional nanny who leads her charges on magical jaunts around London. Dick Van Dyke is her buddy Bert, the chimney sweep. I am surprised how much I had forgotten about this movie, and how much animation it includes. It is a lovely and entertaining tale, but not really designed for someone who has trouble suspending her sense of reality. Since I am seeing the Broadway musical tomorrow, I thought I would reacquaint myself with the story. I think a musical like this will sparkle more on stage. 3 cans.
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