Which One Do You Pick?
By Mary Wiger
There are two types of movies being released right now. The horror flicks-- just in time for a scary good Halloween-- and the teases. The horror stuff falls into the typical terror
territory: mad slashers, crazy guys in the forest, vampires, werewolves and dogs from outer space. OK, maybe that last one is only scary if you're
under the age of 6 and are being forced to go see Good Boy! Too bad there isn't a smart horror flick out this fall.
Cabin Fever came very close, Underworld tried and failed miserably,
Jeepers Creepers 2 came off like the clone it is and House of the Dead is yet another crappy video game movie. Don't even talk to me about the Texas Chainsaw remake! That said, they can still be fun to go to on a dark and stormy night. That's the
key: they're fun, not frightening.
Then there's the teaser stuff. These movies all have advertisements that say, "(INSERT ACTOR NAME HERE) gave an Oscar-worthy
performance." The studios sit back and wait to see if we'll take the bait. Sometimes we do. Most of the time we don't. We all know that the movies that are going to be nominated for awards will be released in December. We're not stupid! It happens every year. Sure, once in a while something will stick and we're all surprised, but for the most part, we know how the game is played.
It doesn't mean that the movies in release right now aren't worth your time, far from it.
There are some great character-driven flicks out and some very innovative filmmaking going on right now. As writers, many of the scripts we can learn the most from are showing right now. Lots of these scripts are so close to being perfect. From the safety of the audience we can see what's gone wrong. These are the kinds of scripts that I like to break down, analyze and re-work in my head. I learn a lot when I do this.
So whether you're going to the movies to be scared or to learn, just keep one thing in mind. Go have fun. The good stuff is finally here! Enjoy.
Mystic River - This film, based on the novel by Dennis Lehane and adapted by screenwriter Brian Helgeland, is the story of three childhood
friends-- Jimmy, Sean and Dave-- and paths in life they each take. In one of Boston's Irish neighborhoods, the friends are drawn together by the murder of Jimmy's daughter. Sean is the homicide detective assigned to the case. Dave, whose life was shaped by a tragic event when he was a kid, is one of the prime suspects. As the case progresses, the three former friends become involved in each other's lives again. The tension builds throughout this unhappy reunion until someone snaps. This murder mystery is about the choices we make, the things we choose to believe and the mistakes we make. I didn't read the book, so I don't know how true it stays to the actual story. I can tell
you I thought this film was very well done. The performances, the look of the film and the script combined, make
Mystic River one of the best movies of the year. Worth a full price ticket.
Intolerable Cruelty - This Coen Brothers film, written with Matthew Stone and Robert Ramsey, is a hoot. Miles Massey, a prominent LA divorce attorney has it all except something to challenge him. That changes when Marylin Rexroth, the soon to be ex of his wealthy client, enters the picture. Miles, very smitten with the lovely Marylin, is still an attorney. He does his job and Marilyn leaves the relationship with nothing. Marylin schemes to get even and Miles goes right along with her. While this is not the Coen brothers' best film, it is fun. Everyone is having a good time. The setups pay off exactly like you know they will, the script moves in the same direction as your expectations, and everyone is played to
his or her fullest caricature. There aren't any wood chippers, but there is a fair amount of snappy dialogue and two of the most beautiful people on the planet. I paid full price for this one and didn't regret it.
School of Rock - This is another fun film. Jack Black is Dewey Finn, a guitar player who is cut from his band for being too embarrassing. Dewey needs some cash, so he finagles his way into a private school as a substitute teacher. Woefully unprepared to actually teach anything, Dewey does what he knows best and teaches the kids rock music. Ultimately there's a battle-of-the-bands competition, schoolmasters to win over and life lessons for everyone. This is an entertaining film that will put a smile on your face. Written by Mike White and directed by Richard Linklater,
School of Rock is a blast. Pay full price, you won't be sorry.
Secondhand Lions - Writer/Director Tim McCanlies put together a very heartfelt film about a shy young man, Walter, who goes to live with his eccentric uncles, Hub and Garth, in rural Texas in the early 60's. This film is a moral tale about family and faith with the message that what we believe in is more important than what we perceive to be the truth. The best thing about this film is the outstanding performances of Michael Caine, Robert Duvall, and Haley Joel Osment. They effortlessly fell into their roles and made their characters completely believable and totally endearing. I really liked the middle of this film. I was disappointed by the bookends-- those scenes at the front and back of the film. I didn't want to know the information that the bookends provided. It was unnecessary and voided the basic message of the film. I also had a problem with the timeline. It felt off. That aside, I have to say that I enjoyed this sentimental journey of tall tales, wacky relatives and great adventure. Worth a matinee.
Lost in Translation - This story about boredom is strangely engaging. Written and directed by Sophia Coppola,
Lost in Translation is about Bob, an aging movie star, and Charlotte, a woman waiting for her husband to return from his job. They meet at a bar in a Tokyo hotel. They have a lot in common. Neither one can sleep, they're both bored and they're both looking for more out of life. The performances in this film are great. Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson really bring these characters to life. You like them
and you want to lift them out of their doldrums, but you have to ask, do they want to be lifted or do they need to find their own way out? The film doesn't answer that. This film does teach us that Tokyo has an ungodly amount of neon. We also learn that whether you're at the end of your career like Bob or just starting like
Charlotte, you can be bored by what life has given you. The story starts off fabulously
then declines into a slightly repetitive exercise to show us how bored they are, which in itself becomes dull. I did enjoy this film, although I thought the second act had a bit of a dry patch. Worth a matinee.
Under the Tuscan Sun - Loosely based on Frances Mayes' memoir, this chick flick is wonderful.
Writer/director/producer Audrey Wells tells the tale of Frances, an embittered divorcee who's looking to start her life over. She accepts a gift from some well-meaning friends of a trip to Tuscany. While on the tour she falls in love with a villa in major need of repair. She buys it and rebuilds her life and the house at the
same time. There's a great feel-good quality to this film. The script reminds up that
there's always a chance to find yourself, to find love and to discover more about
yourself than you already knew. It's light and fluffy and visually stunning, but not
unfulfilling. It's a low-key story without any major conflicts or true gut wrenching
disasters and it works. You like these people and you like hanging around them. I
found myself wanting to go to Tuscany after watching this. Worth a full-priced ticket.
Duplex - Written by John Hamburg and Larry Doyle, this dark comedy misses the mark frequently, which is too bad. It stars Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore-- two very funny people, in a funny situation
(the tenant from hell), and is directed by Danny DeVito. With all that going for it, how could it miss? The script doesn't work. This
uneven and imbalanced story pits two wannabe yuppies, Alex and Nancy, against a crafty senior citizen, Mrs. Connelly. The approach these two knuckleheads take to rid
themselves of this pest is frustrating. Alex and Nancy waver back and forth between actually carrying out extreme measures against Mrs. Connelly and then compassion and pity. I didn't buy it. Their motives were strong but their actions didn't fit. They were too erratic and too extreme. After the first few attempts go bad, they should
have figured out what they were up against, but they didn't. Overall, disappointing and
annoying. Wait to catch this on video.
Cold Creek Manor - This movie wasn't what I thought it was supposed to be. From the previews I thought this would be a haunted house-type story, and Act I definitely has some mysterious elements. But then the rest of the film follows another
genre: crazy killer on the loose. I was all set for some good old-fashioned scary movie stuff and what I got was more of a suspense type story that didn't explain some of the setups in Act I. It felt like
screenwriter and executive producer Richard Jefferies got two different scripts and stapled them together. Director Mike Figgis gets the film in a groove early in the second act and stays there throughout, but I kept wondering about some of the stuff from the first act and why wasn't it addressed. It wouldn't be a bad film to watch before going to a haunted house but if you miss it, I don't think you'll be too disappointed.
So get a big bag of Halloween candy and make yourself a little sick and be thankful the latest Woody Allen offering is off the shelves
already. There's something for everyone at the movies this month and it's only going to get better. Go, have some fun.
Like many writers, Mary
Wiger, a Purdue University graduate, has had a variety of day jobs to support
her writing/film addiction: waitress, retail clerk, office temp, computer
reseller, small business owner and most recently, a technical writer for a
software company in Frisco, Texas. Mary’s exciting and not-so-exciting
experiences in the film and video world range from craft services on corporate
videos to producing and directing numerous shorts to crashing a party that
Sandra Bullock had at the Paramount theater in Austin.
Her credits include co-producer of "The Secret Lives of Shopping
Carts," which was awarded the Bronze for original comedy short at Houston
Worldfest, director of a comedy short called "Finding Love," and
producer/director of "Aftermath," a docudrama on teenage suicide. Most
of her film and video experience has been without the benefit of real money but
with friends and strangers who were willing to work for beer, or thought they
were getting beer.
Mary’s scripts run the
gamut as well, from a delightful comedy called “The Lunch Lady Man” to a
thriller called “Destiny.” Mary continues to hone her style and has been
accepted into the UCLA Professional Program in Screenwriting. Mary is an active
member of the Dallas Screenwriters Association, serving as treasurer for 6
years. Seeing at least 3 movies a week is a tough job, but she’s very glad to
do it so that the good movies continue to get made.
Special thanks to the
Angelika Film Center (http://www.angelikafilmcenter.com/)
for supporting our publication.
