Four Fall Films (part 1)

Starting Monday, October 6, every Monday in October we will be profiling one of four fall movies.

October Sky

Release Date February 19th, 1999

Rated PG for language, brief teen sensuality and alcohol use, and for some thematic elements.

Joe Johnston (dir.)

Jake Gyllenhaal as Homer Hickam

Chris Cooper as John Hickam

Laura Dern as Miss Riley

Chris Owen as Quentin

William Lee Scott as Roy Lee

Chad Lindberg as O'Dell

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October Sky Review By John C.

**** (out of four)

October Sky tells the inspiring true story of “The Rocket Boys”, a group of teenagers from Coalwood, West Virginia. It takes place in 1957, around the launch of Sputnik. Homer Hickam would look up at the October sky, and see the satellite fly by. He becomes inspired and starts building model rockets, with the help of his three friends and the encouragement of his teacher (Laura Dern). Great performances by the entire cast, including Jake Gyllenhaal’s breakout performance, make this a classic movie that's worth watching again and again. The mix of drama and comedy is perfect, and the ending is inspiring. Go watch it if you haven't already seen it, and if you have, its worth watching again.

The Clone Wars debuts tonight at 7:00 PM (EST) on CTV

George Lucas’ animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars TV series has its Canadian premiere tonight at 7:00 PM (EST) on CTV. It will be repeated at the same time on the Space channel this Friday. It is only 30 minutes, and should be worth checking out.

Flash of Genius

October 3rd, 2008

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language.

Marc Abraham (dir.)

Aaron Zigman (music)

Greg Kinnear as Bob Kearns

Lauren Graham as Phyllis Kearns

Dermot Mulroney as Gil Privick

Alan Alda as Gregory Lawson

Our reviews below:

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Flash of Genius Review By John C.

***1/2 (out of four)

Flash of Genius tells the story of one man’s fight for ownership of his invention. The invention? Intermittent windshield wipers. All Robert Kearns wanted was Ford motors to acknowledge him for his work. What he got was a battle that cost him over 12 years of his life. His fight for the truth brings him farther from his wife, kids and sane mind. He almost becomes a stranger to himself and those around him.

Greg Kinnear plays him really well as someone who lets his work take over his life, but you still never stop cheering him on. It’s interesting that Greg Kinnear who has been really funny in comedies like Stuck on You, Little Miss Sunshine and the recent Ghost Town, is also really good in this low-key drama.

It is a drama, but it’s not depressing. There are even some laugh-out-loud moments. What makes it even more interesting, is that it’s based on a true story. I’m not going to say that it’s perfect, their could have been some improvements, but it’s still one of the better movies this year.

The closest things it could be compared to are October Sky and The Astronaut Farmer, two other movies about dreamers, who will stop at nothing to fulfill their dreams.

The question everyone will probably be asking is will it go up for any Oscars? The answer? Probably not Best Picture, but Greg Kinnear could easily get a best actor nomination.

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Flash of Genius Review By Erin V.

**** (out of four)

The movie Flash of Genius is based on the true story of Robert Kearns - the inventor of the Intermittent Windshield Wiper. After reading the original article*, (written by John Seabrook for The New Yorker), that it was based on, I found that it was fairly close to reality. Robert Kearns, played in the movie by Greg Kinnear, has an idea for a ‘blinking eye wiper’. After his wiper design is stolen by the Ford Motor Corporation, he is determined to keep going with lawsuits to try to prove that they infringed on his patents. Unlike his invention that pauses, (blinks), every few seconds, Bob Kearns doesn’t take a break in thinking about his blinking eye wipers that Ford stole.

I really enjoyed this movie, which I found was very interesting to watch. (It is probably the best movie about windshield wipers that I have seen to date.) I had been waiting awhile to see this movie, and I’m glad that it met my expectations. After seeing the trailer a few months ago, this story had me hooked, and I knew that I would enjoy it even before I went in. Although I have no idea why, I had never actually looked up Robert Kearns’ name even after seeing the ‘based on a true story’ in the trailer. It was not until after the movie that I googled for the article that was mentioned in the credits. And I am glad that I didn’t check before, because it was more fun reading the article afterwards. It was after the movie that I really wanted to know more about this man and his wipers.

Watching this movie, I understood why this man would feel this way. Not only was his invention stolen from him, but no one else could understand why it mattered in the way that it did. It mattered, not because of the money involved, but because of the idea of right and wrong. His reasoning was that his rights as an inventor were denied, and Ford was wrong. He didn’t just want their money, he wanted them to admit that it was his invention. Interestingly enough, The New Yorker article really gives you a sense of both side’s points of view. Nobody wants to be wrong, or admit that they have done something they shouldn’t have, even Ford. Judging from the article, the real reason why big companies didn’t like this case is because once one person realizes that they can fight for their patents, everyone will want to. And today, in the 21st century, way more people can, (and do), fight and win these cases. Big companies don’t like that kind of thing. I guess in a way it frightens them, because they can’t just violate the patents and pay people off like they used to.

Overall, some people may find that this movie is at a bit of a slow pace, because it is. But nevertheless, I found it to be a good length, (approx. 2 hours), and at the best pace for the story. On a side note, the credits were going in and out focus, which was slightly strange, but overall this movie was well done.

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Flash of Genius Review By Nicole

***1/2 (out of four)

Flash of Genius is based on the inspiring true story of Professor Bob Kearns, the man who invented the intermittent windshield wiper. The movie opens with a scene in which a despondent Kearns clutching a kite on a Greyhound bus while in his pyjamas. We wonder what he is doing here, and then the movie flashes back to a scene in which Kearns, driving home from church in the rain, realizes how inefficient the manuel wipers on his windshield really are. So, being an engineer and inventor, Kearns designs a new kind of windshield wiper that moves intermittently, and automatically. His family is proud of his accomplishment, and very supportive of his work. But when the windshield wiper is presented to Ford Motors, Ford claims the design as their own. The movie then moves through several years of Kearns’ unrelenting determination to try to claim back his ownership of the intermittent wiper blade. Kearns’ zeal to fight for what is right, as well as his refusal to give up, make Kearns a likable character for whom you will root for till the end. This is an inspirational movie about family, not giving up, and standing up for what is right.

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Flash of Genius Review By Maureen

*** (out of four)

Flash of Genius is an intelligent, interesting movie. The fact that it was based on a true story made the movie all that more compelling for me.

It was interesting watching inventor Dr. Robert Kearns grow increasingly fixated and driven to fight the big automakers and be recognized as the original inventor of the intermittent wiper blade. Even when faced with his own mental health crisis and the disruption to his family, Dr. Kearns’ determination to stand up to what most would consider an undefeatable opponent was admirable.

Greg Kinnear’s portrayal of this unique, single-focused, black and white thinking man was excellent. It never felt like Kinnear was playing a caricature. Throughout the movie I truly cared about Dr. Robert Kearns and was always hopeful all his efforts would be worth it in the end. For the most part the movie moves along at a good pace and wisely keeps the focus mainly on Dr. Kearns. The best scenes in this movie take place in the courtroom with Dr. Kearns acting as his own legal counsel.

This is a story about standing up for yourself and what you perceive as right and never giving up. It left me thinking how many of us don’t do enough of that. Overall this was an enjoyable, thought-provoking film. It’s worth seeing.

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Flash of Genius Review By Tony

*** (out of four)

In the 1960s Bob Kearns, a Detroit engineer, patented the simple electronic circuit that controls intermittent windshield wipers. With the help of his large family, he hoped to manufacture and sell it to automakers. Ford contracted to introduce it as an option, but they backed out once they had a look at his drawings. Months later, Kearns discovered that his circuit was being used in some Ford cars, and eventually in vehicles from all the auto companies, without recognizing his contribution. With the help of family members, Kearns, acting as his own lawyer, devoted the rest of his life to suing Ford and other companies for patent infringement, refusing on principle to ever settle out of court. Flash of Genius, based on a 1993 New Yorker article by John Seabrook, essentially follows this story with minor changes, shortening timelines and changing names.

As explained at length in the New Yorker article, Henry Ford hated paying royalties to patent holders that just sat back while he actually produced the goods, reminiscent of today’s patents on some RIM software. Ford preferred to buy ideas outright, which is why square hole Robertson screws are still almost unknown in the U.S. Robertson would not sell out to Ford, who then went over to Phillips with his inferior cross head. Ford always preferred in house production to outside suppliers, making their own steel and glass, for example. The control circuit for wipers was so simple in hindsight that Ford tried to argue that anyone could have come up with it.

The film opens with a disheveled and confused Kearns being escorted off a bus by police. It then flashes back three years. Kearns is taking the collection in his church with his large family looking on. Driving home through a light rain, he wonders why wipers need to stay on all the time. That night he starts tinkering with a solution. The next day he introduces himself to a new class of engineering students with a message on ethics. The rest of the story plays out as above.

Greg Kinnear does a solid job bringing out the stress on Kearns and his family as the years of obsessive litigation go on. Alan Alda is fine as a patent lawyer who starts out on the inventor’s side but is dumped by Kearns when he advocates an out of court settlement instead of years of litigation. Despite sleazy Ford executives and a fixer who keeps showing up with increasing offers, Kearns is never threatened physically, so any sense of danger, such as in films like Michael Clayton, is never present.

Having myself been born in Hamilton and an engineering student in Toronto in the 60s & 70s, I enjoyed recognizing the local scenes that passed for Detroit, notably the Toronto City Hall standing in for Ford headquarters. Though cars were contemporary, the heavies smoked and styles of dress such as eyeglasses changed for major characters as years went on, there were some anachronisms. The engineering class scene showed females in a minority–in fact in the 60s they would have been all but nonexistent. Phyllis Kearns, the long suffering wife played by Lauren Graham, hardly seemed to age at all. As a final irritant, the closing credits, perhaps to evoke a wet windshield, kept going in and out of focus.

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Consensus: Good story with excellent acting by Greg Kinnear. ***1/2 (out of four)

Flash of Genius is based on The New Yorker Article Flash of Genius by: John Seabrook

*By googling the name Robert Kearns you get all kinds of results. One of the most interesting is the article that the movie was based on. It’s from The New Yorker and is written by John Seabrook. Here’s the link.

http://www.newyorker.com/archive/1993/01/11/1993_01_11_038_TNY_CARDS_000363341?currentPage=1

Animation: A Medium That Transcends All Genres

Written By E. Corrado

In recent years I have heard more and more people comparing the latest DreamWorks movie to the latest Pixar movie. Take this year for instance. If someone asked me, which do you like better, Kung Fu Panda or WALL•E, I would think to myself, (and probably ask them), why they are being compared. One is a martial arts/action movie, and the other is an action/adventure/love story between two robots. What connection could they possibly have? The answer - animation.

Since the medium began, people have been comparing one animated movie to the next as though it is a genre. It is not - it is a medium. If you saw two acrylic paintings in a museum, one a landscape and the other a representational wildlife painting, would you compare them? Or, would you compare the landscape to another landscape, acrylic or not, and the wildlife to another of it’s genre? Most likely, you would compare each to the one most similar. Of course, you may of your own preference prefer one over the other, but to compare them for their medium is different from that. It can be done, but it is a different kind of judging. It is judging by medium, not genre.

Animation, like any other art form, is a medium that transcends all genres. It can do anything that you want it to do. Just as you can paint a picture of a sunset with the same kind of paint that you painted a picture of a cat with, you can do an animated drama just as easily as a comedy.

It is not a children’s medium either. While it may often appeal to kids, it can just as easily bore them. They have to be interested in the story, unless you have used such bright, hypnotizing colours that they are just sitting dazed in front of whatever it is they are watching. A movie like Toy Story is loved by children and adults alike. Not just because of the medium, but because of the story. Toy Story is still enjoyed to this day, even though the animation is considered, by today’s standards, outdated. Even back in 1995, that was Pixar’s goal - to make a movie that would stand the test of time, because they knew that the medium would continue to get better. While the animation was the best of it’s day, the story was what counted. It was for the story that people loved the movie, and it is for the story that they still watch it again and again almost 13 years later.

The movies with good stories will be remembered years later, while the ones without them will be lost with all the other movies with weak stories. Whether animated or otherwise, story is key because without it you have nothing but images moving across a screen. Animation is not a genre, because it’s the story that decides the genre, not the medium.

(Remember to bookmark the site and come back next Wednesday for Part 2 written by James P..)

Four Part Article On Animation Starts Tomorrow

For the next four Wednesdays in October there will be a weekly installment of a four part article on animation. Make sure to bookmark the site and come back weekly for each installment.

Paul Newman 1925-2008

Legendary actor and director Paul Newman passed away at the age of 83 on Friday, September 26th, 2008, after a long battle with cancer. He was surounded by family and friends.

He was born on January, 26th, 1925 in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Throughout his career he has been nominated for 9 Academy awards for his acting, including one win for his leading role in The Color of Money in 1986. He was nominated for Best Picture in 1969 for directing Rachel, Rachel, and has also won two honourary Academy awards.

He was most famous for his roles in Hud, Cool Hand Luke, and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. In his last acting role, he voiced Doc Hudson in Cars.

He is survived by his wife, five children, two grandsons and his older brother Arthur.

He will be missed by many. May he rest in peace.

-John C.

Ghost Town

September 19th, 2008

Rated PG-13 for some strong language, sexual humor and drug references.

David Koepp (dir.)

Ricky Gervais as Bertram Pincus D.D.S.

Téa Leoni as Gwen

Greg Kinnear as Frank Herlihy

Billy Campbell as Richard

Kristen Wiig as Surgeon

Aasif Mandvi as Dr. Prashar

Our reviews below:

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Ghost Town Review By John C.

***1/2 (out of 4)

Ghost Town may not the funniest movie of the year, but it is one of the most likable. There are some big laughs in the first and second act, but by the third act it becomes surprisingly moving. It does not make up most of its comedy from sight gags, but most of the laughs come from the smart and witty dialogue of Ricky Gervais. A few scenes into the movie we see Gervais’ character Bertram Pincus, a dentist who, be it his patients or his colleagues, does not like people. When he goes for a routine colonoscopy, something terrible happens, he dies. But only for a few minutes. Now he is stuck with the ability to see ghosts, and they all want something. But the one that wants the most is the recently deceased Frank Herlihy, (Greg Kinnear) who asks him to break up the engagement of his widow Gwen, (Téa Leoni) to a humanitarian lawyer, who he does not think is good enough for her. All of the the actors get good lines, but the best ones come from Ricky Gervais, who is pretty much unknown outside of England, and Greg Kinnear, who achieved comic brilliance in Little Miss Sunshine, but also shines brightly in the upcoming drama Flash of Genius. Go see Ghost Town, and you will have a good time.

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Ghost Town Review By Erin V.

***1/2 (out of 4)

In Ghost Town, Ricky Gervais plays Dr. Betram Pincus, a dentist, who after a brush with death, can now see ghosts. These aren’t scary ghosts, instead, they are best described as people that only he can see and hear. Delighted that someone can finally communicate with them, they turn to him to help them. They start to follow him around, although, at first, he believes that he is hallucinating. The ghosts are still here because they have some unfinished business to deal with, and he is the only one that can help them. The main ghost Frank, played by Greg Kinnear, is one ghost in particular that won’t leave him alone, since his widow Gwen, played by Téa Leoni, is going to marry a ‘bad man’, and he needs Dr. Pincus to intervene. Unfortunately, Dr. Pincus is no good with people, (or ghosts for that matter).

What follows plays out nicely, as the whole story is very well written and acted. Although not all that complicated a story, it is funny to watch, and very entertaining. The comic timing worked very well, and towards the end of the movie, I found myself enjoying it even more than expected. From the opening scene to the movie’s conclusion, the story plays out perfectly. Thoroughly enjoyable, and unlike some other movies that I have seen, there are not really any parts that I would have preferred to see done differently. An entertaining romance-comedy that actually really works. This being said, Ghost Town is definitely worth seeing.

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Ghost Town Review By Nicole

***1/2 (out of 4)

Ghost Town is a funny movie about a self-centered dentist named Dr. Bertram Pincus, who, during a routine medical procedure, is accidentally over sedated, and briefly dies and comes back to life. When he wakes up, he realizes he has a new, (but unwanted), ability, that is, to be able to see and hear ghosts! Pretty soon, he meets a ghost named Frank, who is jealous of his widow Gwen’s new boyfriend, Richard, so he gets Dr. Pincus to hook up with her. Dr. Pincus meets Gwen, an Egyptologist, by pointing out the dental problems in a museum mummy. He starts to question Frank’s motives when he meets Gwen’s boyfriend, a human rights lawyer for Amnesty International. Dr. Pincus’ relationship with Gwen and his encounters with Frank and the other ghosts, cause Dr. Pincus to slowly begin to look beyond himself, and care for others.

This movie is funny, clever, and heartwarming. Despite some adult language, this movie does not rely on gross out gags to be funny. Instead, it relies on good lines, and good comedic timing to make you laugh. This movie is nothing but fun.

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Ghost Town Review By Maureen

***1/2 (out of 4)

Ghost Town is a thoroughly enjoyable romantic-comedy. What made it so enjoyable for me was the smartly written dialogue and the impeccable comic timing of actors Ricky Gervais and Greg Kinnear. The main character, dentist Bertram Pincus, (Ricky Gervais), has a brief death experience that would lead most characters to take stock of their lives and change how the deal with others. But Dr. Pincus continues to be self-absorbed, abrupt and rude to all who come in contact with him, including the ghosts who come to him for help in getting a message out to those they’ve left behind. It is through Dr. Pincus’ reluctantly helping ghost Frank Herlihy, (Greg Kinnear), try to break up the engagement of Frank’s wife to a human rights lawyer, that Bertram Pincus starts to change. As unlikable as Bertram Pincus is, there is something about this jerk that you want to like and root for him to find happiness. The encounters with the various ghosts, including Frank, are funny without going over the top with slapstick or cheap laughs. The movie also has it’s tender side when Dr. Pincus finally decides to help the various ghosts complete their unfinished business and move on to the next world.

Overall, I laughed and I cried, and left the theater with a smile on my face. I really can’t find any faults with this movie other than a caution about some language for younger viewers. This would make a good date movie. Go see this one.

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Ghost Town Review By Tony

*** (out of 4)

Whether or not you believe in an afterlife, ghosts have always been popular, from tragedies like Macbeth to comedies like Topper and even soaps, where veteran actors in semi-retirement can reprise their roles beyond the grave to spook wayward offspring (e.g. Y.& R.)

In Ghost Town, the dentist Dr. Pincus (Ricky Gervais) has a near-death experience leaving him with the ability to see dead people–the ghosts of those who died with unfinished business. They soon mob him with requests to fix on earth whatever is keeping them from their final rest. Unfortunately, he is as misanthropic as Scrooge and wants nothing to do with them. A phantom adulterer (Greg Kinnear) forever stuck in the tuxedo he had on when the bus ran over him, promises to shield Pincus from the other spirits if his widow (Téa Leoni) can be prevented from marrying a lawyer that does not meet his approval. Despite his obnoxious personality, Pincus gradually endears himself to the widow, coached by the ghost in scenes reminiscent of Play it Again Sam. It doesn’t hurt that as a dentist he can provide valuable insight into the lives and probable causes of death of the Egyptian mummies that she is studying. With a few twists along the way the film moves at a leisurely pace toward a satisfactory ending.

Though not a masterpiece, Ghost Town is a charming comedy, with fine acting by the three principals and a good supporting cast of minor characters.

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Consensus: Enjoyable romatic-comedy with likable characters. Ghost Town is a charming, fun movie. ***1/2 (out of 4)

A Brief Review of The New At The Movies

By John C.

A new season of At The Movies is underway, this time around without Richard Roeper. If it did not share the name of the previous show, it would have nothing in common. It has new music, a new set, and two new hosts, Ben Lyons of E! Entertainment and Ben Mankiewicz of Turner Classic Movies. There is also a new feature called the Critics Roundup where they are joined via satelite with three other critics, and it usually just turns into a shouting match, even though they never stop smiling. As far as TV entertainment shows go, this is one of the better ones. But, compared to Ebert & Roeper, I just have to say Skip It.

You can watch their reviews, and take a trip back in time all the way to 1985, with The Balconey Archive online at:

http://bventertainment.go.com/tv/buenavista/atm/index.html

This Month’s Overlooked Film

Chosen by: John C.

Northfork

Release Date July 11th 2003 (Limited)

Rated PG for brief sexuality

Michael Polish (dir.)

James Woods as Walter O'Brien

Mark Polish as Willis O'Brien

Nick Nolte as Father Harlan

Duel Farnes as Irwin

Daryl Hannah as Flower Hercules

Anthony Edwards as Happy

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Northfork Review By John C.

**** (out of 4)

It has been said that to actually understand the Polish brothers Northfork, you would have to read a book about it. Well, I have. It’s called The Declaration of Independent Filmmaking, and is not as much a how-to guide, as it is their diary of writing and filming their third movie Northfork. It is both visually stunning and wonderfully shot, the landscapes of Montana are simply beautiful, and almost seem as if they are right off a postcard. The story of a town that will soon be flooded by a hydro-electric dam is haunting, and brings in a deeper message about life and ultimately, death. It has proven to be hard to track down, but is worth the trouble.

New Feature To Be Launched This Friday

Starting this Friday One Movie, Five Views will be profiling an overlooked or underrated film once a month. These will be short profiles and reviews of films that were either overlooked by reviewers or the public, but are definitely worth seeing.

Your goal is to try to see this film before the next months special feature is listed.

Keep an eye on the website for the first installment tomorrow.