The Writer's Poke

Ben Stiller makes a very believable 16-year-old nerd. Cameron Diaz, too, can pass as the pretty popular high school girl. I found that I really liked the opening set-up more than most of what followed. Sometimes I find myself writing a different movie than the one written. It's a bad habit, I guess, but that opening segment was so good, I just found myself a little disappointed when it then jumped ahead 13 years to the present. The movie as written: Ted (Stiller) is a nerd, but for whatever reason, the pretty girl, Mary (Diaz), likes him. She is the one who actually invites him to Prom. Stiller's smile, mouthful of braces, is so sweet. He looks like Charlie Brown got asked to the Prom by the Little Redheaded girl. Unfortunately, they never make it to Prom. A ridiculous series of events in the bathroom lands Ted in the hospital, and Mary moves away. That's odd. As nice and as considerate as Mary is, she doesn't visit Ted in the hospital, and she never contacts him again....

"My sister hit and killed a deer. My mother sees through this euphemism, for it is a euphemism. Everything that happens in this city is a euphemism. Mother understands in a second what this deer blood and fur means. And somehow, she's right. She can read our family and our civic secrets, our desire and our shame, as easily as she can read a newspaper." -- Guy Maddin (narrator) In July 2015, I spent the night in Winnipeg. I had the free time to stay longer, but one night was enough. Even in the warmer months, Winnipeg somehow managed to maintain its gloomy winter exterior. I would like to go back some day to see if it's actually like I remember it, but who knows it I will. Even though I live in Minnesota, it's still an eight-hour drive, plus the time spent crossing the border. But today I went back to Winnipeg with Guy Maddin as my tour guide. I need Maddin in my life. So many films are predictable, cut-by-numbers affairs. They're supposed to be. That's wh...

"The day I die will be like any other. Only shorter." -- Samuel Beckett Iris (Naomi Watts) is a writer. She was a student of Walter's (Bill Murray), who was also a writer.  The bare outline of Walter's life is provided in the movie, but not much more. He had three wives, multiple girlfriends, and retired from teaching, perhaps in disgrace. What his misconduct might have been isn't explained, but he did, we know, have a relationship with Iris when she was his student a number of years -- maybe 20? -- in the past.   Early in the film, Iris mentions that most student stories start at the beginning of a day, but few start at the day's end. Perhaps that's a clue for how this film starts, which is essentially with the ending of Walter's life.  I have to admit that the film pulled one over on me. I only watched this film because Bill Murray was in it, but his actual screen time in the film might be 5 minutes. This film is a vehicle solely for Naomi Watts and ...

"Scarlett! Look at me! I've loved you more than I've ever loved anyone and I've waited for you longer than I've ever waited for any woman." -- Rhett Butler, Gone with the Wind (1939) Jon (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is not Rhett Butler, but once he sees Barbara (Scarlett Johansson) he's willing to wait. Even if that means waiting a whole month, which he technically does. During that period, he even agrees to do other things that Barbara suggests, such as taking a night class. She "rewards" him in the hallway outside her apartment, but as I say, technically, she forces him to wait a whole month.  (When Scarlett Johanson prepared for her role in this one, I feel like she watched a bunch of Fran Dresser "The Nanny" episodes and followed that up with a few Mariah Carey interviews when she's especially playing up her New York accent.  Other viewers have pointed out the accents, so I won't belabor the point... but man... are they meant to s...

It's called Bedtime Story, and so it's a nice touch that the opening credits are done like a children's pop-up book. If you didn't know better, though, might you be led to believe that the movie would be a children's tale? The movie even begins "Once upon a time." Perhaps the point is that Lawrence (David Nevin), a con artist, is a fanciful storyteller. And like all fairy tales, perhaps this intro puts us in the mindset of cautionary tale.  It's a much different opening than used in the remake Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988). And Marlon Brando as Freddy... quite different from Steve Martin.  The overall story is more or less the same.  Janet (Shirley Jones) is a much-simplified character, however, and this one difference makes some reviewers prefer Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. I would agree that I probably prefer the DRS ending, but the Bedtime story ending is pretty sweet, too, with some nice lines, such as Lawrence admitting that Freddy is likely happier,...

The montage of Lawrence (Michael Caine) teaching Freddy (Steve Martin) how to be a refined gentleman reminded me of the montage of Mr. Miyagi teaching the Karate Kid. I guess I have mixed feelings about this one. Although I've seen it a couple of times before and remember enjoying it, I didn't really remember much from it -- other than the scene with Freddy, as Ruprecht, going to the bathroom at the dining room table. This time around, I found myself enjoying the opening, not being that engaged during the middle, and then liking the ending. What happens towards the ending is rather predictable, but I do like the ending. Caine looks older, and I take it his character is supposed to be older, but in reality, he's only two years older than Martin, whose character, I'm guessing, is supposed to be younger -- in 1988, Caine is 44 and Martin is 42. What I didn't realize until now is that this film is a remake of Bedtime Story (1964), which stars David Niven and Marlon Bran...