ftp.xmission.com/2014.06.ftp.xmission.com.tar/ftp.xmission.com/pub/lists/movies/archive/v02.n091

Internet Message Format | 1998-09-15 | 33KB

From: [e-mail] (movies-digest)
To: [e-mail]
Subject: movies-digest V2 #91
Reply-To: movies-digest
Sender: [e-mail]
Errors-To: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk


movies-digest      Wednesday, September 16 1998      Volume 02 : Number 091



[MV]screenplay of Gone with the Wind
Re: [MV]  'Pretty Woman',a lovely movie
[MV] Rounders review
RE: [MV]  'Pretty Woman',a lovely movie
Re: [MV] Private Ryan/Platoon
[MV] pretty woman tangent
Re: [MV] Re:Pvt Ryan
Re: [MV] Re:Pvt Ryan +Ultimate sacrifices....
Re: [MV] Re:Pvt Ryan +Ultimate sacrifices.... -Reply
RE: [MV] +Ultimate sacrifices.... -Reply
[MV] One True Thing, * * * (out of 4)
Re: [MV] Re:Pvt Ryan +Ultimate sacrifices.... -Reply
[MV] Movie News - 09/16/98
Re: [MV] Private Ryan/Platoon
RE: [MV] Re:Pvt Ryan +Ultimate sacrifices.... -Reply
[MV] REVIEW: ONE TRUE THING

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Mon, 16 Sep 1996 12:40:04 +0800
From: "Yusheng" <[e-mail]>
Subject: [MV]screenplay of Gone with the Wind

Hello,could any one be so kind as to tell me where I can find the script of
'Gone with the wind'?





[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies (without the quotes) to [e-mail]           ]

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 16 Sep 1996 22:18:52 +0800
From: "Yusheng" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: [MV]  'Pretty Woman',a lovely movie

Hi,James
That's an interesting question.I don't think the movie has glamoured the
life of a whore,who can't afford her rent,who has to go to the street to
flirt with the strangers,and get so overjoyed for just +ACQ-3000.Sure enough
that the writer of the play gave his compassion to those prostitutes who
live the most miserable life.
That remind me of Chaplin,whose comedy  make u laugh with tears  in your
eyes+ACE-


[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies (without the quotes) to [e-mail]           ]

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1998 14:59:52 -0700
From: Jason Cormier <[e-mail]>
Subject: [MV] Rounders review

I love card game movies.  A lot of it has been pretty predictable ("A royal
flush beats your four of a kind") but this one has a lot of grit to it.
Matt Damon stars as a poker player who has quit the game but is forced back
into it when his best friend is released from prison.  Matt's character
goes through some inner conflict in which he has to choose to continue his
law schooling or to follow his real desires and play the game.  This movie
puts a different spin on Poker - which was always thought of as the
stereotypical example of gambling.  Instead this movie explains that poker
is not about luck - but about how you read people and it is in these scenes
that the movie has some oomph.  Damon does a fine job as does Ed Norton
(who's building quite the portfolio for himself-Primal Fear, Larry Flynt,
Everyone Says I Love You)...and the supporting characters are great to
watch - from Turturro to Malkovich to Landau.  I give Rounders an 80%
because it was good entertainment but maybe could have been tighter and
they could have gotten to some conflicts sooner.  If you like this move
then make sure you check out the director's other flicks - Last Seduction
and Red Rock West to name a couple.
Jay the Movieman
[e-mail]

[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies (without the quotes) to [e-mail]           ]

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 08:26:55 -0600
From: jkrudy <[e-mail]>
Subject: RE: [MV]  'Pretty Woman',a lovely movie

As I said, I don't give much weight to the debate, I was just curious about
everybody's views on it.

JAMES K. RUDY


- -----Original Message-----
From:    Yusheng [SMTP:[e-mail]]
Sent:    Monday, September 16, 1996 8:19 AM
To:    [e-mail]
Subject:    Re: [MV]  'Pretty Woman',a lovely movie

Hi,James
That's an interesting question.I don't think the movie has glamoured the
life of a whore,who can't afford her rent,who has to go to the street to
flirt with the strangers,and get so overjoyed for just $3000.Sure enough
that the writer of the play gave his compassion to those prostitutes who
live the most miserable life.
That remind me of Chaplin,whose comedy  make u laugh with tears  in your
eyes!


[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies (without the quotes) to [e-mail]           ]

[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies (without the quotes) to [e-mail]           ]

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 22:53:53 +0800
From: "Yusheng" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: [MV] Private Ryan/Platoon

Yes,the war is so cruel.
Recently,on the TV,we saw the ture life of woman,who is the wife of a hero
died for the country in the anti-Japanese war.I have known the hero from a
movie since my childhood.The woman witnessed her husband being put into a
gunny-bag and stabbed to death with bayonets by those cruel Japanese
soldiers.Since that day,the woman became out of mind,for over 50 years, she
has been living in dreams,dreaming that her husband is still alive,and kept
murmuring his name.
Yes, the war is cruel. But did we have any other options? Just get down on
our knees to be slaves of the Japs? Or Just let Hitler to control this
world? The war is cruel,and that makes those heroes even greater.



>Nobody has mentioned it, but I thought Platoon also made >war look real
bad,
>as
oppossed to all  the romantic World War Films of it's predecessors.
It is really a day in the life of a young kid with all these thoughts and
dreams about war, and see's the realities first hand. Any comment's?
(I await the onslought)
Thanks & Regards,
****************************************************************************
**
****************************************************************************
**

Anto Byrne Net:[e-mail]
Oracle E.M.E.A. Fulfillment Dept.
    Unit 14 Phone:[phone]
Airways Industrial Estate Fax:[phone]
Cloghran      email:abyrne
Dublin 17.
Ireland
****************************************************************************
**





[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies (without the quotes) to [e-mail]           ]

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 00:05:47 +0900
From: Honwa Chau <[e-mail]>
Subject: [MV] pretty woman tangent

I just saw "My Best Friend's Wedding" and I really enjoyed it. I've
never been a fan of Julia Roberts but she does a great job in this film.
She does some rotten things but I was still sympathetic to her cause.

I really liked Cameron Diaz, especially in the karaoke bar scene, and
Rupert Everett was fantastic. He and Roberts had terrific chemistry.

However, Dermot Mulroney was bland. I wish someone with a livelier style
had played his role - maybe Tim Robbins?

But all the singing was fun, most of it not jazzed up but acapella.



itchy


[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies (without the quotes) to [e-mail]           ]

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 09:22:09 -0700
From: Bruce Bridges <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: [MV] Re:Pvt Ryan

My only problem with English Patient is that I've just about seen
enough stories concerning great loves in which adultery is involved.
I don't know about you guys but my corner bar has plenty of forbidden
loves develop but few of them are in the least bit romantic.I would
like to see a movie for once in which the characters struggle with
their attraction but make the ultimate sacrifice and do not consumate
their relationship (and cheat) because of their greater commitment to
family etc.   Wouldn't that be a twist?

Concerning Pretty Woman, I live literally 1 block from the main
prostitute strip in LA and believe me there isn't a Julia Roberts in
the bunch.  I did enjoy the movie a lot but it was fantasy although I
can't imagine anybody taking that as encouragement that they should go
stand on the corner.

My response to Private Ryan is a SPOILER...
>
>

I think that the subplot involving the German prisoner was a
demonstration of the struggle to maintain one's humanity in such
madness.  Even though Hanks character suffered because of this
decision, he lived up to a very high standard he had set for himself
and thus could die with a clear conscience.  Sometimes doing the
right thing does not necessarily mean you will prosper and that is
why it is noble to take such a stand.
Also Spielberg was looking for the ultimate irony so it was something
of a gimmick.

bye,
bb

[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies (without the quotes) to [e-mail]           ]

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 18:20:16 +0100
From: "Gerald Taylor" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: [MV] Re:Pvt Ryan +Ultimate sacrifices....

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

- ------=_NextPart_000_003A_01BDE19E.A7923060
Content-Type: text/plain;
    charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable


Are you having me on?  Most films have the guilty partner returning home =
with their tails between their legs, feeling guilty and ashamed for the =
wrong they have done......ok they usually consumate their adultrous =
passion but I would rather see a film in which the character ditches his =
family to find his/her own happiness......now that would be different =
and also more realistic!!  Incidentally a film that would meet your =
expectations is "Breif encounter".
=20
In response to your critique of my semi-spoiler-----
=20
@
@
@
@
@
@
@
@
@  Remember that the german soldier shows no pity when he realises who =
he has been shooting at.......and that the soldier who originally spared =
his life, when confronted with the same situation, kills =
him!....Speilberg seems to be demonising german soldiers throughout the =
film and in my opinion a more believable and realistic scene is the one =
in which the german soldier passes the cowardly U.S soldier on the =
stairs after killing his (the american's ) comrade.


>My only problem with English Patient is that I've just about seen
>enough stories concerning great loves in which adultery is involved.=20
>I don't know about you guys but my corner bar has plenty of forbidden
>loves develop but few of them are in the least bit romantic.I would
>like to see a movie for once in which the characters struggle with
>their attraction but make the ultimate sacrifice and do not consumate
>their relationship (and cheat) because of their greater commitment to
>family etc.   Wouldn't that be a twist? =20
>
>Concerning Pretty Woman, I live literally 1 block from the main
>prostitute strip in LA and believe me there isn't a Julia Roberts in
>the bunch.  I did enjoy the movie a lot but it was fantasy although I
>can't imagine anybody taking that as encouragement that they should go
>stand on the corner.
>
>My response to Private Ryan is a SPOILER...
>>
>>
>
>I think that the subplot involving the German prisoner was a
>demonstration of the struggle to maintain one's humanity in such
>madness.  Even though Hanks character suffered because of this
>decision, he lived up to a very high standard he had set for himself
>and thus could die with a clear conscience.  Sometimes doing the
>right thing does not necessarily mean you will prosper and that is
>why it is noble to take such a stand. =20
>Also Spielberg was looking for the ultimate irony so it was something
>of a gimmick. =20
>
>bye,
>bb
>
>[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
>[ movies (without the quotes) to [e-mail]           ]
>=20

- ------=_NextPart_000_003A_01BDE19E.A7923060
Content-Type: text/html;
    charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN">
<HTML>
<HEAD>

<META content=3Dtext/html;charset=3Diso-8859-1 =
http-equiv=3DContent-Type><!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 =
HTML//EN">
<META content=3D'"MSHTML 4.72.2106.6"' name=3DGENERATOR>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT size=3D4>Are you having me =
on?  Most films=20
have the guilty partner returning home with their tails between their =
legs,=20
feeling guilty and ashamed for the wrong they have done......ok they =
usually=20
consumate their adultrous passion but I would rather see a film in which =
the=20
character ditches his family to find his/her own happiness......now that =
would=20
be different and also more realistic!!  Incidentally a film that =
would meet=20
your expectations is "Breif encounter".</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT =
size=3D4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT size=3D4>In response to your =
critique of my=20
semi-spoiler-----</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT =
size=3D4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT size=3D4>@</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT size=3D4></FONT><FONT=20
size=3D4>@</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT size=3D4></FONT><FONT=20
size=3D4>@</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT size=3D4></FONT><FONT=20
size=3D4>@</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT size=3D4></FONT><FONT=20
size=3D4>@</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT size=3D4></FONT><FONT=20
size=3D4>@</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT size=3D4></FONT><FONT=20
size=3D4>@</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT size=3D4></FONT><FONT=20
size=3D4>@</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT size=3D4></FONT><FONT =
size=3D4>@  Remember=20
that the german soldier shows no pity when he realises who he has been =
shooting=20
at.......and that the soldier who originally spared his life, when =
confronted=20
with the same situation, kills him!....Speilberg seems to be demonising =
german=20
soldiers throughout the film and in my opinion a more believable and =
realistic=20
scene is the one in which the german soldier passes the cowardly U.S =
soldier on=20
the stairs after killing his (the american's )=20
comrade.</FONT><BR><BR></DIV></FONT>>My only problem with English =
Patient is=20
that I've just about seen<BR>>enough stories concerning great loves =
in which=20
adultery is involved. <BR>>I don't know about you guys but my corner =
bar has=20
plenty of forbidden<BR>>loves develop but few of them are in the =
least bit=20
romantic.I would<BR>>like to see a movie for once in which the =
characters=20
struggle with<BR>>their attraction but make the ultimate sacrifice =
and do not=20
consumate<BR>>their relationship (and cheat) because of their greater =

commitment to<BR>>family etc.   Wouldn't that be a =
twist? =20
<BR>><BR>>Concerning Pretty Woman, I live literally 1 block from =
the=20
main<BR>>prostitute strip in LA and believe me there isn't a Julia =
Roberts=20
in<BR>>the bunch.  I did enjoy the movie a lot but it was =
fantasy=20
although I<BR>>can't imagine anybody taking that as encouragement =
that they=20
should go<BR>>stand on the corner.<BR>><BR>>My response to =
Private Ryan=20
is a SPOILER...<BR>>><BR>>><BR>><BR>>I think that the =
subplot=20
involving the German prisoner was a<BR>>demonstration of the struggle =
to=20
maintain one's humanity in such<BR>>madness.  Even though Hanks=20
character suffered because of this<BR>>decision, he lived up to a =
very high=20
standard he had set for himself<BR>>and thus could die with a clear=20
conscience.  Sometimes doing the<BR>>right thing does not =
necessarily=20
mean you will prosper and that is<BR>>why it is noble to take such a=20
stand.  <BR>>Also Spielberg was looking for the ultimate irony =
so it was=20
something<BR>>of a gimmick. =20
<BR>><BR>>bye,<BR>>bb<BR>><BR>>[ To leave the movies =
mailing=20
list, send the message "unsubscribe ]<BR>>[ movies (without the =
quotes)=20
to <A=20
href=3D"mailto:[e-mail]">[e-mail]</A> &n=
bsp;        =20
]<BR>> </BODY></HTML>

- ------=_NextPart_000_003A_01BDE19E.A7923060--


[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies (without the quotes) to [e-mail]           ]

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 10:45:17 -0700
From: Bruce Bridges <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: [MV] Re:Pvt Ryan +Ultimate sacrifices.... -Reply

Concerning romantic films, we'll just have to agree to disagree on how
we want to see our romantic heroes behave.



I think that since the film is told from the perspective of an
american soldier that the german's would naturally come off badly.
How could the american soldiers see them any other way?  I'm sure it
was the same from the other side as well.

As far as the scene in the staircase, I didn't buy that for a second.
 I think he would have killed him immediately.  I probably would have.


bb

[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies (without the quotes) to [e-mail]           ]

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 10:39:25 -0700
From: "Romero, Leticia" <[e-mail]>
Subject: RE: [MV] +Ultimate sacrifices.... -Reply

> As far as the scene in the staircase, I didn't buy that for a second.
>  I think he would have killed him immediately.  I probably would have.
> >>god forbid you should ever find out....
>
> bb
>
> [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
> [ movies (without the quotes) to [e-mail]           ]

[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies (without the quotes) to [e-mail]           ]

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 11:58:13 -0600
From: "Gregory A. Swarthout" <[e-mail]>
Subject: [MV] One True Thing, * * * (out of 4)

Stars:  Meryl Streep, Ren=E9e Zellweger, William Hurt, Tom Everett Scott,=
=20
Lauren Graham, Nicky Katt, James Eckhouse.  Written by Karen Croner. =20
Directed by Carl Franklin.  Rated R for language.

     Kate Gulden (Meryl Streep), vivacious mother of two adult children=20
and wife of literature professor George Gulden (William Hurt), has just b=
een=20
diagnosed with cancer.  George conscripts daughter Ellen (Ren=E9e Zellweg=
er)=20
to take care of her mother because his duties at the university won=92t a=
llow=20
him enough time to do so himself.  This doesn=92t sit well with Ellen, wh=
ose=20
ambitious writing career must be put on the backburner for the length of =
her=20
service.  Although Kate is worried that this circumstance will eventually=
=20
cause her daughter to resent her, Ellen insists on following through with=
 this
commitment.

     Although quietly resentful of Kate=92s homebody persona, Ellen slowl=
y=20
comes to appreciate her mother in a way that had eluded her throughout=20
childhood.  She also comes to see her father in a more realistic, less=20
idealized, way than she had before.  The growth she experiences as a huma=
n=20
being follows directly with her mom=92s deteriorating condition.  Finding=
 a=20
new respect for her mother and the life she led, Ellen finds herself=20
contemplating euthanasia when Kate=92s pain reaches unbearable pain and h=
er=20
love for life is extinguished.  All of this sets the stage for the interv=
iew
with=20
a district attorney over her mother=92s death, which serves as the movie=92=
s=20
framework narrative.

     Between this film and "Jerry Maguire", Ren=E9e Zellweger is quickly=20
establishing herself as one of this generation=92s premiere dramatic actr=
esses. =20
Although Meryl Streep gives another in her continuous line of flawless=20
performances, "One True Thing" is really a showcase for Zellweger, whose=20
onscreen transformation from self-absorbed workaholic to patient caregive=
r=20
is wholly believable.  As profoundly moving as the film is, though, its=20
unrelenting crusade to jerk tears from one=92s eyes is ultimately exhaust=
ing.  I=20
wonder if George Gulden=92s mantra in the film, "less is more", couldn=92=
t have=20
been taken into consideration by the filmmakers themselves.

[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies (without the quotes) to [e-mail]           ]

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 16 Sep 98 13:05:31 PDT
From: Wade Snider  <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: [MV] Re:Pvt Ryan +Ultimate sacrifices.... -Reply

In discussing the romantic nature of The English Patient, look at one of the
premier romatic love stories, especially of WWII set films, Casablanca, of which
English Patient is heavily resonant. There you have Bogart and Bergman who likely felt
the same kind of temptation as the two in English patient, BUT they chose to make
what was the right and honorable decision in staying separate, right not only for
the commited relationship of bergman's character but for the cause of the Allies in
WWII, in both ways unlike what happened in English Patient. There, two people succumbed
to their lusts and they both paid harsh prices for it, as well as others.

Casablanca is about honor and responsibility, and sacrificing personal happiness and
not betraying the just cause for your own pleasure - the ultimate respect for true
love and honor... whereas in English Patient (which has beautiful cinematography and direction by the way)
two people sacrifice all and put many people's lives in danger for their own lusts and
gratification.


>--- On Wed, 16 Sep 1998 10:45:17 -0700  Bruce Bridges <[e-mail]> wrote:
>Concerning romantic films, we'll just have to agree to disagree on how
>we want to see our romantic heroes behave.







- --------------------------------------------------------
W. Snider

Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.
- -Kierkegaard

- --------------------------------------------------------


[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies (without the quotes) to [e-mail]           ]

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 12:21:11 -0600 (MDT)
From: The Reporter <[e-mail]>
Subject: [MV] Movie News - 09/16/98

"Rounders," in which Matt Damon and Edward Norton play
big-stakes poker players, took in $8.8 million in its
opening weekend and knocked "There's Something About Mary"
off the top of the box-office chart. "Blade" fell to third
place. The only other new entry in the top 10 was "Simon
Birch," a bittersweet tale based loosely on the John Irving
novel "A Prayer for Owen Meany." It opened in fifth with
$3.3 million in ticket sales but played at just 596
theaters, while the others in the top five each played in
more than 2,000.

[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies (without the quotes) to [e-mail]           ]

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 19:45:03 cet
From: "greuel" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: [MV] Private Ryan/Platoon

> Yes, the war is cruel. But did we have any other options? Just get down on
> our knees to be slaves of the Japs? Or Just let Hitler to control this
> world? The war is cruel,and that makes those heroes even greater.

Well, I think the term "hero" is the real problem. Most anti war films
desperately try to avoid conveying images of heroes - or they mock
them. In Dr. Strangelove it's the selfless redneck hero who destroys
the whole world with his efforts. What anti war movies try to get
across that being a soldier is a dirty job and they are ambiguous
whether they are necessities. I think in Platoon the question whether
the war is justified or not is never really asked and there are no
heroes either - neither in Full Metall Jacket or Hamburger Hill. The
term hero is a dangerous one, as there are only victims. There is
nothing to win and there are no winners. It doesn't matter whether
the actual soldiers fought in Germany or Vietnam-  whether the war
was won or lost - they are still haunted by the same nightmares.

Some people have stated that war is hell. Sheen says in Platoon that
hell is the lack of reason. A good statement, and if you agree to it,
you'd have to ask yourself whether something as irrational and
incomprehensible as war can be portrayed in realistic pictures. You
could wonder then whether a realistic war movie, like Saving Private
Ryan supposedly is, can really portray war and the essence of it. Sure
you can document war, but what about the nightmares or the
soldiers long after their experiences or the pain felt? Many of the
better films try to go beyond reality (Platoon, Apokalypse Now, Deer
Hunters, Full Metall Jacket). I think this is the only way to try to
capture war, and that statement that came across not quite as witty
as it was conceived probably goes into the same direction of a lack of
imagery in SPR to capture the viewer and grab them. I haven't seen it,
but the pre-released reviews here in Germany suggest that Ryan is
lacking a bit on substance and that it restricts itself to documenting.

thomas

- ---
http://greuel.notrix.de/ - abomiNation
"One must still have chaos in one
 to give birth to a dancing star"
              Friedrich Nietzsche

[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies (without the quotes) to [e-mail]           ]

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 12:58:53 -0600
From: jkrudy <[e-mail]>
Subject: RE: [MV] Re:Pvt Ryan +Ultimate sacrifices.... -Reply

We would all like to think that we wouldn't freeze up and be the coward, but
the fact remains that nobody knows how they would react in that situation.
The meanest toughest truck driving, beer drinking construction worker might
just sit in his foxhole and cry when the shelling hits, but the skinny nerdy
mathematician might turn into a regular Rambo.  Honestly how would anybody
know?  And before I get flak about the stereotypes above, I was only using
them to make a graphic point.  My apologies in advance if I've offended
anybody by using them.

JAMES K. RUDY


- -----Original Message-----
From:    Bruce Bridges [SMTP:[e-mail]]
Sent:    Wednesday, September 16, 1998 11:45 AM
To:    [e-mail]
Subject:    Re: [MV] Re:Pvt Ryan +Ultimate sacrifices.... -Reply

Concerning romantic films, we'll just have to agree to disagree on how
we want to see our romantic heroes behave.



I think that since the film is told from the perspective of an
american soldier that the german's would naturally come off badly.
How could the american soldiers see them any other way?  I'm sure it
was the same from the other side as well.

As far as the scene in the staircase, I didn't buy that for a second.
 I think he would have killed him immediately.  I probably would have.


bb

[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies (without the quotes) to [e-mail]           ]

[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies (without the quotes) to [e-mail]           ]

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 15:09:47 -0600 (MDT)
From: Scott Renshaw <[e-mail]>
Subject: [MV] REVIEW: ONE TRUE THING

ONE TRUE THING
(Universal)
Starring:  Meryl Streep, Renee Zellweger, William Hurt.
Screenplay:  Karen Croner, based on the novel by Anna Quindlen.
Producers:  Harry Ufland and Jesse Burton.
Director:  Carl Franklin.
MPAA Rating:  R (profanity, adult themes)
Running Time:  121 minutes.
Reviewed by Scott Renshaw.

[Note:  Some of the content in this review may be considered spoilers]

     Director Carl Franklin (DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS) and screenwriter Karen
Croner take a calculated risk in setting up the story for ONE TRUE THING.
The framing sequence, introduced in the first few minutes, finds Ellen
Gulden (Renee Zellweger) in a district attorney's office, answering
questions about the death of her mother Kate (Meryl Streep).  The
narrative then proceeds through flashback, introducing Ellen as a
career-minded journalist summoned home by her stern academic father George
(William Hurt) to care for Kate after she is diagnosed with cancer.  The
risk, of course, is that knowing the outcome way ahead of time might
somehow reduce its emotional impact.  How effective can a tear-jerker be
if you're waiting for them to be jerked?

     ONE TRUE THING deftly sidesteps that problem -- at least for half its
running time -- by being nothing at all like a conventional tear-jerker.
At its core, it tells a story of one of adulthood's most daunting tasks:
coming to terms with the humanity of one's parents.  It is clear from the
start that Ellen is George's daughter -- she has followed in his footsteps
as a writer, craves his approval, and emulates his disciplined,
intellectual approach to life.  Kate, on the other hand, is a slightly
embarrassing enigma to her.  Ellen sees Kate's delight at being a
life-long mother and home-maker as simple-mindedness; she sees Kate's
sunny optimism as obliviousness.  Spending time with both parents forces
Ellen to recognize George's hidden weaknesses, Kate's hidden strength, and
the value understanding both parents can have for her growth.

     As long as the focus remains on those three characters and their
relationships, ONE TRUE THING is solid film-making.  Meryl Streep delivers
yet another winning performance, finding the warmth and compassion in Kate
without ever turning her into a cartoon.  The small mannerisms in her
attempts to connect with Ellen -- an almost imperceptible rejected touch,
hidden disappointment at her daughter's dismissals of her -- are the stuff
great screen acting is made of.  Zellweger is nearly as good both in awe
of her father and in contempt of her mother, while Hurt makes good use of
the remoteness which has hindered his performances inother films.  The
Guldens are a thoroughly recognizable modern family, their interactions
real enough to evoke emotion and sympathy without resorting to sobs or
recriminations.  There's something particularly wrenching about watching
people who love each other trying to like each other.

     Alas, the plot device which brought Ellen back home soon rears its
head and pulls ONE TRUE THING in the wrong direction.  It's not that the
cancer storyline is mawkish or overly manipulative.  Indeed, Franklin's
direction and Streep's performance avoid most of the traps which can turn
such stories into melodrama.  Kate's battle with cancer simply occupies
too much screen time, time which had been so well-spent on Kate, George
and Ellen battling with each other.  Once the Big C starts taking over the
proceedings, the nuances of character which had made ONE TRUE THING such
compelling viewing begin to lose their force.  Conversations become
confrontations; the words sound progressively more scripted and less
genuine.

     A tighter, leaner screenplay might have been able to keep Ellen's
journey of discover squarely at the center of ONE TRUE THING.
Unfortunately, screenwriter Karen Croner handles sub-plots like Ellen's
unstable relationship with her boyfriend (Nicky Katt) and her pursuit of
an interview with a scandal-ridden Senator (David Byron) with
find-the-metaphor urgency.  There's only one true thing which makes ONE
TRUE THING glow with realism, and that's the struggle of parents and their
adult children to deal with each other as adults, as equals, as fellow
human beings.  That's the reason it was so wise to remove the live-or-die
suspense from a story that's not about who will live or die.  That's also
the reason it was so disappointing to watch the film linger on a foregone
conclusion.

     On the Renshaw scale of 0 to 10 parental guidances:  6.

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      Visit Scott Renshaw's MoviePage
                    http://www.inconnect.com/~renshaw/
                                   ***
             Subscribe to receive new reviews directly by email!
 See the MoviePage for details, or reply to this message with subject line
                               "Subscribe".
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------









[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies (without the quotes) to [e-mail]           ]

------------------------------

End of movies-digest V2 #91
***************************

[ To quit the movies-digest mailing list (big mistake), send the message     ]
[ "unsubscribe movies-digest" (without the quotes) to [e-mail] ]