Florida2 Reviews

The Miracle Worker (1962)

Inspirational

[11 September 2012]

Incredibly, though the film opened in 1962, my grade school teachers somehow must have known someone who knew someone and managed to show our assembly the film just two years later, and I recall being so impressed that someone could help someone with a handicap, that to this day my life is still directly influenced by being a part of the deaf and handicap community.

Of course the highlight of the film is the 12-minute dining room struggle between a wild Helen and Annie - filmed 20 years before anaerobic exercise became popular, and you can bet that not all the sounds heard are those of a Foley artist - no doubt both actors had their share of bruises after that scene! An incredible true story and a film worth it's Academy Awards, and probably one of the last great Hollywood films to be made in Black and White.

Glades2

Airport 1975 (1974)

Silly to Terrible...

[1 November 2011]

Compared to the original version of Airport and later aviation films (The Crash Landing of Flight 243, Flight 93) the sequels to Airport all ranged from silly to terrible - for all their faults perhaps one good thing of films today is that, like Flight 93, they are much more realistic...

The acting in this sequel to the 1970 version of Airport was poor to fair - even the acting of George Kennedy, as dependable an actor as he's been, seemed to be automatic, in a sense - his 1970 role of Joe Patroni being the best...

Swearing was absent in the 1970 film but not in the sequels - why screenwriters always believe that swearing is essential escapes me - the best television programs and films often "managed" to write award-winning scripts without the need for breaking one of the 10 Commandments - apparently Charlton Heston forgot what was told to him in his role as Moses...

Helen Reddy's role as a singing nun (Julie Andrews had nothing to worry about) was ironic, considering she was the author and singer of the highly controversial "I am woman" just one year earlier...

The only bright spot was perhaps the comedic acting of Sid Cesar and other comedians of their time, in their role as nervous passengers...

Over all, a film not worth the Oscar that the 1970 film earned...

Hard Ground (2003 TV Movie)

The "Lonesome Dove" legend brought into the 20th Century...

[16 November 2007]

The movie seems to be another one of Producer Robert Halmi Jr.'s "follow-up films" to his work in the legendary "Lonesome Dove" series, and, in fact, the time line of this film brings the entire Lonesome Dove era up and into the 20th Century (or just into the new century, in the year 1901).

The pursuit of Billy Bucklin aside, the movie does have a similar Lonesome Dove feel to it, especially when it comes to the unfinished relationship of John McKay and Joshua - similar to that of Woodruff Call and Newt in the first Lonesome Dove film.

However, while not directly related to the story's ending, the film does illustrate how individuals in that period of American history, similar to men like Call - and McKay and Hutchinson - were now discovering in their later years, that their feelings for the American West had become ironically similar to those of the Native Americans they helped to displace - that the wild, unclaimed vast landscape, much to their sadness or even anger, had begun to disappear into history.

Unfortunately, viewers who decided to abandon the last few minutes of this film (once the gunfire ended) missed McKay's parting words on this subject, which might give meaning to many older Americans who feel similarly when it comes to life 100 years later, in the early 21st Century...

What If God Were the Sun? (2007 TV Movie)

Art Imitating Life

[15 May 2007]

Probably out of being curious of the odd title, I watched this movie last night, and, though a man, found that it reminded me of my own suffering at this time in my life.

My closest sibling (like Alma, a devout Catholic) passed away from cancer just before Christmas, and, I found myself working back at the hospital just 48 hours after the funeral - likely much too soon, as I've been finding out over the past two months.

Similar to Lacey, I was "doing well" until late March, when, a social worker friend of mine (a woman the same age as my sister) became very ill, and, somehow, the stress of this new illness made me suddenly feel that I was unable to handle the stress of what happened in December.

Since then those at the hospital know that I'm struggling, and even a priest or two that I know are concerned, and, while I get counseling, I've decided that it's something that I'm going to have to deal with, and hope that things will get better as time passes.

Unlike Lacey, I don't have a live-in friend or spouse to go home to (not that that helped her, either), so, being alone (without the frequent phone support of my sister) is very difficult to deal with. Being at the hospital, well, I'm tempted to say it doesn't help, but, I should know that being around others does help, but, as Lacey also found, sometimes it doesn't.

This weekend will be the real test - my nephew is getting married, and, there's much pressure to spend time with others in my family, but, I'm tempted just to spend time at the hospital.

While the movie did stray into a peculiar fantasy at times, it did seem to be meant for me to watch it - as Lacey found, God does indeed work in mysterious, but loving ways...

Frank

Dear Frankie (2004)

Well...

[7 April 2007]

...it's a well-made film, and, for those who are familiar, the story of the disabled Celtic boy rings familiar with what real-life disabled Irish poet Christopher Nolan could have written on similar topics.

However, as common in Celtic culture today, it's sad that the story was sanitized when it came to the long-standing role of the Celtic family and the Church, especially when it concerned the woman's treatment of her dying husband, or, even her son's, or Mother's, or her own emotional needs in general (though her husband's violent history with his family made his wife's bedside reaction understandable).

If the same film had been produced 20 or 30 years ago, it was likely that interaction with the local Priest or Reverend would have been included in some manner, since, that was typical of Celtic family life at that time (per Christopher Nolan's award-winning "Eye of the Clock" third-person autobiography, when it concerned his family's long-standing friendship with their local Priest), however, the absence of Christianity throughout "Frankie" (with the exception of several of the main characters taking the Lord's name in vain five or six times) was a sad, but true, testimony of the falling away of many Catholic and Protestants from the Church in 21st Century Northern Europe.

A well-made film that could have been even better...

Frank(ie)

Single White Female (1992)

Perversely Violent

[24 January 2007]

This movie proves once again that actors should be required to abide by a statement of ethics code, similar to physicians or attorneys, when it comes to how they will use their professional skills, since this screenplay is, for lack of a better term, evil in it's content.

The last 30 or so minutes are perversely violent, and, while some might comment that those involved "are only acting", it's what they are allowing themselves to do, for very large sums of money, that is nothing more than an acceptable form of prostitution, since, after all, there are many ways to prostitute, aside from what is known in the "traditional" sense.

It angers me that these same actors will freely politicize themselves when it comes to "protecting America's children", but, at the same time, will allow themselves to "earn a living for art's sake" by being part of a film of this type - which is often shown in the middle of the evening, on regularly-available cable channels.

Cross Creek (1983)

A film to for anyone to see...

[13 December 2006]

...who is planning to move to Florida. This movie, and, Marjorie's "other film", the 1947 film, "The Yearling", give a very accurate impression of, as the State of Florida still refers to, "The Other Florida", which has nothing to do with theme parks, professional sports teams, condos, crowded highways, or strip malls - or even the beach - but, had everything to do with the exotic subtropical Florida wilderness, now lost to all but the Federal and State parks.

To me, both movies are so historically accurate, that, it's not difficult for me to smell the natural environment that surrounded the lives of those who lived among Florida's vast forests of that time.

Again, this and the '47 film should both be required for anyone moving to the state - at least I wish they would be mandatory, as it just might give a person a bit more respect for what Florida is really like...

Frank

It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963)

So long ago...

[25 October 2006]

...that I can't recall if we ever did see this film in the theater in late 1963 or early 1964 - come to think of it, we may have seen Mad World when it became widely released, but, that may have been the shortened version (in those days, it wasn't unusual to still have double features, which meant both movies couldn't be too long).

I have seen this film many times, however, over the past few years (guess I need a laugh, as they did in late '63, since the movie at that time opened just before JFK passed away), but, sometimes find that the crazy humor is almost too much to sit through even in it's shortened version (I can't imagine sitting through the original 3 hours-plus film), but, it is fun to watch all of the classic comedians (including those funny cameos by Jerry Lewis, Jack Benny and Don Knotts) doing what they do (or did) so well, though some of the humor (Jack Benny's "Well!" for example) may make a bit more sense to someone who's old enough to have remembered the individual acts of each comedian seen in the film.

As for that Captain Culpepper - it's hard not to feel sorry for him, but...

Frank

P.S. I still think that 5 shares for the 5 guys who went down and heard Smiler's final words would have been the best idea (of course telling the detective at the accident would have been the best solution)...

Flight of the Navigator (1986)

My 15 Seconds of Fame - Sort Of...

[13 October 2006]

One fine morning in 1985 or early 1986 (I forget), a location scout from Disney's production company came to the office (I worked at a laboratory at the time), interested in filming the control room scene for this film at our location, however, this kind man found that our office had too much outside sunlight, so, I somehow thought of the nearby air traffic control center, and suggested that to him - he seemed very interested in the suggestion, and, thanked me and left.

Well, much to my surprise, Disney (d/b/a Touchstone Pictures) did shoot this scene at the air traffic control center - while I can't say this movie is one of my favorites (though I like the scenes of the Everglades - the entire movie being filmed down here in South Florida), I'm glad that my suggestion helped! Frank

Cast Away (2000)

Thoughts About "Wilson"

[9 October 2006]

I did see the movie in the theater, and, did watch it twice on TNT over the weekend, but, the part about Wilson bothered me in the theater, and, it still bothers me - since this was just a volleyball, and, even though I like volleyball and play it often (my serve is just okay), I hope that I'd never make a volleyball into a companion.

My point - in "reality", he did bury a man that he knew - aside from saying, "Well, that's it" on burying the man's body (without even a decent prayer), it would have made more sense for him to do something that I did just yesterday on visiting my parent's graves (it's their anniversary) - even though in your heart you know that they are not there, another part of you, deep down, does feels comfortable talking to them when standing at the graveside.

In my mind, it would have given Chuck Noland much more comfort if he had talked to this man as often as he felt the need to stand at his graveside, during his time on the island (again, since many people do that every day in real life), and, this brings up another issue - many in real life talk to God every day when alone (I've done this more than once) - why didn't he resort to this, instead of using a rubber ball as a confidant? It gave me the impression that Chuck might not believe in God, since, during the entire film, he never mentioned God once, except as an exclamation (which isn't very useful to anyone), though, sadly, it might have been the filmmaker's attempt to remain "politically correct".

I did have to chuckle at the "4 Year Chuck Noland" - who looked very much like the "3 Years Running Forrest Gump"!

Talk about life imitating art - as I typed this, the FedEx truck just pulled up, and, I signed for one small (but dry) FedEx box, and, one FedEx envelope - the man didn't look like Ramon, Fyodor or Chuck...

Take care,

Frank

P.S. Did anyone notice Joe Conley's (Ike Godsey from "The Waltons") in the role of Joe Wally, in the Christmas Eve dinner table scene? Apparently, the Director even gave Joe the courtesy of having a line that everyone could hear, since all went silent during his comment to Chuck - on checking on this site, sure enough, it was Joe Conley...

Key Largo (1948)

Seminole People

[9 August 2006]

I happened to see this film last night for the first time (TCM), and, I'll have to do some research when it comes to native (Seminole) residents living on Key Largo (I'm not sure if that's entirely true), however, even in the late 1940's, it was common to still see small communities of Miccosukee (Seminole) living in various rural parts of South Florida.

Even though it's 2006, fortunately some things do not change - similar to the old Seminole woman in the film, last Sunday, an old Seminole woman (by her garb) and a fairly young woman (perhaps her granddaughter), sat next to me in church (the Hollywood Reservation being only 2 or 3 miles away), and, in seeing the similarity with the old woman in the movie last night, I couldn't help but smile.

The one thing I couldn't understand was the constant reference to the hot weather - any local resident knows that daytime temps are always cooler in the Keys, because the ocean is about 20 degrees cooler than the land temp on any typical summer afternoon...

That's Hollywood for you...

Frank

Father of the Bride (1991)

American "1991" Values

[9 July 2006]

It's hard to ignore Steve Martin's comedy, but, the film makes me cringe, especially if this movie is seen in countries whose citizens think this is the "average" American family of today. For example, George's opening comment that he lives in an "average" house - one that looks like it came from a magazine cover - would today sell for several million dollars! What also makes me cringe is the shear extravagance, with Mom justifying it all because "we don't go to Europe" - again, it must give non-Americans (especially those in third-world countries) the idea that every American citizen lives this way, and, is easily able to spend incredible sums of money on an afternoon wedding.

While this film may have been good for a laugh in the early '90s, today's world is much different, and poorer (even for Americans), and, considering the often harsh criticism of American values today, perhaps it's time for this film to be removed from distribution - before it misleads anyone else.

The Lake House (2006)

Plot Similarities

[5 July 2006]

This story is very similar to the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, "The Love Letter" (1998), except that in this case the time difference was only 2 years, compared to the 134 of the other film (not to be confused with the 1999 movie of the same name), and, instead of a mailbox on the side of the road, the letter was deposited into the secret compartment of a desk.

As in the other movie, it is an impossibility to be in two time periods at the same time, but, the time element is not what makes this film, but, the want of a loving relationship that lives in the hearts of both individuals.

Leave It to Beaver (1957–1963)

The Serious Side of Beaver

[4 June 2005]

During a recent TVLand "Top 10 Characters You Love To Hate" special, a well-known (under 40) female actress was quoted as saying that she believed sneaky Eddie Haskell to be the only character in the show that she remembered for resembling "a real person".

Though I'll agree that Ward and June might come across at times as being unrealistically conservative (for example, their sitting at home in their Sunday best for no reason) her comment was something I found hard to understand, since, Beaver was known to be the first show of it's kind to explore such teen issues as, alcoholism, divorce, and troubled teens.

It seems that many viewers also do not understand the significance of Ward's frequent reference (often shown as his sad remembrance) to his own harsh encounters with his strict Father, who made a point of "taking him out to the woodshed" to let Ward know "just what his Father meant", and how Ward, as a Father himself, deciding that he would not do the same when teaching his own sons right from wrong.

While the conservative side of the show might be a bit too much for some, in the end there is nothing wrong with that behavior either - it's a far better lifestyle than what we see in today's world, where parents sometimes see their children as a liability rather than a blessing.

Those who regularly watch Beaver know that while the corn does sometimes grow high in Mayfield, the trueness of the show's stories is what makes Beaver the timeless show that many still enjoy almost a half century after it's debut.

Lassie (1954–1974)

Lassie (1958-1964)

[25 April 2005]

Of the variations of this series, the 6 seasons that featured June Lockhart, Hugh Reilly and Jon Provost seemed to hold the episodes that worked the best for me (the other variations of the series, while good, seemed to lack the small family environment that existed with the above), and, I must admit that "Lassie" is one of the reasons that I pursued a job in the field of meteorology in my adult years (and why to this day I still enjoy camping in National Parks or Forests) - as the Bible says, a good influence at a young age is very important, and I'm grateful that through television, the program "Lassie" was the good influence I needed. After watching some of these early episodes during the TVLand "Lassie" 50th Anniversary Marathon this past weekend (4/23-24/05), the program still remains in my mind as my all-time favorite television series during my grade school years.

In watching these episodes over the weekend, what also came to mind was the "poor simplicity" of a child living in those post-World War II times - some might think that what is shown in "Lassie" was an exaggeration for television, but, in reality was mostly true - of our favorite "toys" at that time (I was born in the mid-1950's), our green garden hose was one of our favorites during the summer months (a very inexpensive way to "go to the beach"), along with our clothesline, which we used to "transport" our stuffed animals on "long journeys" far from our house (with the use of wooden clothespins - a stuffed rabbit had the ears for just this purpose) - try explaining that to a child today!

People should also remember that this "poor simplicity" was also a reflection of the country's recent past at that time - while in today's world, 30 years ago means 1975, in 1960 30 years earlier meant 1930 - the height of the depression, and as older Americans know, it took the country many years to recover from those very poor and simple times, and could still be felt in some ways, even during the early 1960's.

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Touched by an Angel (1994–2003)

Highly Recommended Family Viewing

[4 November 2004]

While the show has a certain degree of humor from episode to episode, the producers made the show meaningful to the problems of today's world, with each episode addressing a different and difficult topic in life's journey - ranging from gang problems to drugs to cancer to war to racism, with all giving proof in the end that God's intervention and love is always at hand for those who ask for it. Well-known American Jazz singer and actor Della Reese is well-suited in the role of Supervisory Angel Tess, while Irish-born actor Roma Downey stars in her role as Angelic case worker Monica, who is often given a helping hand from Andrew, The Angel of Death, played consistently well by American actor John Dye.