Category Archives: family

Eastwood in “Mercury Plains”

action, family, police drama, , , ,
Mercury Plains

Directed and written by Charles Burmeister, Mercury Plains stars Scott Eastwood as Mitch. He is in his twenties, unemployed, and lives in Jerkwater, Texas.

Wedged in the back of a trailer with his mother and stepfather, he lacks ambition and bearing.  One day, he decides to go across the Mexican border with a similarly lowlife buddy and find some adventure.  At the first sign of danger, his buddy ditches Mitch and leaves him in the throes of trouble.  Mitch seems to handle the situation without reservations and grabs the attention of The Captain, played by Nick Chinlund. He is the local paramilitary leader, who observes Mitch’s lack of direction but his ability to think fast on his feet.  The Captain recruits him and gives him five thousand dollars if he joins his band of soldiers. The paramilitary group waylays drug gangs and places a nice dent in the drug industry.

The movie is a familiar story about a Captain with a drop-dead gorgeous girlfriend, played by Angela Sarafyan. She hooks up with Mitch, and they fall head over heels for each other. Meanwhile, the paramilitary team is made up of misfits. Most of them are in their late teens or early twenties, while some younger boys in their tweens are also part of the military group.  The soldiers raid drug gangs and other dangerous elements, but these moments barely make the movie exciting. Mitch now has a purpose in life, but it doesn’t last long. All is not as it seems. Finally, the Captain confronts Mitch about his interest in his girlfriend. Given these points, the rest of the story is predictable all the way to the end.

Eastwood, Clint Eastwood’s son, is good as Mitch and captivating on screen, but he needs to pick better movies.

Hallmark’s “Ice Sculpture Christmas”

family, holiday, movies, review, romance, television, , ,
Ice Sculpture Christmas DVD-f

Sometimes it is just nice to sit down and watch a new movie that so many others enjoy in Hallmark’s “Countdown to Christmas” program.

More than raising my expectations, I had a wonderful time watching Ice Sculpture Christmas as a whimsical movie. I found viewing the original ice sculptures in the movie was the most enjoyable part.

Directed by David Mackay, the movie follows a young woman, Callie Shaw, played by Rachel Boston. Her unwavering childhood dream is to be an accomplished chef. Trying to get her foot in the door, she nabbed a lowly job at a country club washing dishes with the hope of working her way up the ladder where the real cooking happens – in the kitchen. David Manning, played by David Alpay, is a well-off childhood friend who works for his father. The two meet up again by chance, and the scene is entertaining to watch.

The movie cuts back and forth between their childhood friendship and their present budding romance, which makes it pleasurable and attractive. The well-rounded cast adds more to Callie and David’s story and shows how David lives a very different lifestyle from Callie in terms of money and success. He never abandons his feelings for Callie, even though she struggles with her own financial problems while trying to work her way into the country club kitchen.

Without her consent, David enters Callie in a two-person team competition for an ice sculpting contest. He knows she is more than capable of adding her talents. Her self-esteem is heightened, yet David is not that talented or helpful with sculpting. Callie senses there could be a problem, particularly when she finds out who her direct competition is.

Of course, the ending is predictable, but that makes Hallmark movies so much fun to watch. You can always count on a happily ever after ending.

Hallmark Christmas Movie: “‘Tis the Season for Love”

family, holiday, movies, romance, , , , ,
Tis The Season For Love DVD-f

Hallmark movies usually have a holiday theme in mind when they tell a story. ‘Tis the Season for Love definitely warms up to the countdown to Christmas.

Directed by Terry Ingram, we meet a New York actress named Beth, played by Sarah Lancaster. She is vying to land a role in a David Mamet play. After the audition and not hearing anything final, she receives a perfect gift from a close friend. An airline ticket back to her small hometown she left ten years ago.

Feeling like she needs a good rest, she arrives and soon finds her mother planning all of the Christmas things that the two need to do together.  She rather not do so much stuff, but compromises and visits the town’s Santa Claus, played by Gary Chalk. This simple visit may seem unimportant, but he does have a secret that leaves Beth wondering what the mystery is.

Along comes and old friend, Dean, played by Brendan Penny. He had a crush on her in High School, but didn’t act on it because she was dating Barry, played by Andrew Francis. Dean never felt the two belonged together since they had different interests. Dean is now divorced from Melinda and has twins while working as a firefighter. Beth now finds him even more appealing. He boosts her self-confidence after she fails to nab the acting roles she desires. The town’s Santa Claus is up to something inexplicable, and situations get a little out of kilter.

Beth gets involved with a local theater production and really enjoys herself. The seed has been planted, and she is pondering whether to stay in her small hometown for good. Confusion is the end result of her indecision, and it will affect her future.

You can’t go wrong with a Hallmark movie because they follow a formula for each production. Like ‘Tis the Season for Love, each movie is simple but direct, and a love story is sure to flourish.

“Get Santa” Must-See Christmas Movie

children, comedy, family, holiday, movies, , , , , , ,
GetSanta

I knew I was in for a treat when I saw Ridley Scott as executive producer in the opening credits of Get Santa.  

Jim Broadbent plays Santa, who ends up in jail because he tried to release his reindeer from the animal shelter. How they got into the animal shelter is about as sane as the movie gets.

The movie is a bit crazy and fun to watch compared to most traditional Christmas movies that are about the meaning of Christmas. Some are set around Christmas but really have nothing to do with the holiday. On the odd occasion, Hollywood releases a movie about the spirit of Christmas like Miracle on 34th Street,  A Christmas Carol, or It’s a Wonderful Life. Get Santa touches on the spirit of Christmas, but presents the story in a refreshing, hilarious and playful way.

Written and directed by Christopher Smith, Get Santa is strictly a British movie. The tale is filled with dry humor, in which Santa asks for help from a young father, Steve, played by Rafe Spall, and his son, Tom, played truthfully by Kit Connor. Santa needs them to go to the North Pole, ask the Elves to help them get the reindeer back to his sleigh. Then, Steve, who just finished serving time in jail, can help Santa break out of jail and deliver the presents to all the boys and girls around the world before Christmas.

The movie is full of crazy, offbeat characters that keep the story moving along.  I had a great time watching it with my family. Broadbent is a master at his craft. He plays the most believable Santa I have seen in a long time.  Not the usual Christmas sentiment, but still, the message is clear: believe in Santa, so get a copy or watch it on Netflix.

“Flowers in the Attic” Movie Series

book, drama, family, movies, , , ,
flowerattic4mov

Doppleganger family is known in the bestselling book series with a large fan base and devoted followers. Now, all four movies are available as a single DVD set.  The Lifetime network produced these four movies, and they are Flowers in the Attic, Petals on the Wind, If There Be Thorns, and Yesterday of Seeds. Covering all four movies can be cumbersome, but let’s take a look at Petals on the Wind. The movie is the second adaptation of a series based on the V.C. Andrews books about the Doppelganger family.  The movie is somewhat better than Flowers in the Attic, which is the first book and movie in the series.

Like all the movies in the disc set, it is hard to cram the whole book into two hours. Unfortunately, it shows in the movies. The Petals on the Wind includes the most vital parts of the story, and if you read the books, you will not suffer as much.

If you happen to only watch the movies, keep in mind that the series is based on incest between the two main characters. Incest plays a major plot point in the whole series.

Petals on the Wind starts ten years after the children (Cathy, Chris, and Carrie) left the attic, as seen in the first movie. They run away from a horrifying situation. Cathy, the dancer, is sharp, persuasive and strong-willed to get the justice that is awaited. Chris, the doctor, is quiet, good-looking and devoted to Cathy. Carrie is sweet, weak and disoriented.

The three characters discover a healthier life. Yet, the undercurrents of what happened to them in the attic will never be forgotten.  They fight illicit feelings of guilt, hidden anger and endless pain. Trying to ease their discomfort, Cathy assures them that she will put an end to their mother because she ruined them. She pretty much threw them away.

It is important that you watch these movies in sequence because so much happens in them. It will be hard to understand the undercurrents of the prior movies. I am sure ardent book fans will love the series even though it was made for Lifetime, not movie theaters.

Kids Movie “Huevos: Little Rooster’s Egg-Cellent Adventure”

animation, comedy, family, movies, , , ,

Huevos: Little Rooster’s Egg-Cellent Adventure, directed by Gabriel Riva Palaico Alatriste, is available in Spanish and English as A Rooster With Many Eggs.  The animated movie isn’t a compelling story, but it’s not really bad either.  The characters are lovable with lots of slapstick humor.  The story takes a unique approach, being lively, entertaining, and mildly titillating, without taking itself too seriously, and a lot of fun with innuendos and double-entendres.

The movie follows an apprehensive little rooster named Toto, voiced by Bruno Bichir. He is challenged to confront and handle an evil rancher. He threatens to purchase and tear down Toto’s family farm. The farm has been in the family for generations. Toto’s challenge is to fight Bankivoide, a mammoth rooster voiced by Sergio Sendel. The cockfight will end with the winner-take-all stakes. Feeling the pressure of such an unconquerable task, Toto cannot face the ordeal alone, so he asks his pals for help. Strangely, his pals are a frog, muchos huevos and a strip of bacon. Can they conquer Banki and keep his family’s farm?

As mentioned earlier, the movie is filled with innuendos and, to some extent, racy humor compared to a customary animated feature. Easily, the Spanish jokes are lost in translation, since they are primarily written for a Mexican audience.  As an English speaking viewer, I still found a genuine amount of jokes that hit my funny bone. The characters are over-the-top and ludicrous, but their charm is their saving grace. Such as the favorably intended frog, he earns many laughs.

“A Horse Tale,” a Family Story

drama, family, movies, romance, , , , , ,
horsetale

Directed by Brad Keller, A Horse Tale received the Dove “Family-Approved” Seal for all ages.  The story follows a typical uptight city accountant, Michael Thompson, played by Patrick Muldoon. He is raising his daughter on his own and is overprotective. His daughter, Chloe, played by Mandalynn Carlson, has an unpleasant incident at school, and her dad stresses out.

So much so that his assistant recommends they move to her Uncle Cliff’s horse farm. Her uncle needs help with the books, anyway, before the merciless bankers take the farm away from them.  With Christmas coming up, it is the perfect time to visit the family and help save the horse farm.

Cliff, played by Rick Herod, is grateful for Michael’s help. But Samantha (Sam), played by Dominique Swain, is in charge of running the farm. She has a hard time with the idea of a city guy stepping in to help. Sam is not interested in any assistance from an outsider. They smooth over the rough edges and decide working together is the best way to avoid losing the farm.

The story is predictable.  But it is a good family movie because it promotes getting to know your family and working together toward a common goal. It also touches on the importance of accepting help when you are trying to overcome a problem.

The movie even offers a message to parents: No matter how hard it may seem, let your children grow up and be in command of their own lives. Be willing to let them make mistakes on their own.

“Christmas Trade” Similar to “Freaky Friday” and “18 Again”

children, family, holiday, movies, ,
christmastrade

Directed by Joel Souza, Christmas Trade is similar to 18 Again or Freaky Friday. Only this time it’s during Christmas.  Mitch Taylor, played by William Baldwin, is a workaholic attorney and widower with a 12-year-old son, Robbie, played by Michael Campion.

Of late, Mitch has been having a hard time balancing his life as a dad and a breadwinner. He is really trying to be a good dad, keep his demanding, hard-nosed boss happy, and make partner at the law firm.  Even his impatient girlfriend is a great effort for him to maintain the relationship. He feels he can’t keep up with it all.

Add to the fact that Robbie has troubles of his own with the school bully. Robbie has become the bully’s most recent target.  That is not all. There is a girl he likes while trying not to be a complete geek in front of her.  There is nothing he can do as he has unwillingly been cast as the lead role in the Christmas Pageant.

Robbie hopes his dad will celebrate Christmas the way they should, but he didn’t last year and isn’t certain about this year. They both think the other has the best life, from growing up and being independent to being young without any responsibilities. Then, a strange toy mysteriously causes them to switch bodies. The father and son are required to experience what it’s like to spend the holidays in each other’s bodies.

This was an amusing, family-friendly movie in tandem, but the acting was not impressive. The story was enjoyable and brought a bit of fun to an evening with my family.

“Christmas at the Cartwright’s” Charming Hallmark Movie

drama, family, holiday, movies, romance, television, , , , ,
christmascartwright

Like most Hallmark movies, Christmas at Cartwright’s is a charming holiday film that airs each year around Christmas. Cartwright’s is a fine example that Hallmark movies are innocuous, amusing and heartwarming to watch.

Directed by Graeme Campbell, the story follows Nicky Talbot, played by Alicia Witt, who is a single mother and, without prior notice, becomes unemployed.  With Christmas just around the corner, being without a job is going to be tough. Finding a way to earn money to give her daughter, Becky, played by T.J. McGibbon, an engaging and cheerful Christmas with a few gifts.

Nicky learns that a local department store, Cartwright’s, is hiring extra staff for the holiday shopping season. She applies for a position. Nicky is happy because it appears she will have a job, but Fiona Aldrich, played by Gabrielle Miller, a senior executive at the store, puts the kibosh on her plans and turns her down.  Fiona is jealous of Nicky because she has seen her with Fiona’s would-be boyfriend named Bill.  Gabriel Hogan plays Bill, who is the store manager.

Along comes Harry Osbourne, played by Wallace Shawn, who suggests Nicky work as the store Santa. That way, she can keep her identity hidden from the other workers.  We are talking Hallmark magic here on the storyline. It is a little unbelievable for a young woman playing an older man as Santa. It gets funny at times, but still hard to believe.

Christmas at Cartwright’s is a fun movie to watch with the whole family.  All the actors are great. Their roles are believable and engaging. The movie is timeless because it is like a fairy tale, where you have to believe what is happening to get into the holiday magic. Like all fairy tales, the story is worth seeing again every Christmas.

Hathaway Film “Song One”

drama, family, indie, movies, , , , , , ,
SongOne

Here’s an Anne Hathaway film you haven’t seen. The story begins with Henry (Ben Rosenfield), a street singer in New York City, getting disastrously hit by a car. Franny (Oscar-winning Hathaway), Henry’s sister, is in Morocco working on her anthropology project. She receives the news and immediately returns home.  Her brother is now in a coma, with their mother (Mary Steenburgen) coping as best she can.  

As a family, I sense they were once very close, but Henry left college to pursue a singing career. Franny disapproved and wedged the family apart. Being the responsible one, while her mother and brother are more informal and unconventional artists, Franny struggles with the life her brother follows, wants to understand his choice, wake him up from his coma and apologize.

Franny discovers Henry’s journal that depicts his life as a street singer.  She hopes to find meaning in his world and draw him out of his coma. She learns about his favorite haunts and notes his idol, James Forester (Johnny Flynn), a street singing celebrity.

Franny follows her brother’s footsteps as documented in his journal entries. Franny meets James, and they become friends and romantically involved. Together, they help each other solve their problems through companionship. Franny is trying to draw Henry out of his coma with the familiarity of sounds and smells in hopes of rekindling their relationship.  James hasn’t written a new song in over five years, and his tour is coming to an end. He needs new material for his recording session scheduled in Germany.

Written and directed by Kate Barker-Froyland (her feature debut), Song One strolls along on endearing moments and poignant music, but I kept waiting for the inevitable in the Franny and James relationship; it never happened. Sure. The acting is brilliant, but the story’s overall meaning never comes full circle for Franny and James, mother and daughter, or brother and sister. Barker-Froyland leaves us void at the end, wondering what the point of the story was.  Sure.  I sense that both Franny and James’ problems were solved, yet they had started a relationship with no end. Song One may seem like a romantic story, but it is more about cultural or lifestyle differences, not an excuse to divide relationships.

Seeing both ends of being a street singer, James success and Henry’s struggle to find his voice, the movie explores the life of New York City street performers. With great music and talent, an eerie presence under my skin, I feel compelled, like Franny, to understand the culture so new to me.