“Then She Found Me” was a unique comedy/drama which focuses on relationships.  Helen Hunt was fabulous in this film, but she has aged noticeably since her last debut.  Nonetheless, she also directed this film which proved to be superb.  Bette Midler was exceptional as well, with a lovable quirkiness and undeniably real demeanor that was captivating and uplifting. 

Helen Hunt plays April Epner in this film, who was adopted when she was a child by a Jewish family.  After April’s marriage dissolves at the start of the movie, the events in her life unfolds at a brisk pace.  Her biological mother, Bernice Graves (Bette Midler), is a talk show host and immediately seeks out April after the death of her adoptive mother and triggers a relationship with her.  In conjunction with this newfound motherly relationship, April also gets tangled in a romantic relationship with a father of her student, Frank (Colin Firth).  April’s sole mission in life is to bear a child and shows an aversion to adoption. 

This movie analyzes the “realness” of parent/child relationships when it is evaluated from two perspectives: biological vs. adoptive.  April’s adoptive mother was always there for her until her death, but they obviously never shared DNA.  Bernice Graves, on the other hand, was obsolete from April’s life, but she bears the “biological mother” title.  This dynamic is what leads April to question adoption as an option for her to fill the void of having a child of her own. 

The parent/child relationship dynamic is also scrutinized as Colin Firth’s character, Frank, is a single father.  He plays the “mom” role, which intermixes with his “head of household” position and emasculates him a little.  To further complicate the situation, Frank’s relationship with April adds a “step-mother” component to the story, once again evoking another complex relationship scenario. 

Matthew Broderick, who plays April’s husband, portrays a familiar role of the “guy who needs to grow up”.  His acting is perfection, as his “mommy’s boy” persona is unrivaled. 

The 411 Fo’ Reel:  Although the movie is mostly serious, the laughs are inevitable.  The end of the movie is left to interpretation, which gives rise to two possibilities.  Great movie overall with an all-star cast, go see it!      

I love to watch movies with legal content because it sparks controversy, curiosity, and passion in the viewer.  Here are my top ten movies that deal with legalities, politics, courtroom drama, and the death penalty: 

1.  12 Angry Men (Orion-Nova Productions, 1957) 

2.  Inherit the Wind (Stanley Kramer Productions, 1960) 

3.  A Civil Action (Touchstone Pictures, 1998) 

4.  Erin Brockovich (Jersey Films, 2000) 

5.  To Kill a Mockingbird (Brentwood Productions, 1962) 

6.  The Verdict (Twentieth Century-Fox, 1982) 

7.  Dead Man Walking (Havoc, 1995) 

8.  I Want To Live! (Figaro, 1958) 

9.  Anatomy of a Murder (Carlyle Productions, 1959) 

10.  Just Cause (Fountainbridge Films, 1995) 

What is your favorite legal picks?    

All of your responses to my “top ten flicks for movie night” list inspired me to designate the next few days to composing other “top ten” lists (just for the fun of it!).  Here’s to ten good laughs (in no particular order): 

1) Napoleon Dynamite (Access Films, 2004)

2) There’s Something about Mary (Twentieth Century-Fox, 1998)

3) Knocked Up (Universal Pictures, 2007)

4) Pure Luck (Sean Daniel Company, 1991)

5) National Lampoon’s Vacation (Warner Bros. Pictures, 1983)

6) Some Like It Hot (Ashton Productions, 1959)

7) Office Space (Twentieth Century-Fox, 1999)

Meet the Fockers (Universal Pictures, 2004)

9) Legally Blonde (Marc Platt Productions, 2001)

10) What About Bob? (Touchstone Pictures, 1991) 

Let me know what movies make you laugh out loud!

I like nothing more than to hit up the local hot spots during the week (my peers in their 20-somethings know exactly what I am talking about), whether it is enjoying a lava flow at the Mai Tai Bar, socializing at Aku Bone with my fellow traditional Hawaiian music lovers, or waiting in an extremely long line at Dave & Buster’s on Wednesday night.  However, when these weekly outings get monotonous, I am completely content with settling in at home for a movie night.  The next time you want to have a relaxing night in, just throw on your pj’s, get your popcorn ready, invite some buddies over, and pull one of my top ten picks off the shelf (for now…there are many more movies where these came from and it was hard to choose just ten!): 

Coming to America (Eddie Murphy Productions, 1988):  Eddie Murphy is hysterical in this film as the naïve Prince Akeem from Zamunda visiting Queens, New York for the first time.  Definitely a fun film! 

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (Universal Pictures, 1982):  This was one of my favorite movies when I was a child.  Steven Spielberg does a phenomenal job in portraying the friendship between Elliott and E.T. (the alien Elliott finds near his home). 

Forrest Gump (Paramount Pictures, 1994):  Tom Hanks is the lovable Forrest Gump, who lacks intelligence and learns life lessons from his momma.  I love the part when Forrest says: “My momma always said life was like a box of chocolates.  You never know what you’re gonna get.” 

The Godfather (Paramount Pictures, 1972):  Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, this movie features Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone, the patriarch of an Italian family who is involved in organized crime.  Who does not like a good mafia movie? 

Love and Basketball (40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, 2000):  This movie is set in Los Angeles in the 1980’s as Monica, played by Sanaa Lathan (one of my favorite actresses) and Quincy, played by Omar Epps, are childhood friends who share a passion for basketball.  This common interest translates into a love for each other that is real and thrives when their athletic careers lead them from Crenshaw High to USC to the pros.  This is my favorite movie of all time!  I have watched it over a hundred times and I know every line by heart (I know, pretty pathetic).

North by Northwest (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1959):  Cary Grant (who plays Roger Thornhill) is magnificent in this adventure film that unfolds as a result of mistaken identity.  This movie is just one of the many spectacular Alfred Hitchcock films you could add to your movie night collection.  Among others are The Birds (1963), Vertigo (1958), Psycho (1960), Rebecca (1940), Notorious (1946), Dial M for Murder (1954), Frenzy (1972), Sabotage (1936), Saboteur (1942), and The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956). 

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Fantasy Films, 1976):  Randle Patrick McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) is sent to a mental asylum via prison, after he pretends to be insane.  Nicholson’s conniving demeanor makes this movie worth watching.  

Pretty Woman (Silver Screen Partners, IV, 1990):  Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, need I say more?  Make it a party with some strawberries and champagne while getting cozy with this film. 

Pulp Fiction (A Band Apart, 1994):  Directed by Quentin Tarantino, this movie is one of the greatest films ever made.  A definite classic! 

The Silence of the Lambs (Orion Pictures Corporation, 1991):  Anthony Hopkins’ performance in this film is spine-chilling as the serial killer, Dr. Hannibal Lecter.  Leave the lights on for this flick!  

What are your top ten picks for movie night?  Fill me in!!!      

The Big Apple + four attractive women + cocktails + Manolo Blahniks + Mr. Big = Sex and the City.  Okay, so if you were a fan of the ongoing television series and were consumed with the lives and times of Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), Charlotte (Kristin Davis), Samantha (Kim Cattrall) and Mr. Big (Chris Noth), this movie is fulfilling and is essentially the cherry on the cupcake for dedicated fans.  If you preferred to stay out of the gossip circle of this NYC clique, then maybe you might not connect with the movie because you lacked any previous bonding time with these characters prior to catching them on the big screen.  Either way, this movie is entertaining, fun, refreshing, and has a theme of “labels and love” that will put life and relationships into perspective for any person. 

The movie gives an opening description of the girls so the non-fans can get up to speed with the past dilemmas and character descriptions before they slam you with the new drama.  The movie focuses around Carrie (like the show mostly did), who is slated to get married to Mr. Big.  The highs and lows of this scenario is the driving force in the film.  Miranda has problems in her sex life, which creates a disturbing time for her and Steve.  Samantha has her steaming hot boy toy Smith, who is more focused on work than on her, and as their relationship crumbles, she finds solace in spying on her hunky Hispanic neighbor who is well-equipped.  Charlotte finds out she is pregnant and her problems come from worrying about being too happy; go figure.  Mr. Big is still very charming and classy, but you will resent him at a critical point in the film.   

Relationships and happiness spark much discussion in this film.  When Big proposes to Carrie, it is more like a business deal, as he asks: “Would you mind being married to me?”  When Carrie announces the news of their big engagement to Samantha, they begin to analogize marriage with Botox treatments.  In true Sex and the City style, the code word for “sex” if front of Charlotte’s adopted daughter is “coloring”.  Samantha declares that she loves to color and she would use every crayon in her box if she had the chance.   

I need to give attention to Jennifer Hudson (Louise) for her outstanding performance as Carrie’s personal assistant.  She brings a genuine concern and naivety to her character that makes us believe that she is just a small town girl who yearns to have a fairy tale ending after being exposed to the big city.  Carrie and Louise share a “sisterly” chemistry on-screen, which aids in making the drama more real.     

The 411 Fo’ Reel:  This movie will sweep you off your feet and leave you wanting a night on the town accompanied with a lemon drop martini (you get the picture!).  Fantabulous!

The title, “Son of Rambow,” did not appeal to me when I first heard about this film.  It sounded “artsy,” which was made more prominent by the fact that it came out of the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, where it was a hit.  Although the title was questionable, I kept an open-mind about the film and hoped it would have the same creativity as films such as “Napoleon Dynamite” and “Little Miss Sunshine,” which were also seen at Sundance before their box office releases.  The creativity was in this film without a doubt, but there was little substance until nearly the end of the movie.   

“Son of Rambow” is set in 1980’s England, a time when block cell phones were still in existence (“The Brick” as I would refer to it!), as you will see in the film.  As the movie begins, we are given a first glance at the young Lee Carter (Will Poulter), as he is watching a film in a darkened theater with cigarette and camera in hand (for pirating purposes).  This scene makes us cognoscente of the fact that we are doing the same thing as Carter (minus the pirating): staring at a movie screen and being immersed in the lives of the characters.  The plot unfolds when Carter fatefully meets William Proudfoot (Bill Milner) one day at school, and bullies him into being a stuntman in his film, which he hopes to enter in a contest.  The film that Carter conjures up is based on “First Blood,” and is given more depth when Will contributes his own storyboard to the movie.  In addition to the two boys, French exchange students are also involved in the filmmaking process.  The role of Didier Revol (Jules Sitruk), the most popular French exchange student, was a true gem in this film, from his clothing and boots, to his persona. 

Will is a part of the Plymouth Bretheren faith, which bans him from being exposed to any sort of media.  This censorship makes Will overly imaginative, and he becomes susceptible to finding other means of fulfilling the creative void in his life.  He draws storyboards on walls and makes “flip books” as his only form of entertainment.  Will ironically meets Lee (the mastermind behind the movie project), while sitting outside of his classroom because he is not allowed to watch the documentary film being shown to his peers.         

Self-reflexivity is prevalent in “Son of Rambow”.  We are made to feel conscious of our role as viewers.  This production element, as applied to this film in particular, prompts an appreciation in the audience that we have access to watching film, unlike Will. 

The virtues of friendship, family, and brotherhood are important themes in this film.  The relationship between Will and Lee is heartening and adds meaning to the term “blood brothers”.  The importance of family is of utmost priority, and the movie depicts how families can come together in even the most chaotic of circumstances.   

The 411 Fo’ Reel:  This movie tests your patience, but in the end, as the melodrama unexpectedly unfolds, you will be rewarded.  Either you connect with this movie or you don’t.

When I think of “Indiana Jones,” the first thing that comes to mind is… Disneyland!  Each time I visit the Magic Kingdom, I get carried away in its euphoric environment.  I am given a reality check though, when I have to stand in those ridiculously long lines just to experience a couple-minute thrill ride.  Nevertheless, I will always wait in line for the “Indiana Jones Adventure”.  For you Disney regulars out there, you may remember the part in the ride where a gigantic boulder is heading towards you, then all of a sudden the vehicle you’re in jolts back a bit, then dips downward going full throttle to avoid the boulder.  Well, like all rides in make-believe land, the boulder is not really going to crush you, but time and again that is the one part in the ride that gets my heart pumping.  That feeling of adventure and vulnerability was what I wanted to experience in “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” directed by Steven Spielberg – and you know what?  I surely was not disappointed. 

When the movie opens, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is held hostage by the KGB, then escapes.  The next part shows him teaching a college class, when he is interrupted to learn that the FBI is after him.  He then changes into his Indy garb and jumps on a train, where he looks out his window to find Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf) requesting his attention.  Jones and the kid head to a diner where they hash out the details of the adventure to come, and the movie gets going as they try to find the crystal skull and return it to its intended home.   

The one thing that I wondered about before heading into this movie was if Harrison Ford would be able to keep up with his character as Indiana Jones, because he has aged since the last movie.  I guess the filmmakers felt the same way I did and made it an issue in the film, with disclaimers inserted wherever they could poke fun at his age.  At the beginning of the movie, Jones says, “…not as easy as it used to be… we were younger, we had guns.”  Mutt also makes a few comments, which include: “You know for an old man you’re not bad in a fight, what are you, like 80?”  He also urges Jones to hop on his motorcycle when he says, “Get on, gramps!”  I sensed an insecurity about Jones’ physical state throughout.  However, Ford kept up and his age just made him look all the more wiser. 

The movie is set in 1957, which was validated by the old-fashioned looking title sequence.  But c’mon, with the technology and handy special effects in the film industry today, there is no way the movie is going to have the raw authenticity of a 1957 classic, like “12 Angry Men” starring Henry Fonda.  The movie was trying too hard to look old, which was more obvious at the beginning of the film.  Once the scene shifts to the caves and the waterfalls, the year does not seem to matter much. 

The 411 Fo’ Reel:  The action in this movie was incredible and kept my attention.  I loved this movie!  You have to see it if you are an Indy fan.

My 7-year-old brother, Landon, begged me to take him to watch “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”.  Ever since the previews were shown on the Disney Channel weeks ago, he has been counting down the days until its opening.  He enjoyed “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” and had high expectations for this movie.  So, in “good sister” style, I decided to placate his desire to be mesmerized once again with the characters in C.S. Lewis’ books. 

The movie begins as a baby boy is born, son of King Miraz.  Prince Caspian needs to die in order for the newborn to take over the throne.  In trying to escape, Prince Caspian gets hold of the “horn” and blows it to summon the Pevensie siblings.  They return to Narnia to help Prince Caspian restore freedom and peace to the land, along with Aslan and others.  The simplicity of the plot was complicated by the factual details.  Maybe if I had read the novel before seeing this movie, I would have been more well-informed about intricacies of the storyline. 

The duration of the film was 2 hours and 24 minutes, but seemed much longer, which was validated by Landon whispering to me every five minutes: “I told you it was three hours long”.  The first hour unveiled the plot, consisted of a re-cap of important information from the first movie, and provided time for the Narnians to assemble.  The second hour officially starts the core of the action. 

The comic relief was incredible in this film.  Just as the movie was going into intense dramatization mode, the hilarious mouse would appear and throw out a funny line or two.  Ah, yes, the mouse… I think the mouse was the funniest part of the movie (I’m not sure if this was an original character from the book or if this creature was formulated for comical purposes?).  However, the mouse somehow was an eyesore and did not blend into the “Narnian” feel of the movie.  The mouse came right out of “Stuart Little” for sure! 

The 411 Fo’ Reel:  The special effects are worth seeing, as well as the beautiful settings in New Zealand.  The first movie was better, and if you can tolerate the length of this movie, then go for it!  The kids might learn some life lessons, for instance: “A common enemy unites even the oldest of foes.” 

Here are a couple of questions I posed to myself when I left the theater, which made me wonder if the film accurately portrayed the book, or if the filmmakers went off on their own tangent to include every possible version of a derived fantasy world and threw it all into the melting pot: 

1)  How old were the Pevensie siblings when they went back to Narnia and why did they still look so young?  Supposedly the siblings were thousands of years old when they returned to Narnia…

2)  Why was there such an inconsistency in the way the Narnians looked?  You have some with a half-horse, half-human body, others who were dwarfs… the list goes on… 

The Big Island Film Festival, held in Kona, started yesterday at the Waikoloa Beach Resort’s Queen’s Marketplace and ends on May 18th.  You can get all the details at www.BigIslandFilmFestival.com. 

For those of you who are at the Festival, feel free to leave comments on the films you watched or are planning on viewing in the days ahead.  Mahalo!

Ahhh… “Mom”… the one person who you know is always right about everything (well, most of the time anyway).  Throughout film and television, there are many different roles and characteristics that have defined “mom” over the years.  In cinema, the 1950’s version of the mother in her apron has evolved to include other depictions that are less conventional but more relevant to modern-day society.  Let’s look at the many faces of “mom” in film and on the tube:  

Far From Heaven (Clear Blue Sky Productions, 2002)  “The Conventional Mom”  Julianne Moore plays a stereotypical mom in this not-so-conventional film that also stars Dennis Quaid.  Moore’s character is a homemaker who finds out her husband is homosexual, which puts an end to the typical 1950’s mom role for Moore, and adds an element of deviance. 

Because I Said So   (Gold Circle Films, 2007)  “The Overbearing Mom” Diane Keaton is splendid in this film, as we witness her obsession with finding her daughter, played by Mandy Moore, the right man.  She is just short of psychotic as she plays an overly caring mother to her daughters.   

Psycho (Paramount Pictures, 1960)  “The Ghost Mom”  Norman Bates dresses as his mother while the audience peers into the upstairs bedroom throughout the film.  At the end, Norman takes on the role of his mother and speaks in her voice, which is creepy, but makes you wonder what kind of childhood he endured. 

American Pie (United Artists, 1999)  “The ‘I Still Got It’ Mom”  Stifler’s mom in this film is the envy of all of her son’s friends.  She has an above average sex appeal for a woman her age, and is still workin’ it after all those years of raising her son.  This movie coined the term “milf,” which will be left to interpretation! 

Brothers and Sisters (ABC, 2007) “The ‘Keepin’-It-All-Together’ Mom” Sally Field plays Nora Walker, who learns about her husband’s secret affair and illegitimate daughter after he dies in the pilot episode.  She is the epitome of a worried mom, who is always there for her family.  Nora seems overly involved in her childrens’ lives, but her tough spirit keeps her family together through the hard times. 

Gilmore Girls (The WB, 2007)  “The ‘Best Friend’ Mom”  Although in syndication on The ABC Family Channel, Gilmore Girls was a WB hit a few years back.  Lorelai Gilmore and her daughter, Rory, shared a bond that could not be hindered.  The hip Lorelai is the “cool” mom who could talk to her daughter about everything and vice versa. 

John & Kate Plus 8 (Discovery Health Channel, 2008)  “The ‘I Have Multiples’ Mom”  Kate Goslin has a set of sextuplets and twins.  Despite the incomprehensible number of children she has to care for, she was blessed with organizational skills and an “in control” attitude.  Her love of family is obvious and her keen sense of parenting is remarkable. 

The Duggars (Discovery Health Channel, 2008)  “The “I Like Being In Labor” Mom”  Last I read, Michelle Duggar is pregnant with her 18^th child.  That is absolutely insane!  The Duggars are a sort of eccentric bunch, but overall, they are a disciplined gang with untainted morals. 

Happy Mother’s Day!