As Good as It Gets

As Good as It Gets
December 25, 1997
TriStar
Drama, Comedy, Romance
VHS
B-

Although this won critical acclaim and I remember it as being pretty well liked, including by my almost 30-year-old self, it has, in a different way than Spice World, not aged well.  Not that it's embarrassingly '90s or anything, but I just think the whole idea that a man whose obsessive-compulsiveness is the least of his problems can be cured by love and friendship is a bit much.  I could sort of buy him turning human under the influence of one of the all-time cutest movie dogs (a Brussels Griffon), and I could even believe that he would be changed by getting to know a single mom waitress and his gay artist neighbor.  But when he starts playing Santa Claus and winds up with the girl, plausibility is stretched to breaking point.  And that's ignoring the facts that the "hero" is not only about 25 years older than the girl, but an incredible bigot.

That said, the performances remain strong, not just by the three leads-- Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, and Greg Kinnear-- but by such supporting players as Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Yeardley Smith as Kinnear's friends, and Shirley Knight as Hunt's mother.  And, yes, the three dogs playing little Verdell are incredibly expressive.

Frank Slaten had been a henchman in Johnny Dangerously and is Miffed Partygoer here.  Alba Albanese is a New Yorker here and would be Woman in Central Park in The Object of My Affection.  Oriana Nicole Tavoularis is uncredited as a Restaurant Patron here and would be uncredited as Rocker Girl in 200 Cigarettes.  Maya Rudolph who has a very small role as a Policewoman here would have a major role in Bridesmaids, as Lillian.  One of the other waitresses in the cafe is played by 25-year-old Missi Pyle, who would go on to be the one and only Alexandra Cabot in Josie and the Pussycats.

Harold Ramis has a small but pivotal role as Dr. Bettes, while Brian Doyle-Murray is a Handyman here.

Is this as good as it gets?

Spice World

Spice World
December 15, 1997
Columbia
Musical, Comedy
VHS
C+

This movie has of course dated badly, but let me first offer you some background on where I'm coming from, because my criticisms are probably not the usual ones.  My housemate of the time (still one of my dearest friends) was then a 21-year-old gay man who loved the Spice Girls and he'd play their music a lot.  Since I like pop music, I soon grew to like them.  I was never a great fan, but I could tell them apart.  (Well, to this day I can't remember which is Mel B. and which Mel C., but I knew their Spice identities.)  He, I, and another of his besties went to see this movie.  At almost 30, I was the oldest woman there who wasn't accompanied by a preteen daughter.  We had a blast, with the goofiness and the music.

Watching it now, when the Girls breaking up is no longer a plot complication and it's hard to remember their international popularity, what's left is a movie that did not exactly do for the Spices what A Hard Day's Night did for the Beatles one-third of a century earlier.  I want to like this movie more, at least on a camp level, but the problem is that it does not in fact present a "Spice World."  They don't dominate the screen like the Beatles did.  There are too many sideplots and side characters, with the girls offscreen too much of the time.  Even when we get to see them perform or joke around, there are too many interruptions and cuts away.  And there's a scene where the girls play dress-up, as each other and as various female icons, but much of the impact is lost when I can't tell most of them apart in long-shot.  I will say that the music remains catchy, but I'd rather watch a set of their videos, where their energy isn't thwarted as it is here.

There are lots and lots of cameos, most of them wasted, e.g. Roger Moore doing a Blofeld satire that seems feeble after Dr. Evil.  Jonathan Ross plays himself, as he did in The Tall Guy, but that's pretty meaningless to an American.  And having Barry Humphries appear out of Dame Edna Everage drag seems a little pointless.  (This is 19 years after his brief appearance in Sgt. Pepper by the way.)  On the other hand, I realize that most people don't care that I was happy to see Neil Mullarkey show up, even if it's just for one line.  Bob Hoskins is in a brief sight gag, pretending to be Ginger.  (Don't ask.)  Elvis Costello appears 18 years after Americathon, but much more briefly.

Another Americathon survivor, Meat Loaf, is, no, not a roadie, but a bus driver for the Spices.  Alan Cumming, who's usually entertainingly awkward (as he was in Emma and Romy & Michele, and as he would be again in Josie and the Pussycats), is just awkward here.  Hugh Laurie does the best he can in one scene as Poirot (where Baby Spice gets away with murder), but his old friend Stephen Fry almost steals the movie in his scene as a stern judge.

Note, the joke about a potential Clinton scandal of him tucking his shirt into his underwear became ironic by the time this film hit America.

Like animals in the zoo, as baffled by us as we are by them.

Wilde

Wilde
October 17, 1997
BBC (among many others)
Historical, Romance, Drama
DVD
B+

This is an adaptation of the Ellman biography, reviewed here:  http://rereadingeverybookiown.blogspot.com/search?q=ellman.  Yes, this is certainly a case of the movie being better than the book, helped along by strong performances and uncanny casting.  Witty, gay Stephen Fry (then 40) is of course typecast as the title character, but he also brings out Wilde's vulnerability and kindness.  As Bosie, Wilde's great love, 24-year-old Jude Law brings not just blond beauty but a mixture of arrogance and charm.  (Forgive me, but I kept thinking it was like watching Draco Malfoy's great-great-grandfather.)  Jennifer Ehle, who was perfect as Lizzy in the TV adaptation of Pride & Prejudice a couple years earlier, somehow manages to play Wilde's wife Constance without making her a saint and shows us why Oscar did in some sense always love her.  I also must mention Michael Sheen as Robbie Ross, who matures from Wilde's first seducer to a true friend.  (Sheen would go on to the scenery-chewing role of Aro in the Twilight series, which I've watched for the lulz but don't own.)

If the movie has any weakness, it is that there is so much focus on Wilde's love life and not enough on his writing.  Still, there is enough of his works, particularly The Selfish Giant (which becomes a motif for the conflict between his family life and his "nature," i.e. homosexuality), that I can tag Wilde.  (I suppose Wilde was arguably bisexual, but much more oriented towards men.)  Needless to say, this movie is much more explicit than In & Out was, although never pornographic.  However, unlike the Kevin Kline movie, it does end tragically, because Wilde's life ended tragically.

Tom Wilkinson, who's quite good as Bosie's father the Marquess of Queensberry, played a very different father, Mr. Dashwood, in Sense & Sensibility.  Ironically, Gemma Jones is again playing his wife (well, ex-wife here), although they don't have scenes with each other in either film.  She would become Madam Pomfrey in the Harry Potter series, while Zoe Wanamaker, who plays Wilde's supportive friend Ada Leverson, nicknamed the Sphinx, would be Madame Hooch in the first Potter film.

In & Out

In & Out
September 19, 1997
Paramount
Comedy, Romance
VHS
B-

Screenwriter Paul Rudnick had appeared as himself in Celluloid Closet, a documentary that showed that for gay characters onscreen, their fates were often tragic, or overly comic.  While this movie is exaggerated (and directed by Muppet veteran Frank Oz), it places its gay stereotypes in a small-town full of stereotypes.  And the twist is that the Kevin Kline character, Literature teacher Howard Brackett, must be gay because he's so smart, nice, and well-groomed.  By the time most of the entire town stands up and says that they're gay, too, in his support, "gay" is definitely a compliment.

But along the way there are of course farcical complications.  The trouble starts when stupid yet Oscar-winning actor Cameron Drake outs his former teacher during an acceptance speech.  (Cam is played by Matt Dillon, 17 years after Little Darlings but passing for his early 20s.  The blond hair helps.)  This comes as a shock to everyone, including Howard, who's engaged to Emily Montgomery, played by 34-year-old Joan Cusack.  And his mother tells him she doesn't care if he's gay, she still wants the big wedding.  (Now 65-year-old Debbie Reynolds, ties George Burns for the longevity record, 45 years after Singin' in the Rain.)  Meanwhile, reporter Peter Malloy (Tom Selleck) wants the real story (and more), and principal Tom Halliwell (Bob Newhart, his stammering and discomfort used to fine effect) wants to avoid scandal, with graduation coming up.

The timeline is all screwy, with the Oscars presented on a Wednesday and graduation the following Monday.  (In what month?)  I have to wonder if this is carelessness, or if it's meant to add to the air of unreality.  It's almost like the story couldn't quite take place in our world.  (That the small town is in Indiana has recently become ironic.)  And it is very much a gay comedy for straight people.  I remember the dismay and then amusement in my theater when Selleck kissed Kline.  I don't think it would be as shocking now.  Although only 18 years have passed, this movie is already a relic, and I suspect that even a few years later we wouldn't have got the trick ending, where it looks like Howard and Peter will get married, but it's actually Howard's parents renewing their vows.  (His dad is played by Wilford Brimley, and I kept thinking, "Because it's the right thing to do.")   As a movie, I think it's still cute, sweet, and sometimes funny.  (The straight guys debating Barbra Streisand films will never get old.)  Kline is a good moral and narrative center for the film.  Everyone else is doing what they're hired for, although this is far from my favorite Joan Cusack role.

Note, there is never a moment when someone says, "Um, Howard, maybe you're bi," although admittedly he's much less sexual than Chasing Amy's Alyssa Jones.  The mainstream was definitely not ready for that kind of complexity.

Joseph Maher was Gridley in Going Ape! and is Father Tim here.  (He's got one of those faces where you feel like you've seen him somewhere before.)  Richard Woods was a Board Member in The Hudsucker Proxy and is Reverend Morgan here.  Marla Sucharetza was Exercising Woman in The First Wives Club and is a School Reporter here, while Debra Monk was Jilted Lover there and is Mrs. Lester here, and J-Smith Cameron was Miss Sullivan there and Trina Paxton here.

Audience Member Todd Stockman would be Dad in The Object of My Affection the following year, while Audience Member Jeannette Gould would be Senior Center Woman in Two Weeks Notice (all uncredited).  John Cunningham, who almost steals the movie as the Be a Man Tape Instructor, would be Justice of the Peace in Two Weeks Notice.  Wally Dunn is Cousin Lenny here and would be Gym Teacher in School of Rock.  MacIntyre Dixon, who was Cole Oyl in Popeye, has a small role as a Bachelor Party Guest here and would be the bus driver in School of Rock.   

This time, Dan Hedaya plays a Military Attorney in the film within a film on Oscar Night.  Jay Leno appears as himself, 18 years after his role in Americathon.  Selma Blair, then 25, has an early role as Cousin Linda.

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
May 2, 1997
New Line Cinema
Comedy
DVD
B-

At the time I reviewed Wayne's World, I didn't yet own this movie, also starring and written by Mike Myers.  I wasn't sure about buying it, because although I enjoyed it very much the two or three times I saw it in the '90s, I had a feeling it wouldn't age well.  Also, the sequels had gotten progressively worse.  (I nearly walked out of the third movie.)  But I found it on sale at a low price, so I decided to take a chance.  Verdict: some of it hasn't aged well, but it's still entertaining.

The things that felt so fresh in '97, like the homage/parody of the cinematic version of Swingin' London, still look good.  The bathroom humor was never that great to begin with, and now it looks not only unfunny but quaint, having been outdone by not only its own sequels but the likes of There's Something About Mary (which I haven't seen but know of) and the American Pie movies (I've seen three).  Even some of the cute parodic devices, like the couple walking through local sites and sights, had been done better in Purple Rose of Cairo or would be done better in Down With Love (which more consistently creates the world of the '60s).  Also, that Mike Myers annoyance factor is there, although still far from the days when just the poster of The Love Guru could make me cringe.

That said, there's some funny stuff here, with Dr. Evil's "The details of my life are quite inconsequential" monologue as the real stand-out.  (I think Myers is more entertaining as the villain than the hero.)  There's also a bit of poignancy, as Austin realizes that times have changed and he may have to change, too.  It's fun to see how many people (most of them, alas, untaggable) show up, from Burt Bacharach to Patrick Bristow from Ellen Degeneres's then current sitcom.  Michael York is best of all, as the aptly named Basil Exposition.

Rob Lowe has a much smaller role here than he did in Wayne's World: Decapitated Henchman's Friend.  Carrie Fisher has a nice little scene as the Therapist.  By then 23-year-old Seth Green plays what would turn out to be a recurring role, as Scott Evil.

Neil Mullarkey, who's the Quartermaster Clerk here, would be Barnaby in Spice World, though I know him best for the British impro troupe The Comedy Store Players and their various endeavors on TV.  Ted Kairys, Eastern European Technician here, would be Gerard in Legally Blonde.  Steve Monroe, who plays one of the sons at the father-son therapy group, would be Frank Tobin in Miss Congeniality.

Romy and Michele's High School Reunion

Romy and Michele's High School Reunion
April 25, 1997
Buena Vista
Comedy
VHS
B+

While this has its flaws (borderline racism and homophobia, a very meandering plot), this remains a delightful, joyous film, in the tradition of Earth Girls Are Easy and Clueless.  That is, there's sort of a deeper message beyond the bright colors, bouncy soundtrack (here heavy on early to mid '80s pop), and "dumb" heroines.  But mostly the movie is a lot of fun with many quotable lines.  The leads are a I-can't-place-it-but-I-love-it accented Mira Sorvino and a Phoebe-era Lisa Kudrow.  Whether they're mocking Pretty Women or claiming that they invented Post-its (Sorvino as Romy does something amazing to her O's, while Kudrow as Michele reels off a formula for glue), they are very funny.  (And the "I've got a phone" brag by Romy, a flip-phone no less, has only gotten funnier with time.)

Also, their best friendship is touching and believable.  It's sort of a sismance, a female version of a bromance, something not seen enough in movies.  Yes, they're both given romantic prospects--Michele's is a still nerdy but now rich Alan Cumming--but the focus is on their relationship.  (They consider becoming lesbians if they're still single in a couple years, although Romy is disgusted by the idea of having sex with a woman.)  It is entirely fitting that when Cumming (as Sandy Frink) asks Michele to dance, they have to include Romy.  (It's to "Time After Time" and is worth the price of admission/rental in itself.)  It's quite clear that Romy and Michele are each other's favorite person in the world.

But the real gem here is a gaspingly hilarious Janeane Garofalo as the hostile but vulnerable Heather Mooney.  It's a very different role than Abby in The Truth About Cats & Dogs, much more out there, but in its own way just as lovable.  Michele has a line late in the film, "For me, it's like I've just given birth to my own baby girl, except she's like a big giant girl who smokes and says 'shit' a lot.*  You know?"  Meanwhile, Heather decides to buy a non-black dress that "exacerbates the genetic betrayal that is my legacy."  That there was never a 20th-year reunion sequel is one of the minor crimes of Hollywood.

17-year-old William R. Phillips, who's Man at Diner here, would still look young enough to play a student in Kudrow's Mean Girls seven years later.


*Yes, there is profanity in a Buena Vista release.  Also a lot of cleavage.  I'm sure Uncle Walt was rolling over in his grave.

Chasing Amy

Chasing Amy
April 4, 1997
View Askew/ Miramax
Comedy, Romance
DVD
B-

I don't think has held up as well as Clerks, ironically because it attempts more.  Clerks was a surreal day-in-the-life story, while this attempts to say things about love and life.  Also, when you're making a rom-com, even an indie rom-com, it helps if the main couple is likable, and Holden and Amy aren't really, separately or together.  Nonetheless, it is interesting to see how many ways they can screw things up, and I like the supporting performances, in particular Dwight Ewell, who was part of the He-He-Hello Trio in Party Girl but has a much more substantial role as Hooper X.  Alyssa (the "Amy" equivalent) is played by Kevin Smith's then girlfriend Joey Lauren Adams.  There are times when the character shows wisdom, but other times when she is as stupid as main character Holden, played by 24-year-old Ben Affleck, who would soon break through in Good Will Hunting among other movies.  Jason Lee is actually more intriguing, as Holden's conflicted best friend Banky.

This movie has narrative and casting connections with Clerks and Mall Rats.  (E.g. Alyssa had a crush on Caitlin Bree in high school.)  I still haven't seen the latter movie, and I still don't know if I will be adding it or anything else to my View Askewniverse collection.  I like Kevin Smith, but I'm just not a super-fan.  That said, if I saw Clerks II marked down, I'd probably get it.

I should also note that I saw this movie the summer after it came out (I think when it went into wider release), at a time when I was meeting more bisexuals.  (Until that point, I knew two: myself and my best friend.)  The film never uses the B-word, and it is misleading how Alyssa describes herself to Holden as a lesbian.  I get that it's a political/personal label choice, but a more LGBT-savvy writer/director could've brought up the whole "bi-dyke identity thing," which was a real issue in the mid to late '90s.  (I don't know about these days.)  Still, Smith gets points for trying to deal with the complexity and fluidity of sexual orientation, from the perspective of a tolerant straight man.

Affleck's real life bestie, 26-year-old Matt Damon, plays Shawn Oran.  This time, Brian O'Halloran plays Jim Hicks, presumably some relation to Dante Hicks in Clerks.  (He'd be Grant Hicks in Dogma.)  Since it's a Kevin Smith movie, Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith) return.

Walter Flanagan, who was Woolen Cap Smoker/ Egg Man/ Offended Customer in Clerks, is simply Fanboy here and would be Protestor #2 in Dogma.  Bar Patron John Launder would be Priest with Buddy Christ #1 in Dogma.  Ernest O'Donnell was a Trainer in Clerks, is a Bystander here, and would be a Reporter in Dogma.  Vincent Pereira, Startled Pinball Player here, had been Hockey Goalie and Engagement Savvy Customer in Clerks, and would have an uncredited role in Dogma.  Virginia Smith (Kevin's sister) was Caged Animal Masturbator in Clerks and plays Con Woman here.  Ethan Suplee, who's a Fan here, would be the voice of Noman in Dogma.  Guinevere Turner, who's a Singer here, would be a Bus Station Attendant in Dogma.  Smith's producer Scott Mosier, who was William the Idiot Manchild/ Angry Hockey-Playing Customer/ Angry Mourner in Clerks, is a Collector here and would be Smooching Seaman [!] in Dogma.

Carmen Llwelyn, who's Kim here, would be Rob's Girlfriend in Never Been Kissed.  Affleck's 21-year-old brother Casey plays Little Kid [sic] and would be Morgan O'Mally in Good Will Hunting.

A more unsolvable triangle than in "Threesome" or "Design for Living."

Twelfth Night or What You Will

Twelfth Night or What You Will
October 25, 1996
Renaissance Films
Comedy, Romance, Historical
VHS
B-

My review of the play is here: http://rereadingeverybookiown.blogspot.com/2011/11/twelfth-night.html.  No, I wouldn't put this movie on that level-- it just doesn't build to anything-- but it is somewhat entertaining.  There are some puzzling choices for setting.  Why is it set in the Victorian period and filmed in Cornwall?  (When I saw the movie the Fall after a trip to England, I immediately recognized St. Michael's Mount on the screen.)  Not that this interferes with my enjoyment, but it is distracting.  I thought the movie did a nice job balancing the queer subtext of the original, even with women in the women's roles.

The cast is overall solid and I think Imogen Stubbs does well with Viola and Cesario, very different from her duplicity as Lucy Steele in Sense & Sensibility, since she has a reason for her deception here, and she makes both characters likable.  (Her Cesario is actually quite handsome and charming.)  As I said in my "book" review, 30-year-old Helena Bonham Carter is lovely as Olivia, and I like how she adds some sweetness and a sense of humour to the character.  Her maid Maria is played by Imelda Staunton, who had been Lucy's cousin and several years later would debut in the Harry Potter series in the same installment (fifth) as Carter, the two of them playing two very different villaineses.  Mel Smith plays Olivia's drunken uncle and does it with more subtlety than he showed in his brief self-direction in The Tall Guy.  Nigel Hawthorne, who plays Malvolio, would be Rodney Fraser in The Object of My Affection.

The First Wives Club

The First Wives Club
September 20, 1996
Paramount
Comedy
VHS
C+

I really liked this movie at the time, as did many others, including Katha Pollitt, but that doesn't mean we were blind to its faults, faults that are more obvious a couple decades later.  As directed by WKRP's Hugh Wilson, it is very much a cinematic sitcom, with easy resolutions and cardboard characterizations.  Although it's based on a book (which I've never read), the most serious flaws have to do with the writing, many of the implausibilities and inconsistencies centering around Brenda (Bette Midler).  To begin with, is she Italian or Jewish?  If both, why isn't this established earlier?  And how is ir that her husband (Dan Hedaya, for a change in my movies actually typecast) fails to recognize her boss, even the name?  Also, the whole timeline is screwy, from Yellow Submarine coming out in '69 (rather than '68), to the central trio of first wives (Midler, Goldie Hawn, and Diane Keaton) all about 45, although this seems to be contemporary and they've been out of college for about 27 years.  I'm not even clear how much time is passing in the main story, although there's a vague time pressure (even vaguer than in Don't Tell Mom).  Maybe this is all clearer in the book.

The movie is of course notable for its presentation of the exes, particularly the ex of their suicidal friend Cynthia, as being shallow, insensitive, and ruled by their lust for younger women.  (Sarah Jessica Parker is playing against type as a dumb and tasteless blonde.)  But the wives don't come across as much better and, as in The Women almost 60 years earlier, it's unclear why they regret the loss of such awful men.  Yes, I like seeing the cast, and the theme of female friendship and empowerment is good, but it's often lost in slapstick and stereotyping.  And this isn't 9 to 5, where the stock characters are given believability.  There are nice little moments (like how accepting Keaton is of her lesbian daughter), and even occasional insights about how aging women are viewed, and Maggie Smith proves she can do a lot even with a tiny role, but it just doesn't add up to much.

I don't have any other movies with James Naughton but it's a nice touch to make him Cynthia's cheating ex-husband, since he was Angela Bower's ex on Who's the Boss?  (Cynthia is played by Stockard Channing.)  Victor Garber, who plays Goldie's ex, would be Professor Callahan in Legally Blonde.

Anne Shropshire, who's an A Certain Age cast member, was Mrs. Crawley in Tootsie.  Peter Frechette, who plays the Broadway Director, had his big-screen debut as none other than Louis DiMucci in Grease 2.  (He found a lot of other work in between of course.)  Aida Linares also played a maid in Clueless.

Marla Sucharetza, who's Exercising Woman, would be School Reporter in In & Out, while Debra Monk is Jilted Lover here and would be Mrs. Lester there, and  J. Smith-Cameron is Miss Sullivan here and would be Trina Paxton there.  Rob Reiner plays Hawn's plastic surgeon.  And, yes, that's 41-year-old J.K. Simmons in the small role of a Federal Marshall.

Emma

Emma
August 30, 1996
Miramax
Comedy, Romance, Historical
VHS
C+

While on the surface this may seem like a faithful adaptation of the Austen novel, I find it much less in the spirit than Clueless, not to mention the contemporary Kate Beckinsale TV-movie.  I'm going to have to blame writer-director Douglas McGrath for the main flaws: general miscasting (especially of Harriet), a cutesy device of a sentence being started in one scene ("So then I said....") and then finished in the next ("How delightful!"), and the shafting of the Frank Churchill/ Jane Fairfax subplot.  (Enchanted April's Polly Walker and 25-year-old Ewan McGregor both do their best, but they're given little to work with and are misdirected in most of what they do get.)

That said, there are moments when the film forgets its own unnecessary flourishes and focuses on Austen's still great dialogue and plotting.  Even if the cast isn't quite right, it is an interesting assemblage, including 23-year-old Gwyneth Paltrow in the title role (sufficiently British but too pouty), 31-year-old Alan Cumming as Mr. Elton, and of course Emma Thompson's mother and 34-year-old sister as Mrs. and Miss Bates.  I have to note that Jeremy Northam as Mr. Knightley and Greta Scacchi as Mrs. Weston are both much more interesting and attractive than anyone else in the movie, and I would've actually rather have watched a far from canonical backstory of them being in love ten or fifteen years earlier.

A Very Brady Sequel

A Very Brady Sequel
August 23, 1996
Paramount
Comedy, Musical
DVD
B+

Yes, the sequel is better than its predecessor.  It's funnier, more focused, more musical, and yes, more Brady.  (Bradier?)  Even the youngest kids seem to have more to do here, although again the Marcia-Jan rivalry is the highlight, with Jan going to great lengths to convince her popular older sister of the existence of George Glass.  This seems to have struck a chord in recent months, with even "Sure, Jan" having gone viral.

The main plot though is about a conman who pretends to be Mrs. Brady's not actually dead husband.  He's played by Tim Matheson who had done his share of '60s TV and movies, notably as the college-age dad in How to Commit Marriage (then spelling his last name Matthieson).  This makes his horror at the Bradys, particularly their tendency to burst into bright, cheerful songs and choreography, all the better, with the Brady Kids mushroom trip a high comedically and otherwise.  His "return" also means that Greg and Marcia realize they're not actually related (even by marriage), which leads to some borderline incestuous lust that you're either going to find disgusting or hilarious.  (I'm in the latter camp of course.)

There are again a lot of in-jokes for Brady fans, and this time a pay-off that involves Gilligan's Island.  Also, we get a cameo from Barbara Eden, who seems hardly to have aged in the almost 40 years since she was Miss Carstairs in Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? However, neither she nor Groucho now holds the longevity record, because Art Patron Sue Casey turns up 43 years after she was Tall Girl at Arcade in Band Wagon.  (And I know her best as the MILFy Anne Duval in Catalina Caper, but the MST3K version will be discussed on my TV blog someday.)  Steven Gilford and RuPaul reprise their roles as respectively Mr. Philips and Ms. Cummings.

Two of the four writers, Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan, would also co-write Josie and the Pussycats, which they would co-direct as well.  In a different way than Bonnie & Terry Turner, they've got a love for garish but bubbly pop-culture kitsch.

The Truth About Cats & Dogs

The Truth About Cats & Dogs
April 26, 1996
Fox
Comedy, Romance
VHS
B

This is a bittersweet, funny, and amiable rom-com but it is not without its issues.  To begin with, our heroine Abby, as played by 31-year-old Janeane Garofalo, is just not plausible as a woman who is so insecure that she would lie about her own identity when she meets a charming, handsome, but down-to-earth Brit (Ben Chaplin).  (After all, it's not like she's got a huge nose, like Steve Martin in Roxanne.)  Without pitting women against each other, I do have to say that I'm not alone in finding Garofalo far more attractive than Uma Thurman, in this or any other movie.  Nothing against Ms. Thurman.  She's cute and quite likable here.  I enjoy the friendship dynamic between Abby and Noelle.  In fact, if this had been the indie movie that Garofalo thought she had signed on for, or for that matter a porn movie, the triangle could be resolved quite plausibly with a threesome.   The chemistry among Garofalo, Chaplin, and Thurman is strong enough, and a ménage à trois might actually work better than what this movie offers, which is a dubious lesson about how when you get to know and like someone, they can become much more attractive.  Even more dubious is that the women deceive Brian for far too long.  Yes, he seems a bit thick to not catch on, but it's an unfair situation to put him in.

That said, there are some great scenes, among them the non-explicit phone sex and the "free radicals in my regime" beauty counter encounter and its follow-up ("If I were a guy, I'd fuck you," "I know you would, Sweetie").  Since I'm a cat-person, I like seeing Abby with her cat, and the dog is cute, even if the roller-skating is a bit much.  Also, it's a very '90s movie, almost modern (especially in its body-image subject matter), but still before the widespread use of the Internet and cell phones, which would've impacted the plot in various ways.  Definitely a must-see for Garofalo fans, since she's very sarcastic yet vulnerable here, in a different way than in her scene-stealing role in the next year's Romy & Michelle's High School Reunion.

One of the Newcast Auditioners, Linda Porter, would be Mrs. Crabbleman in Dude, Where's My Car?

The Celluloid Closet

The Celluloid Closet
March 15, 1996
HBO etc.
Documentary
VHS
B

Although this remains an insightful and often funny look at the history of gays and lesbians (and to a lesser degree transfolk and bisexuals) in a century's worth of movies, I don't think it has aged entirely gracefully.  There are two things, not unrelated.  One, almost twenty years have passed, and the way we look at "gay movies," and indeed the LGBT (etc.) community/communities has changed.  Homophobia definitely still exists, but there's a lot more mainstream tolerance, as evidenced in the progress with the gay marriage issue.  Also, sexuality (which now includes asexuality) is by no means a binary subject anymore.  (Not that it ever was, but people are more conscious of that.)  And two, although this is better organized than Hollywood Uncensored, I felt it didn't do a good enough job of putting things in context with the larger culture.  For example, there's only a brief mention of the medical view of homosexuality and some mention of Catholic censorship, but Hollywood was heavily affected by the perspectives of the dominant culture.  Still, the movie continues to offer a different way of seeing the movies, and I know I've never been able to watch the gymnasium scene in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes without grinning.

With the exception of Will H. Hays, I've decided not to tag everyone in the film clips, but instead focus on those who are interviewed (Gore Vidal is hilarious of course), as well as Tomlin, who narrated.  At the time this movie was released, she wasn't officially out, but then she was never exactly closeted either.  Interestingly, Paul Rudnick would soon write In & Out, which was quite an experience to see with a mainstream audience.

The movie is based on a much more pessimistic book by Vito Russo, who had died in 1990.

"I just went gay all of a sudden!"

Sense and Sensibility

Sense and Sensibility
January 26, 1996
Columbia
Comedy, Drama, Romance, Historical
DVD
B+

My review of the book is here:  http://rereadingeverybookiown.blogspot.com/2011/12/sense-and-sensibility.html.  On balance, I think the movie and book are equal, for reasons I discuss there.  So let me just mention a few things, I didn't cover before, in particular, the casting.  As you can see, I've tagged a heck of a lot of people, three of whom were in Peter's Friends:  Emma Thompson of course, and Hugh Laurie & Imelda Staunton, again playing a married couple, although their height difference is used for more comic effect here.  Everyone of the tagged performers, except the two Hughs and Imogen Stubbs (who is Lucy here and would shortly appear in Twelfth Night with Imelda Staunton), would be in at least one Harry Potter movie, while Grant and Jones would be in both Bridget Jones movies.

This cast cosiness adds to the feel of the movie, which is, as it title suggests, very much about thoughts and feelings.   (And Thompson, whose marriage to Kenneth Branagh was breaking up at the time, would find love with Greg Wise, who plays Willoughby here.)  With the female side of the Dashwood family in particular (Jones, Thompson, Kate Winslet, and a quite good Emilie François as Margaret), we see how much they care, not in a corny way but as if the family is central to their identities, romances aside.  Watch for instance how Edward's proposal is told not through Thompson and Grant but through the reactions of her mother and sisters.  Meanwhile, Alan Rickman gives a performance throughout the film that is more about what he doesn't say than what he does.  (And he already has developed the Snapian pauses by the way.)

The other thing I really appreciated this go-round was the scenery.  It's not as lovely as Italy in Enchanted April, but in its own understated way England (Devonshire especially) is figurative as well as literal background to the mood of the story.