Big Miracle

New review from The Movie Snob

Big Miracle  (B-).  I caught this little movie at the dollar theater (actually $1.75), and I felt like I got my money’s worth.  “Inspired by a true story,” this is the story of three California gray whales that accidentally got trapped under Arctic ice off the coast of northern Alaska in the fall of 1988.  (I was in college at the time, which I guess explains why I remember nothing about this incident.)  The whales had a small hole in the ice to breathe through, and the hole was way too far from the open ocean for them to swim the distance without drowning.  In the movie, a reporter (played by John Krasinski, 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi) reports the story, which draws attention back in the lower 48 and triggers a massive rescue effort spearheaded by an amazingly annoying Greenpeace activist (played by Drew Barrymore, Going the Distance).  Lots of recognizable stars show up, such as Kristen Bell (When in Rome) as a reporter up from Los Angeles, Ted Danson (Three Men and a Baby) as a wicked oil mogul, and Dermot Mulroney (The Family Stone) as a tough National Guardsman.  I liked it well enough, but somehow it just lacked a certain magic about it.  Maybe it was that annoying Drew Barrymore character.  Anyhoo, it’s basically family friendly, but there is a little swearing, and it does get a little sad at one part.

Going the Distance

Capsule review from Nick at Nite

Going the Distance

My wife dragged me to this movie. I mean dragged. I thought it would be terrible. Seriously, the guy from the Mac commercial and Drew Barrymore. To my surprise, it was quite good. Crass enough to keep my interest. Romantic enough to appease the spouse.

I give it an A.

Music and Lyrics

DVD review from The Movie Snob

Music and Lyrics (C+). This is a perfectly adequate little romantic comedy starring Hugh Grant (About a Boy) and Drew Barrymore (Whip It). Hugh plays a washed up 80’s pop star who supports himself by performing in tiny venues for middle-aged women. But his box office is falling off, and he gets a desperately needed shot at rejuvenating his career when a Britny-esque starlet called Cora (Haley Bennett, Marley & Me) invites him to write a song for her. Hugh only writes music, so he needs a lyricist. No sooner can you say “deus ex machina” than it turns out the gal who’s watering the plants in his apartment (played by Drew) is a born lyricist. So they have to spend a lot of time together writing the song, and things go in typical romantic-comedy fashion. Of course, it’s kind of icky since Hugh is 15 years older than Drew is, but whatever.

Whip It

From the desk of The Movie Snob

Whip It (B). Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut stars current It Girl Ellen Page (X Men: The Last Stand) as Bliss Cavendar, a misfit high schooler not unlike the title character in Juno. Bliss is stuck in the tiny Texas town of Bodeen, her mom insists that she compete in local beauty pageants, and she is just generally depressed with her lot in life . . . until she discovers roller derby. Before you can say “elbow pads,” little Bliss has survived open tryouts and joined the Hurl Scouts, a team in the Austin roller derby league. It strains credibility how quickly Bliss makes the transition from Barbie skates to league stardom, and how hard she falls for a homely, grungy singer in a two-bit rock band. But I can’t deny that I enjoyed watching the last-place Hurl Scouts claw their way up the standings for a climactic Bad News Bears style battle with the reigning Holy Rollers. And who didn’t get a little misty-eyed when Bliss’s disappointed mama nevertheless shows up to watch the big game? Well, I didn’t, but I bet a lot of people did.

Fever Pitch

New review from Nick at Nite:

Fever Pitch

I love baseball. Is there anything more American? (except for winning the hearts and minds of people in third-world countries by invading their country and toppling whatever puppet government we previously installed). The smell of hotdogs, the hot glare of the sun, and the crack of a wooden bat – baseball is the perfect game. I won’t go so far as to say that Fever Pitch is a perfect movie, but it is a very good date movie and is an excellent demonstration of how someone can love a team or game as much as they do (some call it an obsession – I call it a healthy marriage). This movie is the screenplay of a book about an English soccer fan’s obsession with the Liverpool football club. I understand the book has a different ending than the movie (and it is a different sport) so it is probably worth checking out.

Anywho . . . this movie follows the escapades of Jimmy (Whip It) Fallon’s character, an obsessed and cursed Boston RedSox fan, as he meets Drew Barrymore’s character, a stuck-up, whiny, high-strung yuppie. Drew (Big Miracle) falls for Jimmy’s “offseason” guy only to learn that she might not like Jimmy’s “baseball” season guy. I don’t want to give away the movie, but if you have been in prison or hate sports . . . the RedSox won the World Series last year . . . so the end of the movie heads that direction. I really enjoyed this film. I thought Jimmy’s character was likeable and believable. I thought Drew was serviceable, but she has been much better — see Fifty First Dates. Having been to a ton of baseball games, including a Red Sox v. Yankees game . . . let me say this movie very realistically portrayed the plight of these fans. I give it an A and say check it out.